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

Divinity, 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 Divinity surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Divinity in America

Divinity is the 101247th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Divinity surname appeared 178 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 Divinity.

We can also compare 2010 data for Divinity 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 Divinity

The surname Divinity is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "divinite," which meant "divine nature" or "divinity." This term was likely used to describe someone who was associated with the church or who had a deep spiritual connection.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Divinity can be found in the records of the Exchequer Rolls of 1379, where a William Divinity is mentioned as a resident of Norfolk. Another early reference is in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1412, which mention a John Divinity.

During the Tudor period, the name Divinity appeared in several historical documents, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1524-1525, where a Robert Divinity is listed as a taxpayer in Worcestershire. The Musters of the Militia records from 1548 also mention a Thomas Divinity from Oxfordshire.

In the 17th century, the name Divinity became more widespread and can be found in various parish records and court documents. One notable figure from this time was William Divinity (1620-1683), a puritan clergyman who served as the rector of St. Peter's Church in Cornhill, London.

As the surname spread across England, it also took on various spellings and variations, such as Divinitie, Devinitie, and Devinety. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the old place names where the surname was prevalent, such as the village of Divinities in Lincolnshire or the hamlet of Devinities near Bath.

Other notable individuals with the surname Divinity throughout history include:

1. Robert Divinity (1670-1742), an English scholar and theologian who served as the Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

2. Mary Divinity (1725-1798), a renowned philanthropist and benefactor from Gloucestershire, known for her charitable works in the local community.

3. Edward Divinity (1780-1856), a British explorer and naturalist who conducted expeditions in Africa and the South Pacific.

4. Elizabeth Divinity (1845-1923), a pioneering feminist and advocate for women's rights, who played a significant role in the suffrage movement in England.

5. James Divinity (1905-1982), a distinguished British architect known for his innovative designs and contributions to modern architecture in the 20th century.

While the surname Divinity may have had religious or spiritual connotations in its early origins, it has since become a well-established surname in various parts of England and beyond, with a rich history spanning several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Divinity

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

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

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

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