NameCensus.

UK surname

Cavan

An Irish surname derived from the name of the town of Cavan.

In the 1881 census there were 193 people recorded with the Cavan surname, ranking it #13,144 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 200, ranked #19,591, down from #13,144 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mochrum, St Mary Whitechapel and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ13, IZ12 and IZ15.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cavan is 209 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.6%.

1881 census count

193

Ranked #13,144

Modern count

200

2016, ranked #19,591

Peak year

2015

209 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cavan had 193 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,144 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 200 in 2016, ranked #19,591.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 193 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Cavan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cavan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cavan 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 117 #15,456
1861 historical 136 #16,556
1881 historical 193 #13,144
1891 historical 119 #21,415
1901 historical 110 #21,604
1911 historical 77 #25,106
1997 modern 160 #20,259
1998 modern 175 #19,658
1999 modern 180 #19,454
2000 modern 176 #19,698
2001 modern 172 #19,696
2002 modern 165 #20,619
2003 modern 170 #20,023
2004 modern 175 #19,805
2005 modern 170 #20,066
2006 modern 175 #19,850
2007 modern 185 #19,402
2008 modern 193 #19,077
2009 modern 193 #19,463
2010 modern 191 #20,015
2011 modern 196 #19,538
2012 modern 206 #18,837
2013 modern 205 #19,218
2014 modern 204 #19,439
2015 modern 209 #19,018
2016 modern 200 #19,591

Geography

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Where Cavans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mochrum, St Mary Whitechapel, Gateshead, Stranraer and Kirkcudbright. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ13, IZ12, IZ15, Bradford and Renfrew West. 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 Mochrum Wigtown
2 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Stranraer Wigtown
5 Kirkcudbright Kirkcudbright

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ13 West Dunbartonshire
2 IZ12 West Dunbartonshire
3 IZ15 West Dunbartonshire
4 Bradford 057 Bradford
5 Renfrew West Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cavan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cavan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cavan, 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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Cavan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Cavan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Cavan is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cavan is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cavan 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 Cavan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Cavan

The surname Cavan is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Cabáin, which originated in Ireland. It is derived from the Irish word "caban," meaning a tent or a small hut, suggesting that the name may have initially been an occupational surname referring to someone who lived in a tent or a small dwelling.

Cavan is also the name of a county in the province of Ulster, Ireland, and it is possible that the surname may have originated from this place name. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, dating back to the 13th century.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Cavan was Richard O'Cavan, an Irish soldier who served in the Irish Brigade of the French Army during the 17th century. He fought in the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession, and his military exploits were recorded in contemporary accounts.

Another prominent bearer of the name was James Cavan, an Irish-American politician who served as the Mayor of Boston from 1872 to 1873. He was born in 1822 and played a significant role in the city's political landscape during the mid-19th century.

In the realm of literature, Philip Cavan is a notable figure. Born in 1865, he was an Irish poet and novelist who wrote extensively about the Irish countryside and rural life. His works, such as "The Fields of Evening" and "The Quiet Road," were widely acclaimed and contributed to the literary tradition of his time.

The Cavan surname has also been associated with places like Cavanacor, an ancient Irish settlement, and Cavanagh, an alternative spelling of the name that was common in some regions of Ireland. These place names and variations of the surname reflect the rich history and diversity of the Irish diaspora.

William Cavan, born in 1842, was a prominent figure in the Irish Nationalist movement. He was a staunch advocate for Irish Home Rule and played a significant role in the political struggles of his time, working alongside notable figures like Charles Stewart Parnell and Isaac Butt.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cavan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cavan 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 37 Cavans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.71x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 37 1.71x
Middlesex 36 1.97x
Lanarkshire 21 3.56x
Wigtownshire 20 82.58x
Kirkcudbrightshire 13 49.22x
Dunbartonshire 12 24.48x
Ayrshire 7 5.13x
Dumfriesshire 7 17.37x
Northumberland 7 2.58x
Nottinghamshire 5 2.03x
Yorkshire 4 0.22x
Derbyshire 3 1.05x
Somerset 2 0.68x
Surrey 2 0.23x
Angus 1 0.59x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.91x
Buteshire 1 9.05x
Cheshire 1 0.25x
Cumberland 1 0.64x
Durham 1 0.18x
Essex 1 0.28x
Hampshire 1 0.27x
Kent 1 0.16x
Lincolnshire 1 0.34x
Perthshire 1 1.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mochrum in Wigtownshire leads with 17 Cavans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1172.41x.

Place Total Index
Mochrum 17 1172.41x
Whitechapel London 14 77.86x
West Derby 13 20.53x
Barony 11 7.37x
Crossmichael 7 843.37x
Dundonald 7 139.17x
Govan 7 4.80x
Torthorwald 7 1129.03x
Westgate 7 41.64x
St Clement Danes London 6 158.73x
Hulme 5 11.06x
Islington London 5 2.83x
Nottingham St Mary 5 7.86x
Old Kilpatrick 5 86.36x
St Marylebone London 5 5.13x
Urr 5 145.77x
Bonhill 4 50.83x
Liverpool 4 3.04x
York St Denis In 4 506.33x
Hackney London 3 2.93x
New Kilpatrick 3 64.38x
Aughton 2 93.46x
Dorking 2 33.50x
Everton 2 2.90x
Glasgow 2 1.91x
Kirkdale 2 5.49x
Kirkmaiden 2 130.72x
Long Eaton 2 53.05x
Manchester 2 2.05x
Toxteth Park 2 2.73x
Weston Super Mare 2 26.99x
Alyth 1 45.45x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 2.11x
Birkenhead 1 3.12x
Chiswick 1 10.03x
Cumbrae 1 86.21x
Denton 1 20.83x
Holdenhurst 1 10.19x
Lewisham 1 3.01x
Liff Benvie 1 3.90x
Litherland 1 22.08x
Radcliffe 1 9.59x
Rerrick 1 88.50x
Sandiacre 1 98.04x
Shettleston 1 18.94x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 12.66x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.11x
St Peterin Eastgate 1 111.11x
Stockton On Tees 1 3.82x
Stranraer 1 45.05x
Upton Cum Chalvey 1 22.78x
Wanstead 1 15.85x
Wetheral 1 48.08x
Wigan 1 3.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Sarah 5
Elizabeth 4
Ann 3
Emily 3
Jane 3
Anna 2
Caroline 2
Elizth. 2
Kate 2
Massie 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Charlotte 1
Constance 1
Cora 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth.J. 1
Ethel 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Hetta 1
Julia 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Cavan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cavan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 193 people were recorded with the Cavan surname. That placed it at #13,144 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cavan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 200 in 2016. That gives Cavan a modern rank of #19,591.

What does the Cavan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the name of the town of Cavan.

What does the Cavan map show?

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