NameCensus.

UK surname

Donlevy

A Gaelic surname meaning "descendant of the brown hero."

In the 1881 census there were 41 people recorded with the Donlevy surname, ranking it #27,870 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 181, ranked #20,955, up from #27,870 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Ealing and IZ07.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Donlevy is 191 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 341.5%.

1881 census count

41

Ranked #27,870

Modern count

181

2016, ranked #20,955

Peak year

2000

191 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Donlevy had 41 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,870 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016, ranked #20,955.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 56 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Donlevy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Donlevy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Donlevy 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 40 #26,118
1861 historical 23 #31,039
1881 historical 41 #27,870
1891 historical 48 #30,447
1901 historical 56 #27,952
1911 historical 48 #28,006
1997 modern 182 #18,693
1998 modern 184 #19,037
1999 modern 190 #18,797
2000 modern 191 #18,752
2001 modern 176 #19,415
2002 modern 181 #19,463
2003 modern 168 #20,171
2004 modern 173 #19,937
2005 modern 169 #20,153
2006 modern 165 #20,634
2007 modern 164 #20,973
2008 modern 176 #20,224
2009 modern 178 #20,486
2010 modern 177 #21,034
2011 modern 170 #21,407
2012 modern 161 #22,157
2013 modern 169 #21,826
2014 modern 175 #21,477
2015 modern 177 #21,220
2016 modern 181 #20,955

Geography

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Where Donlevys 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 Liverpool, Ealing, IZ07, Winchester and Oxgangs. 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 Liverpool 010 Liverpool
2 Ealing 030 Ealing
3 IZ07 East Lothian
4 Winchester 010 Winchester
5 Oxgangs City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Donlevy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Donlevy

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Donlevy 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

Donlevy 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

Donlevy 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 Donlevy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Donlevy

The surname DONLEVY is of Irish origin, with roots tracing back to County Donegal in the northwest of Ireland. The name is derived from the Gaelic phrase "Domhnall Liath," which translates to "dark-colored Donald" or "dark Donald." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century during the height of the Gaelic clan system in Ireland.

The earliest recorded instances of the DONLEVY surname can be found in various historical records, including the Annals of the Four Masters and the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns. One notable mention is from the 16th century, when a certain Dermot Donlevy is listed as a prominent landowner in County Donegal.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the DONLEVY name was particularly concentrated in the Baronies of Raphoe and Kilmacrenan in County Donegal. Several members of the DONLEVY clan were recorded as participating in the Irish Rebellion of 1641, which was an uprising against English rule in Ireland.

In the late 17th century, after the Williamite War in Ireland, many DONLEVY families were forced to relocate or faced persecution due to their Catholic faith. Some sought refuge in other parts of Ireland, while others emigrated to countries like France and Spain, where they found more religious tolerance.

One notable figure with the DONLEVY surname was Patrick Donlevy (1674-1746), an Irish Catholic priest who served as Bishop of Raphoe from 1737 until his death. Another prominent individual was John Donlevy (1806-1879), an Irish-American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate in the mid-19th century.

In the 19th century, many DONLEVY families immigrated to the United States, Canada, and other parts of the English-speaking world, seeking better opportunities and escaping the effects of the Great Famine in Ireland. One such individual was Michael Donlevy (1839-1923), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who became a successful entrepreneur in the mining industry in Colorado.

In more recent times, the DONLEVY name has been carried by individuals such as Brian Donlevy (1901-1972), an American actor who appeared in numerous films during the 1940s and 1950s, and Spike Donlevy (born 1945), a British guitarist who has been a member of the rock band Gong since the 1970s.

Overall, the surname DONLEVY has a rich history deeply rooted in Irish heritage, with a particular concentration in County Donegal. While its origins can be traced back several centuries, the name has been carried by notable individuals throughout various periods in history, both in Ireland and abroad.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Donlevy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Donlevy 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 15 Donlevys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.78x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 15 3.78x
Middlesex 10 2.50x
Clackmannanshire 3 90.91x
Hampshire 3 3.66x
Angus 2 5.40x
Cumberland 2 5.81x
Lancashire 2 0.42x
Derbyshire 1 1.60x
Kent 1 0.73x
Kincardineshire 1 20.53x
Midlothian 1 1.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Allerton Bywater in Yorkshire leads with 9 Donlevys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4285.71x.

Place Total Index
Allerton Bywater 9 4285.71x
Hampstead London 7 112.36x
Leeds 4 17.87x
Alloa 3 187.50x
Ryde 3 170.45x
Liff Benvie 2 35.59x
Whitehaven 2 108.70x
Blackley 1 120.48x
Eckington 1 65.79x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 4.64x
Everton 1 6.61x
Holy Trinity 1 10.49x
Kensington London 1 4.50x
Lee 1 50.51x
Maryculter 1 666.67x
Sheffield 1 7.92x
St George In East London 1 26.60x
St Pancras London 1 3.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Catherine 2
Margaret 2
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Hannah 1
Marie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 3
John 3
Charles 2
Andrew 1
Francis 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Latouche 1
Laurance 1
Patrick 1
Robert 1
William 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 Donlevy households.

FAQ

Donlevy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Donlevy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 41 people were recorded with the Donlevy surname. That placed it at #27,870 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Donlevy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016. That gives Donlevy a modern rank of #20,955.

What does the Donlevy surname mean?

A Gaelic surname meaning "descendant of the brown hero."

What does the Donlevy map show?

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