NameCensus.

UK surname

Beggan

An Irish surname possibly derived from the Gaelic word "beag" meaning small.

In the 1881 census there were 6 people recorded with the Beggan surname, ranking it #32,926 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 98, ranked #31,470, up from #32,926 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Solihull, Doon Valley North and Flintshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beggan is 109 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1533.3%.

1881 census count

6

Ranked #32,926

Modern count

98

2016, ranked #31,470

Peak year

2009

109 bearers

Map years

1

2006 to 2006

Key insights

  • Beggan had 6 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,926 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016, ranked #31,470.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 45 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Beggan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beggan surname density by area, 2006 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beggan 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 45 #28,296
1881 historical 6 #32,926
1891 historical 10 #33,355
1901 historical 9 #33,154
1911 historical 2 #34,020
1997 modern 98 #27,179
1998 modern 98 #27,923
1999 modern 96 #28,326
2000 modern 95 #28,441
2001 modern 93 #28,382
2002 modern 102 #27,596
2003 modern 105 #26,940
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 101 #27,854
2006 modern 101 #28,125
2007 modern 105 #27,868
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 109 #28,145
2010 modern 101 #30,078
2011 modern 99 #30,218
2012 modern 90 #31,790
2013 modern 98 #31,078
2014 modern 102 #30,714
2015 modern 97 #31,499
2016 modern 98 #31,470

Geography

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Where Beggans 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 Solihull, Doon Valley North, Flintshire, Bromley and Swindon. 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 Solihull 018 Solihull
2 Doon Valley North East Ayrshire
3 Flintshire 016 Flintshire
4 Bromley 001 Bromley
5 Swindon 025 Swindon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beggan

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beggan

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Beggan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Beggan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Beggan is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Beggan 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

Beggan 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 Beggan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Beggan

The surname Beggan is of Irish origin, with its roots traced back to the early medieval period in Ireland. It is believed to have originated as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Ó Beagáin," meaning "descendant of Beagán," which itself is a diminutive form of the name Beag, meaning "little" or "small."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a notable figure named Beagán mac Conaill, who lived in the 7th century and was a chieftain of the Uí Meic Uais branch of the Dál Riata kindred.

The Beggan surname is predominantly associated with County Longford and parts of County Westmeath in Ireland's Midlands region. Historical records indicate that the Beggans were a prominent family in the area, with references to individuals bearing the name appearing in various documents from the 16th century onwards.

Notable individuals with the surname Beggan include John Beggan (1633-1709), an Irish Roman Catholic priest and historian who served as the Catholic Bishop of Limerick from 1693 until his death. Another prominent figure was Francis Beggan (1675-1742), an Irish Catholic priest and philosopher who taught at the Collège des Irlandais in Paris.

In more recent times, Michael Beggan (1915-1999) was an Irish hurler who played for the Longford senior hurling team and won an All-Ireland medal in 1936. Patrick Beggan (born 1991) is a contemporary Gaelic footballer who plays for the Scotstown club in County Monaghan and has represented the Monaghan county team.

While the Beggan surname may have originated from a diminutive form of the name Beag, it has since become a distinct and recognizable Irish surname, with a rich history and cultural significance in the counties of Longford and Westmeath.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beggan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beggan 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. Angus leads with 1 Beggans recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.48x.

County Total Index
Angus 1 18.48x
Glamorgan 1 9.83x
Lancashire 1 1.44x
Middlesex 1 1.71x
Perthshire 1 38.17x
Yorkshire 1 1.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 1 Beggans recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.51x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 1 49.51x
Kensington London 1 30.77x
Kinnoull Scone 1 0.00x
Liverpool 1 23.75x
Southcoates 1 312.50x
St Hilary 1 0.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Michael 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 Beggan households.

FAQ

Beggan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beggan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6 people were recorded with the Beggan surname. That placed it at #32,926 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beggan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016. That gives Beggan a modern rank of #31,470.

What does the Beggan surname mean?

An Irish surname possibly derived from the Gaelic word "beag" meaning small.

What does the Beggan map show?

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