NameCensus.

UK surname

Clancey

A Gaelic surname derived from the Irish clan name Ó Cléirigh meaning "descendant of the cleric".

In the 1881 census there were 286 people recorded with the Clancey surname, ranking it #10,036 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 215, ranked #18,670, down from #10,036 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Finnieston and Kelvinhaugh, Rochford and Hackney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clancey is 300 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 24.8%.

1881 census count

286

Ranked #10,036

Modern count

215

2016, ranked #18,670

Peak year

1901

300 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clancey had 286 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,036 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016, ranked #18,670.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 300 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Clancey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clancey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clancey 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 110 #16,093
1861 historical 175 #13,409
1881 historical 286 #10,036
1891 historical 270 #12,027
1901 historical 300 #11,647
1911 historical 289 #11,738
1997 modern 236 #15,852
1998 modern 240 #16,117
1999 modern 241 #16,179
2000 modern 230 #16,644
2001 modern 219 #16,967
2002 modern 228 #16,828
2003 modern 229 #16,601
2004 modern 218 #17,230
2005 modern 203 #17,961
2006 modern 196 #18,512
2007 modern 205 #18,194
2008 modern 202 #18,528
2009 modern 209 #18,493
2010 modern 211 #18,774
2011 modern 212 #18,575
2012 modern 214 #18,358
2013 modern 217 #18,493
2014 modern 213 #18,883
2015 modern 213 #18,769
2016 modern 215 #18,670

Geography

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Where Clanceys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Finnieston and Kelvinhaugh, Rochford, Hackney, Fenland and Epping Forest. 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 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Finnieston and Kelvinhaugh Glasgow City
2 Rochford 005 Rochford
3 Hackney 018 Hackney
4 Fenland 001 Fenland
5 Epping Forest 011 Epping Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clancey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clancey

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Clancey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Clancey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Clancey 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

Clancey 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

Clancey falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Clancey 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 Clancey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Clancey

The surname Clancey has its origins in Ireland, tracing back to the medieval period. It is an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name O'Cleirigh, which means "descendant of the cleric." The name is believed to have originated in County Donegal, where the Clan O'Cleirigh held significant influence.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention several members of the O'Cleirigh family, including Cú Choigcríche Ó Clérigh, a renowned scholar and chief poet of Ireland, who lived from 1628 to 1664.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Clancey gained prominence as the English translation of O'Cleirigh became more widespread. One notable figure from this period was Cormac Clancey, a Franciscan friar and historian who lived from 1570 to 1629. He is best known for his work "Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland," a valuable historical record of the Irish people.

The name Clancey has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Sir John Clancey (1822-1900), an Irish-born Australian politician who served as the Premier of Western Australia from 1890 to 1892. Another prominent figure was Michael Clancey (1822-1905), an Irish-American entrepreneur and industrialist who founded the Clancey Foundry and Machine Works in New York City.

The name has also been carried by literary figures, such as John Clancey (1911-1989), an American author and journalist who wrote extensively about World War II. In the field of sports, James Clancey (1923-1998) was a renowned Canadian ice hockey player and coach, who spent most of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

While the spelling "Clancey" is the most common version of the name, variations such as "Clancy," "Clancie," and "Clanchy" have also been used throughout history. The name has been found in historical records and manuscripts across Ireland, reflecting the widespread influence of the O'Cleirigh clan in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clancey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clancey 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 64 Clanceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.91x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 64 1.91x
Middlesex 45 1.60x
Yorkshire 30 1.07x
Surrey 27 1.97x
Devon 20 3.41x
Staffordshire 20 2.10x
Kent 15 1.56x
Dorset 11 5.95x
Lanarkshire 11 1.21x
Cheshire 7 1.12x
Glamorgan 7 1.43x
Denbighshire 5 4.70x
Essex 4 0.72x
Gloucestershire 4 0.72x
Royal Navy 3 8.93x
Cornwall 2 0.63x
Sussex 2 0.42x
Ayrshire 1 0.47x
Berkshire 1 0.47x
Durham 1 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.17x
Hertfordshire 1 0.51x
Leicestershire 1 0.32x
Lincolnshire 1 0.22x
Midlothian 1 0.26x
Montgomeryshire 1 1.55x
Northumberland 1 0.24x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.26x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Bromwich in Staffordshire leads with 14 Clanceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.70x.

