NameCensus.

UK surname

Casey

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Cathasaigh," meaning "descendant of Cathasach," a personal name meaning "vigilant" or "watchful."

In the 1881 census there were 4,412 people recorded with the Casey surname, ranking it #1,015 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,789, ranked #601, up from #1,015 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Craigmillar, IZ13 and Knowsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Casey is 10,934 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 144.5%.

1881 census count

4,412

Ranked #1,015

Modern count

10,789

2016, ranked #601

Peak year

2014

10,934 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Casey had 4,412 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,015 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,789 in 2016, ranked #601.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,913 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Casey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Casey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Casey 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 2,103 #1,384
1861 historical 2,123 #1,371
1881 historical 4,412 #1,015
1891 historical 4,164 #1,157
1901 historical 4,913 #1,150
1911 historical 4,692 #1,103
1997 modern 9,919 #628
1998 modern 10,194 #634
1999 modern 10,331 #630
2000 modern 10,166 #636
2001 modern 10,020 #632
2002 modern 10,322 #626
2003 modern 10,086 #625
2004 modern 10,048 #626
2005 modern 10,002 #620
2006 modern 10,001 #621
2007 modern 10,165 #619
2008 modern 10,205 #618
2009 modern 10,597 #616
2010 modern 10,902 #607
2011 modern 10,731 #607
2012 modern 10,517 #611
2013 modern 10,786 #604
2014 modern 10,934 #599
2015 modern 10,829 #599
2016 modern 10,789 #601

Geography

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Where Caseys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Craigmillar, IZ13, Knowsley, Swansea and Rossendale. 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 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Craigmillar City of Edinburgh
2 IZ13 West Dunbartonshire
3 Knowsley 008 Knowsley
4 Swansea 019 Swansea
5 Rossendale 003 Rossendale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Casey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Casey

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

Casey 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

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

Meaning and origin of Casey

The surname Casey originated in Ireland, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Old Irish Gaelic name "O'Caiside," which means "descendant of Caiside." Caiside was derived from the word "cais," meaning "twisted" or "winding," likely referring to a geographic feature or the curved shape of a river.

The earliest recorded instances of the Casey name can be found in medieval Irish annals and genealogical records, such as the Annals of the Four Masters. One notable example is Conchobhar O'Caiside, a prominent chieftain in County Tipperary, who is mentioned in the annals around the year 1200.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, during the Tudor and Cromwellian conquests of Ireland, many Irish families adopted Anglicized versions of their surnames to avoid persecution or for administrative purposes. This led to the emergence of the Casey spelling, which became more widespread.

The Casey surname has a strong association with County Limerick and County Tipperary in Ireland. Some notable historical figures bearing this name include:

1. Liam Casey (1897-1966), an Irish politician and member of the Irish Revolutionary Army during the Irish War of Independence. 2. Siobhán Casey (1963-2018), an Irish novelist and short story writer, known for her works exploring contemporary Irish life. 3. John Casey (1820-1891), an Irish-American bishop who served as the third Bishop of Brooklyn, New York. 4. Sean Casey (1974-present), an American former professional baseball player who played for the Cincinnati Reds and several other teams. 5. Al Casey (1915-2005), an American television and film director, best known for his work on the sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies."

The Casey name is also found in various place names, such as Casey's Bog in County Tipperary and Casey's Castle, a tower house located in County Clare, Ireland. These place names further reflect the historical presence of the Casey family in different regions of the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Casey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Casey 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 1,034 Caseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.02x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,034 2.02x
Middlesex 793 1.84x
Yorkshire 410 0.96x
Durham 267 2.08x
Surrey 225 1.07x
Lanarkshire 175 1.26x
Cheshire 155 1.63x
Staffordshire 148 1.02x
Glamorgan 132 1.76x
Warwickshire 100 0.92x
Kent 91 0.62x
Essex 90 1.06x
Monmouthshire 81 2.60x
Northumberland 66 1.03x
Hampshire 61 0.69x
Devon 49 0.55x
Oxfordshire 48 1.81x
Midlothian 47 0.81x
Renfrewshire 32 0.96x
Angus 31 0.78x
Cambridgeshire 29 1.06x
Sussex 28 0.39x
Derbyshire 26 0.39x
Gloucestershire 26 0.31x
Leicestershire 24 0.50x
Nottinghamshire 21 0.36x
Stirlingshire 21 1.32x
Hertfordshire 18 0.61x
Suffolk 17 0.32x
Dunbartonshire 14 1.21x
Somerset 13 0.19x
Worcestershire 13 0.23x
Lincolnshire 12 0.17x
Berkshire 11 0.34x
Norfolk 11 0.17x
Carmarthenshire 9 0.50x
Caernarfonshire 8 0.46x
Northamptonshire 8 0.20x
Wiltshire 8 0.21x
Dorset 7 0.25x
Perthshire 7 0.36x
Denbighshire 6 0.37x
Isle of Man 5 0.63x
Cornwall 4 0.08x
East Lothian 4 0.70x
Royal Navy 4 0.78x
Ayrshire 3 0.09x
Brecknockshire 3 0.35x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.12x
Cumberland 3 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.22x
Channel Islands 2 0.16x
West Lothian 2 0.31x
Wigtownshire 2 0.35x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.03x
Anglesey 1 0.13x
Radnorshire 1 0.29x
Shropshire 1 0.03x

