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

Devanney, 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 Devanney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Devanney in America

Devanney is the 61123rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Devanney surname appeared 329 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Devanney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Devanney 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 Devanney

The surname Devanney originates from Ireland, specifically the northern regions of Ulster. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Daimhín" or "Ó Damháin", which means "descendant of Damhán". Damhán was a personal name derived from the word "damh", meaning "stag" or "ox". The prefix "Ó" denotes descendant or grandson.

The earliest recorded reference to the name appears in the 16th century Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, where it is spelled as "O'Dyvane". Other similar spellings found in historical records include "O'Deveney", "O'Devany", and "O'Deveny". The surname is closely related to the place name "Devenish", an island in Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, which was once home to a monastery and an important ecclesiastical center.

In the 17th century, during the Plantation of Ulster, many Irish families were dispossessed of their lands, leading to a widespread dispersal of the Devanney name across Ireland and beyond. One notable bearer of the name from this period was Owen Deveney (c. 1640 - c. 1690), a Catholic priest and historian who wrote a treatise on the history of Ireland.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Devanney family settled in County Donegal, where they became prominent landowners. James Deveney (1738 - 1815), a wealthy merchant and landowner, was instrumental in the development of the town of Ballybofey.

During the 19th century, the Devanney name spread further due to Irish emigration. Patrick Devanney (1818 - 1892), born in County Tyrone, emigrated to the United States and became a successful businessman in New York City. Another notable figure was Bridget Devanney (1860 - 1938), a labor activist and trade unionist from County Donegal, who advocated for better working conditions for women.

As the centuries passed, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, including Devanney, Deveney, Devanny, and Devany. While the name is predominantly Irish, it can also be found among Scottish and English families, likely due to intermarriage or migration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Devanney

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

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 Devanney 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 Devanney 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 Devanney was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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