NameCensus.

UK surname

Devries

A Dutch toponymic surname indicating someone from the town of Vriezenveen or a place with a similar name.

In the 1881 census there were 37 people recorded with the Devries surname, ranking it #28,418 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 446, ranked #10,871, up from #28,418 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Maldon and Dunecht, Durris and Drumoak.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Devries is 448 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1105.4%.

1881 census count

37

Ranked #28,418

Modern count

446

2016, ranked #10,871

Peak year

2014

448 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Devries had 37 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,418 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 446 in 2016, ranked #10,871.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 64 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Devries surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Devries surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Devries 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 33 #29,814
1881 historical 37 #28,418
1891 historical 42 #31,018
1901 historical 64 #27,010
1911 historical 48 #28,006
1997 modern 314 #13,136
1998 modern 344 #12,679
1999 modern 347 #12,696
2000 modern 351 #12,534
2001 modern 336 #12,721
2002 modern 382 #11,839
2003 modern 386 #11,544
2004 modern 378 #11,757
2005 modern 385 #11,512
2006 modern 401 #11,237
2007 modern 424 #10,867
2008 modern 419 #11,058
2009 modern 400 #11,729
2010 modern 418 #11,582
2011 modern 434 #11,096
2012 modern 415 #11,403
2013 modern 440 #11,031
2014 modern 448 #10,946
2015 modern 439 #11,035
2016 modern 446 #10,871

Geography

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Where Devries' 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 East Riding of Yorkshire, Maldon, Dunecht, Durris and Drumoak, Hillingdon and Muirhouse. 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 East Riding of Yorkshire 028 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Maldon 004 Maldon
3 Dunecht, Durris and Drumoak Aberdeenshire
4 Hillingdon 001 Hillingdon
5 Muirhouse City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Devries

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Devries

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Devries, 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 Devries surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Devries 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, Devries 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

Devries 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

Devries 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 Devries 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 Devries, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Devries

The surname DEVRIES has its origins in the Netherlands, emerging during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Dutch phrase "de vries," which translates to "the Frisian." This suggests that the name likely originated among individuals or families hailing from the Frisian region in the northern Netherlands.

The earliest known recorded instances of the surname DEVRIES can be traced back to the 13th century in various Dutch municipal records and historical documents. One notable early reference is found in the 1285 registry of landowners in the city of Leiden, where a certain "Jan de Vries" is listed as a prominent landholder.

Throughout the subsequent centuries, the DEVRIES name continued to appear in various Dutch records and manuscripts. For instance, in the 1432 census of the city of Delft, several families bearing the surname are recorded as residents. Additionally, the name is mentioned in the 16th-century account of the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule, with a "Pieter de Vries" being noted as a rebel leader from the city of Haarlem.

As the Dutch colonized parts of the New World in the 17th century, the DEVRIES name began to spread beyond the Netherlands. One of the earliest known instances of the surname in the Americas is that of Joris Jacobszen DEVRIES, a Dutch ship captain who established a settlement on the Delaware River in present-day New Jersey in 1631.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the DEVRIES surname. These include:

1. Pieter DEVRIES (1535-1590), a Dutch Renaissance painter known for his portraits and religious works. 2. Dirck DEVRIES (1608-1673), a Dutch explorer and navigator who charted parts of the Australian coastline. 3. Isaac DEVRIES (1770-1835), a Dutch-American soldier and statesman who served as a general in the American Revolutionary War. 4. Simon DEVRIES (1813-1892), a Dutch-American architect and engineer who designed several prominent buildings in New York City, including the Brooklyn Bridge. 5. Gerard DEVRIES (1889-1966), a Dutch physicist and Nobel Prize laureate for his contributions to the understanding of the molecular structure of proteins.

While the DEVRIES name has its roots in the Netherlands, it has since spread across the globe, with descendants bearing the surname found in various countries and cultures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Devries families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Devries 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. Middlesex leads with 19 Devries' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.27x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 19 5.27x
Lancashire 8 1.87x
Surrey 3 1.71x
Devon 2 2.66x
Kent 2 1.62x
Dorset 1 4.22x
Durham 1 0.93x
Midlothian 1 2.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spitalfields London in Middlesex leads with 7 Devries' recorded in 1881 and an index of 258.30x.

Place Total Index
Spitalfields London 7 258.30x
Everton 6 43.99x
Hackney London 6 29.66x
Mile End Old Town 5 87.72x
Walton On Thames 3 370.37x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 29.41x
Deptford St Paul 2 21.07x
Plymouth Charles The 2 60.42x
Leith South 1 1428.57x
Poole St James 1 112.36x
South Shields 1 104.17x
St George In East 1 40.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 1
B. 1
Caroline 1
Clare 1
Cora 1
Elizabeth 1
Eva 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
Gracia 1
Hannah 1
Helma 1
Judith 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Kitty 1
Leah 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alphonse 1
Charles 1
E. 1
F. 1
Fredk. 1
Henry 1
Herman 1
Huron 1
John 1
Jules 1
K. 1
Leon 1
Louis 1
Marcus 1
Myer 1
Peter 1
Solomon 1
Wolf 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 Devries households.

FAQ

Devries surname: questions and answers

How common was the Devries surname in 1881?

In 1881, 37 people were recorded with the Devries surname. That placed it at #28,418 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Devries surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 446 in 2016. That gives Devries a modern rank of #10,871.

What does the Devries surname mean?

A Dutch toponymic surname indicating someone from the town of Vriezenveen or a place with a similar name.

What does the Devries map show?

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