NameCensus.

UK surname

Bannigan

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Banáin, meaning 'descendant of Banán'.

In the 1881 census there were 10 people recorded with the Bannigan surname, ranking it #32,243 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 140, ranked #24,865, up from #32,243 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Robroyston and Millerston, Corby and Daventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bannigan is 158 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1300.0%.

1881 census count

10

Ranked #32,243

Modern count

140

2016, ranked #24,865

Peak year

2008

158 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bannigan had 10 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,243 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016, ranked #24,865.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 43 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Bannigan surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bannigan surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bannigan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bannigan over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 7 #32,070
1861 historical 39 #29,099
1881 historical 10 #32,243
1891 historical 27 #32,115
1901 historical 43 #29,380
1911 historical 19 #31,416
1997 modern 137 #22,301
1998 modern 136 #23,013
1999 modern 141 #22,702
2000 modern 138 #22,960
2001 modern 135 #22,945
2002 modern 150 #21,913
2003 modern 151 #21,574
2004 modern 145 #22,289
2005 modern 146 #22,146
2006 modern 150 #21,915
2007 modern 156 #21,650
2008 modern 158 #21,690
2009 modern 156 #22,351
2010 modern 153 #23,175
2011 modern 148 #23,520
2012 modern 145 #23,780
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 144 #24,504
2015 modern 136 #25,352
2016 modern 140 #24,865

Geography

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Where Bannigans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Robroyston and Millerston, Corby and Daventry. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Robroyston and Millerston Glasgow City
2 Corby 003 Corby
3 Corby 001 Corby
4 Corby 005 Corby
5 Daventry 010 Daventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bannigan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bannigan surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bannigan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bannigan, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Bannigan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Bannigan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Bannigan is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bannigan is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bannigan falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bannigan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bannigan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bannigan

The surname BANNIGAN is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Banáin, which means "descendant of Banán". The name Banán is derived from the Irish word "bán", meaning "white" or "fair".

The BANNIGAN surname has its origins in County Leitrim, Ireland, where the Ó Banáin clan held lands and were considered lords during the Middle Ages. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century Irish annals.

In the 16th century, the Ó Banáin clan's lands were seized during the Plantation of Ulster, a planned process of colonization by English and Scottish settlers. During this time, many Irish families adopted anglicized versions of their names, including the Ó Banáin clan, who began using the surname BANNIGAN.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BANNIGAN surname can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the reign of Henry VIII. In 1544, a "Rory O Banan" is mentioned as receiving a pardon for his involvement in the Irish rebellion.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the BANNIGAN surname. In the 18th century, John Bannigan (1728-1795) was an Irish Catholic priest who worked to establish schools in his native County Leitrim. In the 19th century, Patrick Bannigan (1821-1892) was an Irish-American civil engineer who designed and constructed several railroads and bridges in the United States.

During the 20th century, Michael Bannigan (1908-1982) was an Australian politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1949 to 1972. Norah Bannigan (1924-2006) was a British actress known for her roles in television shows and films throughout the 1960s and 1970s. More recently, John Bannigan (1959-) is an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who has donated to various educational and healthcare initiatives.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bannigan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bannigan surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Renfrewshire leads with 5 Bannigans recorded in 1881 and an index of 73.64x.

County Total Index
Renfrewshire 5 73.64x
Midlothian 2 17.04x
Hampshire 1 5.57x
Lancashire 1 0.96x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Middle Greenock in Renfrewshire leads with 4 Bannigans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2105.26x.

Place Total Index
Middle Greenock 4 2105.26x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 42.37x
Aldershot 1 166.67x
Kirkdale 1 57.14x
West Greenock 1 81.97x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bannigan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Christiana 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bannigan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Bannigan households.

Occupation Count
Lance Corporal 1
Scholar 1

FAQ

Bannigan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bannigan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10 people were recorded with the Bannigan surname. That placed it at #32,243 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bannigan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016. That gives Bannigan a modern rank of #24,865.

What does the Bannigan surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Banáin, meaning 'descendant of Banán'.

What does the Bannigan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bannigan bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.