NameCensus.

UK surname

Bannon

Derived from the Irish surname Ó Banáin, meaning "descendant of Banán," a diminutive of the word "ban" (white or fair).

In the 1881 census there were 317 people recorded with the Bannon surname, ranking it #9,359 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,287, ranked #4,655, up from #9,359 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Liverpool and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hilltown, Bradford and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bannon is 1,329 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 306.0%.

1881 census count

317

Ranked #9,359

Modern count

1,287

2016, ranked #4,655

Peak year

2010

1,329 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bannon had 317 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,359 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,287 in 2016, ranked #4,655.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 513 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Bannon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bannon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bannon 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 150 #12,905
1861 historical 174 #13,483
1881 historical 317 #9,359
1891 historical 424 #8,446
1901 historical 513 #7,901
1911 historical 407 #9,176
1997 modern 1,159 #4,859
1998 modern 1,210 #4,851
1999 modern 1,222 #4,845
2000 modern 1,176 #4,990
2001 modern 1,146 #5,006
2002 modern 1,229 #4,802
2003 modern 1,180 #4,872
2004 modern 1,203 #4,802
2005 modern 1,226 #4,673
2006 modern 1,223 #4,703
2007 modern 1,255 #4,639
2008 modern 1,271 #4,597
2009 modern 1,300 #4,609
2010 modern 1,329 #4,605
2011 modern 1,315 #4,591
2012 modern 1,301 #4,574
2013 modern 1,309 #4,626
2014 modern 1,307 #4,653
2015 modern 1,302 #4,622
2016 modern 1,287 #4,655

Geography

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Where Bannons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Liverpool, Bradford, West Derby and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hilltown, Bradford, Newcastle upon Tyne, Law and Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Liverpool Lancashire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hilltown Dundee City
2 Bradford 019 Bradford
3 Newcastle upon Tyne 029 Newcastle upon Tyne
4 Law Dundee City
5 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bannon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bannon

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bannon, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Bannon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Bannon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bannon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bannon is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bannon falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bannon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Bannon

The surname Bannon originates from Ireland, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name "O'Banain," which means "descendant of Banan." The name Banan is derived from the Irish word "ban," meaning "white" or "fair-haired."

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Irish manuscripts, such as the Annals of the Four Masters, which mention several individuals with the name Bannon or O'Banain. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Muircheartach O'Banain, a prominent Irish chieftain who lived in the 13th century.

The Bannon surname was particularly prevalent in County Roscommon, where the family held lands and wielded significant influence. In the 16th century, the Annals of Ulster refer to the "O'Banains of Muintir Eolais," a powerful sept (clan) in that region.

As the name spread throughout Ireland, various spellings emerged, including Banon, Banyn, and Bannan. Some early records also mention place names associated with the family, such as Ballybanon (meaning "Bannon's town") and Carrowbannon (meaning "Bannon's quarter").

Notable individuals with the surname Bannon throughout history include:

1. Reverend Patrick Bannon (1615-1694), an Irish Franciscan friar and scholar who wrote extensively on Irish history and language.

2. Michael Bannon (1741-1803), an Irish-American soldier and merchant who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

3. John Bannon (1829-1913), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the 30th Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

4. Matthias Bannon (1832-1913), an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Mobile, Alabama.

5. James Bannon (1873-1942), an Irish-American labor leader and politician who was a prominent figure in the American Federation of Labor.

