Explore the Family Name Devin

The meaning of Devin

1. Irish: variant of Devine 1. 2. English, Irish, and French: nickname, of literal or ironic application, from Middle English devin, divin, Old French devin ‘divine’. Compare Devine 2. 3. French: nickname from devin ‘sorcerer, fortune teller’ (related to the verb deviner ‘to divine, foretell’). Compare Devine 3. 4. Russian: metronymic from deva ‘girl’, normally a designation of an illegitimate child. Perhaps also a patronymic from a nickname for an effeminate man. 5. Jewish (American): shortened form of Jewish (from Eastern Europe) Devinisky or Devinishsky: habitational name from the town in Lithuania called Devenishki in Russian and Dieveniškės in Lithuanian. History: François Devin from Mont-Ormel in Orne, France, married Marie-Anne Côté in Montreal, QC, in 1760.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Devin in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Devin has seen a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Devin was ranked at 18,437 in terms of commonality, but by 2010 it had slipped to 20,076, representing an 8.89% decrease. Similarly, the actual count of individuals bearing this surname fell from 1,383 in 2000 to 1,331 in 2010, marking a 3.76% reduction. This led to a decrease in the proportion of the surname per 100k people, moving from 0.51 in 2000 to 0.45 in 2010, a drop of 11.76%.

20002010Change
Rank#18,437#20,076-8.89%
Count1,3831,331-3.76%
Proportion per 100k0.510.45-11.76%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Devin

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts among those with the surname Devin. In 2000, no individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native; however, by 2010, these figures rose to 0.90% and 0.60% respectively. The percentage of individuals claiming two or more races also increased, rising from 1.88% in 2000 to 2.03% in 2010. The white community saw a slight decrease in representation, moving from 89.30% in 2000 to 86.10% in 2010. Meanwhile, both the Hispanic and Black communities saw increases in representation. The Hispanic group moved from 2.75% to 4.36%, while the Black group rose from 5.21% to 6.01%.

20002010Change
White89.3%86.1%-3.58%
Black5.21%6.01%15.36%
Hispanic2.75%4.36%58.55%
Two or More Races1.88%2.03%7.98%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0.9%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.6%0%