NameCensus.

UK surname

Brennan

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Braonán," derived from an Old Irish word for "rain" or "moisture."

In the 1881 census there were 3,116 people recorded with the Brennan surname, ranking it #1,446 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 16,190, ranked #386, up from #1,446 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sefton, Pendle and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brennan is 16,441 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 419.6%.

1881 census count

3,116

Ranked #1,446

Modern count

16,190

2016, ranked #386

Peak year

2010

16,441 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brennan had 3,116 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,446 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 16,190 in 2016, ranked #386.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,781 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Brennan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brennan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brennan 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 891 #3,080
1861 historical 973 #2,856
1881 historical 3,116 #1,446
1891 historical 2,767 #1,706
1901 historical 4,653 #1,215
1911 historical 4,781 #1,083
1997 modern 15,069 #402
1998 modern 15,756 #402
1999 modern 15,893 #403
2000 modern 15,638 #405
2001 modern 15,330 #403
2002 modern 15,662 #405
2003 modern 15,304 #402
2004 modern 15,232 #405
2005 modern 15,109 #400
2006 modern 15,178 #397
2007 modern 15,319 #396
2008 modern 15,473 #396
2009 modern 15,905 #397
2010 modern 16,441 #390
2011 modern 16,227 #389
2012 modern 15,835 #390
2013 modern 16,289 #388
2014 modern 16,399 #386
2015 modern 16,336 #384
2016 modern 16,190 #386

Geography

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Where Brennans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sefton, Pendle, Manchester, South Tyneside and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sefton 023 Sefton
2 Pendle 008 Pendle
3 Manchester 036 Manchester
4 South Tyneside 013 South Tyneside
5 Stoke-on-Trent 002 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brennan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brennan

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

Brennan 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

Brennan 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 Brennan 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Brennan

The surname Brennan originated in Ireland, derived from the Gaelic name O Brannagain, which means "descendant of Brannagan". Brannagan was an ancient Irish personal name that meant "raven" or "blackbird". The name was first found in County Kilkenny and later spread to other parts of Ireland.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 13th century. In medieval Irish records, it was often spelled variations such as O'Brenaghan, O'Brennan, and O'Branagan. The Brennan name is believed to have been present in Ireland since before the arrival of the Normans in the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded Brennans was Dermot O'Brennan, a chief of the Uí Duach sept in County Kilkenny, who lived in the late 12th century. In the 14th century, the Annals of the Four Masters mention a notable Brennan named Donnchadh O'Brennan, who was the Chief Poet of Ireland.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Brennan name became more widespread across Ireland. In 1659, the Petty's Census of Ireland listed several Brennan families living in counties such as Kilkenny, Waterford, and Cork.

A notable Brennan from the 18th century was Sir Jonah Brennan (1736-1801), an Irish physician and anatomist who served as the President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. In the 19th century, Michael Brennan (1827-1904) was a prominent Irish-American labor leader and politician in New York City.

