The Davenport surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 55,895 people carried this name — #608 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 5,280 people counted. That is up 3% from 54,206 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Davenport surname

A habitational surname from Old English from the town in Cheshire.

As an English surname, from Middle English Devennport, named after the River Dane + port. The first element is from Welsh dafn (“trickle, drop”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“mist, haze”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Davenport» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Davenport’.

His entry covers Davenport and Devonport.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 232 · public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 25 people named Davenport live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in City of Buenos Aires.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

City of Buenos Aires 15
Buenos Aires Province 10

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Davenport was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Cheshire: 36 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 278. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Cheshire 36
Shropshire 12

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

207 families named Davenport, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 1,256 people lived in those households, 6.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 8 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 33
Virginia 33
North Carolina 33
Massachusetts 32
Connecticut 20
Rhode Island 13
South Carolina 12
Vermont 9
Pennsylvania 9
Maine 8
New Hampshire 3
Maryland 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 236 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Davenport in American newspapers,
1885–1929.

Newspaper page from Weekly Commercial Herald carrying the name Davenport
Weekly Commercial Herald 1885-11-06
Newspaper page from Western News And The Libby Times carrying the name Davenport
Western News And The Libby Times 1929-11-07
Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Davenport
Daily Kennebec Journal 1885-11-04

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 930,506 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Davenport in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

51,915 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Davenport. The most, 7,752, date from the 1870s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 2.2 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 15,089
New South Wales 11,282
Victoria 8,229
Queensland 6,670
Tasmania 5,818
Western Australia 4,538
ACT (Canberra) 139
Northern Territory 46

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Davenport.

Who carried it

People named Davenport,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Barbara Ivory
    Barbara Ivory d. 1748
  • Sharington Davenport
    Sharington Davenport d. 1719
  • Robert Davenport d. 1640 · writer
  • Edward Davenport d. 1587 · politician
  • Millicent Taylor Davenport d. 1967
  • Maud Kathleen Davenport d. 1969

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Davenport,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States4,246 records

4,246 records of the Davenport name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,837
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 859
  • Other U.S. records 1,550
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Albert Ashley Davenport

    Born 1947; from New York, New York. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Binh Duong, South Vietnam. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Hugo Davenport

    Born 1913 in Louisiana. Enlisted 1943 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; driver. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1974, buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Samuel J. Davenport

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Berlin from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 26; farmer. From Stockport, England; bound for Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 4,246 records for Davenport in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,193 records

1,193 records of the Davenport name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 549
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 226
  • Other Australian records 418
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Joseph Davenport

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Lord Lyndoch, sailing from London in 1836. Native of Whitechapel, Middlesex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1841.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Davenport

    Died 1922 in St Margaret's Hospital, Launceston, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1922.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Amy Clarisse Davenport

    Born 1851 in Richmond, Tasmania. Married 1870 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 18.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,193 records for Davenport in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada69 records

69 records of the Davenport name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 26
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 11
  • Other Canadian records 32
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Utive Viola Davenport

    Died 1980, aged 58; buried at Transcona Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Thomas Davenport

    Buried in 1999 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 95.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Barbara Ann Davenport

    Died 1963 in Wolfville, Kings, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 69 records for Davenport in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom24 records

24 records of the Davenport name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 17
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 6
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Davenport

    Buried in 1798 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 82.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Jane Ellen Davenport

    Will proved in 1932; of Blk, Blk.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. I. Davenport

    Lancashire Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 24 records for Davenport in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand19 records

19 records of the Davenport name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 13
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 4
  • Other New Zealand records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Stanley Gibbs Davenport

    Died 1915, aged 22; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Janet Ida Mary Davenport

    Buried in 1981 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 55.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record T. Davenport

    New Zealand Entrenching Battalion. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 19 records for Davenport in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

France3 records

3 records of the Davenport name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Graeme Richard Davenport

    Born 1965 in Great Britain; died 1999 in Rouen (Seine-Maritime).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record William Wyatt Davenport

    Born 1916 in the United States; died 2000 in Moissac-Bellevue (Var).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Davenport in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Davenport name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Donald Henry Davenport

    Married in 1945 in Groningen; furniture maker.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Germany1 record

1 record of the Davenport name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Samuel Davenport

    From Eppendorf, Hamburg. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 29 August 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Davenport.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Davenport is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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