NameCensus.

UK surname

Devlin

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Dobhailéin," meaning "descendant of the unlucky one" or "descendant of the unfortunate one."

In the 1881 census there were 2,454 people recorded with the Devlin surname, ranking it #1,811 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,207, ranked #804, up from #1,811 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, Craigend and Ruchazie and Drumry West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Devlin is 8,252 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 234.4%.

1881 census count

2,454

Ranked #1,811

Modern count

8,207

2016, ranked #804

Peak year

2010

8,252 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Devlin had 2,454 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,811 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,207 in 2016, ranked #804.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,041 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Devlin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Devlin surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Devlin 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 865 #3,149
1861 historical 952 #2,911
1881 historical 2,454 #1,811
1891 historical 2,627 #1,812
1901 historical 3,041 #1,844
1911 historical 1,202 #3,911
1997 modern 7,220 #895
1998 modern 7,513 #895
1999 modern 7,644 #885
2000 modern 7,533 #897
2001 modern 7,342 #897
2002 modern 7,586 #888
2003 modern 7,402 #885
2004 modern 7,437 #883
2005 modern 7,389 #877
2006 modern 7,499 #865
2007 modern 7,649 #852
2008 modern 7,818 #834
2009 modern 8,045 #829
2010 modern 8,252 #825
2011 modern 8,093 #826
2012 modern 7,962 #821
2013 modern 8,105 #819
2014 modern 8,210 #816
2015 modern 8,192 #810
2016 modern 8,207 #804

Geography

Back to top

Where Devlins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Govan Combination, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, Craigend and Ruchazie, Drumry West, Corby and Cowlairs and Port Dundas. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
2 Craigend and Ruchazie Glasgow City
3 Drumry West Glasgow City
4 Corby 006 Corby
5 Cowlairs and Port Dundas Glasgow City

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Devlin

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Devlin

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Devlin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Devlin is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Devlin 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 Devlin 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Devlin

The surname Devlin originates from Ireland and dates back to the 12th century. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name O'Dobhalein, which means "descendant of Dobhailen." The name Dobhailen is derived from the Irish word dubh, meaning "dark" or "black," and may have referred to someone with dark features or hair.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Irish annals and documents. One notable mention is in the Annals of Ulster, which refers to a "Dubhalein O'Dubhalein" in the year 1189. This suggests that the name was already well-established in Ireland by the late 12th century.

The Devlin name is particularly associated with County Fermanagh in Ulster, where it has a long and prominent history. In the 16th century, the Devlins were among the most powerful families in the region, and several members of the clan were noted as leaders and landowners.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the anglicized spelling "Devlin" can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor reign, which mention a "Patrick Devlin" in County Fermanagh in 1586.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Devlin. These include:

1. Patrick Devlin (1905-1992), a prominent British lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain from 1962 to 1964.

2. Bernadette Devlin McAliskey (born 1947), a prominent Irish republican and civil rights activist who became the youngest woman ever elected to the British Parliament in 1969 at the age of 21.

3. Michael Devlin (1923-2005), an American Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Brownsville, Texas, from 1965 to 1998.

4. John Devlin (1919-2008), an American politician who served as Mayor of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from 1964 to 1976.

5. Denis Devlin (1908-1959), an Irish poet and literary critic who was a member of the Irish Academy of Letters and a co-founder of the influential literary journal Envoy.

