UK surname
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Scotland.
In the 1881 census there were 115 people recorded with the Carlan surname, ranking it #18,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 15, ranked #37,092, down from #18,230 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Bidstone and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carlan is 121 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 87.0%.
1881 census count
115
Ranked #18,230
Modern count
15
2016, ranked #37,092
Peak year
1861
121 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1881
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Carlan surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Carlan surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 78 | #19,840 |
| 1861 | historical | 121 | #18,148 |
| 1881 | historical | 115 | #18,230 |
| 1891 | historical | 80 | #26,785 |
| 1901 | historical | 81 | #25,130 |
| 1911 | historical | 45 | #28,332 |
| 1997 | modern | 21 | #35,692 |
| 1998 | modern | 20 | #35,885 |
| 1999 | modern | 21 | #35,810 |
| 2000 | modern | 17 | #36,207 |
| 2001 | modern | 16 | #36,160 |
| 2002 | modern | 16 | #36,267 |
| 2003 | modern | 16 | #36,304 |
| 2004 | modern | 16 | #36,439 |
| 2005 | modern | 17 | #36,407 |
| 2006 | modern | 14 | #36,801 |
| 2007 | modern | 14 | #36,886 |
| 2008 | modern | 15 | #36,843 |
| 2009 | modern | 17 | #36,753 |
| 2010 | modern | 20 | #36,599 |
| 2011 | modern | 16 | #36,932 |
| 2012 | modern | 20 | #36,570 |
| 2013 | modern | 20 | #36,614 |
| 2014 | modern | 18 | #36,811 |
| 2015 | modern | 18 | #36,809 |
| 2016 | modern | 15 | #37,092 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Bidstone, Glasgow, Liverpool and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Govan Combination | Lanark |
| 2 | Bidstone | Cheshire |
| 3 | Glasgow | Lanark |
| 4 | Liverpool | Lancashire |
| 5 | Sheffield | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Carlan surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Carlan, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Carlan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Carlan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Carlan is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Carlan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Carlan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Carlan is believed to have originated in Gaelic-speaking regions of Scotland and Ireland. It is a variant of the name Carleton, which derived from the Old English words "carr" meaning rock or fortified place and "tun" meaning a settlement or farm.
This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a rocky or fortified settlement. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was Carlantun in the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir William Carlan, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. Another notable figure was John Carlan, a 16th-century poet and scholar from County Antrim, Ireland.
In the 17th century, the name appears in records from the Scottish Highlands, such as the parish registers of Inverness-shire. A prominent bearer from this time was Angus Carlan, a clan chieftain and landowner born in 1628 in the region of Argyll.
During the 18th century, the name spread to other parts of the British Isles, including England and Wales. One notable individual was Elizabeth Carlan, a philanthropist and advocate for women's education born in 1745 in Liverpool, England.
In the 19th century, the name began to appear in North America as Scottish and Irish immigrants settled in countries like Canada and the United States. One example is James Carlan, a Scottish-born politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing Ontario from 1867 to 1878.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carlan surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 27 Carlans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.45x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 27 | 2.45x |
| Lanarkshire | 15 | 4.17x |
| Northumberland | 15 | 9.07x |
| Durham | 12 | 3.63x |
| Lancashire | 12 | 0.91x |
| Renfrewshire | 11 | 12.77x |
| Surrey | 7 | 1.29x |
| West Lothian | 5 | 29.87x |
| Dunbartonshire | 2 | 6.69x |
| Midlothian | 2 | 1.34x |
| Angus | 1 | 0.97x |
| Buteshire | 1 | 14.84x |
| Cheshire | 1 | 0.41x |
| Cumberland | 1 | 1.04x |
| Hampshire | 1 | 0.44x |
| Perthshire | 1 | 2.00x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 15 Carlans recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.76x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Sheffield | 15 | 42.76x |
| Maryhill | 10 | 142.05x |
| Elswick | 9 | 68.18x |
| Bermondsey | 7 | 21.15x |
| Liverpool | 7 | 8.74x |
| Middlestone | 7 | 1060.61x |
| Normanby In | 6 | 203.39x |
| Paisley Low Church | 6 | 219.78x |
| Sturton Grange | 6 | 15000.00x |
| Barton Upon Irwell | 5 | 50.35x |
| West Greenock | 5 | 32.32x |
| Boness | 4 | 173.16x |
| Leeds | 4 | 6.43x |
| Old Monkland | 3 | 21.02x |
| Bothwell | 2 | 20.51x |
| Hylton | 2 | 344.83x |
| Row | 2 | 51.68x |
| Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe | 2 | 39.06x |
| Alyth | 1 | 74.63x |
| Bathgate | 1 | 27.47x |
| Bishopwearmouth | 1 | 3.52x |
| Bowness Drumburg | 1 | 666.67x |
| Edinburgh Buccleuch | 1 | 28.41x |
| Edinburgh Tron Church | 1 | 142.86x |
| Gateshead | 1 | 4.04x |
| Liff Benvie | 1 | 6.39x |
| Lynesack Softley | 1 | 112.36x |
| Portsea | 1 | 2.24x |
| Rothesay | 1 | 30.67x |
| Tranmere | 1 | 11.09x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Carlan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Carlan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Carlan households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 24 |
| Agril Labr | 3 |
| Hawker | 3 |
| Metal Merchant | 3 |
| Puddler (Iron) | 2 |
| Bottle Dealer (Glass) | 1 |
| Charwoman | 1 |
| Coal Miner | 1 |
| Coke Drawer | 1 |
| Domestic Cook | 1 |
| Domestic Serv | 1 |
| Farm Servant ((Indoor)) | 1 |
| Fishmonger | 1 |
| Forge Man (Iron) | 1 |
| Furnace Lab (Steel) | 1 |
| Furnace Man (Steel) | 1 |
| General Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Laborer Steelworks | 1 |
| Labourer (Gen) | 1 |
| Plasterer | 1 |
| Rag Picker (W) | 1 |
| Servant | 1 |
| Shopman Grocers | 1 |
| Steel Melter | 1 |
| Warehouse Girl (Fac Lab) | 1 |
| Warehouswoman | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 115 people were recorded with the Carlan surname. That placed it at #18,230 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 15 in 2016. That gives Carlan a modern rank of #37,092.
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Scotland.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Carlan bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.