NameCensus.

UK surname

Begley

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Béaglaoich," meaning "descendant of Béaglach," a personal name meaning "lively little one."

In the 1881 census there were 499 people recorded with the Begley surname, ranking it #6,784 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,785, ranked #3,528, up from #6,784 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lutterworth, Govan Combination and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stratford-on-Avon, Harborough and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Begley is 1,802 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 257.7%.

1881 census count

499

Ranked #6,784

Modern count

1,785

2016, ranked #3,528

Peak year

2010

1,802 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Begley had 499 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,784 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,785 in 2016, ranked #3,528.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 627 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Begley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Begley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Begley 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 199 #10,441
1861 historical 300 #8,432
1881 historical 499 #6,784
1891 historical 558 #6,800
1901 historical 618 #6,904
1911 historical 627 #6,613
1997 modern 1,609 #3,683
1998 modern 1,687 #3,656
1999 modern 1,696 #3,667
2000 modern 1,684 #3,670
2001 modern 1,648 #3,671
2002 modern 1,670 #3,698
2003 modern 1,672 #3,634
2004 modern 1,671 #3,631
2005 modern 1,693 #3,554
2006 modern 1,710 #3,527
2007 modern 1,719 #3,541
2008 modern 1,737 #3,538
2009 modern 1,782 #3,538
2010 modern 1,802 #3,562
2011 modern 1,793 #3,546
2012 modern 1,784 #3,510
2013 modern 1,796 #3,536
2014 modern 1,798 #3,554
2015 modern 1,796 #3,527
2016 modern 1,785 #3,528

Geography

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Where Begleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lutterworth, Govan Combination, London parishes, Burslem and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stratford-on-Avon, Harborough, Swansea and Lichfield. 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 Lutterworth Leicestershire
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 Burslem Staffordshire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stratford-on-Avon 015 Stratford-on-Avon
2 Harborough 005 Harborough
3 Swansea 019 Swansea
4 Swansea 011 Swansea
5 Lichfield 002 Lichfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Begley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Begley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Begley, 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 Begley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Begley 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, Begley 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

Begley 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

Begley 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 Begley 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 Begley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Begley

The surname Begley is of Irish origin, emerging from the Gaelic Ó Beaglaigh, meaning "descendant of Beaglach." The name Beaglach is derived from the Irish word "beag," meaning small or little, and the diminutive suffix "-lach." The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive name referring to a small or diminutive person.

The Begley surname is most commonly found in counties Limerick and Tipperary, Ireland, indicating its roots may lie in the region of Munster. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 16th century, with records of Begley families in the parish of Knockgrany, County Limerick.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Begley surname was John Begley, a landowner in County Tipperary, whose name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor sovereign, Elizabeth I, in the late 16th century. The Fiants were records of royal grants and pardons issued by the English Crown in Ireland during this period.

In the 17th century, the Begley surname is documented in the Petty's Census of Ireland, a survey of landowners conducted in 1659 by Sir William Petty. This census recorded several Begley families residing in County Limerick at the time.

Notable individuals with the Begley surname include:

1. John Begley (1826-1899), an Irish-born prelate who served as the Bishop of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. 2. Rev. Walter Begley (1836-1908), an Irish Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools in County Limerick. 3. Edward Begley (1923-2012), an American actor known for his roles in films like "12 Angry Men" and "Tora! Tora! Tora!" 4. Ed Begley Jr. (born 1949), an American actor and environmentalist, son of Edward Begley. 5. Aoife Begley (born 1986), an Irish singer-songwriter and musician.

