NameCensus.

UK surname

Deuchar

A Scottish occupational surname derived from the Gaelic words "dubh" meaning dark and "cathar" meaning peasant or rustic.

In the 1881 census there were 129 people recorded with the Deuchar surname, ranking it #17,013 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 157, ranked #23,006, down from #17,013 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dunning, Edinburgh and St Werburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Nottingham, Fankerton, Stoneywood and Denny Town and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Deuchar is 168 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.7%.

1881 census count

129

Ranked #17,013

Modern count

157

2016, ranked #23,006

Peak year

1891

168 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Deuchar had 129 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,013 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016, ranked #23,006.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 168 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Deuchar surname distribution map

The map shows where the Deuchar surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Deuchar surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Deuchar over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 117 #15,456
1861 historical 119 #18,393
1881 historical 129 #17,013
1891 historical 168 #16,937
1901 historical 163 #17,205
1911 historical 50 #27,806
1997 modern 134 #22,608
1998 modern 137 #22,922
1999 modern 139 #22,884
2000 modern 138 #22,960
2001 modern 145 #21,951
2002 modern 146 #22,302
2003 modern 141 #22,549
2004 modern 141 #22,689
2005 modern 136 #23,205
2006 modern 132 #23,834
2007 modern 131 #24,282
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 145 #23,473
2010 modern 148 #23,697
2011 modern 146 #23,736
2012 modern 150 #23,264
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 150 #23,864
2015 modern 151 #23,613
2016 modern 157 #23,006

Geography

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Where Deuchars are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dunning, Edinburgh, St Werburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Nottingham, Fankerton, Stoneywood and Denny Town, Wiltshire, Duns and Maidstone. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Dunning Perth
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 St Werburgh Derbyshire
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Nottingham 028 Nottingham
2 Fankerton, Stoneywood and Denny Town Falkirk
3 Wiltshire 012 Wiltshire
4 Duns Scottish Borders
5 Maidstone 002 Maidstone

Forenames

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First names often paired with Deuchar

These lists show first names that appear often with the Deuchar surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Deuchar

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Deuchar, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Deuchar surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Deuchar household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Deuchar is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Deuchar is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Deuchar falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Deuchar is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Deuchar, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Deuchar

The surname Deuchar originated in Scotland, specifically in the Scottish Borders region. It is believed to have derived from an old Scottish locational surname, likely referring to a place name such as Deuchar or Deuchrie.

The name can be traced back to the 16th century, with records showing individuals bearing the surname residing in the Scottish Borders area. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, where a "John Deuchar" is mentioned in 1586.

In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the Deuchar family appears to have been landowners in the Borders region, with their name appearing in various land records and charters of the time. A notable figure from this period was Robert Deuchar, who was granted lands in Roxburghshire in 1602.

The surname Deuchar is also found in historical records related to the Scottish Reformation and the conflicts between Protestants and Catholics in the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1681, a James Deuchar was recorded as a Covenanter, a Protestant group that opposed the religious policies of the Scottish monarchy.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Deuchar family continued to be prominent in the Scottish Borders region. William Deuchar (1730-1804), a minister and writer, was born in Melrose and is known for his works on Scottish history and literature. Another notable figure was Robert Deuchar (1797-1860), a Scottish artist and engraver who specialized in architectural subjects.

Other individuals of note bearing the Deuchar surname include:

1. Alexander Deuchar (1777-1846), a Scottish sculptor and artist who worked on various public monuments and buildings in Edinburgh.

2. David Deuchar (1779-1840), a Scottish minister and professor of chemistry at the University of Glasgow.

3. John Deuchar (1842-1926), a Scottish painter and sculptor who worked in both Edinburgh and London.

4. James Deuchar (1826-1879), a Scottish lawyer and legal writer who authored several works on Scottish law and conveyancing.

5. Andrew Deuchar (1832-1900), a Scottish architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

While the Deuchar surname is relatively uncommon, it has a long and rich history rooted in the Scottish Borders region, with various individuals bearing the name making significant contributions to Scottish history, art, literature, and other fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Deuchar families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Deuchar surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Angus leads with 46 Deuchars recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.46x.

County Total Index
Angus 46 39.46x
Midlothian 23 13.65x
Lanarkshire 18 4.42x
Perthshire 11 19.48x
Northumberland 7 3.74x
Cumberland 6 5.54x
Yorkshire 6 0.48x
Lancashire 4 0.27x
Kincardineshire 3 19.58x
Aberdeenshire 2 1.72x
Surrey 2 0.33x
Stirlingshire 1 2.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kirriemuir in Angus leads with 22 Deuchars recorded in 1881 and an index of 763.89x.

Place Total Index
Kirriemuir 22 763.89x
Barony 13 12.62x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 12 17.69x
Forfar 7 110.94x
South Leith 6 31.63x
Upsall In Thirsk 6 12000.00x
Dunning 5 704.23x
Newcastle On Tyne St 5 51.55x
Craig 4 353.98x
Gorbals 4 165.29x
St Cuthbert W O 4 75.76x
Toxteth Park 4 7.91x
Banchory Devenick 3 209.79x
Dundee St Peter 3 6000.00x
Glamis 3 428.57x
Redgorton 3 476.19x
Dundee 2 4.60x
Edinburgh St Stephens 2 60.24x
Kirkden 2 273.97x
Lambeth 2 1.82x
Perth East Church 2 37.59x
Tynemouth 2 19.94x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 4.59x
Auchterless 1 107.53x
Brechin 1 21.83x
Duddingston 1 29.59x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 1 85.47x
Falkirk 1 9.21x
Forgandenny 1 370.37x
Govan 1 0.99x
Inveresk 1 21.93x
Montrose 1 14.16x
Rescobie 1 333.33x
Rickergate 1 43.67x
St Mary Within 1 74.07x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Deuchar surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Deuchar surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Alexander 2
Patrick 2
Charles 1
Geo. 1
James 1
Peter 1
Thomas 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Deuchar households.

FAQ

Deuchar surname: questions and answers

How common was the Deuchar surname in 1881?

In 1881, 129 people were recorded with the Deuchar surname. That placed it at #17,013 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Deuchar surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016. That gives Deuchar a modern rank of #23,006.

What does the Deuchar surname mean?

A Scottish occupational surname derived from the Gaelic words "dubh" meaning dark and "cathar" meaning peasant or rustic.

What does the Deuchar map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Deuchar bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.