NameCensus.

UK surname

Carmody

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Diarmada," meaning "son of Diarmaid" (a personal name meaning "without envy").

In the 1881 census there were 146 people recorded with the Carmody surname, ranking it #15,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 694, ranked #7,758, up from #15,752 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Heston, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carmody is 750 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 375.3%.

1881 census count

146

Ranked #15,752

Modern count

694

2016, ranked #7,758

Peak year

2010

750 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carmody had 146 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,752 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 694 in 2016, ranked #7,758.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 250 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Carmody surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carmody surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carmody 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 109 #16,212
1861 historical 111 #19,429
1881 historical 146 #15,752
1891 historical 132 #19,976
1901 historical 204 #14,925
1911 historical 250 #12,918
1997 modern 668 #7,513
1998 modern 684 #7,613
1999 modern 699 #7,525
2000 modern 713 #7,395
2001 modern 681 #7,513
2002 modern 695 #7,556
2003 modern 659 #7,749
2004 modern 670 #7,674
2005 modern 662 #7,674
2006 modern 663 #7,700
2007 modern 669 #7,703
2008 modern 692 #7,552
2009 modern 705 #7,603
2010 modern 750 #7,377
2011 modern 732 #7,454
2012 modern 686 #7,717
2013 modern 704 #7,690
2014 modern 694 #7,826
2015 modern 699 #7,719
2016 modern 694 #7,758

Geography

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Where Carmodys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Doncaster, Sunderland and Carmarthenshire. 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 Heston Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 017 St. Helens
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 029 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Doncaster 035 Doncaster
4 Sunderland 008 Sunderland
5 Carmarthenshire 005 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carmody

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carmody

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

Carmody 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

Carmody falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Carmody is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Carmody

The surname Carmody is an Irish name that originated in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name "O'Cearmhoid," which means "descendant of Cearmhod." The name Cearmhod is believed to be derived from the Irish word "cearr," meaning "small, left-handed, or wrong," and the diminutive suffix "-oid."

The earliest recorded instance of the Carmody surname dates back to the 16th century. In 1590, a Thomas Carmody was listed in the Fiants of the County Tipperary. The Fiants were records of legal pardons and land grants issued by the English government in Ireland during the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Carmody name appeared in several historical records throughout the centuries. In the 1659 Census of Ireland, which was a survey of landholders conducted by the English government, several Carmody families were listed as landowners in County Tipperary. The surname was also recorded in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665, which were tax records compiled by the English government in Ireland.

One notable bearer of the Carmody surname was John Carmody (1824-1890), an Irish-born Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of Armidale, Australia, from 1887 until his death. Another was Thomas Carmody (1859-1940), a Canadian journalist and author who was born in County Tipperary and emigrated to Canada in the late 19th century.

In the United States, John Carmody (1856-1924) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Chicago, Illinois. He co-founded the Carmody Oil Company and was a major benefactor of the Catholic Church and several educational institutions.

James Carmody (1868-1940) was an Australian politician and trade unionist who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1917 to 1919. He was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, and emigrated to Australia in the late 19th century.

Finally, Brendan Carmody (1913-1987) was an Irish poet and literary critic who is best known for his work on the life and writings of James Joyce. He was born in County Tipperary and spent most of his career as a professor at University College Dublin.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carmody families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carmody 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. Middlesex leads with 50 Carmodys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.49x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 50 3.49x
Lancashire 29 1.70x
Kent 18 3.68x
Surrey 12 1.72x
Cheshire 9 2.84x
Yorkshire 8 0.56x
Durham 6 1.41x
Roxburghshire 4 15.40x
Devon 3 1.01x
Gloucestershire 2 0.71x
Northamptonshire 2 1.48x
Lanarkshire 1 0.22x
Morayshire 1 4.49x
Oxfordshire 1 1.13x
Royal Navy 1 5.85x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liscard in Cheshire leads with 9 Carmodys recorded in 1881 and an index of 157.89x.

Place Total Index
Liscard 9 157.89x
St George Hanover Square 9 35.63x
Lee 8 112.68x
Leeds 8 9.97x
Woolwich 8 44.27x
St Pancras London 7 6.07x
Bishop Auckland 6 104.90x
Islington London 6 4.32x
Manchester 6 7.84x
Wigan 6 25.23x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 17.33x
St Andrew Holborn London 5 80.52x
Harlington 4 526.32x
Kelso 4 154.44x
Kensington London 4 5.02x
Liverpool 4 3.87x
Norwood 4 121.95x
Preston 3 6.59x
St Anne Soho London 3 36.63x
Chelsea London 2 4.63x
Cheltenham 2 9.22x
Kirkdale 2 6.99x
Lambeth 2 1.60x
Newington 2 3.78x
Northampton St Sepulchre 2 29.15x
Paddington London 2 3.79x
Salford 2 4.00x
Southwark Christchurch 2 29.76x
St Sepulchre London 2 95.24x
Stoke Damerel 2 9.57x
Walton Le Dale 2 43.76x
Barony 1 0.85x
Camberwell 1 1.09x
Cowley 1 36.23x
Crumpsall 1 24.94x
Elgin 1 23.09x
Folkestone 1 10.54x
Horton Kirby 1 131.58x
Orell Ford 1 322.58x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 4.35x
Royal Navy 1 6.84x
St Marylebone London 1 1.31x
Toxteth Park 1 1.74x
Warrington 1 4.96x
Westminster St Margaret 1 14.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Ellen 7
Bridget 5
Ann 4
Catherine 4
Elizabeth 4
Margaret 4
Hannah 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Agusta 1
Alice 1
Amy 1
Anastatia 1
Barbara 1
Catrine 1
Charlotte 1
Emelie 1
Emily 1
Hanora 1
Jane 1
Johanna 1
Keturah 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Nora 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Carmody surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carmody surname in 1881?

In 1881, 146 people were recorded with the Carmody surname. That placed it at #15,752 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carmody surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 694 in 2016. That gives Carmody a modern rank of #7,758.

What does the Carmody surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Diarmada," meaning "son of Diarmaid" (a personal name meaning "without envy").

What does the Carmody map show?

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