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 143 Caseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.61x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 143 4.61x
Manchester 111 4.83x
Lambeth 68 1.81x
Leeds 62 2.57x
St George In East London 57 14.07x
St Marylebone London 52 2.26x
Hackney London 51 2.11x
Govan 49 1.42x
Kensington London 49 2.05x
Oldham 48 2.91x
West Ham 48 2.56x
Bradford 44 4.26x
Glasgow 44 1.78x
Poplar London 43 5.29x
Salford 43 2.86x
St Woollos 43 12.38x
Westminster St John 41 7.82x
Birmingham 39 1.08x
Toxteth Park 38 2.20x
Islington London 37 0.89x
Paddington London 37 2.34x
Swansea Town 36 5.86x
West Derby 35 2.34x
Birkenhead 34 4.49x
Monkwearmouth Shore 33 13.20x
Blackburn 32 2.35x
Hulme 32 3.00x
Stoke Upon Trent 32 2.08x
Stockton On Tees 31 5.02x
Wolverhampton 30 2.68x
Everton 29 1.78x
Holy Trinity 28 2.73x
St Andrewthe Less 28 8.99x
Barton Upon Irwell 27 7.02x
Bishopwearmouth 27 2.46x
Linthorpe 26 10.21x
Sheffield 26 1.91x
Southwark St George Martyr 26 3.00x
Hammersmith London 24 2.26x
Portsea 24 1.39x
St Luke London 24 3.48x
Whitechapel London 24 5.65x
Shoreditch London 23 1.23x
Wigan 23 3.22x
Bermondsey 22 1.72x
Bury 22 3.77x
Walton On Hill 22 7.95x
Barnsley 21 4.77x
Camberwell 21 0.76x
St Andrew Holborn London 21 11.26x
Aston 20 0.67x
Ormskirk 20 20.46x
Parr 20 10.94x
Barrow In Furness 19 2.73x
Bethnal Green London 19 1.02x
Bollington In 19 22.46x
Bromley London 19 2.01x
Gateshead 19 1.98x
Merthyr Tydfil 19 2.64x
Broughton In Salford 18 3.85x
Coventry St Michael 18 5.16x
St Giles In Fields London 18 8.52x
Barony 17 0.48x
Bow London 17 3.10x
Dalserf 17 12.23x
Darlington 17 3.44x
Heston 17 11.89x
Liff Benvie 17 2.81x
Stoke Damerel 17 2.71x
Battersea 16 1.01x
Great Bolton 16 2.36x
Llandaff 16 6.41x
Pemberton 16 7.85x
Walthamstow 16 5.23x
Abergavenny 15 12.87x
Cardiff St Mary 15 3.63x
Cowley 15 18.07x
Kilsyth 15 14.81x
Kirkdale 15 1.75x
Westminster St James 15 3.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 424
Margaret 135
Ellen 127
Catherine 121
Elizabeth 100
Ann 96
Bridget 73
Sarah 56
Annie 51
Eliza 47
Jane 46
Alice 35
Kate 34
Julia 27
Hannah 23
Agnes 21
Emma 20
Martha 19
Anne 17
Emily 17
Charlotte 15
Clara 15
Florence 15
Louisa 15
Maria 15
Ada 13
Edith 13
Frances 13
Winifred 12
Caroline 11
Catharine 11
Elizth. 11
Helen 11
Rose 10
Esther 9
Harriet 9
Amelia 7
Lucy 7
Margt. 7
Norah 7
Isabella 6
Johanna 6
Maggie 6
Susan 6
Amy 5
Harriett 5
Jessie 5
Lavinia 5
Lizzie 5
Sophia 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 343
Thomas 219
James 208
William 162
Patrick 129
Michael 96
Edward 65
George 52
Joseph 47
Robert 41
Charles 36
Henry 28
Martin 28
Daniel 27
Richard 26
Peter 25
Samuel 20
Frederick 18
Francis 16
Alfred 15
Timothy 15
Arthur 14
Frank 13
Jeremiah 13
Thos. 13
Andrew 12
Lawrence 11
David 10
Dennis 10
Cornelius 9
Denis 9
Jas. 9
Walter 9
Wm. 9
Stephen 8
Matthew 7
Albert 6
Christopher 6
Edwin 6
Philip 6
Alexander 5
Benjamin 5
Bernard 5
Hugh 5
Jno. 5
Michel 5
Nicholas 5
Ernest 4
Morris 4
Oliver 4

FAQ

Casey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Casey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,412 people were recorded with the Casey surname. That placed it at #1,015 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Casey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,789 in 2016. That gives Casey a modern rank of #601.

What does the Casey surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Cathasaigh," meaning "descendant of Cathasach," a personal name meaning "vigilant" or "watchful."

What does the Casey map show?

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