NameCensus.

UK surname

Deval

A surname potentially derived from the Sanskrit word "deva" meaning divine or heavenly.

In the 1881 census there were 68 people recorded with the Deval surname, ranking it #23,950 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 129, ranked #26,270, down from #23,950 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Hayes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Oxfordshire, Wealden and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Deval is 129 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 89.7%.

1881 census count

68

Ranked #23,950

Modern count

129

2016, ranked #26,270

Peak year

2015

129 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Deval had 68 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,950 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016, ranked #26,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 100 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Deval surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Deval surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Deval 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 37 #29,339
1881 historical 68 #23,950
1891 historical 67 #28,424
1901 historical 83 #24,900
1911 historical 100 #22,717
1997 modern 104 #26,351
1998 modern 114 #25,589
1999 modern 115 #25,620
2000 modern 111 #26,111
2001 modern 111 #25,767
2002 modern 110 #26,412
2003 modern 112 #25,948
2004 modern 109 #26,607
2005 modern 104 #27,369
2006 modern 107 #27,179
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 109 #27,533
2009 modern 119 #26,637
2010 modern 117 #27,557
2011 modern 125 #26,220
2012 modern 123 #26,561
2013 modern 124 #26,842
2014 modern 125 #26,896
2015 modern 129 #26,226
2016 modern 129 #26,270

Geography

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Where Devals are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Hayes and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Oxfordshire, Wealden, Huntingdonshire, South Derbyshire and Teignbridge. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Hayes Kent
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Oxfordshire 005 South Oxfordshire
2 Wealden 018 Wealden
3 Huntingdonshire 016 Huntingdonshire
4 South Derbyshire 002 South Derbyshire
5 Teignbridge 016 Teignbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Deval

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Deval

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Deval, 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 Deval surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Deval household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Deval is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Deval 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

Deval falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Deval 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 Deval, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Deval

The surname Deval is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old French words "de val," meaning "of the valley," suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who lived in or near a valley.

One of the earliest known records of the name Deval can be found in the Domesday Book, a vast survey of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This indicates that the name had already traveled from France to England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various documents and records in the Normandy region of France, where it was often spelled as "Deval" or "Devaul." This region was known for its fertile valleys, which may have contributed to the name's origin.

During the medieval period, the name Deval was also found in records in the regions of Brittany and Anjou in western France. One notable individual from this time was Jean Deval, a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France in the 14th century.

As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Deval," "Devall," and "Devaux." One prominent bearer of the name was Michel Deval, a French philosopher and writer who lived in the 16th century and wrote extensively on political and social issues of his time.

In the 17th century, the name Deval was found in records in the Netherlands, where it was often spelled as "Devaal." One notable figure was Willem Deval, a Dutch merchant and explorer who traveled to the East Indies and wrote accounts of his voyages.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Deval gained more prominence in France, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. These included Jacques Deval, a French playwright and screenwriter born in 1890, and René Deval, a French actor and director born in 1904.

Throughout its history, the surname Deval has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, writers, philosophers, merchants, and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who carried this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Deval families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Deval 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. Essex leads with 14 Devals recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.46x.

County Total Index
Essex 14 13.46x
Middlesex 14 2.66x
Kent 9 5.01x
Surrey 8 3.12x
Yorkshire 4 0.77x
Staffordshire 3 1.69x
Derbyshire 1 1.21x
Sussex 1 1.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Ham in Essex leads with 14 Devals recorded in 1881 and an index of 60.98x.

Place Total Index
West Ham 14 60.98x
Hayes 7 5384.62x
St Pancras London 7 16.51x
Camberwell 6 17.83x
Kensington London 5 17.08x
Scarborough 4 84.39x
Colton 2 1666.67x
Abbots Bromley 1 384.62x
Greenwich 1 11.92x
Islington London 1 1.96x
Newington 1 5.14x
Plumstead 1 16.69x
Stapenhill 1 81.30x
Subdeanary 1 416.67x
Westminster St John 1 15.60x
Wimbledon 1 34.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Alice 2
Jane 2
Sophia 2
Susan 2
Ann 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Emiline 1
Hester 1
Infant 1
Laura 1
Leonora 1
Miriam 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 4
Charles 3
Edmund 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
William 2
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Chas. 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
George 1
Horace 1
John 1
Thomas 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Deval surname: questions and answers

How common was the Deval surname in 1881?

In 1881, 68 people were recorded with the Deval surname. That placed it at #23,950 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Deval surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016. That gives Deval a modern rank of #26,270.

What does the Deval surname mean?

A surname potentially derived from the Sanskrit word "deva" meaning divine or heavenly.

What does the Deval map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Deval 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.