NameCensus.

UK surname

Cashen

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Caisín implying descendant of a diminutive or young person.

In the 1881 census there were 71 people recorded with the Cashen surname, ranking it #23,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 156, ranked #23,098, up from #23,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Harrow-on-the-Hill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Dorset, Knowsley and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cashen is 174 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 119.7%.

1881 census count

71

Ranked #23,517

Modern count

156

2016, ranked #23,098

Peak year

2004

174 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cashen had 71 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016, ranked #23,098.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 103 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Cashen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cashen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cashen 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 54 #23,577
1861 historical 40 #28,970
1881 historical 71 #23,517
1891 historical 63 #28,881
1901 historical 103 #22,444
1911 historical 101 #22,589
1997 modern 168 #19,642
1998 modern 173 #19,821
1999 modern 171 #20,072
2000 modern 165 #20,501
2001 modern 161 #20,543
2002 modern 162 #20,839
2003 modern 161 #20,697
2004 modern 174 #19,871
2005 modern 166 #20,379
2006 modern 160 #21,066
2007 modern 158 #21,464
2008 modern 160 #21,521
2009 modern 168 #21,290
2010 modern 168 #21,733
2011 modern 161 #22,187
2012 modern 147 #23,567
2013 modern 152 #23,438
2014 modern 155 #23,333
2015 modern 155 #23,194
2016 modern 156 #23,098

Geography

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Where Cashens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Harrow-on-the-Hill and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Dorset, Knowsley and Sefton. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Harrow-on-the-Hill Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Dorset 001 North Dorset
2 Knowsley 005 Knowsley
3 Knowsley 003 Knowsley
4 Sefton 014 Sefton
5 Sefton 024 Sefton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cashen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cashen

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Cashen is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cashen 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

Cashen 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 Cashen 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Cashen

The surname Cashen is believed to have originated in Ireland. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "caisín" meaning "small twisted trench" or "small winding stream." The name likely originated in County Kerry, where it was prominent in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor sovereign reign in Ireland, which were legal documents issued by the Irish government between 1521 and 1603. The name is also found in various Irish annals and manuscripts from the 16th and 17th centuries.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Dermot Cashen, a landowner in County Kerry who lived in the late 16th century. Another notable figure was Cornelius Cashen, a Catholic priest and writer who lived in the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the name was particularly prevalent in the parishes of Ballylongford, Listowel, and Ardfert in County Kerry. John Cashen, born in 1745, was a prominent landowner and merchant in Ballylongford during this period.

During the 19th century, the name spread beyond County Kerry as many Cashens emigrated to other parts of Ireland and abroad. One notable figure was Patrick Cashen (1817-1891), a Catholic priest and author who was born in County Kerry and later served as a missionary in Australia.

Another prominent individual was James Cashen (1865-1936), a Irish-American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was instrumental in the formation of the Irish Parliamentary Party in the United States.

In the 20th century, the name remained prominent in Ireland, particularly in County Kerry. One notable bearer of the name was John Cashen (1908-1984), an Irish politician who served as a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament, representing County Kerry from 1957 to 1973.

While the surname Cashen is relatively uncommon outside of Ireland and areas with significant Irish diaspora populations, it has a rich history and deeply rooted connections to County Kerry and the Irish tradition.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cashen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cashen 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 35 Cashens recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.15x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 35 3.15x
Isle of Man 25 143.76x
Middlesex 20 2.14x
Surrey 7 1.53x
Warwickshire 6 2.54x
Midlothian 2 1.59x
Hampshire 1 0.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Onchan in Isle of Man leads with 13 Cashens recorded in 1881 and an index of 259.48x.

Place Total Index
Onchan 13 259.48x
Liverpool 11 16.30x
Great Bolton 9 61.14x
Everton 8 22.59x
Westminster St John 7 61.40x
Birmingham 6 7.62x
Jurby 6 2857.14x
Lambeth 6 7.35x
Harrow 5 349.65x
Rushen 4 338.98x
St George Hanover Square 4 24.24x
Toxteth Park 4 10.63x
St Anne Soho London 3 56.07x
German 2 210.53x
South Leith 2 14.17x
Ditton 1 222.22x
Farnborough 1 49.51x
Mile End Old Town London 1 5.02x
Rusholme 1 33.78x
Southwark St Thomas 1 400.00x
Tonge 1 42.92x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
James 7
William 6
Thomas 5
Joseph 2
Alfred 1
Edward 1
Emily 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
George 1
Martin 1
Reuben 1
Winsford 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Cashen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cashen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 71 people were recorded with the Cashen surname. That placed it at #23,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cashen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016. That gives Cashen a modern rank of #23,098.

What does the Cashen surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Caisín implying descendant of a diminutive or young person.

What does the Cashen map show?

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