NameCensus.

UK surname

Devin

From an Irish surname meaning "descendant of the brown one".

In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Devin surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 170, ranked #21,801, down from #20,467 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Richmond and Ealing, Chiswick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Springside and Rural, Duddingston and Portobello South and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Devin is 170 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.9%.

1881 census count

94

Ranked #20,467

Modern count

170

2016, ranked #21,801

Peak year

2016

170 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Devin had 94 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,467 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016, ranked #21,801.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 112 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Devin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Devin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Devin 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 80 #19,558
1861 historical 103 #20,650
1881 historical 94 #20,467
1891 historical 112 #22,291
1901 historical 97 #23,227
1911 historical 67 #26,152
1997 modern 125 #23,567
1998 modern 139 #22,720
1999 modern 146 #22,202
2000 modern 145 #22,259
2001 modern 137 #22,740
2002 modern 134 #23,492
2003 modern 128 #23,890
2004 modern 128 #24,117
2005 modern 136 #23,205
2006 modern 137 #23,270
2007 modern 137 #23,590
2008 modern 142 #23,270
2009 modern 149 #23,031
2010 modern 149 #23,598
2011 modern 145 #23,837
2012 modern 154 #22,870
2013 modern 146 #24,107
2014 modern 157 #23,101
2015 modern 160 #22,701
2016 modern 170 #21,801

Geography

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Where Devins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Richmond, Ealing, Chiswick, Warrington and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Springside and Rural, Duddingston and Portobello South, Liverpool, Galston and Flintshire. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Richmond Surrey
3 Ealing, Chiswick Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
4 Warrington Lancashire
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Springside and Rural North Ayrshire
2 Duddingston and Portobello South City of Edinburgh
3 Liverpool 028 Liverpool
4 Galston East Ayrshire
5 Flintshire 014 Flintshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Devin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Devin

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Devin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Devin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Devin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Devin is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Devin falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Devin

The surname DEVIN originated in Brittany, a cultural region in the northwest of France, in the medieval period. It is derived from the Breton word "devin," meaning "prophet" or "seer." The name may have been given to someone who was believed to have prophetic abilities or to a soothsayer.

DEVIN is a variant spelling of the French surname Devin, which is also found in historical records. The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 12th century, when a person named Guillemin Devin was mentioned in a manuscript from the region.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Robert Devin, a Breton monk and chronicler who wrote about the history of the Duchy of Brittany. His work is a valuable source of information about the region during that time period.

The surname DEVIN can also be traced back to various place names in Brittany, such as Devyn and Devinière, which may have influenced the development of the surname. These place names likely originated from the Breton word "devin" as well.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname DEVIN was Jean Devin, born in 1435 in Rennes, Brittany. He was a prominent merchant and played a role in the city's trade guilds.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Francis Devin (1550-1624), a French theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious topics during the Counter-Reformation.

In the 17th century, Jacques Devin (1615-1680) was a French painter known for his portraits and religious works. He was a member of the prestigious Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in Paris.

During the 18th century, Pierre-Nicolas Devin (1735-1810) was a French composer and violinist who wrote several operas and ballets that were performed in Paris.

The surname DEVIN also appears in British records, with one of the earliest examples being John Devin, born in 1620 in Gloucestershire, England. He later immigrated to the American colonies and settled in Virginia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Devin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Devin 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 22 Devins recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.02x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 22 2.02x
Hertfordshire 15 23.74x
Cheshire 10 4.94x
Middlesex 9 0.98x
Surrey 7 1.57x
Sussex 7 4.53x
Flintshire 6 24.35x
Midlothian 5 4.07x
Durham 4 1.47x
Lanarkshire 4 1.35x
Dunbartonshire 2 8.12x
Ayrshire 1 1.46x
Renfrewshire 1 1.41x
Wigtownshire 1 8.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bushey in Hertfordshire leads with 15 Devins recorded in 1881 and an index of 1000.00x.

Place Total Index
Bushey 15 1000.00x
Warrington 9 69.77x
Brighton 7 22.45x
Camberwell 7 11.95x
Flint 6 428.57x
Guilden Sutton 6 10000.00x
Toxteth Park 6 16.29x
Edinburgh Old 5 666.67x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 33.87x
Liverpool 4 6.05x
St Pancras London 4 5.42x
St Marylebone London 3 6.13x
Castle Northwich 2 298.51x
Old Kilpatrick 2 68.73x
West Derby 2 6.29x
Altrincham 1 28.25x
Auckinleck 1 47.17x
Barony 1 1.33x
Glasgow 1 1.90x
Govan 1 1.36x
Hammersmith London 1 4.43x
Marple 1 71.94x
Paisley Low Church 1 44.44x
Penninghame 1 80.65x
Salford 1 3.13x
Shadwell London 1 38.91x
Stonehouse 1 99.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 4
Ann 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Kate 2
Margaret 2
Bridget 1
Bridgit 1
Caroline 1
Eleanor 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Hermius 1
Jessie 1
Lizzie 1
Lora 1
Louisa 1
Matilda 1
Nina 1
Pauline 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 5
William 5
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Henry 2
John 2
Lawrence 2
Adolphus 1
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Cornelius 1
Edme 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Lawrenc 1
Macaire 1
Martin 1
Patrick 1
Paul 1
Peter 1
Reginald 1
Robert 1
Thomas 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 Devin households.

FAQ

Devin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Devin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Devin surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Devin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016. That gives Devin a modern rank of #21,801.

What does the Devin surname mean?

From an Irish surname meaning "descendant of the brown one".

What does the Devin map show?

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