NameCensus.

UK surname

Caraher

A surname of Irish origin meaning someone who lived near the quarries or rocky areas.

In the 1881 census there were 24 people recorded with the Caraher surname, ranking it #30,215 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 112, ranked #28,844, up from #30,215 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Middlesbrough, Birmingham and Greenock East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Caraher is 128 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 366.7%.

1881 census count

24

Ranked #30,215

Modern count

112

2016, ranked #28,844

Peak year

1999

128 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Caraher had 24 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,215 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 112 in 2016, ranked #28,844.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 61 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Caraher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Caraher surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Caraher 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 12 #31,134
1861 historical 14 #32,072
1881 historical 24 #30,215
1891 historical 60 #29,204
1901 historical 61 #27,379
1911 historical 51 #27,708
1997 modern 121 #24,019
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 128 #24,017
2000 modern 118 #25,197
2001 modern 117 #24,974
2002 modern 125 #24,492
2003 modern 114 #25,664
2004 modern 115 #25,740
2005 modern 115 #25,702
2006 modern 114 #26,120
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 110 #27,991
2010 modern 120 #27,124
2011 modern 112 #28,117
2012 modern 113 #28,016
2013 modern 114 #28,347
2014 modern 115 #28,439
2015 modern 115 #28,319
2016 modern 112 #28,844

Geography

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Where Carahers 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 Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Greenock East and Kirkmuirhill and Blackwood. 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 Middlesbrough 007 Middlesbrough
2 Birmingham 025 Birmingham
3 Greenock East Inverclyde
4 Kirkmuirhill and Blackwood South Lanarkshire
5 Birmingham 029 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Caraher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Caraher

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Caraher surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Caraher household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Caraher is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Caraher 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

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

Meaning and origin of Caraher

The surname CARAHER is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic words "cara" meaning friend and "fear" meaning man, essentially translating to "friend of man" or "friendly man." This name originated in County Galway, Ireland, in the late 16th century.

CARAHER is believed to have evolved from the Gaelic surname "Ó Céirín," which was anglicized to Kerrin or Kerin before taking on the form of CARAHER. The earliest recorded instance of this name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it is mentioned in reference to a family from County Galway in the late 1500s.

One of the earliest known bearers of the CARAHER surname was Fergus CARAHER, who lived in County Galway in the early 17th century. Records from this time also show the name appearing in various spellings such as Carraher, Carahir, and Careher.

In the 18th century, the CARAHER family was well-established in County Galway, with several members holding positions of prominence in the local community. One notable figure was Michael CARAHER (1712-1789), a wealthy landowner and merchant who played a significant role in the economic development of the region.

As the CARAHER family dispersed throughout Ireland and beyond, the name became associated with several notable individuals. These include John CARAHER (1820-1898), a Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, and Patrick CARAHER (1865-1932), an Irish author and journalist who wrote extensively about Irish culture and history.

Other noteworthy figures with the CARAHER surname include Mary CARAHER (1891-1980), an Irish-American labor activist and organizer, and Brendan CARAHER (1938-2018), an Irish actor and playwright who was renowned for his work in both theater and film.

While the CARAHER name has deep roots in Ireland, particularly in County Galway, it has since spread around the world, with bearers of this surname found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Caraher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Caraher 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. Lanarkshire leads with 7 Carahers recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.25x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 7 9.25x
Durham 5 7.18x
Middlesex 5 2.14x
Northumberland 4 11.49x
Lancashire 2 0.72x
Renfrewshire 1 5.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Old Monkland in Lanarkshire leads with 6 Carahers recorded in 1881 and an index of 200.00x.

Place Total Index
Old Monkland 6 200.00x
Bishopwearmouth 5 83.61x
Hampstead London 5 137.36x
Liverpool 2 11.86x
Wallsend 2 181.82x
Westgate 2 92.59x
Lanark 1 163.93x
West Greenock 1 30.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Ada 1
Constance 1
Mary 1
Rose 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Hugh 3
Henry 2
Peter 2
James 1
Thomas 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 Caraher households.

FAQ

Caraher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Caraher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 24 people were recorded with the Caraher surname. That placed it at #30,215 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Caraher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 112 in 2016. That gives Caraher a modern rank of #28,844.

What does the Caraher surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning someone who lived near the quarries or rocky areas.

What does the Caraher map show?

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