While the name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia, carried by Irish immigrants and their descendants.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bannon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bannon 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. Lancashire leads with 136 Bannons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.57x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 136 3.57x
Lanarkshire 28 2.70x
Middlesex 22 0.69x
Yorkshire 21 0.66x
Durham 16 1.68x
Staffordshire 16 1.48x
Cumberland 15 5.43x
Isle of Man 12 20.14x
Kent 12 1.10x
Cheshire 11 1.55x
Dunbartonshire 11 12.76x
Midlothian 6 1.40x
Renfrewshire 5 2.01x
Hampshire 4 0.61x
Glamorgan 3 0.54x
Surrey 3 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.52x
Cornwall 1 0.28x
Devon 1 0.15x
Northamptonshire 1 0.33x
Oxfordshire 1 0.50x
Suffolk 1 0.26x
Sussex 1 0.18x
Wiltshire 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 39 Bannons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.86x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 39 16.86x
Manchester 16 9.34x
Old Kilpatrick 11 107.95x
Barony 10 3.81x
Birkenhead 9 15.94x
Bradford 9 11.69x
German Peel 9 262.39x
Hulme 9 11.32x
Little Bolton 8 16.34x
Oldham 8 6.51x
Walsall Borough 8 95.12x
West Derby 8 7.18x
Bootle Cum Linacre 7 23.15x
Thornley 7 202.90x
Toxteth Park 7 5.43x
Walsall Foreign 7 12.51x
Workington 7 44.25x
Kensington London 6 3.36x
Old Monkland 6 14.57x
Blantyre 5 46.30x
East Greenock 5 21.29x
Eccleston In Prescot 5 26.15x
Edinburgh Tron Church 5 248.76x
Middlesbrough 5 12.07x
New Romney 5 442.48x
Whitehaven 5 33.94x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 9.67x
Paddington London 4 3.39x
Salford 4 3.57x
Wardleworth 4 18.38x
Cleator 3 26.09x
Dover St Mary Virgin 3 28.30x
Everton 3 2.47x
Hindley 3 18.47x
Hook 3 42.86x
Llandaff 3 16.14x
Ratcliffe London 3 16.93x
Widnes 3 10.92x
Aldershot 2 9.08x
Andreas 2 123.46x
Ardwick 2 5.82x
Barnard Castle 2 42.37x
Battersea 2 1.69x
Bromley 2 11.98x
Chelsea London 2 2.07x
Fazakerley 2 338.98x
Lesmahagow 2 18.21x
Linthorpe 2 10.54x
Sale 2 23.02x
Wavertree 2 16.41x
Whitechapel London 2 6.32x
Whitworth 2 28.61x
Banbury 1 25.19x
Barrow In Furness 1 1.93x
Bow London 1 2.45x
Bradford 1 5.61x
Cambusnethan 1 4.34x
Castleton 1 2.63x
Cheetham 1 3.52x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 1 33.56x
Elvet 1 14.51x
Falmouth 1 7.78x
Gillingham 1 4.43x
Glasgow 1 0.54x
Gorleston 1 10.07x
Hastings St Mary 1 7.42x
Hawkhurst 1 29.41x
Isleworth 1 7.01x
Lanark 1 11.98x
Leeds 1 0.56x
Portsmouth 1 6.60x
Shettleston 1 10.76x
Southampton All Sts 1 8.86x
St Anne Soho London 1 5.46x
St George In East London 1 3.31x
Stafford St Mary 1 6.52x
Warkworth 1 36.76x
West Teignmouth 1 19.57x
Wolverton 1 24.88x
York St Giles In 1 33.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Catherine 11
Ann 8
Margaret 8
Sarah 8
Bridget 7
Eliza 7
Elizabeth 5
Ellen 5
Julia 4
Annie 3
Jane 3
Kate 3
Rose 3
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Elizth. 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Helen 2
Isabella 2
Margt. 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Base 1
Edith 1
Ethell 1
Henrietta 1
Hilda 1
Jubina 1
Lizzy 1
Mable 1
Margarett 1
Margret 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Susannah 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 25
Thomas 18
James 13
Patrick 13
Michael 11
Edward 9
William 6
Andrew 3
George 3
Jas. 3
Robert 3
Thos. 3
Bernard 2
Charles 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Lawrence 2
Martin 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Stephen 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Bartholomew 1
Ed. 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
Matthew 1
Owen 1
Samuel 1
Timothy 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wm 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bannon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bannon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 317 people were recorded with the Bannon surname. That placed it at #9,359 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bannon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,287 in 2016. That gives Bannon a modern rank of #4,655.

What does the Bannon surname mean?

Derived from the Irish surname Ó Banáin, meaning "descendant of Banán," a diminutive of the word "ban" (white or fair).

What does the Bannon map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bannon 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.