NameCensus.

UK surname

Brannan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Braonáin," meaning "descendant of Braonán" (a personal name meaning "sorrow").

In the 1881 census there were 2,025 people recorded with the Brannan surname, ranking it #2,176 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,096, ranked #2,178, down from #2,176 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Cowal South and Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brannan is 3,119 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.9%.

1881 census count

2,025

Ranked #2,176

Modern count

3,096

2016, ranked #2,178

Peak year

2010

3,119 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brannan had 2,025 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,176 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,096 in 2016, ranked #2,178.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,208 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Brannan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brannan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brannan 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 808 #3,319
1861 historical 957 #2,898
1881 historical 2,025 #2,176
1891 historical 1,936 #2,381
1901 historical 2,208 #2,447
1911 historical 1,208 #3,902
1997 modern 2,760 #2,325
1998 modern 2,898 #2,321
1999 modern 2,950 #2,295
2000 modern 2,900 #2,322
2001 modern 2,834 #2,316
2002 modern 2,932 #2,302
2003 modern 2,882 #2,280
2004 modern 2,899 #2,270
2005 modern 2,873 #2,257
2006 modern 2,910 #2,219
2007 modern 2,962 #2,205
2008 modern 2,978 #2,203
2009 modern 3,060 #2,202
2010 modern 3,119 #2,212
2011 modern 3,091 #2,205
2012 modern 3,033 #2,203
2013 modern 3,060 #2,219
2014 modern 3,102 #2,199
2015 modern 3,073 #2,199
2016 modern 3,096 #2,178

Geography

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Where Brannans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Manchester, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Cowal South, Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge and Carntyne West and Haghill. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 022 Barnsley
2 Cowal South Argyll and Bute
3 Barnsley 014 Barnsley
4 Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge Fife
5 Carntyne West and Haghill Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brannan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brannan

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Brannan 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

Brannan is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Brannan

The surname Brannan has its origins in Ireland, derived from the Irish Gaelic word "bran," meaning "raven." It was initially a descriptive nickname for individuals with dark hair or complexion, resembling the color of a raven.

This surname first emerged in County Down, located in the northeastern part of Ireland. It is believed to have been adopted as a hereditary surname during the 11th or 12th century, a period when many Irish clans began adopting surnames based on personal characteristics, occupations, or geographical locations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brannan 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 individual named Gilla na Naemh O'Brannan, who served as the Bishop of Ardfert in County Kerry in the late 12th century.

In the 14th century, the Brannan surname appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of documented acts of homage rendered to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. This suggests that members of the Brannan family had established themselves in Scotland during this period.

Notable individuals bearing the Brannan surname throughout history include:

1. James Brannan (1805-1888), an Irish-born American businessman and entrepreneur who co-founded the town of San Pedro, California. 2. John Milton Brannan (1819-1892), an American lawyer, politician, and Union Army officer during the American Civil War. 3. William Penn Brannan (1825-1891), an American politician who served as the 16th Governor of Idaho Territory. 4. Jeremiah Brannan (1833-1898), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and educator who established several schools in San Francisco. 5. Samuel Brannan (1819-1889), an American religious leader, entrepreneur, and one of the earliest pioneers to settle in the Sacramento Valley region of California.

The Brannan surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Brannanstown, a townland in County Westmeath, and Brannanmore, a village in County Armagh. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the Brannan surname who resided in or owned land in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brannan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brannan 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. Yorkshire leads with 396 Brannans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.02x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 396 2.02x
Lanarkshire 354 5.54x
Lancashire 318 1.36x
Durham 131 2.23x
Renfrewshire 97 6.34x
Ayrshire 80 5.41x
Cumberland 63 3.70x
Midlothian 56 2.12x
Cheshire 52 1.19x
Angus 50 2.73x
Northumberland 41 1.40x
Staffordshire 40 0.60x
Middlesex 37 0.19x
Dunbartonshire 31 5.84x
Surrey 31 0.32x
Stirlingshire 26 3.57x
Lincolnshire 23 0.73x
Roxburghshire 21 5.87x
West Lothian 21 7.06x
Flintshire 20 3.77x
Derbyshire 19 0.61x
Denbighshire 13 1.74x
Selkirkshire 12 6.71x
Shropshire 11 0.64x
Somerset 11 0.35x
Glamorgan 9 0.26x
Kent 7 0.10x
Berkshire 6 0.40x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.23x
Fife 5 0.43x
Isle of Man 5 1.36x
Warwickshire 5 0.10x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.22x
Kinross-shire 4 8.01x
Leicestershire 3 0.14x
Clackmannanshire 2 1.23x
Devon 2 0.05x
Morayshire 2 0.65x
Perthshire 2 0.23x
Worcestershire 2 0.08x
Argyllshire 1 0.18x
Buteshire 1 0.84x
Dorset 1 0.08x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.23x
Hampshire 1 0.02x
Peeblesshire 1 1.08x
Royal Navy 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 80 Brannans recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.95x.

