NameCensus.

UK surname

Bohannon

Irish: descendant of Buan, a personal name meaning "lasting, enduring," or from Irish Ó Buadhachain "descendant of Buadhach" meaning "victorious."

In the 1881 census there were 51 people recorded with the Bohannon surname, ranking it #26,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 85, ranked #32,637, down from #26,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Brighton and Hove, Bolton and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bohannon is 112 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.7%.

1881 census count

51

Ranked #26,428

Modern count

85

2016, ranked #32,637

Peak year

2002

112 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2006

Key insights

  • Bohannon had 51 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 85 in 2016, ranked #32,637.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 62 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Bohannon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bohannon surname density by area, 2006 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bohannon 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 50 #24,274
1861 historical 39 #29,099
1881 historical 51 #26,428
1891 historical 24 #32,320
1901 historical 43 #29,380
1911 historical 62 #26,622
1997 modern 106 #26,057
1998 modern 106 #26,689
1999 modern 109 #26,439
2000 modern 107 #26,700
2001 modern 105 #26,620
2002 modern 112 #26,165
2003 modern 112 #25,948
2004 modern 106 #27,045
2005 modern 104 #27,369
2006 modern 106 #27,332
2007 modern 102 #28,351
2008 modern 106 #28,016
2009 modern 102 #29,286
2010 modern 103 #29,780
2011 modern 100 #30,058
2012 modern 94 #31,258
2013 modern 94 #31,656
2014 modern 91 #32,219
2015 modern 88 #32,421
2016 modern 85 #32,637

Geography

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Where Bohannons 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 Brighton and Hove, Bolton, Wigan, Liverpool and Blackpool. 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 Brighton and Hove 014 Brighton and Hove
2 Bolton 031 Bolton
3 Wigan 035 Wigan
4 Liverpool 002 Liverpool
5 Blackpool 005 Blackpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bohannon

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bohannon 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 Bohannon

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bohannon, 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 Bohannon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bohannon 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, Bohannon 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

Bohannon is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bohannon falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bohannon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bohannon

The surname Bohannon is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the northern region of Ulster. It is thought to derive from the Gaelic personal name "O'Branagain," which means "descendant of Branagan." This name was likely anglicized over time to the more phonetic spelling of "Bohannon."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bohannon name can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which were administrative records of royal grants and appointments in Ireland during the 16th century. In these records, there are references to individuals with the surname Bohannon or similar spellings, such as "Brannaghan" or "Brannagane."

The Bohannon surname is also associated with several place names in Ireland, particularly in County Armagh and County Monaghan. For instance, there is a townland called Bohannon in County Monaghan, which likely took its name from a prominent family bearing the surname in that area.

Among the notable individuals with the Bohannon surname throughout history are:

1. Patrick Bohannon (c. 1570-1635), an Irish Catholic priest who was martyred during the Penal Laws for his religious beliefs. 2. John Bohannon (1782-1855), an American politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee. 3. Edmund Bohannon (1845-1923), a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War and later a prominent businessman in Texas. 4. William Bohannon (1889-1956), an American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox in the early 20th century. 5. Clarence "Pappy" Bohannon (1918-1997), an American jazz saxophonist and bandleader who was active in the swing era and later worked as a session musician in Los Angeles.

While the Bohannon name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Irish immigration to the United States, Canada, and other English-speaking countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bohannon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bohannon 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. Essex leads with 48 Bohannons recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.87x.

County Total Index
Essex 48 49.87x
Durham 1 0.69x
Kent 1 0.60x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pleshey in Essex leads with 23 Bohannons recorded in 1881 and an index of 46000.00x.

Place Total Index
Pleshey 23 46000.00x
Great Waltham 10 2564.10x
High Easter 7 5384.62x
East Ham 6 335.20x
Chelmsford 1 60.61x
Good Easter 1 1111.11x
Lewisham 1 11.27x
Tudhoe 1 78.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Lucy 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Cate 1
Charity 1
Clara 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Priscilla 1
Rhoda 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
Nathaniel 3
William 3
Charles 2
Frank 2
Abalolance 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Bly 1
Claydon 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Philemon 1
Robert 1
Sam 1
Willm.John 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 Bohannon households.

FAQ

Bohannon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bohannon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 51 people were recorded with the Bohannon surname. That placed it at #26,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bohannon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 85 in 2016. That gives Bohannon a modern rank of #32,637.

What does the Bohannon surname mean?

Irish: descendant of Buan, a personal name meaning "lasting, enduring," or from Irish Ó Buadhachain "descendant of Buadhach" meaning "victorious."

What does the Bohannon map show?

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