NameCensus.

UK surname

Beahan

An Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó Beacháin, meaning "descendant of Beachán".

In the 1881 census there were 53 people recorded with the Beahan surname, ranking it #26,134 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 120, ranked #27,563, down from #26,134 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Eastleigh and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beahan is 135 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 126.4%.

1881 census count

53

Ranked #26,134

Modern count

120

2016, ranked #27,563

Peak year

2009

135 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beahan had 53 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,134 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016, ranked #27,563.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 73 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Beahan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beahan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Beahan 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 13 #30,970
1861 historical 18 #31,580
1881 historical 53 #26,134
1891 historical 57 #29,533
1901 historical 63 #27,134
1911 historical 73 #25,541
1997 modern 124 #23,669
1998 modern 120 #24,793
1999 modern 131 #23,709
2000 modern 123 #24,585
2001 modern 123 #24,242
2002 modern 125 #24,492
2003 modern 132 #23,459
2004 modern 131 #23,756
2005 modern 116 #25,564
2006 modern 123 #24,873
2007 modern 128 #24,632
2008 modern 133 #24,350
2009 modern 135 #24,594
2010 modern 135 #25,127
2011 modern 129 #25,673
2012 modern 112 #28,174
2013 modern 118 #27,686
2014 modern 123 #27,206
2015 modern 123 #27,088
2016 modern 120 #27,563

Geography

Back to top

Where Beahans 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 East Riding of Yorkshire, Eastleigh, Sheffield, West Lancashire and Wyre Forest. 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 East Riding of Yorkshire 008 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Eastleigh 002 Eastleigh
3 Sheffield 033 Sheffield
4 West Lancashire 008 West Lancashire
5 Wyre Forest 008 Wyre Forest

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Beahan

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Beahan

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Beahan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Beahan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Beahan is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Beahan is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Beahan falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Beahan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Beahan

The surname Beahan originated in Ireland, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Beacháin, meaning "descendant of Beachán." Beachán was a personal name derived from the word "beachaire," meaning "beekeper" or "one who kept bees."

The name was first recorded in County Kerry, where the Ó Beacháin clan was based. They were part of the Uí Duinne sept, a branch of the larger Dál gCais dynasty that ruled Munster. The earliest known record of the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters in 1585, which mentions Conchobhar Ó Beacháin.

In the 17th century, the name is found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns of Ireland, which were records of land grants and appointments made by the English Crown. In 1629, a grant of land in County Kerry was made to Donell O'Beehan, an Anglicized spelling of the name.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the Beahan surname was Richard Beahan, a soldier who fought in the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653) on the side of the Catholic Confederates against the English Parliamentarians. He was born around 1620 in County Kerry.

In the 18th century, Patrick Beahan (1726-1796) was a notable member of the name. He was a Catholic priest and theologian who served as the Bishop of Meath from 1779 until his death.

Another notable figure was John Beahan (1795-1875), a lawyer and politician from County Limerick. He served as a Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons from 1832 to 1835, representing the constituency of Limerick City.

In the 19th century, Michael Beahan (1840-1915) was a prominent Irish-American lawyer and judge. He was born in County Kerry and emigrated to the United States in 1860, settling in New York City. He served as a judge in the New York Supreme Court from 1895 to 1915.

The name Beahan has also been found in various place names in Ireland, such as Beahanagh (meaning "place of the Beahans") in County Kerry, and Beahanville, a townland in County Limerick.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Beahan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beahan 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 42 Beahans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.72x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 42 6.72x
Perthshire 4 16.92x
Cheshire 3 2.58x
Derbyshire 3 3.64x
Royal Navy 1 15.92x
Yorkshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Salford in Lancashire leads with 22 Beahans recorded in 1881 and an index of 119.70x.

Place Total Index
Salford 22 119.70x
Moss Side 7 212.77x
Manchester 5 17.79x
Formby 4 563.38x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 3 555.56x
Inchture 3 2500.00x
Liverpool 3 7.90x
Liscard 2 95.69x
Hoose 1 454.55x
Leeds 1 3.39x
Longforgan 1 303.03x
Royal Navy 1 18.62x
Toxteth Park 1 4.73x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

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 Beahan households.

FAQ

Beahan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beahan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 53 people were recorded with the Beahan surname. That placed it at #26,134 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beahan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016. That gives Beahan a modern rank of #27,563.

What does the Beahan surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó Beacháin, meaning "descendant of Beachán".

What does the Beahan map show?

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