NameCensus.

UK surname

Colgan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Collagáin," meaning "descendant of Collagán," a personal name of uncertain origin.

In the 1881 census there were 245 people recorded with the Colgan surname, ranking it #11,232 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,021, ranked #5,709, up from #11,232 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Govan Combination and Bidstone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ10, The Glens and Craigentinny.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colgan is 1,079 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 316.7%.

1881 census count

245

Ranked #11,232

Modern count

1,021

2016, ranked #5,709

Peak year

2010

1,079 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Colgan had 245 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,232 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,021 in 2016, ranked #5,709.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 438 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Colgan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Colgan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Colgan 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 122 #14,966
1861 historical 164 #14,188
1881 historical 245 #11,232
1891 historical 331 #10,277
1901 historical 438 #8,881
1911 historical 353 #10,212
1997 modern 997 #5,516
1998 modern 1,037 #5,505
1999 modern 1,017 #5,638
2000 modern 1,001 #5,682
2001 modern 982 #5,657
2002 modern 1,017 #5,616
2003 modern 966 #5,752
2004 modern 960 #5,799
2005 modern 937 #5,845
2006 modern 956 #5,760
2007 modern 970 #5,749
2008 modern 989 #5,699
2009 modern 1,033 #5,626
2010 modern 1,079 #5,521
2011 modern 1,035 #5,658
2012 modern 1,008 #5,700
2013 modern 1,008 #5,779
2014 modern 1,027 #5,727
2015 modern 1,020 #5,719
2016 modern 1,021 #5,709

Geography

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Where Colgans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Govan Combination, Bidstone, Manchester and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ10, The Glens, Craigentinny, Alness and Central Bedfordshire. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Bidstone Cheshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ10 East Lothian
2 The Glens Dundee City
3 Craigentinny City of Edinburgh
4 Alness Highland
5 Central Bedfordshire 012 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Colgan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Colgan

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Colgan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Colgan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Colgan is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Colgan 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

Colgan 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 Colgan 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Colgan

The surname Colgan originated in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "O'Colgan" or "Ua Colgan". It is an anglicized form of the old Irish personal name "Colgan", which means "young descendant" or "young offspring".

The Colgan name has its roots in County Sligo, Ireland, where it was first found in the baronies of Carbury and Dromahaire. The name is also associated with County Donegal in Ulster, where several prominent families bearing the name resided.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Colgan name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Colgan Ua Maelsechlainn" in the year 1022. Additionally, the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, another important medieval Irish text, in reference to a "Colgan Ua Clerigh" in 1196.

In the 16th century, the Colgan surname was well-established in County Sligo, with several notable bearers of the name. One such example is John Colgan (c. 1592-1658), an Irish Franciscan friar, historian, and hagiographer, who was born in Sligo and is known for his work on the lives of Irish saints.

Another prominent figure with the Colgan surname was Theobald Colgan (1630-1684), an Irish Franciscan friar and author. He was born in Donegal and wrote extensively on Irish history and literature.

In the 17th century, the Colgan name was also found in the Chancery Inquisitions for County Donegal, which were legal records documenting land ownership and inheritance. This suggests that the Colgan family had established landholdings in the region during that time.

The Colgan name has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Colganstown in County Meath and Colganstown in County Kildare, indicating the historical presence of the family in these areas.

Other notable individuals with the Colgan surname include Sir John Colgan (1728-1805), an Irish politician and landowner from County Sligo, and John Colgan (1879-1957), an Irish journalist and writer who was born in County Donegal.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Colgan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colgan 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 98 Colgans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.37x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 98 3.37x
Lanarkshire 42 5.30x
Durham 16 2.20x
Yorkshire 16 0.66x
Cheshire 13 2.41x
Middlesex 9 0.37x
Surrey 9 0.75x
Angus 8 3.53x
East Lothian 8 24.67x
Staffordshire 7 0.85x
Channel Islands 5 6.89x
Renfrewshire 4 2.11x
Cumberland 2 0.95x
Lincolnshire 2 0.51x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.61x
Dorset 1 0.62x
Flintshire 1 1.52x
Glamorgan 1 0.23x
Midlothian 1 0.30x
Monmouthshire 1 0.57x
Royal Navy 1 3.43x
Somerset 1 0.25x
Stirlingshire 1 1.11x
Warwickshire 1 0.16x
West Lothian 1 2.71x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 17 Colgans recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.09x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 17 12.09x
Benfieldside 14 292.28x
Salford 14 16.38x
Barony 12 5.99x
West Derby 12 14.12x
Nether Hallam 9 27.41x
Liff Benvie 8 23.24x
Little Bolton 8 21.42x
Preston 8 10.29x
Shettleston 8 112.84x
Toxteth Park 8 8.13x
Tranent 8 182.65x
Birkenhead 7 16.25x
Broughton In Salford 7 26.35x
Hulme 7 11.54x
Liverpool 7 3.97x
Manchester 7 5.36x
Newcastle Under Lyme 7 47.88x
Barnsley 6 23.97x
Everton 5 5.40x
Govan 5 2.55x
Knutsford Nether 5 152.91x
Pendleton In Salford 5 14.45x
St Helier 5 21.17x
Newington 4 4.42x
Tonge With Haulgh 4 70.67x
Croydon 2 3.02x
East Greenock 2 11.16x
Hammersmith London 2 3.32x
Kensington London 2 1.47x
Louth 2 22.30x
Nottingham St Mary 2 2.34x
Poplar London 2 4.33x
Alva 1 23.20x
Arlecdon 1 17.83x
Barrow In Furness 1 2.53x
Brandon Byshottles 1 10.95x
Church Coppenhall 1 41.32x
Clapham 1 3.27x
Cleator 1 11.40x
Dymeirchion 1 181.82x
Garston 1 11.67x
Gateshead 1 1.83x
Great Bolton 1 2.60x
Great Crosby 1 12.63x
Lambeth 1 0.47x
Layton With Warbreck 1 9.38x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 2.44x
Midsomer Norton 1 26.95x
Norwood 1 17.86x
Port Glasgow 1 10.91x
Portland 1 11.57x
Princethorpe 1 384.62x
Putney 1 8.96x
Royal Navy 1 4.01x
St Pancras London 1 0.51x
St Woollos 1 5.06x
Wakefield 1 5.37x
West Calder 1 15.46x
West Greenock 1 2.94x
Westminster St James 1 3.97x
Whitburn 1 18.76x
Worsley 1 5.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Catherine 8
Ann 7
Ellen 6
Margaret 6
Jane 5
Bridget 3
Elizabeth 2
Kate 2
Lilly 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Abigale 1
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Augustus 1
Bessie 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Healena 1
Hester 1
Julia 1
Marianne 1
Marsela 1
Matilda 1
May 1
Rosarina 1
Sarah 1
Stella 1
Theresa 1
Wm. 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Colgan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Colgan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 245 people were recorded with the Colgan surname. That placed it at #11,232 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Colgan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,021 in 2016. That gives Colgan a modern rank of #5,709.

What does the Colgan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Collagáin," meaning "descendant of Collagán," a personal name of uncertain origin.

What does the Colgan map show?

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