NameCensus.

UK surname

Devanney

Irish surname derived from deaghainmneach meaning "having a good name."

In the 1881 census there were 52 people recorded with the Devanney surname, ranking it #26,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 323, ranked #13,997, up from #26,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Whitnash and Wrexham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Muirhouse and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Devanney is 337 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 521.2%.

1881 census count

52

Ranked #26,281

Modern count

323

2016, ranked #13,997

Peak year

2010

337 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Devanney had 52 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016, ranked #13,997.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 117 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Devanney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Devanney surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Devanney 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 7 #32,070
1861 historical 39 #29,099
1881 historical 52 #26,281
1891 historical 89 #25,542
1901 historical 100 #22,863
1911 historical 117 #20,757
1997 modern 255 #15,077
1998 modern 273 #14,803
1999 modern 266 #15,150
2000 modern 269 #14,983
2001 modern 264 #14,958
2002 modern 281 #14,619
2003 modern 277 #14,577
2004 modern 289 #14,219
2005 modern 291 #14,105
2006 modern 310 #13,603
2007 modern 312 #13,674
2008 modern 320 #13,550
2009 modern 329 #13,548
2010 modern 337 #13,580
2011 modern 324 #13,839
2012 modern 298 #14,565
2013 modern 313 #14,299
2014 modern 319 #14,216
2015 modern 315 #14,247
2016 modern 323 #13,997

Geography

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Where Devanneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Whitnash, Wrexham, Gateshead and Perth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Muirhouse, County Durham, Laighstonehall and Bradford. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Whitnash Warwickshire
3 Wrexham Denbighshire
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Perth Perth

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 034 Doncaster
2 Muirhouse North Lanarkshire
3 County Durham 003 County Durham
4 Laighstonehall South Lanarkshire
5 Bradford 060 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Devanney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Devanney

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Devanney, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Devanney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Devanney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Devanney is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Devanney 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

Devanney falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Devanney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Devanney

The surname Devanney originates from Ireland, specifically the northern regions of Ulster. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Daimhín" or "Ó Damháin", which means "descendant of Damhán". Damhán was a personal name derived from the word "damh", meaning "stag" or "ox". The prefix "Ó" denotes descendant or grandson.

The earliest recorded reference to the name appears in the 16th century Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, where it is spelled as "O'Dyvane". Other similar spellings found in historical records include "O'Deveney", "O'Devany", and "O'Deveny". The surname is closely related to the place name "Devenish", an island in Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, which was once home to a monastery and an important ecclesiastical center.

In the 17th century, during the Plantation of Ulster, many Irish families were dispossessed of their lands, leading to a widespread dispersal of the Devanney name across Ireland and beyond. One notable bearer of the name from this period was Owen Deveney (c. 1640 - c. 1690), a Catholic priest and historian who wrote a treatise on the history of Ireland.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Devanney family settled in County Donegal, where they became prominent landowners. James Deveney (1738 - 1815), a wealthy merchant and landowner, was instrumental in the development of the town of Ballybofey.

During the 19th century, the Devanney name spread further due to Irish emigration. Patrick Devanney (1818 - 1892), born in County Tyrone, emigrated to the United States and became a successful businessman in New York City. Another notable figure was Bridget Devanney (1860 - 1938), a labor activist and trade unionist from County Donegal, who advocated for better working conditions for women.

As the centuries passed, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, including Devanney, Deveney, Devanny, and Devany. While the name is predominantly Irish, it can also be found among Scottish and English families, likely due to intermarriage or migration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Devanney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Devanney 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. Durham leads with 15 Devanneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.55x.

County Total Index
Durham 15 10.55x
Lancashire 15 2.64x
Yorkshire 7 1.48x
Perthshire 5 23.31x
Lincolnshire 3 3.93x
Cheshire 1 0.95x
Essex 1 1.06x
Lanarkshire 1 0.65x
Shropshire 1 2.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gateshead in Durham leads with 8 Devanneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 75.12x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 8 75.12x
Preston 8 52.74x
Benfieldside 7 744.68x
Batley 6 133.33x
Perth Middle Church 5 617.28x
Clee With Weelsby 3 179.64x
Liverpool 3 8.71x
Cheetham 2 47.28x
East Ham 1 57.14x
Heaton Norris 1 30.96x
Linthorpe 1 35.34x
Occlestone 1 5000.00x
Quatt Jervis 1 3333.33x
Shettleston 1 72.46x
Spotland 1 15.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Bridget 4
Ellen 3
Mary 3
Matilda 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Margret 1
Rachael 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
James 5
Patrick 3
Edward 2
Michael 2
Bernard 1
Charles 1
Coleman 1
Henry 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 Devanney households.

FAQ

Devanney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Devanney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 52 people were recorded with the Devanney surname. That placed it at #26,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Devanney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016. That gives Devanney a modern rank of #13,997.

What does the Devanney surname mean?

Irish surname derived from deaghainmneach meaning "having a good name."

What does the Devanney map show?

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