NameCensus.

UK surname

Voy

A French surname derived from the word "voie", meaning "path" or "road".

In the 1881 census there were 25 people recorded with the Voy surname, ranking it #30,077 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 123, ranked #27,115, up from #30,077 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sutherland North and West, IZ03 and IZ09.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Voy is 123 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 392.0%.

1881 census count

25

Ranked #30,077

Modern count

123

2016, ranked #27,115

Peak year

2016

123 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Voy had 25 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,077 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016, ranked #27,115.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 52 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Voy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Voy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Voy 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
1881 historical 25 #30,077
1891 historical 50 #30,253
1901 historical 52 #28,377
1997 modern 75 #30,109
1998 modern 75 #30,471
1999 modern 78 #30,327
2000 modern 84 #29,706
2001 modern 78 #30,168
2002 modern 76 #30,830
2003 modern 84 #29,978
2004 modern 91 #29,345
2005 modern 88 #29,831
2006 modern 93 #29,411
2007 modern 95 #29,493
2008 modern 102 #28,664
2009 modern 105 #28,815
2010 modern 104 #29,618
2011 modern 100 #30,058
2012 modern 108 #28,849
2013 modern 117 #27,838
2014 modern 117 #28,109
2015 modern 115 #28,319
2016 modern 123 #27,115

Geography

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Where Voys 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 Sutherland North and West, IZ03, IZ09, IZ12 and IZ16. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sutherland North and West Highland
2 IZ03 West Dunbartonshire
3 IZ09 East Lothian
4 IZ12 East Lothian
5 IZ16 East Lothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Voy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Voy

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Voy is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Voy 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

Voy falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Voy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Voy

The surname Voy has its origins in Germany and is believed to have emerged in the 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "vogt," which referred to a legal officer or a bailiff. The name was likely used to identify individuals who held such positions of authority or were associated with these roles.

The earliest known records of the surname Voy can be found in the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, where it was commonly used in towns and villages in the late medieval period. Some of the earliest documented instances of the name appear in local parish records and legal documents from the 15th and 16th centuries.

One notable early figure with the surname Voy was Hans Voy, a respected merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Augsburg, Bavaria, in the late 15th century. His name is mentioned in several trade records and property deeds from the time, indicating his prominent status in the local community.

In the 17th century, the name Voy appears in various historical records across different parts of Germany, suggesting that the family had spread to other regions. For instance, there are mentions of a Johann Voy, a respected scholar and theologian who lived in Saxony between 1620 and 1687.

Another notable individual with the surname Voy was Karl Voy, a military officer who served in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century. He is recorded as having participated in several key battles, including the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, where he earned commendations for his bravery and leadership.

As the name spread throughout Germany and beyond, different variations and spellings emerged, such as Voigt, Vogt, and Voye. These alternative spellings were often influenced by local dialects and regional variations in pronunciation.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, individuals with the surname Voy began to migrate to other parts of Europe and to the Americas, seeking new opportunities and contributing to the global spread of the name. One such individual was Wilhelm Voy, a German immigrant who settled in the United States in the late 1800s and established a successful farming business in the Midwest.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Voy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Voy 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. Orkney leads with 24 Voys recorded in 1881 and an index of 338.98x.

County Total Index
Orkney 24 338.98x
Berwickshire 12 154.04x
Glamorgan 10 8.92x
Perthshire 5 17.31x
Middlesex 4 0.62x
Surrey 3 0.96x
Warwickshire 3 1.85x
Kent 2 0.91x
Lancashire 2 0.26x
Suffolk 1 1.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Andrews Deerness in Orkney leads with 24 Voys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6486.49x.

Place Total Index
St Andrews Deerness 24 6486.49x
Ilston 10 16666.67x
Edrom 7 2121.21x
Coldingham 5 714.29x
Perth West Church 5 364.96x
Edgbaston 3 59.64x
Bermondsey 2 10.44x
Liverpool 2 4.31x
Milton In Gravesend 2 60.79x
Camberwell 1 2.43x
Hampstead London 1 9.98x
St George Bloomsbury 1 27.10x
St George Hanover 1 11.90x
Stoke Newington London 1 19.96x
Stowmarket 1 109.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Kate 2
Mary 2
Agnes 1
Amelira 1
Annie 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Fanney 1
Hilda 1
Kathleen 1
Louisa 1
Miron 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 2
William 2
Albert 1
Charles 1
Felix 1
Francis 1
John 1
Walter 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 Voy households.

FAQ

Voy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Voy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 25 people were recorded with the Voy surname. That placed it at #30,077 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Voy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016. That gives Voy a modern rank of #27,115.

What does the Voy surname mean?

A French surname derived from the word "voie", meaning "path" or "road".

What does the Voy map show?

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