NameCensus.

UK surname

Bohanna

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Bánáin meaning descendant of Bánán.

In the 1881 census there were 77 people recorded with the Bohanna surname, ranking it #22,617 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 151, ranked #23,615, down from #22,617 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Eccles and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Sussex, Kirklees and Knowsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bohanna is 157 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.1%.

1881 census count

77

Ranked #22,617

Modern count

151

2016, ranked #23,615

Peak year

2011

157 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bohanna had 77 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,617 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016, ranked #23,615.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 132 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bohanna surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bohanna surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bohanna 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 42 #28,691
1881 historical 77 #22,617
1891 historical 117 #21,658
1901 historical 121 #20,444
1911 historical 132 #19,313
1997 modern 143 #21,761
1998 modern 140 #22,615
1999 modern 152 #21,636
2000 modern 148 #21,971
2001 modern 143 #22,133
2002 modern 147 #22,197
2003 modern 149 #21,766
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 139 #22,887
2006 modern 139 #23,044
2007 modern 142 #23,025
2008 modern 149 #22,530
2009 modern 155 #22,438
2010 modern 154 #23,082
2011 modern 157 #22,574
2012 modern 156 #22,645
2013 modern 157 #22,904
2014 modern 156 #23,231
2015 modern 153 #23,413
2016 modern 151 #23,615

Geography

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Where Bohannas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Eccles, Manchester and Bangor. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Sussex, Kirklees and Knowsley. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Bangor Carnarvonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Sussex 011 Mid Sussex
2 Kirklees 011 Kirklees
3 Knowsley 020 Knowsley
4 Kirklees 003 Kirklees
5 Kirklees 005 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bohanna

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bohanna

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Bohanna surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bohanna household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Bohanna is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

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

Bohanna 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

Bohanna 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 Bohanna 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bohanna

The surname Bohanna has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the early Middle Ages. The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words "bo" meaning cow or cattle, and "ánna" meaning wealthy or prosperous, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been cattle farmers or landowners with significant livestock holdings.

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 early 17th century. This text mentions a Bohanna family who resided in the region of Connemara, County Galway, during the 13th century. The name also appears in various other ancient Irish manuscripts and records from this period, indicating its long-standing presence in the western counties of Ireland.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Bohanna surname was Donnchadh Bohanna, a prominent member of the Gaelic nobility who served as a chieftain in County Mayo. Another historical figure of note was Tadhg Bohanna, a scholar and poet from County Sligo who lived in the late 17th century and was renowned for his contributions to Irish literature.

The Bohanna name has been subject to various spelling variations over the centuries, including Bohanna, Bohanney, Bohanny, and Bohannan. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the anglicization of the name or by regional dialects within Ireland.

In the 19th century, one of the most famous individuals with the Bohanna surname was Michael Bohanna (1824-1898), a prominent Irish-American politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was actively involved in advocating for Irish immigrants' rights.

Another notable bearer of the Bohanna name was John Bohanna (1856-1932), an Irish-born American entrepreneur who founded the successful Bohanna Brewing Company in Chicago, which operated throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the Bohanna surname may have originated in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its roots and historical significance remain firmly tied to the Irish counties of Galway, Mayo, and Sligo, where the earliest recorded instances of this name can be traced.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bohanna families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bohanna 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 54 Bohannas recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.98x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 54 5.98x
Cheshire 11 6.55x
Caernarfonshire 6 19.51x
Middlesex 2 0.26x
Staffordshire 2 0.78x
Leicestershire 1 1.19x
Royal Navy 1 11.03x
Westmorland 1 5.98x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 18 Bohannas recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.35x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 18 44.35x
Hulme 16 84.88x
Bangor 6 202.02x
Salford 6 22.60x
Stockport 6 69.44x
Blackley 3 189.87x
Pendleton In Salford 3 27.91x
Burton Upon Trent 2 33.28x
Cheetham 2 29.72x
Chiswick 2 48.08x
Crumpsall 2 93.90x
Hartford 2 526.32x
Burnley 1 13.16x
Bury 1 9.70x
Casterton 1 666.67x
Chester Castle 1 1111.11x
Chester St John Baptist 1 33.11x
Gorton 1 11.78x
Royal Navy 1 12.90x
Sandbach 1 69.93x
Whitwick 1 93.46x
Withington 1 34.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 5
Mary 4
Elizabeth 3
Isabella 3
Jane 3
Abigail 1
Delia 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Leah 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Minnie 1
Nancy 1
Sophia 1
W. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Samuel 6
Robert 5
James 4
Thomas 4
George 2
Joseph 2
Michael 2
Peter 2
William 2
Albert 1
Charles 1
Frank 1
Gustavus 1
Harry 1
Lewis 1
Thos. 1
Thos.C. 1

FAQ

Bohanna surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bohanna surname in 1881?

In 1881, 77 people were recorded with the Bohanna surname. That placed it at #22,617 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bohanna surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016. That gives Bohanna a modern rank of #23,615.

What does the Bohanna surname mean?

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Bánáin meaning descendant of Bánán.

What does the Bohanna map show?

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