NameCensus.

UK surname

Byrne

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Broin," meaning "descendant of Bran" (Bran meaning "raven").

In the 1881 census there were 4,166 people recorded with the Byrne surname, ranking it #1,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 24,776, ranked #231, up from #1,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Knowsley and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Byrne is 25,158 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 494.7%.

1881 census count

4,166

Ranked #1,082

Modern count

24,776

2016, ranked #231

Peak year

2014

25,158 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Byrne had 4,166 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 24,776 in 2016, ranked #231.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,925 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Byrne surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Byrne surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Byrne 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 1,967 #1,472
1861 historical 2,030 #1,426
1881 historical 4,166 #1,082
1891 historical 4,608 #1,016
1901 historical 6,245 #885
1911 historical 6,925 #748
1997 modern 22,413 #250
1998 modern 23,435 #251
1999 modern 23,756 #250
2000 modern 23,686 #249
2001 modern 23,186 #250
2002 modern 23,807 #247
2003 modern 23,184 #248
2004 modern 23,269 #247
2005 modern 23,020 #244
2006 modern 23,198 #238
2007 modern 23,437 #237
2008 modern 23,720 #235
2009 modern 24,495 #233
2010 modern 25,145 #231
2011 modern 24,687 #233
2012 modern 24,345 #233
2013 modern 25,003 #232
2014 modern 25,158 #230
2015 modern 24,912 #230
2016 modern 24,776 #231

Geography

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Where Byrnes are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Knowsley and Wirral. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Knowsley 006 Knowsley
2 Wirral 019 Wirral
3 Knowsley 001 Knowsley
4 Wirral 015 Wirral
5 Wirral 027 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Byrne

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Byrne

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Byrne, 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 Byrne surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Byrne 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Byrne 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

Byrne 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

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

Meaning and origin of Byrne

The surname Byrne has its origins in Ireland, dating back to ancient Gaelic times. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Ó Broin," which means "descendant of Bron." Bron was a personal name that likely had roots in the old Celtic word "bron," meaning "a sadness" or "a sorrow."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Byrne can be found in Irish annals from the 11th century. The annals mention several notable individuals bearing the name, including Gilla Pátraic Ó Broin, a cleric and scribe who lived in the late 11th century.

In the 12th century, the Byrnes were a prominent family in County Wicklow, Ireland. They were among the leading septs (clans) of the Uí Fhearghail, a branch of the Uí Dúnchada dynasty that ruled the region of Uí Fhearghail (modern-day County Wicklow).

One of the earliest known references to the name Byrne can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle compiled in the 17th century by Franciscan monks. The annals mention a Muircheartach Ó Broin, who was the Lord of Uí Fhearghail in the 13th century.

The Byrnes played a significant role in Irish history, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries. During this period, several prominent members of the family are recorded, including Feagh Mac Hugh O'Byrne (c. 1530-1597), a famous Irish chieftain known for his resistance against English rule in Ireland.

Another notable figure was Phelim O'Byrne (fl. 1640s), a Confederate Catholic officer who fought for Irish Catholic interests during the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653). Phelim O'Byrne was instrumental in the successful defense of the town of Ross during the Siege of Ross in 1643.

In the literary world, the name Byrne is associated with William Pitt Byrne (1806-1861), an Irish writer and journalist who was a co-founder of the influential Dublin University Magazine.

Other notable individuals with the surname Byrne include Robert Byrne (1928-2013), an American chess player and author, and Gabriel Byrne (born 1950), an acclaimed Irish actor known for his roles in films such as "The Usual Suspects" and "Miller's Crossing."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Byrne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Byrne 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 1,625 Byrnes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.36x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,625 3.36x
Middlesex 459 1.13x
Yorkshire 296 0.73x
Cheshire 254 2.82x
Surrey 198 1.00x
Staffordshire 144 1.05x
Cumberland 111 3.16x
Lanarkshire 108 0.82x
Durham 104 0.86x
Hampshire 101 1.21x
Kent 83 0.60x
Warwickshire 61 0.59x
Midlothian 58 1.06x
Devon 53 0.62x
Essex 45 0.56x
Glamorgan 40 0.56x
Sussex 38 0.55x
Northumberland 37 0.61x
Derbyshire 35 0.55x
Worcestershire 29 0.55x
Renfrewshire 27 0.86x
Leicestershire 22 0.49x
Northamptonshire 19 0.50x
Lincolnshire 17 0.26x
East Lothian 16 2.96x
Gloucestershire 16 0.20x
Nottinghamshire 16 0.29x
Channel Islands 15 1.24x
Royal Navy 13 2.68x
Berkshire 12 0.39x
Suffolk 12 0.24x
Angus 10 0.26x
Flintshire 10 0.91x
Caithness 9 1.61x
Westmorland 9 1.01x
Dunbartonshire 8 0.73x
Ayrshire 7 0.23x
Dorset 7 0.26x
Somerset 7 0.11x
Shropshire 6 0.17x
Herefordshire 5 0.30x
Anglesey 4 0.55x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.49x
Hertfordshire 3 0.11x
Isle of Man 3 0.40x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.23x
Banffshire 2 0.24x
Bedfordshire 2 0.09x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.08x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.12x
Monmouthshire 2 0.07x
Wiltshire 2 0.06x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.03x
Argyllshire 1 0.09x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Denbighshire 1 0.07x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.11x
Oxfordshire 1 0.04x

