NameCensus.

UK surname

Digney

An English surname derived from the place name Dingné in France, meaning "from Dingné".

In the 1881 census there were 72 people recorded with the Digney surname, ranking it #23,371 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 159, ranked #22,798, up from #23,371 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Toxteth Park and Portpatrick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall, Knowsley and Hillpark.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Digney is 176 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 120.8%.

1881 census count

72

Ranked #23,371

Modern count

159

2016, ranked #22,798

Peak year

2011

176 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Digney had 72 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,371 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016, ranked #22,798.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 112 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Digney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Digney surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Digney 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 50 #24,274
1861 historical 64 #25,747
1881 historical 72 #23,371
1891 historical 69 #28,188
1901 historical 112 #21,382
1911 historical 72 #25,642
1997 modern 164 #19,944
1998 modern 161 #20,754
1999 modern 172 #20,009
2000 modern 166 #20,426
2001 modern 161 #20,543
2002 modern 161 #20,925
2003 modern 154 #21,308
2004 modern 150 #21,830
2005 modern 150 #21,786
2006 modern 156 #21,399
2007 modern 151 #22,120
2008 modern 156 #21,862
2009 modern 161 #21,879
2010 modern 167 #21,835
2011 modern 176 #20,957
2012 modern 167 #21,598
2013 modern 165 #22,163
2014 modern 168 #22,075
2015 modern 165 #22,241
2016 modern 159 #22,798

Geography

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Where Digneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Toxteth Park, Portpatrick, Liverpool and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall, Knowsley, Hillpark and Liverpool. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Portpatrick Wigtown
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall East Renfrewshire
2 Knowsley 008 Knowsley
3 Hillpark Stirling
4 Liverpool 015 Liverpool
5 Liverpool 054 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Digney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Digney

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Digney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Digney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Digney is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Digney 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

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

Meaning and origin of Digney

The surname DIGNEY is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the province of Leinster. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "dídean," which means "refuge" or "sanctuary." The earliest known records of the name date back to the 12th century.

In the 14th century, a branch of the DIGNEY family settled in County Kildare, where they became landowners and prominent members of the local community. The name is mentioned in several medieval manuscripts, including the Annals of the Four Masters, which chronicles the history of Ireland from the earliest times to the 17th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DIGNEY can be found in the Pipe Roll of Cloyne, a historic document from 1364 that lists the names of taxpayers in the diocese of Cloyne, County Cork. This document includes an entry for a "William Digney," suggesting that the name was already well-established in Ireland by that time.

In the 16th century, the DIGNEY family played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars, with several members serving as officers in the Catholic Confederate forces. One notable figure was Patrick DIGNEY (c. 1580-1650), who served as a captain in the Confederate Army and fought against the English forces during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

Another prominent DIGNEY was Reverend John DIGNEY (1637-1712), a Catholic priest and scholar who served as the Bishop of Elphin from 1695 until his death. He was known for his efforts to promote education and preserve Irish culture during a period of significant upheaval in Ireland.

In the 18th century, the DIGNEY family continued to be well-established in County Kildare, where they held various positions of influence and authority. One notable figure from this period was Edward DIGNEY (1724-1798), a landowner and magistrate who played an active role in local politics and governance.

During the 19th century, many DIGNEY families emigrated from Ireland to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, seeking better opportunities and fleeing the effects of the Great Famine. One noteworthy DIGNEY from this era was Michael DIGNEY (1820-1892), an Irish nationalist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Queen's County (now County Laois) from 1880 to 1892.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Digney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Digney 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. Yorkshire leads with 18 Digneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.59x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 18 2.59x
Wigtownshire 11 117.90x
Durham 10 4.79x
Lancashire 10 1.20x
Lanarkshire 9 3.96x
Renfrewshire 8 14.70x
Angus 2 3.07x
Ayrshire 1 1.90x
Devon 1 0.68x
Midlothian 1 1.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 4.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stainland Cum Old in Yorkshire leads with 10 Digneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 840.34x.

Place Total Index
Stainland Cum Old 10 840.34x
Abbey 7 84.34x
Old Monkland 7 77.69x
Portpatrick 6 1935.48x
Bishopwearmouth 5 27.89x
Liverpool 5 9.88x
Inch 4 439.56x
Linthorpe 4 96.39x
Usworth 4 360.36x
Toxteth Park 3 10.63x
Brotton 2 219.78x
Liff Benvie 2 20.24x
Marske In Guisbrough 2 161.29x
Barony 1 1.74x
Conside Knitsley 1 61.73x
Devonport 1 59.52x
East Greenock 1 19.46x
Everton 1 3.77x
Glasgow 1 2.48x
Kirkdale 1 7.13x
Kirkmaiden 1 169.49x
Newton On Ayr 1 63.69x
North Leith 1 22.99x
Tenby St Mary In 1 87.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Bridget 2
Jane 2
Mary 2
Agnas 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Dalia 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Julia 1
Lizzy 1
Margaret 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
William 3
Joseph 2
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Bernard 1
Charles 1
Chas.W. 1
Hannah 1
James 1
Machael 1
Martin 1
Peter 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 Digney households.

FAQ

Digney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Digney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 72 people were recorded with the Digney surname. That placed it at #23,371 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Digney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016. That gives Digney a modern rank of #22,798.

What does the Digney surname mean?

An English surname derived from the place name Dingné in France, meaning "from Dingné".

What does the Digney map show?

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