NameCensus.

UK surname

Dunlevy

A surname likely derived from a place name referring to a fort on a hill or slope.

In the 1881 census there were 91 people recorded with the Dunlevy surname, ranking it #20,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 100, ranked #31,123, down from #20,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale, Carfin and Cleekhimin and Crawley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunlevy is 137 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.9%.

1881 census count

91

Ranked #20,843

Modern count

100

2016, ranked #31,123

Peak year

1901

137 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dunlevy had 91 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016, ranked #31,123.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 137 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dunlevy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dunlevy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dunlevy 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 51 #27,498
1881 historical 91 #20,843
1891 historical 116 #21,766
1901 historical 137 #19,032
1911 historical 54 #27,423
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 120 #24,793
1999 modern 121 #24,855
2000 modern 113 #25,843
2001 modern 113 #25,489
2002 modern 106 #26,985
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 90 #29,481
2005 modern 97 #28,485
2006 modern 100 #28,283
2007 modern 99 #28,852
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 108 #28,311
2010 modern 116 #27,704
2011 modern 111 #28,294
2012 modern 111 #28,332
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 113 #28,779
2015 modern 106 #29,895
2016 modern 100 #31,123

Geography

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Where Dunlevys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Greenock, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale, Carfin and Cleekhimin, Crawley, Monifieth East and Carmarthenshire. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
2 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 022 Calderdale
2 Carfin and Cleekhimin North Lanarkshire
3 Crawley 006 Crawley
4 Monifieth East Angus
5 Carmarthenshire 020 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dunlevy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dunlevy

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Dunlevy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dunlevy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Dunlevy 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

Dunlevy is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dunlevy falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dunlevy

The surname Dunlevy originated in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic 'Dún Sléibhe' meaning 'fort of the mountain'. The name has its roots in County Antrim in Ulster, with records showing bearers of the name in that region as early as the 12th century.

During the medieval period, the name was often anglicized to various spellings such as Dunleavy, Dunlevie, and Dunleavey. In the 16th century, the Dunlevy clan held lands near Coleraine in County Londonderry, where they were prominent figures in the local community.

One notable figure in the history of the Dunlevy name was Sir Phelim Dunlevy (c. 1594-1653), a leader of the Irish Rebellion of 1641. He was a member of the Irish Catholic gentry and played a significant role in the events of the rebellion before being captured and executed.

Another prominent bearer of the name was John Dunlevy (1745-1825), an Irish-born American merchant and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly in the late 18th century.

In the 19th century, the Dunlevy surname was also found in Scotland, particularly in the Highlands region. This suggests that some bearers of the name may have migrated from Ireland to Scotland during this period.

One notable Scottish Dunlevy was Andrew Dunlevy (1855-1937), a writer and journalist who was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He published several books on Scottish history and culture, contributing to the preservation of Scottish literary heritage.

While the name is predominantly Irish in origin, it has also been recorded in various parts of the United States and Canada, likely due to emigration from Ireland and Scotland during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dunlevy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunlevy 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. Lanarkshire leads with 19 Dunlevys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.55x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 19 6.55x
Lancashire 19 1.78x
Midlothian 11 9.15x
Northumberland 10 7.49x
Renfrewshire 7 10.06x
Angus 6 7.22x
Ayrshire 4 5.96x
Kent 4 1.31x
Yorkshire 3 0.34x
Royal Navy 2 18.71x
Warwickshire 2 0.88x
Derbyshire 1 0.71x
Dunbartonshire 1 4.15x
East Lothian 1 8.41x
Middlesex 1 0.11x
Rutland 1 15.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 14 Dunlevys recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.65x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 14 21.65x
Glasgow 12 23.28x
East Heddon 10 50000.00x
Barony 7 9.53x
Middle Greenock 7 368.42x
Corstorphine 6 909.09x
Liff Benvie 6 47.54x
Preston 5 17.55x
Kilmarnock 4 50.06x
Chislehurst 3 182.93x
Edinburgh New 3 322.58x
Holy Trinity 3 14.03x
Birmingham 2 2.65x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 4.13x
Royal Navy 2 21.88x
Derby St Werburgh 1 12.33x
Dumbarton 1 29.76x
Empingham 1 400.00x
Greenwich 1 7.00x
Haddington 1 57.14x
St George Hanover Square 1 6.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Bridget 2
Catherine 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Ann 1
Anna 1
Cecelia 1
Ellen 1
Frances 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Mona 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
Thomas 5
James 3
Patrick 3
Edward 2
Michael 2
Martin 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 Dunlevy households.

FAQ

Dunlevy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dunlevy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 91 people were recorded with the Dunlevy surname. That placed it at #20,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dunlevy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016. That gives Dunlevy a modern rank of #31,123.

What does the Dunlevy surname mean?

A surname likely derived from a place name referring to a fort on a hill or slope.

What does the Dunlevy map show?

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