NameCensus.

UK surname

Devany

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'Duibheannaigh" meaning descendant of the dark or swarthy one.

In the 1881 census there were 148 people recorded with the Devany surname, ranking it #15,611 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 151, ranked #23,615, down from #15,611 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Winwick, Govan Combination and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hillside and Calton Hill and Halton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Devany is 182 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.0%.

1881 census count

148

Ranked #15,611

Modern count

151

2016, ranked #23,615

Peak year

1861

182 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Devany had 148 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,611 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016, ranked #23,615.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 182 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Devany surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Devany surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Devany 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 149 #12,967
1861 historical 182 #12,949
1881 historical 148 #15,611
1891 historical 166 #17,077
1901 historical 156 #17,638
1911 historical 81 #24,719
1997 modern 133 #22,705
1998 modern 135 #23,118
1999 modern 130 #23,805
2000 modern 130 #23,785
2001 modern 128 #23,665
2002 modern 132 #23,680
2003 modern 141 #22,549
2004 modern 131 #23,756
2005 modern 126 #24,287
2006 modern 124 #24,750
2007 modern 130 #24,389
2008 modern 131 #24,583
2009 modern 136 #24,485
2010 modern 150 #23,482
2011 modern 146 #23,736
2012 modern 150 #23,264
2013 modern 156 #23,004
2014 modern 157 #23,101
2015 modern 152 #23,507
2016 modern 151 #23,615

Geography

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Where Devanys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Winwick, Govan Combination, Manchester, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Middlesborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hillside and Calton Hill and Halton. 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 Winwick Lancashire
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Middlesborough Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hillside and Calton Hill City of Edinburgh
2 Halton 004 Halton
3 Halton 003 Halton
4 Halton 005 Halton
5 Halton 007 Halton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Devany

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Devany

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Devany, 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 Devany surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Devany 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Devany is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Devany 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

Devany 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 Devany is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Devany

The surname DEVANY originates from the Gaelic Irish name O'Daimhin, which means "descendent of the stout or dense one." It is believed to have first appeared in County Leitrim, Ireland, in the 12th century.

The earliest recorded mention of the name DEVANY can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, dating back to the year 1187. The name is spelled "O'Daimhin" in this ancient text.

By the 16th century, variations of the spelling had emerged, including Devany, Devaney, and Devenny. These spellings reflected the anglicization of the original Irish Gaelic name as it became more widespread across Ireland.

The Hearth Money Rolls, a tax record from the late 17th century, lists several families with the surname DEVANY in counties Leitrim, Cavan, and Longford, suggesting these areas were strongholds for the name during this period.

Notably, the Devany name has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Tadhg O'Daimhin (1575-1647), an Irish Catholic priest and historian who wrote a chronicle of the Irish Confederate Wars.

Another prominent bearer of the name was James Devany (1808-1878), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, from 1868 to 1869.

In the 19th century, Michael Devany (1823-1892) was a renowned Irish-American Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools and colleges in the United States.

The name DEVANY has also been connected to various place names in Ireland, such as Devany's Cross, a townland in County Leitrim, and Devany's Bridge, a location in County Mayo.

Additionally, the surname DEVANY has been linked to the Gaelic word "damh," meaning "ox" or "stag," suggesting the name may have originally referred to someone with a strong or robust stature.

Other notable individuals with the surname DEVANY include John Devany (1857-1936), an Irish-American labor leader and politician, and Eamon Devany (1907-1976), an Irish Garda Síochána (police) officer and politician.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Devany families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Devany 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. Lancashire leads with 48 Devanys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.80x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 48 2.80x
Yorkshire 17 1.19x
Lanarkshire 15 3.21x
Angus 9 6.73x
Durham 8 1.86x
Midlothian 8 4.14x
Middlesex 6 0.42x
Perthshire 6 9.26x
Staffordshire 6 1.23x
Cheshire 5 1.57x
Cornwall 5 3.06x
Northumberland 5 2.33x
Renfrewshire 3 2.68x
Caithness 1 5.06x
Essex 1 0.35x
Kent 1 0.20x
Lincolnshire 1 0.43x
Surrey 1 0.14x
Sussex 1 0.41x
Warwickshire 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 9 Devanys recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.03x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 9 18.03x
Liverpool 9 8.65x
Govan 8 6.93x
Much Woolton 8 344.83x
Castleton 7 40.91x
Barony 6 5.08x
Holy Trinity 6 17.44x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 26.88x
Leeds 5 6.19x
Lowick 5 666.67x
Perth Middle Church 5 204.92x
Warrington 5 24.62x
Edinburgh Tron Church 4 439.56x
Parr 4 65.25x
Gateshead 3 9.33x
Gorton 3 18.63x
Kenwyn 3 70.26x
Over 3 92.59x
Over Darwen 3 21.93x
Penicuik 3 114.07x
Port Glasgow 3 55.45x
Willesden 3 22.04x
Wolverhampton 3 8.01x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 5.34x
Drypool 2 91.32x
Kensington London 2 2.49x
Madron Penzance 2 33.67x
Northwich 2 392.16x
Sheffield 2 4.39x
Wigan 2 8.35x
Bermondsey 1 2.33x
Birmingham 1 0.82x
Cambusnethan 1 9.64x
Cheetham 1 7.82x
Cockpen 1 44.25x
Dewsbury 1 6.82x
Ecclesfield 1 9.53x
Errol 1 83.33x
Garston 1 19.76x
Great Grimsby 1 6.83x
Mayfield 1 69.44x
Milton In Gravesend 1 13.53x
Preston 1 2.18x
Shenstone 1 80.65x
Thurso 1 32.47x
Toxteth Park 1 1.72x
Walsall Borough 1 26.46x
Walsall Foreign 1 3.97x
West Ham 1 1.59x
Westhoughton 1 21.88x
Westminster St John 1 5.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Bridget 6
Catherine 4
Margaret 4
Annie 3
Sarah 3
Ada 2
Ann 2
Catharine 2
Jane 2
Alice 1
Carmen 1
Delia 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Harriet 1
Hetty 1
Honora 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lily 1
Rosan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 8
John 7
Thomas 6
Patrick 5
Michael 4
William 4
Albert 2
Martin 2
Thos. 2
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
Bryan 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
George 1
Henry 1
Maichael 1
Matthew 1
Owen 1
Pattrick 1
Tabuck 1

FAQ

Devany surname: questions and answers

How common was the Devany surname in 1881?

In 1881, 148 people were recorded with the Devany surname. That placed it at #15,611 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Devany surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016. That gives Devany a modern rank of #23,615.

What does the Devany surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'Duibheannaigh" meaning descendant of the dark or swarthy one.

What does the Devany map show?

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