NameCensus.

UK surname

Clancy

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Fhlannchaidh," meaning "son of Flannchadh" (a personal name meaning "red warrior").

In the 1881 census there were 843 people recorded with the Clancy surname, ranking it #4,475 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,270, ranked #2,079, up from #4,475 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Downfield, Manchester and Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clancy is 3,323 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 287.9%.

1881 census count

843

Ranked #4,475

Modern count

3,270

2016, ranked #2,079

Peak year

2014

3,323 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clancy had 843 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,475 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,270 in 2016, ranked #2,079.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,011 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Clancy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clancy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clancy 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 220 #9,671
1861 historical 215 #11,316
1881 historical 843 #4,475
1891 historical 533 #7,045
1901 historical 1,011 #4,721
1911 historical 863 #5,145
1997 modern 2,998 #2,151
1998 modern 3,105 #2,164
1999 modern 3,131 #2,163
2000 modern 3,040 #2,214
2001 modern 2,983 #2,209
2002 modern 3,085 #2,181
2003 modern 3,046 #2,155
2004 modern 3,062 #2,142
2005 modern 3,028 #2,138
2006 modern 3,057 #2,120
2007 modern 3,085 #2,125
2008 modern 3,118 #2,120
2009 modern 3,206 #2,110
2010 modern 3,304 #2,101
2011 modern 3,255 #2,104
2012 modern 3,217 #2,093
2013 modern 3,296 #2,078
2014 modern 3,323 #2,078
2015 modern 3,272 #2,086
2016 modern 3,270 #2,079

Geography

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Where Clancys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Downfield, Manchester, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, South Bucks and Hammersmith and Fulham. 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 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Downfield Dundee City
2 Manchester 002 Manchester
3 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
4 South Bucks 004 South Bucks
5 Hammersmith and Fulham 010 Hammersmith and Fulham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clancy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clancy

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Clancy is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Clancy 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

Clancy 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 Clancy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Clancy

The surname Clancy is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name O'Cleirigh, which means "descendant of the cleric." It is believed to have originated in County Clare, Ireland, in the early medieval period.

The Clancy name is first recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle of medieval Irish history, which dates back to the 12th century. The annals mention several members of the Clancy family, who were prominent scholars and scribes.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Clancy surname was Domhnall O'Cleirigh, a renowned Irish poet and chronicler who lived in the 16th century. He is best known for his work on the Annals of the Four Masters, a comprehensive history of Ireland from ancient times to the 17th century.

In the 17th century, the Clancy name was also associated with the Gaelic poet and scholar, Aodh Buidhe O'Cleirigh (c. 1590-1643), who was a member of the famous O'Clery scholarly family. He is renowned for his contributions to the preservation of Irish literature and language.

Another notable figure in Irish history was John Clancy (c. 1785-1847), a Catholic priest and writer who played a significant role in the Irish nationalist movement. He advocated for Catholic emancipation and wrote extensively on Irish history and culture.

The Clancy name has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Clancy's Bridge in County Clare and Clancy's Cross in County Limerick, suggesting the family's long-standing presence in these regions.