While the Begley name has spread to various parts of the world due to Irish migration, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic language and the region of Munster in Ireland, where it first emerged as a descriptive surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Begley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Begley 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. Lanarkshire leads with 94 Begleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.82x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 94 5.82x
Lancashire 89 1.50x
Middlesex 70 1.40x
Norfolk 25 3.26x
Leicestershire 20 3.61x
Renfrewshire 19 4.91x
Staffordshire 19 1.13x
Glamorgan 16 1.84x
Northamptonshire 16 3.41x
Warwickshire 16 1.27x
Yorkshire 15 0.30x
Midlothian 13 1.94x
Ayrshire 10 2.68x
Worcestershire 10 1.53x
Channel Islands 9 6.08x
Pembrokeshire 8 5.04x
Durham 7 0.47x
Gloucestershire 7 0.71x
Hampshire 7 0.68x
West Lothian 7 9.31x
Angus 6 1.30x
Surrey 5 0.21x
Dunbartonshire 4 2.98x
Royal Navy 4 6.72x
Bedfordshire 2 0.77x
Devon 2 0.19x
Northumberland 2 0.27x
Argyllshire 1 0.72x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.33x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.32x
Cheshire 1 0.09x
Cornwall 1 0.18x
Fife 1 0.34x
Hertfordshire 1 0.29x
Kent 1 0.06x
Perthshire 1 0.45x
Somerset 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 36 Begleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.55x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 36 12.55x
Liverpool 32 8.89x
Govan 21 5.26x
Islington London 20 4.13x
Burslem 19 39.35x
Lutterworth 19 563.80x
Barony 18 4.40x
Houston Killallan 12 320.00x
Bidford 11 408.92x
Carluke 11 74.98x
Swansea Town 11 15.43x
Toxteth Park 11 5.48x
Welney 11 625.00x
Hackney London 9 3.21x
Daventry 8 120.30x
Evesham All Sts 8 263.16x
St Helier 8 16.60x
Westminster St Margaret 8 33.21x
Bedhampton 7 578.51x
Church 7 83.63x
Ealing 7 15.68x
Stonehouse 7 125.67x
Cambusnethan 6 16.73x
Dundee 6 3.47x
Eccleston In Prescot 6 20.17x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 2.23x
Floore 6 340.91x
Ince In Makerfield 6 21.75x
Accrington 5 9.28x
Aston 5 1.44x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 10.62x
Dundonald 5 36.28x
Edinburgh Trinity 5 232.56x
Everton 5 2.65x
Hunstanton 5 193.05x
Isleworth 5 22.52x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 5 21.69x
Pembroke St Mary 5 24.46x
Penge 5 15.67x
Batley 4 8.51x
Darlington 4 6.97x
East Greenock 4 10.94x
Fulwood 4 62.50x
Kirkliston 4 91.12x
Old Kilpatrick 4 25.22x
Roath 4 10.13x
South Lynn 4 46.14x
Boness 3 28.93x
Dalry 3 17.06x
Hornsey 3 4.75x
Linthorpe 3 10.16x
Royal Navy 3 5.90x
St George Hanover Square 3 3.41x
Steynton 3 58.48x
West Derby 3 1.73x
Ashford 2 50.63x
Chiswick 2 7.33x
Edinburgh St Johns 2 47.39x
Hammersmith London 2 1.63x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 3.11x
Holy Trinity 2 1.68x
Luton 2 4.47x
Manchester 2 0.75x
Normanby In 2 15.12x
Paisley Middle Church 2 8.88x
Sheffield 2 1.27x
Shipston On Stour 2 67.34x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 2 28.29x
Stanwell 2 54.05x
Walmersley Cum 2 21.12x
West Haddon 2 131.58x
Campbeltown 1 5.96x
Devonport 1 8.37x
Eastwood 1 4.19x
Fulham London 1 1.38x
Hartlepool 1 4.73x
Loughborough 1 3.98x
Over Darwen 1 2.11x
St Giles In Fields London 1 4.08x
Strathmiglo 1 28.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 29
Elizabeth 12
Ellen 10
Eliza 8
Margaret 8
Annie 7
Jane 7
Ann 5
Catherine 5
Maria 5
Alice 4
Bridget 4
Louisa 4
Ada 3
Isabella 3
Julia 3
Sarah 3
Susan 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Clara 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Martha 2
Rachel 2
Adelaide 1
Aliice 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Dora 1
Eada 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Honour 1
Isebella 1
Kate 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Mable 1
Marth 1
Mercy 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 30
William 17
James 16
Thomas 11
Michael 10
Francis 7
Charles 6
Bartholomew 5
Patrick 5
Samuel 5
Edward 4
Joseph 4
Alfred 3
Frank 3
George 3
Henry 3
Matthias 3
Peter 3
Arthur 2
Denis 2
Hugh 2
Mark 2
Mathias 2
Nunn 2
Reuben 2
Richard 2
Timothy 2
Walter 2
Barnard 1
Bernard 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Ernest 1
Evan 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Josh. 1
Laurence 1
Louis 1
Marthais 1
Martin 1
Owen 1
Patric 1
Robert 1
Thady 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Begley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Begley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 499 people were recorded with the Begley surname. That placed it at #6,784 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Begley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,785 in 2016. That gives Begley a modern rank of #3,528.

What does the Begley surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Béaglaoich," meaning "descendant of Béaglach," a personal name meaning "lively little one."

What does the Begley map show?

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