NameCensus.

UK surname

Conaghan

A surname originating from Irish Gaelic meaning "descendant of the hound".

In the 1881 census there were 29 people recorded with the Conaghan surname, ranking it #29,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 585, ranked #8,879, up from #29,484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Wyndford and Gretna.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Conaghan is 592 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1917.2%.

1881 census count

29

Ranked #29,484

Modern count

585

2016, ranked #8,879

Peak year

2010

592 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Conaghan had 29 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 585 in 2016, ranked #8,879.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 80 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Conaghan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Conaghan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Conaghan 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 44 #25,328
1861 historical 49 #27,768
1881 historical 29 #29,484
1891 historical 51 #30,158
1901 historical 80 #25,251
1911 historical 7 #33,083
1997 modern 501 #9,288
1998 modern 518 #9,342
1999 modern 515 #9,451
2000 modern 534 #9,157
2001 modern 515 #9,254
2002 modern 525 #9,322
2003 modern 518 #9,257
2004 modern 538 #9,003
2005 modern 545 #8,842
2006 modern 534 #9,026
2007 modern 536 #9,068
2008 modern 556 #8,892
2009 modern 559 #9,055
2010 modern 592 #8,874
2011 modern 566 #9,070
2012 modern 563 #9,023
2013 modern 572 #9,042
2014 modern 579 #9,024
2015 modern 579 #8,964
2016 modern 585 #8,879

Geography

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Where Conaghans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Wyndford, Gretna, Firhill and Keppochhill. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 005 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Wyndford Glasgow City
3 Gretna Dumfries and Galloway
4 Firhill Glasgow City
5 Keppochhill Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Conaghan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Conaghan

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Conaghan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Conaghan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Conaghan 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

Conaghan 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

Conaghan 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 Conaghan 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Conaghan

The surname CONAGHAN is of Irish origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name O'Conacháin, which means 'descendant of Conachán'. Conachán is a diminutive of the Irish personal name Conchobhar, meaning 'high desire' or 'wolf lover'.

The name is derived from the ancient Irish kingdom of Connaught, which was one of the five traditional provinces of Ireland. The O'Conacháin clan was based in the northern part of Connaught, specifically in the areas around Leitrim, Roscommon, and Sligo.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1244, it mentions a chieftain named Maurice O'Conacháin who was involved in a battle against the Norman invaders.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, many Irish families were forced to anglicize their surnames due to the English conquest of Ireland. This led to various spellings of the name, such as Conaghan, Conaghen, Connaghan, and Connaughan.

In the 19th century, the CONAGHAN spelling became more standardized. Notable individuals with this surname include:

1. Patrick Conaghan (1812-1896), an Irish-American prelate who served as the first Bishop of Ogdensburg, New York. 2. James Conaghan (1826-1906), an Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. 3. John Conaghan (1875-1964), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Ogdensburg, New York, from 1923 to 1957. 4. Michael Conaghan (1888-1964), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Bismarck, North Dakota, from 1948 to 1964. 5. Maureen Conaghan (born 1957), a British academic and legal scholar who specializes in gender and law.

The surname CONAGHAN continues to be prevalent in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Leitrim, Roscommon, and Sligo, as well as in Irish diaspora communities around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Conaghan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Conaghan 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. Lanarkshire leads with 18 Conaghans recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.68x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 18 19.68x
Renfrewshire 6 27.37x
Argyllshire 2 25.41x
Buteshire 1 58.48x
Durham 1 1.19x
West Lothian 1 23.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 5 Conaghans recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.60x.

Place Total Index
Barony 5 21.60x
East Greenock 5 241.55x
Glasgow 4 24.63x
Govan 4 17.68x
Old Monkland 4 110.19x
Dunoon Kilmun 2 327.87x
Blantyre 1 105.26x
Boness 1 169.49x
Kilmory 1 400.00x
Paisley Middle Church 1 78.13x
Wolsingham 1 129.87x

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Conaghan households.

Occupation Count
Cinder Drawer 1

FAQ

Conaghan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Conaghan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 29 people were recorded with the Conaghan surname. That placed it at #29,484 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Conaghan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 585 in 2016. That gives Conaghan a modern rank of #8,879.

What does the Conaghan surname mean?

A surname originating from Irish Gaelic meaning "descendant of the hound".

What does the Conaghan map show?

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