The Devlin name has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Devlinstown and Devlinburn, further highlighting its historical significance and geographic roots in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Devlin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Devlin 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. Lanarkshire leads with 892 Devlins recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.53x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 892 11.53x
Lancashire 292 1.03x
Renfrewshire 238 12.84x
Durham 168 2.36x
Ayrshire 145 8.10x
Midlothian 122 3.81x
Angus 92 4.15x
Northumberland 84 2.36x
Yorkshire 82 0.35x
Cumberland 70 3.40x
Cheshire 45 0.85x
Derbyshire 27 0.72x
Dunbartonshire 25 3.89x
Stirlingshire 21 2.38x
West Lothian 18 5.00x
Kirkcudbrightshire 17 4.91x
Hampshire 16 0.33x
Middlesex 16 0.07x
Staffordshire 12 0.15x
Warwickshire 10 0.17x
Herefordshire 8 0.82x
Kent 8 0.10x
Isle of Man 7 1.58x
Surrey 6 0.05x
Dumfriesshire 4 0.76x
Perthshire 4 0.37x
Wigtownshire 4 1.26x
Devon 3 0.06x
Essex 3 0.06x
Royal Navy 3 1.05x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.09x
Argyllshire 2 0.30x
Berkshire 1 0.06x
Buteshire 1 0.69x
Fife 1 0.07x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Roxburghshire 1 0.23x
Westmorland 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 247 Devlins recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.98x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 247 17.98x
Barony 205 10.47x
Govan 194 10.14x
Dundee 67 8.10x
West Greenock 65 19.54x
Liverpool 57 3.31x
New Monkland 54 23.62x
Old Monkland 50 16.29x
Thornaby 43 48.55x
Bothwell 36 17.16x
Dalry 31 36.80x
Gateshead 30 5.63x
South Leith 30 8.32x
Salford 27 3.23x
Eastwood 24 21.02x
Kilbarchan 24 42.62x
Abbey 22 7.78x
Ashton Under Lyne 22 3.55x
Barrow In Furness 22 5.70x
Liff Benvie 22 6.54x
Manchester 21 1.65x
Port Glasgow 21 23.43x
Glossop Dale 19 10.83x
Hamilton 19 8.81x
Auckinleck 18 32.49x
Cambuslang 18 23.08x
Heworth 18 12.84x
Wallsend 18 15.95x
Middle Greenock 17 33.61x
Old Kilpatrick 17 22.38x
Westgate 17 7.71x
Birkenhead 16 3.80x
West Derby 16 1.93x
Arlecdon 15 27.39x
Bishopwearmouth 15 2.46x
Blantyre 15 18.63x
East Greenock 15 8.57x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 15 4.87x
Shotts 15 16.20x
Cathcart 14 13.96x
Widnes 14 6.84x
Campsie 13 26.85x
Dukinfield 13 5.33x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 13 1.01x
Kirknewton East 13 97.09x
Neilston 13 13.97x
North Leith 13 8.77x
West Calder 13 20.58x
Winlaton 13 19.04x
Everton 12 1.33x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 12 5.65x
Girvan 11 24.48x
Kirkdale 11 2.30x
Kirkoswald 11 75.29x
Linthorpe 11 7.78x
Oldham 11 1.20x
Shettleston 11 15.88x
Dearham 10 36.81x
Holmside 10 57.01x
Newton On Ayr 10 18.65x
Birmingham 9 0.45x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 2.00x
Edinburgh New 9 36.16x
Newton In Ashton Under 9 17.27x
Paisley High Church 9 6.10x
Toxteth Park 9 0.94x
Troqueer 9 19.82x
Alverstoke 8 4.51x
Burton Upon Trent 8 4.24x
Cambusnethan 8 4.66x
Conside Knitsley 8 14.46x
East West Greenock 8 268.46x
Edinburgh High Church 8 39.78x
Hereford St Peter 8 30.53x
Irvine 8 16.09x
Maybole 8 14.68x
Workington 8 6.78x
Dalmeny 7 50.84x
Sudbury 7 163.93x
Sunderland 7 5.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 81
Ann 30
Ellen 25
Margaret 25
Sarah 25
Catherine 22
Elizabeth 20
Jane 13
Bridget 8
Agnes 7
Annie 6
Charlotte 5
Eliza 5
Rose 5
Alice 4
Dorothy 4
Frances 4
Martha 4
Anne 3
Hannah 3
Margret 3
Margt. 3
Susan 3
Emily 2
Harriett 2
Isabella 2
Julia 2
Lizzie 2
Matilda 2
Susannah 2
Bessie 1
Clara 1
Clotildo 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth 1
Elizth. 1
Ellin 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Eunice 1
Florence 1
Issabella 1
Janet 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Leah 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Magdalene 1
Maggie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 109
James 62
Thomas 30
Henry 28
Patrick 28
Edward 22
Peter 22
William 19
Hugh 15
Joseph 15
Michael 14
Charles 11
Francis 11
Bernard 9
George 9
Daniel 8
Andrew 6
Felix 5
Robert 5
Alexander 4
Cornelius 4
Frederick 3
Jas. 3
Mark 3
Richard 3
Robt. 3
Anthony 2
Danial 2
Frank 2
Lewis 2
Pat 2
Wm. 2
Ann 1
Arthur 1
Barney 1
Benjamin 1
Chas.E. 1
Cormack 1
Edwin 1
Eliz.A. 1
Fenton 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Gibson 1
Josh. 1
Leo 1
Matthew 1
Matw. 1
Neil 1
Partrick 1

FAQ

Devlin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Devlin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,454 people were recorded with the Devlin surname. That placed it at #1,811 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Devlin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,207 in 2016. That gives Devlin a modern rank of #804.

What does the Devlin surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Dobhailéin," meaning "descendant of the unlucky one" or "descendant of the unfortunate one."

What does the Devlin map show?

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