Place Total Index
West Bromwich 14 25.70x
West Derby 13 13.28x
Pendleton In Salford 11 27.60x
Salford 11 11.18x
South Brent 11 873.02x
Lambeth 10 4.07x
Manchester 10 6.65x
Horton In Bradford 9 20.63x
St Marylebone London 9 5.98x
Hulme 8 11.45x
Mile End Old Town London 8 13.33x
Battersea 7 6.75x
Govan 7 3.10x
Dorchester All Sts 6 681.82x
Middlesbrough 6 16.49x
Saddleworth 6 27.84x
St George In East London 6 22.62x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 5.95x
Wimbledon 6 38.91x
Bethnal Green London 5 4.08x
Birkenhead 5 10.08x
Canterbury St Gregory 5 393.70x
Faversham 5 54.53x
Fordington 5 125.31x
Idle 5 38.61x
St Anne Soho London 5 31.06x
Wrexham Regis 5 63.21x
Barony 4 1.73x
Newton Abbot St Mary 4 81.30x
Sittingbourne 4 52.63x
Stapleton 4 38.13x
West Ham 4 3.26x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 4.10x
Cardiff St Mary 3 11.09x
Clayton Le Moors 3 46.23x
Islington London 3 1.10x
Royal Navy 3 10.45x
Sheffield 3 3.37x
Sully 3 1500.00x
Bow London 2 5.57x
Combeinteignhead 2 476.19x
Crumpsall 2 25.38x
Mobberley 2 140.85x
Shadwell London 2 25.35x
Shoreditch London 2 1.64x
Beddington 1 18.83x
Birkdale 1 11.82x
Brighton 1 1.04x
Canterbury St Mary 1 15.50x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.50x
Darlington 1 3.09x
Devonport 1 14.84x
Elswick 1 2.99x
Exeter St David 1 19.96x
Hammersmith London 1 1.44x
Heston 1 10.68x
Kirkdale 1 1.78x
Kirkmichael 1 52.08x
Leicester St Mary 1 3.96x
Llanidloes 1 20.88x
Madron Penzance 1 8.61x
Manningham 1 2.91x
North Leith 1 5.72x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.02x
Penally 1 169.49x
Perranzabuloe 1 36.36x
Portsmouth 1 7.52x
Reading St Giles 1 4.82x
Rottingdean 1 61.73x
Southwark Christchurch 1 7.57x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.76x
Stamford All Sts 1 39.68x
Swansea St Thomas 1 20.28x
Tormoham 1 4.03x
Watford 1 6.64x
Widnes 1 4.14x
Woking 1 12.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Elizabeth 11
Ellen 9
Margaret 8
Sarah 8
Ann 6
Bridget 6
Alice 4
Annie 4
Catherine 4
Hannah 4
Eliza 3
Kate 3
Amelia 2
Clara 2
Frances 2
Jane 2
Lucy 2
Margt. 2
Matilda 2
Anne 1
Catharine 1
Cecilia 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elizbth 1
Elizth. 1
Ella 1
Fanny 1
Gorgiana 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Isabel 1
Jean 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Norah 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Selina 1
Sophy 1
Susy 1
Winefred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 30
William 16
James 15
Thomas 9
Henry 7
Patrick 7
Daniel 6
George 5
Michael 4
Charles 3
Frederick 3
Francis 2
Jno. 2
Joseph 2
Laurence 2
Michel 2
Philip 2
Ambrose 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Daniell 1
Edmond 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Garret 1
Garrite 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Jean 1
Jeremiah 1
Jno.G. 1
Julius 1
Lewis 1
Maurice 1
Mikle 1
Nantain 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Terrance 1

FAQ

Clancey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clancey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 286 people were recorded with the Clancey surname. That placed it at #10,036 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clancey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016. That gives Clancey a modern rank of #18,670.

What does the Clancey surname mean?

A Gaelic surname derived from the Irish clan name Ó Cléirigh meaning "descendant of the cleric".

What does the Clancey map show?

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