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

Devenish, 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 Devenish surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Devenish in America

Devenish is the 90495th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Devenish surname appeared 204 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 Devenish.

We can also compare 2010 data for Devenish 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 Devenish

The surname Devenish originated in Ireland, specifically in the province of Ulster. It is derived from the Old Irish Gaelic word "Damh-inis," which translates to "Ox Island" or "Meadow Island." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who lived on an island or near a meadow where cattle grazed.

The earliest known recorded reference to the name Devenish can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The entry, dated 1169, mentions a "Donatus de Insula Damhinis," which is believed to refer to a person named Donatus from the Island of Devenish.

The Devenish surname is closely associated with Devenish Island, a small island located in Lower Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The island was home to an ancient monastic settlement founded by St. Molaise in the 6th century. Records indicate that the Devenish family held lands on or near the island for several centuries.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Devenish was Cornelius Devenish, who lived in the late 16th century and was a member of the Gaelic nobility in Ulster. Another notable figure was Sir Christopher Devenish (1613-1681), an English landowner and Member of Parliament who acquired estates in County Fermanagh through his marriage to Elizabeth Devenish.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Devenish name appeared in various records and documents related to land ownership and legal proceedings in County Fermanagh and surrounding areas. Some prominent individuals from this period include Reverend John Devenish (1630-1703), a Church of Ireland clergyman, and William Devenish (1732-1802), a landowner and Justice of the Peace.

In more recent history, one of the most well-known individuals with the Devenish surname was Sir Walter Devenish (1827-1905), a British civil servant and colonial administrator who served as Governor of Mauritius and the Bahamas in the late 19th century.

Other notable figures with the Devenish surname include Sir Richard Devenish (1840-1917), a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, and Reverend Ralph Devenish (1895-1976), a Church of England clergyman and author who wrote extensively on theology and spirituality.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Devenish

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

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

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

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