Place Total Index
Barony 80 4.95x
Glasgow 64 5.64x
Liverpool 55 3.86x
Govan 46 2.91x
Bradford 43 9.07x
Dundee 39 5.71x
Huddersfield 39 13.68x
New Monkland 37 19.59x
Old Monkland 35 13.81x
Gomersal 32 35.02x
Manchester 31 2.94x
Abbey 29 12.42x
Batley 26 13.98x
Hamilton 26 14.59x
Shotts 25 32.70x
Oldham 22 2.91x
Leeds 21 1.90x
Whitburn 21 48.86x
Boston 20 20.87x
Middlesbrough 20 7.85x
Kilmarnock 19 10.80x
Toxteth Park 18 2.27x
Bishopwearmouth 17 3.37x
Eastwood 17 18.03x
Penicuik 17 47.27x
Stevenston 16 41.52x
Bowling 15 7.74x
Caldewgate 15 16.10x
Edinburgh Canongate 15 22.27x
Pendlebury 15 30.31x
Saddleworth 15 9.93x
Widnes 15 8.87x
Camberwell 14 1.11x
Holy Trinity 14 2.97x
Horton In Bradford 14 4.58x
Wigan 14 4.27x
Irvine 13 31.66x
Southwick 13 23.36x
Cambusnethan 12 8.46x
Dalry 12 17.25x
Halifax 12 4.18x
Mold Bistree 12 139.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 12 1.70x
Wolverhampton 12 2.34x
Bury 11 4.11x
Gateshead 11 2.50x
Salford 11 1.60x
Standish With Langtree 11 38.10x
Tranmere 11 6.86x
Wrexham Regis 11 19.85x
Haslingden 10 10.30x
Hawick 10 12.49x
Heckmondwike 10 15.88x
Linton 10 268.10x
Neilston 10 13.01x
St Pancras London 10 0.63x
Stirling 10 10.89x
Sutton Stoneferry 10 17.85x
Tanfield 10 14.31x
West Greenock 10 3.64x
Chester St Mary On Hill 9 24.06x
Gelligaer 9 11.46x
Middle Greenock 9 21.55x
Montrose 9 8.11x
Westhoughton 9 14.39x
Aspull 8 14.51x
Birtley 8 33.36x
Campsie 8 20.01x
Chester Le Street 8 17.73x
Chorlton On Medlock 8 2.15x
Derby St Werburgh 8 4.48x
Eccleston In Prescot 8 6.80x
Islington London 8 0.42x
Northowram 8 5.83x
Sheffield 8 1.28x
Conisbrough 7 38.11x
Dewsbury 7 3.49x
Kirkintilloch 7 9.71x
Wallsend 7 7.51x
Walsall Foreign 7 2.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 138
Bridget 47
Margaret 42
Ellen 34
Ann 33
Catherine 32
Elizabeth 32
Sarah 31
Jane 15
Annie 13
Alice 10
Emma 8
Harriet 8
Kate 8
Hannah 7
Martha 7
Anne 6
Eliza 6
Julia 5
Maria 5
Agnes 4
Rose 4
Edith 3
Emily 3
Fanny 3
Isabella 3
Maggie 3
Susan 3
Winifred 3
Betty 2
Cecilia 2
Elizebeth 2
Esther 2
Henrietta 2
Louisa 2
Margret 2
Margt. 2
May 2
An 1
Atty 1
Augusta 1
Beatrice 1
Bedile 1
Charlotte 1
Christina 1
Clara 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Harriett 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 124
James 81
Thomas 68
Patrick 49
Michael 38
William 37
Martin 21
Edward 18
Peter 17
Charles 13
George 11
Joseph 11
Francis 10
Arthur 7
Bernard 7
Mark 7
Daniel 6
Andrew 5
Frank 5
Henry 5
Robert 5
Benjamin 4
David 4
Jas. 4
Jno. 4
Mathew 4
Richard 4
Samuel 4
Alfred 3
Dominick 3
Michl. 3
Thos. 3
Timothy 3
Albert 2
Charlie 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Hugh 2
Matthew 2
Micheal 2
Owen 2
Pat 2
Patk. 2
Anthony 1
Ernest 1
F. 1
Florene 1
Frances 1
Laurence 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Brannan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brannan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,025 people were recorded with the Brannan surname. That placed it at #2,176 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brannan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,096 in 2016. That gives Brannan a modern rank of #2,178.

What does the Brannan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Braonáin," meaning "descendant of Braonán" (a personal name meaning "sorrow").

What does the Brannan map show?

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