Find out how popular the last name Devaney is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Devaney.

Devaney, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Devaney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Devaney in America

Devaney is the 7333rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Devaney surname appeared 4,549 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Devaney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Devaney to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Devaney

The surname Devaney is believed to have originated in Ireland. It is thought to be an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Daimhín, which means "descendant of Daimhín." Daimhín is a diminutive form of the personal name Damh, meaning "ox" or "stag."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Devaney can be traced back to the 16th century in County Offaly, located in the province of Leinster, Ireland. The name was particularly prevalent in the baronies of Ballybritt and Clonlisk within County Offaly.

In the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, there is a mention of a Terence Ó Daimhín who lived in the 14th century and was a member of the Gaelic nobility in County Offaly.

The Devaney surname has also been associated with certain place names in Ireland, such as Devany (or Devaney), a townland in County Fermanagh, and Devenish, an island in Lower Lough Erne, which was once home to an important monastic settlement.

One notable figure with the surname Devaney was Thomas Devaney (1790-1858), an Irish-born Catholic priest who immigrated to the United States and served as the first Bishop of Boston from 1854 until his death.

Another prominent Devaney was Michael Devaney (1857-1935), an Irish journalist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Belfast West from 1918 to 1922.

In the literary world, Patrick Devaney (1904-1992) was an Irish writer and poet known for his works exploring themes of rural life in County Sligo, where he was born and raised.

John Devaney (1884-1949) was an American labor leader who served as the president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1919 to 1925.

Mary Devaney (1856-1927) was an Irish-born American actress who performed in various theatrical productions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including several Broadway shows.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Devaney

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Devaney.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Devaney was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Devaney has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Devaney was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Devaney, please contact us.

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