Other historical figures with the Brennan surname include Theresa Brennan (1856-1939), an Irish-American philanthropist and founder of the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus; and Louis Brennan (1852-1932), an Irish inventor and engineer who developed the first guided missile system.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brennan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brennan 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 1,302 Brennans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.60x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,302 3.60x
Yorkshire 357 1.18x
Middlesex 305 1.00x
Cheshire 116 1.72x
Durham 108 1.19x
Lanarkshire 104 1.05x
Kent 98 0.94x
Staffordshire 77 0.75x
Surrey 76 0.51x
Northumberland 59 1.30x
Glamorgan 57 1.07x
Westmorland 49 7.31x
Derbyshire 41 0.86x
Hampshire 36 0.58x
Warwickshire 34 0.44x
Renfrewshire 33 1.40x
Midlothian 29 0.71x
Gloucestershire 22 0.37x
Essex 21 0.35x
Angus 19 0.67x
Cumberland 19 0.72x
Devon 16 0.25x
Dorset 14 0.70x
Sussex 12 0.23x
Channel Islands 11 1.22x
Kirkcudbrightshire 10 2.26x
Ayrshire 9 0.39x
Cambridgeshire 9 0.47x
Royal Navy 8 2.20x
Norfolk 7 0.15x
Flintshire 5 0.61x
Northamptonshire 5 0.17x
West Lothian 5 1.09x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.31x
Cornwall 4 0.12x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.49x
Fife 4 0.22x
Berkshire 3 0.13x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.24x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.45x
Herefordshire 3 0.24x
Leicestershire 3 0.09x
Somerset 3 0.06x
Berwickshire 2 0.54x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.11x
Isle of Man 2 0.35x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.05x
Shropshire 2 0.08x
Wiltshire 2 0.07x
Worcestershire 2 0.05x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.04x
Argyllshire 1 0.12x
Denbighshire 1 0.09x
Monmouthshire 1 0.05x
Perthshire 1 0.07x
Roxburghshire 1 0.18x
Suffolk 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 215 Brennans recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.78x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 215 9.78x
Manchester 134 8.23x
Oldham 54 4.62x
Blackburn 53 5.50x
Salford 52 4.88x
Toxteth Park 45 3.67x
Kirkdale 42 6.90x
Over Darwen 41 14.18x
Bradford 39 5.33x
Leeds 38 2.23x
Bootle Cum Linacre 34 11.82x
Barony 33 1.32x
West Derby 32 3.02x
Lambeth 29 1.09x
Great Bolton 28 5.84x
Huddersfield 28 6.36x
Everton 27 2.34x
St George Hanover Square 27 5.02x
Derby All Sts 26 65.16x
Islington London 26 0.88x
Batley 23 8.00x
Birkenhead 23 4.28x
Preston 23 2.37x
Chorlton On Medlock 22 3.82x
Plumstead 22 6.34x
Crook Billy Row 21 18.06x
Pendleton In Salford 21 4.87x
Neath 20 18.50x
Ashton Under Lyne 19 2.40x
Burnley 19 6.23x
Glasgow 19 1.08x
Hammersmith London 19 2.53x
Little Bolton 19 4.08x
Merthyr Tydfil 19 3.72x
Wolstanton 19 6.07x
Barbon 18 627.18x
Barrow In Furness 18 3.66x
Gateshead 18 2.65x
Gorton 18 5.29x
Govan 18 0.74x
Halifax 18 4.06x
Maidstone 18 5.80x
Middlesbrough 18 4.57x
Newchurch 18 6.08x
St Andrew Holborn London 18 13.63x
Woolwich 18 4.68x
Dundee 17 1.61x
Stockport 17 4.90x
Otley 16 21.79x
Shoreditch London 16 1.21x
Kensington London 15 0.88x
Sheffield 15 1.56x
Shotts 15 12.70x
Wardleworth 15 7.25x
East Greenock 14 6.27x
Aston 13 0.61x
Bishopwearmouth 13 1.67x
Eccleston In Prescot 13 7.15x
Hulme 13 1.72x
Wigan 13 2.57x
Beswick 12 12.96x
Castleton 12 3.32x
Clerkenwell London 12 1.67x
Congleton 12 10.31x
Gildersome 12 33.01x
Bethnal Green London 11 0.83x
Birkdale 11 12.01x
Bradford 11 6.49x
East Denton 11 106.59x
Pemberton 11 7.62x
Radcliffe 11 6.30x
St Giles In Fields London 11 7.35x
St Martin In Fields 11 6.02x
Stoke Upon Trent 11 1.01x
Aldershot 10 4.77x
Camberwell 10 0.51x
Fulham London 10 2.26x
Ince In Makerfield 10 5.94x
Stockton On Tees 10 2.29x
Tonge 10 13.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 331
Margaret 95
Elizabeth 89
Catherine 84
Ellen 78
Bridget 60
Ann 57
Sarah 45
Annie 43
Jane 38
Kate 32
Eliza 28
Alice 26
Maria 21
Anne 18
Agnes 15
Emma 12
Hannah 12
Harriet 11
Martha 11
Julia 10
Emily 9
Margt. 9
Isabella 8
Susan 8
Winifred 8
Louisa 6
Rose 6
Caroline 5
Johanna 5
Lucy 5
Maud 5
Rebecca 5
Bridgett 4
Catharine 4
Fanny 4
Florence 4
Honora 4
Teresa 4
Theresa 4
Anna 3
Clara 3
Eleanor 3
Frances 3
Georgina 3
Gertrude 3
Helen 3
Jessie 3
May 3
Nancy 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 245
James 190
Thomas 172
Patrick 108
Michael 105
William 95
Edward 49
Martin 40
Peter 39
Joseph 36
Henry 26
Francis 19
George 18
Charles 16
Robert 15
Thos. 15
Arthur 12
Daniel 12
Richard 12
Andrew 10
Frederick 9
Matthew 9
Jas. 8
Owen 8
Frank 7
Luke 7
Hugh 6
Walter 6
Wm. 6
Albert 5
Bernard 5
Christopher 5
Lawrence 5
Pat 5
Alexander 4
Anthony 4
Benjamin 4
Edwd. 4
Jno. 4
Mary 4
Alfred 3
David 3
Dennis 3
Dominick 3
Louis 3
Mark 3
Michel 3
Michl. 3
Nicholas 3
Timothy 3

FAQ

Brennan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brennan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,116 people were recorded with the Brennan surname. That placed it at #1,446 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brennan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 16,190 in 2016. That gives Brennan a modern rank of #386.

What does the Brennan surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Braonán," derived from an Old Irish word for "rain" or "moisture."

What does the Brennan map show?

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