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

Devis, 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 Devis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Devis in America

Devis is the 88020th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Devis surname appeared 211 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 Devis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Devis 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 Devis

The surname DEVIS is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the Midlands region, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "dæfes," which means "deaf" or "hard of hearing." The name likely referred to someone who was deaf or had hearing difficulties.

In the early 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Deavis" and "Deavys," reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations common in that era. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a certain Richard Deavis is mentioned as a landholder in Shropshire.

During the 14th century, the surname evolved into its modern spelling, "DEVIS." This variation can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John DEVIS is listed as a taxpayer in the village of Knaresborough.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname DEVIS. One such person was William DEVIS (1564-1626), an English clergyman and writer who served as the rector of Boxted in Essex. He is known for his work titled "The Calling of the Jevves," published in 1621.

Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas DEVIS (1677-1767), a British naval officer and Member of Parliament. He fought in several battles during the War of the Spanish Succession and later represented the borough of Maldon in the House of Commons.

In the 19th century, John DEVIS (1783-1846) gained recognition as a landscape painter and etcher, known for his depictions of English countryside scenes. His works are held in collections at the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The name DEVIS also has connections to place names, such as Devisdale, a small village in the East Riding of Yorkshire. This name likely originated from the combination of the surname DEVIS and the Old English word "dæl," meaning "valley."

It is worth noting that the name DEVIS was not solely confined to England. Records show instances of individuals bearing this surname in other parts of the British Isles, such as Scotland and Ireland, suggesting migration patterns or variations in spelling over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Devis

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

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

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

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