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

Devine, 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 Devine surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Devine in America

Devine is the 1506th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Devine surname appeared 23,775 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Devine.

We can also compare 2010 data for Devine 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 Devine

The surname Devine originated in Ireland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "dubh" meaning "black" or "dark", often referring to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.

The name is thought to have originated in the Leinster region of Ireland, particularly in counties such as Dublin and Wicklow. It was initially spelled as "Dubhain" or "Dubhan" before evolving into the more anglicized form of "Devine" over time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various Irish Annals and manuscripts, including the Annals of the Four Masters, which record the exploits of notable individuals bearing the surname Devine. One such reference is to Tadhg Dubhain, a warrior and chieftain who lived in the late 12th century.

The earliest known recorded instance of the surname Devine can be found in the 1390 Calender of Entries relating to Ireland, where a John Devine is mentioned as holding land in County Dublin. This document provides evidence of the surname's establishment in Ireland by the late medieval period.

Notable individuals with the surname Devine throughout history include:

1. James Devine (1679-1744), an Irish Catholic priest and writer who served as the Archbishop of Armagh.
2. Thomas Cushing Devine (1801-1879), an American politician and jurist who served as the 22nd Governor of Ohio.
3. Edward Thomas Devine (1867-1948), an American sociologist and educator who taught at Columbia University and wrote extensively on social reform.
4. Andrew Devine (born 1953), an English businessman and racehorse owner who survived the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.
5. John Devine (1940-2023), an Irish hurler who played for the Waterford senior team and won two All-Ireland medals.

The surname Devine has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Devinish Island in County Fermanagh and the townland of Devenish in County Westmeath. These place names likely derive from the same Gaelic root as the surname, further solidifying its Irish origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Devine

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

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

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

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