NameCensus.

UK surname

Dever

Derived from the Old French "deveir" or "dever," meaning duty, responsibility, or that which one must do.

In the 1881 census there were 73 people recorded with the Dever surname, ranking it #23,220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 325, ranked #13,930, up from #23,220 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newport, Manchester and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Knowsley and Erskine West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dever is 330 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 345.2%.

1881 census count

73

Ranked #23,220

Modern count

325

2016, ranked #13,930

Peak year

2011

330 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dever had 73 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,220 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016, ranked #13,930.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 126 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dever surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dever surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dever 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 74 #20,443
1861 historical 76 #24,114
1881 historical 73 #23,220
1891 historical 123 #20,939
1901 historical 110 #21,604
1911 historical 126 #19,831
1997 modern 266 #14,658
1998 modern 272 #14,846
1999 modern 281 #14,578
2000 modern 275 #14,757
2001 modern 278 #14,444
2002 modern 292 #14,236
2003 modern 297 #13,917
2004 modern 303 #13,812
2005 modern 305 #13,689
2006 modern 292 #14,148
2007 modern 307 #13,822
2008 modern 319 #13,581
2009 modern 318 #13,863
2010 modern 326 #13,918
2011 modern 330 #13,664
2012 modern 324 #13,751
2013 modern 320 #14,104
2014 modern 319 #14,216
2015 modern 318 #14,155
2016 modern 325 #13,930

Geography

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Where Devers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newport, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Knowsley, Erskine West, Manchester and Wirral. 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 Newport Shropshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 032 Doncaster
2 Knowsley 020 Knowsley
3 Erskine West Renfrewshire
4 Manchester 036 Manchester
5 Wirral 021 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dever

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dever

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Dever 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

Dever is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dever 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 Dever 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dever

The surname Dever is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "deor," which means "deer," and likely referred to someone who lived near a deer park or forest. The name is also thought to be related to the Old English word "deor-frith," meaning "deer enclosure."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dever can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Deuere." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of landholdings in England and provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "de la Dever" and "atte Dever," indicating its association with a particular location or place name. These variations suggest that the name may have originated from a place called Dever, although the exact location is uncertain.

One notable individual with the surname Dever was Sir John Dever, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 15th century. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire in 1449.

Another historically significant figure was Thomas Dever, born in 1602, who was a Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Taunton, Massachusetts. He played a crucial role in the early settlement of New England and the establishment of religious institutions in the colonies.

In the 18th century, William Dever (1720-1789) was a prominent merchant and shipping magnate in Bristol, England. He amassed a considerable fortune through his trading ventures and was known for his philanthropic endeavors, including the establishment of a school for underprivileged children.

During the Victorian era, John Dever (1823-1891) was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Holborn Town Hall and the Royal Albion Hotel.

In the 20th century, William G. Dever (1933-2020) was a renowned American archaeologist and scholar who made significant contributions to the understanding of ancient Israelite history and culture through his excavations and research in the Middle East.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Dever who have left their mark on history, demonstrating the rich and varied origins of this name and its representation across various fields and time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dever families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dever 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 34 Devers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.02x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 34 4.02x
Yorkshire 8 1.13x
Middlesex 6 0.84x
Renfrewshire 6 10.88x
Shropshire 6 9.75x
Lanarkshire 4 1.74x
Midlothian 3 3.15x
Staffordshire 2 0.83x
Ayrshire 1 1.88x
Cambridgeshire 1 2.22x
Surrey 1 0.29x
West Lothian 1 9.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whiston in Lancashire leads with 10 Devers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1515.15x.

Place Total Index
Whiston 10 1515.15x
Abbey 6 71.26x
Liverpool 6 11.69x
Newport 6 810.81x
Clitheroe 5 200.80x
Dalton In Furness 5 153.37x
Govan 4 7.02x
Leeds 4 10.04x
Prescot 4 261.44x
Livesey 3 202.70x
Hampstead London 2 18.03x
Heptonstall 2 202.02x
Holbeck 2 42.83x
Penicuik 2 153.85x
All Saints Cambridge 1 312.50x
Croydon 1 5.19x
Hackney London 1 2.51x
Islington London 1 1.45x
Largs 1 79.37x
Paddington London 1 3.82x
Rainhill 1 185.19x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 32.47x
Tettenhall 1 68.03x
Wednesfield 1 28.25x
West Calder 1 53.19x
Whitburn 1 64.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Bridget 2
Ellen 2
Jane 2
Maggie 2
Margaret 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Eugenia 1
Hannah 1
Harriot 1
Isabella 1
Margrett 1
Norah 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Patrick 5
John 4
William 4
James 3
Adam 2
Thomas 2
Charles 1
Edward 1
Fred 1
Henry 1
Martin 1
Neil 1
Samuel 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 Dever households.

FAQ

Dever surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dever surname in 1881?

In 1881, 73 people were recorded with the Dever surname. That placed it at #23,220 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dever surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016. That gives Dever a modern rank of #13,930.

What does the Dever surname mean?

Derived from the Old French "deveir" or "dever," meaning duty, responsibility, or that which one must do.

What does the Dever map show?

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