NameCensus.

UK surname

Dunleavy

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Duinnshléibhe, meaning "descendant of Donnsléibhe," derived from the Gaelic elements donn ("brown") and sliabh ("mountain").

In the 1881 census there were 93 people recorded with the Dunleavy surname, ranking it #20,593 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,096, ranked #5,352, up from #20,593 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Long Benton, Greenock and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, Birmingham and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunleavy is 1,141 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1078.5%.

1881 census count

93

Ranked #20,593

Modern count

1,096

2016, ranked #5,352

Peak year

2010

1,141 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dunleavy had 93 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,593 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,096 in 2016, ranked #5,352.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 223 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Dunleavy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dunleavy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dunleavy 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 63 #25,901
1881 historical 93 #20,593
1891 historical 152 #18,163
1901 historical 186 #15,839
1911 historical 223 #13,951
1997 modern 1,069 #5,199
1998 modern 1,102 #5,255
1999 modern 1,118 #5,226
2000 modern 1,064 #5,406
2001 modern 1,054 #5,355
2002 modern 1,092 #5,302
2003 modern 1,080 #5,262
2004 modern 1,095 #5,205
2005 modern 1,055 #5,312
2006 modern 1,064 #5,275
2007 modern 1,074 #5,283
2008 modern 1,066 #5,348
2009 modern 1,085 #5,379
2010 modern 1,141 #5,269
2011 modern 1,124 #5,276
2012 modern 1,076 #5,388
2013 modern 1,093 #5,405
2014 modern 1,112 #5,350
2015 modern 1,103 #5,339
2016 modern 1,096 #5,352

Geography

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Where Dunleavys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Long Benton, Greenock, Liverpool, Glasgow and Tynemouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, Birmingham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Hammersmith and Fulham and Oldham. 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 Long Benton Northumberland
2 Greenock Renfrew
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Tynemouth Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 021 Carmarthenshire
2 Birmingham 029 Birmingham
3 Newcastle upon Tyne 014 Newcastle upon Tyne
4 Hammersmith and Fulham 017 Hammersmith and Fulham
5 Oldham 019 Oldham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dunleavy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dunleavy

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Dunleavy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dunleavy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dunleavy 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

Dunleavy 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

Dunleavy 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 Dunleavy 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Dunleavy

The surname Dunleavy originates from Ireland and traces its roots back to the 11th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name O'Dunleavy, which means "descendant of Dunleavy." The prefix "O'" signifies "grandson" or "descendant of" in Irish.

The name Dunleavy is derived from the Irish personal name Donnsleibhe, which translates to "brown mountain" or "brown hillside." This suggests that the original bearer of the name may have lived near a brown-colored hill or mountain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dunleavy can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. It mentions a Donnsleibhe O'Dunleavy who was a notable figure in County Sligo, Ireland, in the 12th century.

The surname Dunleavy has undergone several spelling variations over the centuries, including O'Dunleavy, O'Dunlevey, O'Dunlevy, Dunleavy, Dunleavey, and Dunlevy. These variations reflect the challenges of transliterating Irish names into English and the influence of local dialects.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Dunleavy include:

1. Michael Dunleavy (1615-1678), an Irish Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Raphoe from 1647 to 1678. 2. Christopher Dunleavy (1755-1828), an Irish-born merchant and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the early 19th century. 3. John Dunleavy (1890-1942), an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. 4. Brendan Dunleavy (1923-1987), an Irish politician and member of Dáil Éireann (Irish Parliament) representing the Sligo-Leitrim constituency. 5. Michael Dunleavy (born 1963), an American politician who served as the Secretary of the New York State Senate from 2011 to 2019.

The surname Dunleavy continues to be prevalent in Ireland, particularly in counties like Sligo, Leitrim, and Mayo, where it has deep historical roots. It has also spread to other parts of the world due to Irish emigration over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dunleavy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunleavy 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. Lancashire leads with 34 Dunleavys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.16x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 34 3.16x
Lanarkshire 16 5.45x
Yorkshire 13 1.45x
Buckinghamshire 8 14.59x
Surrey 4 0.91x
West Lothian 4 29.28x
Northumberland 3 2.22x
Renfrewshire 3 4.27x
Durham 2 0.74x
Hertfordshire 2 3.20x
Angus 1 1.19x
Derbyshire 1 0.70x
Kent 1 0.32x
Wiltshire 1 1.25x

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 7 Dunleavys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.44x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 7 13.44x
Blackburn 6 20.95x
Great Bolton 6 42.08x
Oldham 6 17.27x
Barony 5 6.73x
Buckingham 5 446.43x
Selby 5 265.96x
Govan 4 5.51x
Habergham Eaves 4 40.65x
Lambeth 4 5.06x
Linlithgow 4 228.57x
Liverpool 4 6.12x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 17.54x
East Greenock 3 45.18x
Scarborough 3 36.72x
Swanbourne 3 2000.00x
Manningham 2 18.07x
North Shields 2 74.35x
St Albans 2 156.25x
Ashton In Makerfield 1 32.68x
Burnley 1 11.04x
Darlington 1 9.60x
Eggbrough 1 1000.00x
Fernilee 1 303.03x
Fisherton Anger 1 67.57x
Glaisdale 1 294.12x
Hougham 1 54.35x
Liff Benvie 1 7.84x
Manchester 1 2.07x
Preston 1 3.47x
Spotland 1 8.35x
Stockton On Tees 1 7.69x
Tynemouth 1 13.83x
Wath On Dearne 1 55.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Sarah 5
Ann 2
Elizabeth 2
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Hannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
Thomas 7
James 4
Michael 4
Patrick 4
Anthony 3
Robert 2
William 2
Andrew 1
Edward 1
George 1
Harold 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jno. 1
Laurance 1
Martin 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Dunleavy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dunleavy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 93 people were recorded with the Dunleavy surname. That placed it at #20,593 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dunleavy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,096 in 2016. That gives Dunleavy a modern rank of #5,352.

What does the Dunleavy surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Duinnshléibhe, meaning "descendant of Donnsléibhe," derived from the Gaelic elements donn ("brown") and sliabh ("mountain").

What does the Dunleavy map show?

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