Other prominent individuals with the Clancy surname include Eugene Clancy (1884-1954), an Irish-American politician who served as the Comptroller of New York City, and Tom Clancy (1947-2013), the renowned American author best known for his military fiction novels, including "The Hunt for Red October" and the Jack Ryan series.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clancy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clancy 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 235 Clancys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.33x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 235 2.33x
Middlesex 131 1.54x
Yorkshire 100 1.19x
Cheshire 45 2.39x
Lanarkshire 42 1.53x
Surrey 36 0.87x
Kent 33 1.14x
Monmouthshire 24 3.90x
Channel Islands 23 9.11x
Angus 20 2.54x
Midlothian 19 1.67x
Glamorgan 16 1.08x
Devon 14 0.79x
Hampshire 14 0.80x
Northumberland 14 1.10x
Derbyshire 11 0.83x
Gloucestershire 9 0.54x
Royal Navy 9 8.87x
Staffordshire 8 0.28x
Flintshire 7 3.06x
Worcestershire 7 0.63x
Essex 6 0.36x
Durham 5 0.20x
Morayshire 5 3.78x
Sussex 5 0.35x
Leicestershire 4 0.42x
Westmorland 4 2.14x
Denbighshire 3 0.93x
Inverness-shire 3 1.18x
Somerset 3 0.22x
Warwickshire 3 0.14x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.56x
Isle of Man 2 1.26x
Ross-shire 2 0.86x
Shropshire 2 0.27x
Anglesey 1 0.66x
Dorset 1 0.18x
Fife 1 0.20x
Herefordshire 1 0.29x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.37x
Perthshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 58 Clancys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.76x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 58 12.76x
Liverpool 33 5.38x
Leeds 21 4.41x
Barony 20 2.87x
Chester St John Baptist 18 53.27x
St Marylebone London 18 3.96x
West Derby 18 6.09x
Govan 17 2.50x
St Pancras London 17 2.48x
Everton 16 4.97x
St Helier 16 19.48x
Clayton Le Moors 15 76.49x
St Woollos 15 21.83x
Oldham 13 3.99x
Kensington London 11 2.32x
Stow 11 187.71x
Normanby In 10 44.33x
Dundee 9 3.06x
Huddersfield 9 7.32x
Lambeth 9 1.21x
Royal Navy 9 10.38x
Sherburn 9 129.87x
Wakefield 9 13.89x
Wigan 9 6.37x
Woolwich 9 8.38x
Macclesfield 8 9.57x
Middlesbrough 8 7.28x
Salford 8 2.69x
Sittingbourne 8 34.87x
Blackburn 7 2.60x
Dukinfield 7 8.06x
Exeter St David 7 46.24x
Hope 7 61.46x
Liff Benvie 7 5.85x
Merthyr Tydfil 7 4.91x
Pendleton In Salford 7 5.81x
Poplar London 7 4.36x
St George In East London 7 8.74x
St Peter Port 7 15.00x
Camberwell 6 1.10x
Elswick 6 5.93x
Hackney London 6 1.26x
Hammersmith London 6 2.86x
Islington London 6 0.73x
Little Bolton 6 4.62x
Mile End Old Town London 6 3.31x
Milton In Gravesend 6 13.77x
Portsea 6 1.75x
Stockport 6 6.20x
Aberystruth 5 9.21x
Alnwick 5 22.96x
Ardwick 5 5.49x
Bradford 5 2.45x
Chesterfield 5 10.00x
Forres 5 35.95x
Gate Fulford 5 25.37x
Kidderminster Borough 5 7.68x
Shoreditch London 5 1.35x
Wapping London 5 76.92x
Warrington 5 4.17x
Bedwellty 4 3.68x
Brighton 4 1.38x
Bristol St James St Paul 4 7.18x
Chelsea London 4 1.56x
Clapham 4 3.76x
Clerkenwell London 4 1.99x
Droylsden 4 12.13x
Guiseley 4 37.00x
Hornsey 4 3.71x
Kendal 4 11.68x
Kirkdale 4 2.35x
Livesey 4 22.56x
Northowram 4 6.76x
Radcliffe 4 8.21x
Ratcliffe London 4 8.51x
South Hayling 4 128.62x
Southwark St John 4 15.36x
Southwark St Saviour 4 9.14x
St John Near Swansea 4 21.81x
Wednesbury 4 5.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 81
Elizabeth 28
Catherine 27
Margaret 24
Ellen 23
Ann 15
Bridget 14
Sarah 13
Annie 11
Alice 10
Eliza 9
Martha 6
Jane 5
Kate 5
Agnes 4
Caroline 4
Hannah 4
Emma 3
Margt. 3
Maria 3
Rose 3
Anna 2
Anne 2
Cathrine 2
Esther 2
Frances 2
Isabella 2
Julia 2
Maud 2
Teresa 2
Ada 1
Barbery 1
Betty 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Christina 1
Cisialia 1
Clara 1
Deborah 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elise 1
Hamah 1
Hanna 1
Harriet 1
Helenah 1
Honora 1
Honorah 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Clancy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clancy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 843 people were recorded with the Clancy surname. That placed it at #4,475 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clancy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,270 in 2016. That gives Clancy a modern rank of #2,079.

What does the Clancy surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Fhlannchaidh," meaning "son of Flannchadh" (a personal name meaning "red warrior").

What does the Clancy map show?

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