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 329 Byrnes recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.20x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 329 11.20x
Manchester 145 6.67x
Everton 127 8.24x
West Derby 103 7.28x
Toxteth Park 99 6.05x
Birkenhead 87 12.13x
Salford 73 5.13x
Blackburn 72 5.60x
Kirkdale 67 8.24x
Kensington London 54 2.38x
Hulme 51 5.05x
Cleator 46 31.50x
Leeds 44 1.93x
St Pancras London 39 1.19x
Govan 36 1.10x
Wolstanton 36 8.62x
Widnes 35 10.04x
Bermondsey 33 2.72x
Westminster St James 33 7.88x
Great Bolton 32 5.00x
Islington London 32 0.81x
Battersea 29 1.93x
Lambeth 29 0.82x
Macclesfield 29 7.25x
St Marylebone London 29 1.33x
Wednesbury 29 8.44x
Chorlton On Medlock 27 3.52x
Barony 25 0.75x
Paddington London 25 1.67x
Camberwell 24 0.92x
Leek Lowe 24 13.12x
Birmingham 22 0.64x
Bradford 22 9.72x
Newington 22 1.46x
Portsea 22 1.34x
Ashton Under Lyne 21 1.99x
Farnworth 21 7.25x
Hackney London 21 0.92x
Windle 21 7.72x
Bethnal Green London 20 1.13x
Mile End Old Town London 20 2.31x
Bootle Cum Linacre 19 4.95x
Bowling 18 4.50x
Leicester St Margaret 18 1.63x
Maryhill 18 6.98x
St George Hanover Square 18 2.51x
Warrington 18 3.14x
Bradford 17 1.74x
Glasgow 17 0.73x
Farnborough 16 18.24x
Hampstead London 16 2.52x
Limehouse London 16 3.58x
Newton 16 4.29x
Tottenham 16 2.47x
Wigan 16 2.37x
Bury 15 2.72x
Shoreditch London 15 0.85x
Stoke Damerel 15 2.53x
Tranmere 15 4.54x
Walton On Hill 15 5.73x
Arlecdon 14 15.01x
Little Bolton 14 2.25x
Millom 14 13.02x
Preston 14 1.08x
Wolstanton Ranscliffe 14 289.86x
Wolverhampton 14 1.32x
Aldershot 13 4.65x
Chelsea London 13 1.06x
Liberton 13 15.43x
Linthorpe 13 5.40x
Normanton 13 10.71x
Pendleton In Salford 13 2.26x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 13 12.57x
Royal Navy 13 3.13x
Sheffield 13 1.01x
Abbey 12 2.49x
Rotherham 12 5.27x
Saddleworth 12 3.85x
Sutton 12 26.08x
Wardleworth 12 4.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 405
Elizabeth 115
Margaret 101
Catherine 100
Sarah 85
Ellen 78
Jane 67
Ann 66
Annie 57
Bridget 56
Eliza 43
Julia 35
Kate 33
Alice 32
Anne 25
Emily 23
Rose 22
Emma 21
Hannah 20
Maria 20
Charlotte 18
Martha 16
Frances 15
Louisa 15
Isabella 14
Florence 13
Caroline 12
Elizth. 12
Teresa 12
Winifred 12
Lucy 11
Esther 10
Harriet 10
Ada 9
Agnes 9
Amelia 9
Edith 9
Fanny 9
Theresa 9
Clara 8
Eleanor 8
Harriett 8
Susan 8
Helen 6
Grace 5
Jessie 5
Josephine 5
Margt. 5
Matilda 5
Susannah 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 303
James 198
Thomas 167
William 124
Michael 109
Patrick 108
Edward 86
Joseph 76
Charles 45
George 45
Henry 40
Peter 40
Francis 27
Hugh 20
Martin 20
Andrew 19
Richard 19
Arthur 18
Daniel 18
Wm. 16
Robert 14
Thos. 14
Frederick 13
Bernard 12
Christopher 12
Dennis 12
Gerald 12
Alfred 11
Frank 11
Matthew 11
Nicholas 11
Walter 11
Lawrence 10
Albert 9
Luke 9
David 8
Edmund 8
Ernest 8
Stephen 8
Harry 7
Samuel 7
Herbert 6
Owen 6
Timothy 6
Laurence 5
Terence 5
Miles 4
Paul 4
Louis 3
Mathew 3

FAQ

Byrne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Byrne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,166 people were recorded with the Byrne surname. That placed it at #1,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Byrne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 24,776 in 2016. That gives Byrne a modern rank of #231.

What does the Byrne surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Broin," meaning "descendant of Bran" (Bran meaning "raven").

What does the Byrne map show?

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