NameCensus.

UK surname

Carragher

An occupational surname likely referring to a carter or transporter of goods.

In the 1881 census there were 44 people recorded with the Carragher surname, ranking it #27,447 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 386, ranked #12,202, up from #27,447 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Richmondshire, Kinross and Dundyvan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carragher is 403 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 777.3%.

1881 census count

44

Ranked #27,447

Modern count

386

2016, ranked #12,202

Peak year

2010

403 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carragher had 44 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,447 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 386 in 2016, ranked #12,202.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 100 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Carragher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carragher surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carragher 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 19 #29,904
1861 historical 33 #29,814
1881 historical 44 #27,447
1891 historical 73 #27,677
1901 historical 100 #22,863
1911 historical 61 #26,724
1997 modern 355 #12,040
1998 modern 381 #11,812
1999 modern 378 #11,935
2000 modern 384 #11,759
2001 modern 371 #11,881
2002 modern 381 #11,865
2003 modern 376 #11,791
2004 modern 379 #11,740
2005 modern 356 #12,219
2006 modern 353 #12,363
2007 modern 356 #12,437
2008 modern 369 #12,210
2009 modern 400 #11,729
2010 modern 403 #11,925
2011 modern 383 #12,244
2012 modern 380 #12,177
2013 modern 391 #12,123
2014 modern 394 #12,144
2015 modern 390 #12,139
2016 modern 386 #12,202

Geography

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Where Carraghers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool and Dalton-in-Furness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Richmondshire, Kinross, Dundyvan, Cliftonville and Manchester. 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 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Richmondshire 004 Richmondshire
2 Kinross Perth and Kinross
3 Dundyvan North Lanarkshire
4 Cliftonville North Lanarkshire
5 Manchester 041 Manchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carragher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carragher

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Carragher, 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 Carragher surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Carragher 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, Carragher 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

Carragher 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

Carragher 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 Carragher is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Carragher

The surname Carragher is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic-speaking regions of Ireland. The name is believed to have derived from the Irish word "carragh," meaning a rock or rocky place, suggesting that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a rocky area or came from a place with a similar name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Carragher can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The name is mentioned in reference to individuals living in County Mayo during the 14th and 15th centuries.

The surname Carragher has also been associated with the Irish surname "Carragher" or "Carriger," which is derived from the Irish word "cairrge," meaning a rock or rocky area. This alternative spelling suggests that the name may have originated from different regions of Ireland or evolved over time due to variations in pronunciation and spelling.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various Irish records, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which documented land grants and appointments in Ireland during the Tudor period. One notable individual from this time was John Carragher, who was granted lands in County Galway in the late 1500s.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Carragher surname can be found in various parish records and census documents from counties such as Mayo, Galway, and Sligo, indicating the widespread presence of the name across western Ireland.

Notable individuals with the surname Carragher include:

1. Patrick Carragher (1799-1877), an Irish politician and member of the British Parliament for Dundalk from 1847 to 1857. 2. James Carragher (1870-1942), an Irish-American labor leader and founder of the United Brewery Workers Union in the United States. 3. John Carragher (1885-1962), an Irish-born Australian politician and member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Labor Party. 4. Jamie Carragher (born 1978), a former English professional footballer who played for Liverpool F.C. and the English national team. 5. Michael Carragher (born 1960), an Irish author and academic known for his works on Irish literature and culture.

The surname Carragher has a rich history rooted in the rocky landscapes of Ireland, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the medieval period. Over the centuries, individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions in various fields, reflecting the enduring legacy of this Irish surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carragher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carragher 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 15 Carraghers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.95x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 15 2.95x
Angus 9 22.64x
Cheshire 7 7.39x
Fife 4 15.75x
Warwickshire 3 2.77x
Argyllshire 2 16.74x
Lanarkshire 2 1.44x
Hampshire 1 1.14x
Midlothian 1 1.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Arbroath in Angus leads with 9 Carraghers recorded in 1881 and an index of 681.82x.

Place Total Index
Arbroath 9 681.82x
Barrow In Furness 5 72.15x
Liverpool 5 16.17x
Sandbach 5 617.28x
Dunfermline 4 102.30x
Aighton Bailey 3 1200.00x
Birmingham 3 8.32x
Barony 2 5.69x
Kilmore Kilbride 2 263.16x
Sale 2 172.41x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 24.75x
Farnborough 1 108.70x
Kirkdale 1 11.67x
Lasswade 1 76.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Catherine 3
Mary 3
Eliza 2
Ann 1
Bridget 1
Margaret 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Peter 2
Arthur 1
Edward 1
Henry 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Owen 1
Patrick 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 Carragher households.

FAQ

Carragher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carragher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 44 people were recorded with the Carragher surname. That placed it at #27,447 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carragher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 386 in 2016. That gives Carragher a modern rank of #12,202.

What does the Carragher surname mean?

An occupational surname likely referring to a carter or transporter of goods.

What does the Carragher map show?

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