NameCensus.

UK surname

Devonish

Locative surname denoting someone from the county of Devon in England.

In the 1881 census there were 34 people recorded with the Devonish surname, ranking it #28,837 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 220, ranked #18,376, up from #28,837 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Coventry, Colchester and Hackney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Devonish is 231 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 547.1%.

1881 census count

34

Ranked #28,837

Modern count

220

2016, ranked #18,376

Peak year

2010

231 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Devonish had 34 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,837 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016, ranked #18,376.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 69 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Devonish surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Devonish surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Devonish 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 57 #23,092
1861 historical 56 #26,864
1881 historical 34 #28,837
1891 historical 66 #28,541
1901 historical 68 #26,598
1911 historical 69 #25,965
1997 modern 181 #18,763
1998 modern 196 #18,342
1999 modern 194 #18,579
2000 modern 198 #18,330
2001 modern 193 #18,334
2002 modern 200 #18,294
2003 modern 212 #17,454
2004 modern 212 #17,540
2005 modern 207 #17,731
2006 modern 203 #18,105
2007 modern 211 #17,856
2008 modern 214 #17,854
2009 modern 218 #18,015
2010 modern 231 #17,711
2011 modern 225 #17,841
2012 modern 222 #17,921
2013 modern 221 #18,252
2014 modern 223 #18,279
2015 modern 220 #18,346
2016 modern 220 #18,376

Geography

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Where Devonishs 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 Coventry, Colchester, Hackney and Ipswich. 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 Coventry 007 Coventry
2 Colchester 021 Colchester
3 Hackney 009 Hackney
4 Ipswich 008 Ipswich
5 Coventry 019 Coventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Devonish

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Devonish

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Devonish surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Devonish 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Devonish 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

Devonish 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

Devonish falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Devonish

The surname Devonish originates from the county of Devon in the South West of England, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "Defnas" and "isc," which translates to "of Devon" or "a person from Devon." The name's earliest recorded spelling was "de Devenesche" in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1176.

The Devonish name was prominent in Devon and the surrounding areas during the Middle Ages. Several references can be found in historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which list individuals with the surname Devonish residing in various villages and towns across the county.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Devonish, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Petrockstowe, Devon, in the late 13th century. His name appears in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327.

In the 14th century, the Devonish family held lands and properties in the parishes of Staverton, Coldridge, and Chulmleigh, as mentioned in the Feudal Aids records of 1346. This suggests that the family had achieved a certain level of prominence and status during that period.

A notable figure in the history of the Devonish surname was Sir William Devonish, a knight and military commander who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He fought in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and was later granted lands in Devon for his bravery and service.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Devonish, a merchant and alderman in the city of Exeter in the late 15th century. He played a significant role in the local government and trade activities of the city.

In the 16th century, the Devonish family expanded their influence beyond Devon, with members settling in other parts of England and even venturing to the American colonies. One such individual was John Devonish, who was born in Somerset in 1587 and later immigrated to Virginia in the early 1600s, becoming one of the earliest settlers in the Jamestown colony.

Throughout the centuries, the Devonish surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Devonysh, Devonyshe, Devonishe, and Devonys, reflecting the linguistic and regional variations of the time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Devonish families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Devonish 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. Essex leads with 16 Devonishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.45x.

County Total Index
Essex 16 24.45x
Kent 7 6.19x
Berkshire 3 12.05x
Middlesex 3 0.90x
Cambridgeshire 1 4.76x
Devon 1 1.45x
Dorset 1 4.60x
Renfrewshire 1 3.89x
Yorkshire 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Deptford St Paul in Kent leads with 6 Devonishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.73x.

Place Total Index
Deptford St Paul 6 68.73x
Great Baddow 5 2173.91x
High Ongar 5 4166.67x
Latchingdon Snoreham 3 5000.00x
Padworth 3 10000.00x
Hampton Wick London 2 833.33x
Springfield 2 689.66x
Bridport 1 222.22x
Holme On Spalding Moor 1 454.55x
Kennett 1 5000.00x
North Tawton 1 476.19x
Paddington London 1 8.20x
Swanscombe 1 196.08x
West Greenock 1 21.69x
Witham 1 294.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Hannah 1
Laura 1
Louis 1
Louisa 1
Mariah 1
Mary 1
Matilda 1

Top male names

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

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 Devonish households.

FAQ

Devonish surname: questions and answers

How common was the Devonish surname in 1881?

In 1881, 34 people were recorded with the Devonish surname. That placed it at #28,837 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Devonish surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016. That gives Devonish a modern rank of #18,376.

What does the Devonish surname mean?

Locative surname denoting someone from the county of Devon in England.

What does the Devonish map show?

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