NameCensus.

UK surname

Conboy

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Conbuidhe," meaning "son of the yellow hound."

In the 1881 census there were 98 people recorded with the Conboy surname, ranking it #19,999 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 669, ranked #7,997, up from #19,999 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newcastle All Saints, Edinburgh and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Kesteven, Tameside and Carmarthenshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Conboy is 701 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 582.7%.

1881 census count

98

Ranked #19,999

Modern count

669

2016, ranked #7,997

Peak year

2010

701 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Conboy had 98 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,999 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 669 in 2016, ranked #7,997.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 220 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Conboy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Conboy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Conboy 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 44 #28,433
1881 historical 98 #19,999
1891 historical 134 #19,777
1901 historical 220 #14,245
1911 historical 189 #15,488
1997 modern 595 #8,199
1998 modern 631 #8,095
1999 modern 639 #8,067
2000 modern 650 #7,936
2001 modern 632 #7,946
2002 modern 627 #8,187
2003 modern 625 #8,060
2004 modern 618 #8,164
2005 modern 633 #7,947
2006 modern 642 #7,881
2007 modern 659 #7,784
2008 modern 666 #7,769
2009 modern 691 #7,717
2010 modern 701 #7,770
2011 modern 698 #7,706
2012 modern 685 #7,732
2013 modern 680 #7,917
2014 modern 688 #7,887
2015 modern 678 #7,922
2016 modern 669 #7,997

Geography

Back to top

Where Conboys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newcastle All Saints, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bray, Maidenhead, Cookham and Batley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Kesteven, Tameside, Carmarthenshire, Oldham and Leeds. 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 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Bray, Maidenhead, Cookham Berkshire
5 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Kesteven 005 South Kesteven
2 Tameside 010 Tameside
3 Carmarthenshire 013 Carmarthenshire
4 Oldham 004 Oldham
5 Leeds 073 Leeds

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Conboy

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Conboy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Conboy, 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 Conboy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Conboy 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, Conboy 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

Conboy is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Conboy falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Conboy

The surname Conboy is of Irish origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval era in Ireland. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "cún" meaning hound or wolf, and "buidhe" meaning yellow or tawny, suggesting a connection to a person with a yellowish or tawny complexion or hair color resembling that of a wolf or hound.

The name is thought to have emerged in County Sligo, located in the northwestern region of Ireland. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a renowned chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan monks in the early 17th century.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Conboy was Tadhg Conboy, a prominent landowner and chieftain who lived in County Sligo during the 14th century. His descendants continued to hold significant influence in the region for several generations.

In the 16th century, historical records mention a Seán Conboy, a skilled warrior who fought alongside the renowned Irish chieftain Red Hugh O'Donnell during the Nine Years' War against English forces in Ireland.

During the 17th century, the Conboy family faced difficulties due to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland and the subsequent Plantation of Ulster, which saw many Irish landowners dispossessed of their lands. However, some Conboy families managed to retain their holdings, and the name continued to be prevalent in County Sligo and surrounding areas.

In the late 18th century, a notable figure was Patrick Conboy, a successful merchant and landowner from County Sligo who played a significant role in the development of the town of Ballymote.

Throughout the 19th century, several members of the Conboy family were involved in various professions, including law, education, and the clergy. One such individual was Reverend Michael Conboy, a prominent Catholic priest who served as the parish priest of Ballymote in the mid-19th century.

As the centuries progressed, the Conboy surname spread beyond its original homeland in County Sligo, with members of the family migrating to other parts of Ireland, as well as to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, where they contributed to the rich tapestry of Irish diaspora communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Conboy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Conboy 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 42 Conboys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.70x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 42 3.70x
Yorkshire 15 1.58x
Brecknockshire 9 47.07x
East Lothian 8 63.19x
Midlothian 8 6.25x
Aberdeenshire 6 6.78x
Buckinghamshire 6 10.38x
Surrey 2 0.43x
Berwickshire 1 8.64x
Kent 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 12 Conboys recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.42x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 12 17.42x
Brecknock St John 9 559.01x
West Derby 8 24.11x
Hulme 7 29.56x
Whittinghame 7 3333.33x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 6 36.23x
Great Marlow 6 384.62x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 9.71x
Holy Trinity 5 21.95x
Leeds 5 9.35x
Elton 4 102.04x
Stretford 4 64.10x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 3 337.08x
Blackburn 2 6.63x
Bradford 2 8.72x
Manchester 2 3.92x
Widnes 2 24.45x
Billinge Chapel End 1 156.25x
Dunse 1 90.91x
Gladsmuir 1 178.57x
Horsforth 1 48.08x
Huddersfield 1 7.25x
Kingston On Thames 1 8.94x
Lambeth 1 1.20x
Lewisham 1 5.75x
Morley 1 20.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 6
Mary 6
Elizabeth 4
Margaret 3
Catherine 2
E.M. 2
Ellen 2
Maria 2
A.M. 1
Annie 1
Bridget 1
C.L. 1
Caroline 1
Emily 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Martha 1
Maud 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
James 6
Patrick 4
William 4
C.P. 2
Michael 2
Dominic 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
G.J.D. 1
George 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1
W.H. 1

FAQ

Conboy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Conboy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 98 people were recorded with the Conboy surname. That placed it at #19,999 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Conboy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 669 in 2016. That gives Conboy a modern rank of #7,997.

What does the Conboy surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Conbuidhe," meaning "son of the yellow hound."

What does the Conboy map show?

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