NameCensus.

UK surname

Bogan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Bogáin," meaning "descendant of Bogán," a personal name of unknown meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 178 people recorded with the Bogan surname, ranking it #13,840 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 276, ranked #15,673, down from #13,840 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ06, Glenwood South and Castlemilk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bogan is 287 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.1%.

1881 census count

178

Ranked #13,840

Modern count

276

2016, ranked #15,673

Peak year

2008

287 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bogan had 178 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,840 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016, ranked #15,673.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 201 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Bogan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bogan surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Bogan 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 141 #16,072
1881 historical 178 #13,840
1891 historical 187 #15,679
1901 historical 201 #15,059
1911 historical 75 #25,322
1997 modern 266 #14,658
1998 modern 281 #14,506
1999 modern 286 #14,412
2000 modern 272 #14,868
2001 modern 263 #14,999
2002 modern 269 #15,044
2003 modern 259 #15,254
2004 modern 268 #14,995
2005 modern 274 #14,663
2006 modern 281 #14,500
2007 modern 281 #14,660
2008 modern 287 #14,580
2009 modern 283 #15,020
2010 modern 277 #15,595
2011 modern 271 #15,708
2012 modern 269 #15,706
2013 modern 273 #15,802
2014 modern 272 #15,949
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 276 #15,673

Geography

Back to top

Where Bogans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Govan Combination, Greenock, Dalton-le-Dale and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ06, Glenwood South, Castlemilk, Waveney and Oldham. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Dalton-le-Dale Durham
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ06 West Dunbartonshire
2 Glenwood South Glasgow City
3 Castlemilk Glasgow City
4 Waveney 008 Waveney
5 Oldham 003 Oldham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Bogan

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Bogan

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bogan is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Bogan 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

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

Meaning and origin of Bogan

The surname Bogan is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "bóghún," which means "soft or tender." It may have been initially used as a descriptive name for someone with a gentle or kind demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Bogan surname can be found in the "Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns," a collection of official documents from the 16th century. The name appears in these records as "Bogan" and "Boaghan," suggesting variations in spelling existed from the beginning.

In the 17th century, the Bogan surname was particularly prevalent in County Wexford, Ireland. Records from this time period show several individuals bearing the name, such as Patrick Bogan, who was born in Wexford in 1632, and Edward Bogan, a landowner in the same county, who lived from 1650 to 1718.

The Bogan name can also be traced back to the town of Bognor Regis in West Sussex, England. It is believed that some Irish families with the surname Bogan may have migrated to this area, leading to the name's association with the town. However, the exact connection between the surname and the place name is unclear.

One notable figure in history with the Bogan surname was James Bogan, an Irish poet and playwright who lived from 1675 to 1742. His works, which included plays and satirical poems, earned him recognition during his lifetime.

Another prominent individual was John Bogan, an Irish-born architect who lived from 1760 to 1823. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Dublin, including the City Hall and the Royal Exchange.

In the 19th century, the Bogan surname continued to be found in Ireland, as well as in other parts of the world where Irish emigrants had settled. One example is Michael Bogan, an Australian politician and landowner who was born in County Wexford in 1812 and later became a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

Throughout its history, the Bogan surname has maintained a strong presence in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Wexford, Kilkenny, and Waterford. While its origins may be rooted in a descriptive term, the name has endured and been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including poets, architects, and politicians.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Bogan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bogan 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 55 Bogans recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.80x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 55 9.80x
Renfrewshire 35 26.01x
Lancashire 31 1.50x
Yorkshire 27 1.57x
Devon 9 2.49x
Dunbartonshire 4 8.57x
Middlesex 3 0.17x
Midlothian 3 1.29x
Stirlingshire 3 4.69x
Surrey 3 0.35x
Angus 1 0.62x
Essex 1 0.29x
Leicestershire 1 0.52x
Shropshire 1 0.67x
Staffordshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Greenock in Renfrewshire leads with 16 Bogans recorded in 1881 and an index of 66.25x.

Place Total Index
West Greenock 16 66.25x
Glasgow 14 14.04x
Govan 14 10.08x
New Monkland 10 60.24x
Barony 9 6.33x
Paisley High Church 9 84.03x
Manchester 8 8.63x
Manningham 8 37.74x
Leeds 7 7.21x
East Stonehouse 6 84.27x
Kirkdale 6 17.31x
Old Monkland 6 26.93x
Port Glasgow 6 92.31x
West Derby 6 9.96x
Cumbernauld 4 156.25x
Great Bolton 4 14.66x
Bentham 3 229.01x
Horton In Bradford 3 11.16x
Plymouth Charles The 3 18.84x
Blantyre 2 34.19x
Bradford 2 4.80x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 6.11x
Edinburgh Old 2 141.84x
Keighley 2 10.91x
Lochwinnoch 2 99.50x
Old Artillery Ground 2 134.23x
Abbey 1 4.87x
Camberwell 1 0.90x
Campsie 1 28.49x
Cheetham 1 6.51x
Colchester St Botolph 1 34.25x
Colne 1 16.29x
Denny 1 29.33x
East Greenock 1 7.87x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 16.89x
Falkirk 1 6.67x
Hulme 1 2.33x
Kensington London 1 1.04x
Kirriemuir 1 25.19x
Leicester St Mary 1 6.43x
Liverpool 1 0.80x
Newport 1 55.25x
Penge 1 9.02x
Putney 1 12.64x
Tonge 1 23.15x
Wakefield 1 7.57x
Willenhall 1 9.11x
York St Margaret 1 93.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Catherine 6
Ann 4
Margaret 4
Bridget 3
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Hannah 2
Magt. 2
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Emma 1
Jane 1
Lissy 1
Margrett 1
Martha 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 7
James 5
Michael 4
Patrick 4
John 3
William 3
Laurence 2
Robert 2
David 1
Francis 1
George 1
Hugh 1
Luke 1
Mathew 1
Patk. 1

FAQ

Bogan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bogan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 178 people were recorded with the Bogan surname. That placed it at #13,840 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bogan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016. That gives Bogan a modern rank of #15,673.

What does the Bogan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Bogáin," meaning "descendant of Bogán," a personal name of unknown meaning.

What does the Bogan map show?

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