NameCensus.

UK surname

Devilliers

A French surname derived from the place names meaning "of the villages".

In the 1881 census there were 11 people recorded with the Devilliers surname, ranking it #32,081 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 381, ranked #12,317, up from #32,081 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Wandsworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Devilliers is 396 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 3363.6%.

1881 census count

11

Ranked #32,081

Modern count

381

2016, ranked #12,317

Peak year

2013

396 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Devilliers had 11 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,081 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 381 in 2016, ranked #12,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 35 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Devilliers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Devilliers surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Devilliers 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 1 #33,412
1861 historical 1 #34,435
1881 historical 11 #32,081
1891 historical 13 #33,099
1901 historical 35 #30,194
1911 historical 26 #30,547
1997 modern 137 #22,301
1998 modern 161 #20,754
1999 modern 182 #19,317
2000 modern 199 #18,278
2001 modern 205 #17,683
2002 modern 233 #16,590
2003 modern 226 #16,766
2004 modern 262 #15,233
2005 modern 293 #14,030
2006 modern 292 #14,148
2007 modern 296 #14,172
2008 modern 309 #13,860
2009 modern 322 #13,741
2010 modern 350 #13,251
2011 modern 368 #12,631
2012 modern 386 #12,037
2013 modern 396 #12,015
2014 modern 384 #12,362
2015 modern 372 #12,544
2016 modern 381 #12,317

Geography

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Where Devilliers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, Wandsworth, Corby and Rushcliffe. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 017 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Westminster 020 Westminster
3 Wandsworth 026 Wandsworth
4 Corby 002 Corby
5 Rushcliffe 015 Rushcliffe

Forenames

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First names often paired with Devilliers

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Devilliers

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Devilliers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Devilliers household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Devilliers is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Devilliers 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

Devilliers falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Devilliers 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Devilliers

The surname DeVilliers originates from France, appearing as early as the 12th century. It is derived from the French words "de" meaning "from" and "villiers" meaning "small village or hamlet". This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who hailed from a particular small village or hamlet.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name was often spelled Devilliers or De Villiers, with variations like De Villers or DeVilers also appearing. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Picardy.

One of the earliest known mentions of the name can be found in the cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Père-en-Vallée in Chartres, dating back to the 12th century, where a certain Robertus de Villiers is listed as a witness to a land transaction.

The name also appears in various medieval records and manuscripts, such as the Testa de Nevill, a survey of land ownership in England conducted in the 13th century. Here, the name is recorded as De Villers, referring to individuals who held lands in various counties across England.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the surname DeVilliers is Jean de Villiers, a French nobleman and military commander who served under King Charles VII during the Hundred Years' War in the 15th century (c. 1400-1472).

Another prominent individual was Simon de Villiers, a French explorer and diplomat who was sent to the Great Lakes region of North America in the late 17th century by the French government (c. 1635-1701).

In the 18th century, Marthe de Villiers was a notable French writer and salonnière, known for her literary salon in Paris which attracted many influential figures of the Enlightenment (1711-1784).

Moving to the 19th century, John Henry de Villiers was a British naval officer and explorer who surveyed and mapped portions of Australia's coastline in the early 1800s (1775-1842).

Lastly, Theophilus DeVilliers was a prominent South African jurist and statesman who served as Chief Justice of the Cape Colony in the late 19th century (1833-1914).

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the surname DeVilliers, which has its roots in the small villages and hamlets of northern France during the medieval period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Devilliers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Devilliers 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 5 Devilliers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.61x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 5 3.61x
Middlesex 3 2.57x
Channel Islands 1 28.90x
Somerset 1 5.32x
Sussex 1 5.08x
Worcestershire 1 6.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tonge in Lancashire leads with 5 Devilliers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1724.14x.

Place Total Index
Tonge 5 1724.14x
St Martin In Fields 2 285.71x
Hampstead London 1 54.95x
Hastings St Leonards 1 344.83x
Portishead 1 714.29x
St Saviour 1 526.32x
Wollaston 1 1000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Aimee 1
Beatrice 1
Elizabeth 1
Katherine 1
Lollie 1
Tnez 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Etienne 1
Peter 1
Rovnel 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 Devilliers households.

FAQ

Devilliers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Devilliers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 11 people were recorded with the Devilliers surname. That placed it at #32,081 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Devilliers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 381 in 2016. That gives Devilliers a modern rank of #12,317.

What does the Devilliers surname mean?

A French surname derived from the place names meaning "of the villages".

What does the Devilliers map show?

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