NameCensus.

UK surname

Connacher

A Gaelic surname meaning "inhabitant of the hound-field".

In the 1881 census there were 128 people recorded with the Connacher surname, ranking it #17,079 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 103, ranked #30,515, down from #17,079 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkintilloch, Arbroath and St. Vigeans and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harestanes, Carntyne West and Haghill and South Staffordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Connacher is 144 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 19.5%.

1881 census count

128

Ranked #17,079

Modern count

103

2016, ranked #30,515

Peak year

1901

144 bearers

Map years

5

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Connacher had 128 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,079 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016, ranked #30,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 144 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Connacher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Connacher surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Connacher 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 87 #18,695
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 128 #17,079
1891 historical 143 #18,920
1901 historical 144 #18,505
1911 historical 21 #31,179
1997 modern 127 #23,352
1998 modern 130 #23,603
1999 modern 120 #24,960
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 107 #26,328
2002 modern 110 #26,412
2003 modern 105 #26,940
2004 modern 105 #27,181
2005 modern 98 #28,325
2006 modern 99 #28,453
2007 modern 101 #28,505
2008 modern 103 #28,519
2009 modern 102 #29,286
2010 modern 104 #29,618
2011 modern 106 #29,157
2012 modern 98 #30,612
2013 modern 107 #29,561
2014 modern 104 #30,365
2015 modern 105 #30,092
2016 modern 103 #30,515

Geography

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Where Connachers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkintilloch, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Perth and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harestanes, Carntyne West and Haghill, South Staffordshire, Bonnington and Ladywell. 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 Kirkintilloch Dunbarton
2 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Perth Perth
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harestanes East Dunbartonshire
2 Carntyne West and Haghill Glasgow City
3 South Staffordshire 010 South Staffordshire
4 Bonnington City of Edinburgh
5 Ladywell North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Connacher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Connacher

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Connacher, 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 Connacher surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Connacher 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Connacher is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Connacher is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Connacher falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Connacher is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Connacher

The surname Connacher originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic words "con" meaning hound or wolf and "nachair" meaning hunter or forester. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who hunted wolves or worked as a forester.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century. In 1296, a William Connacher is listed on the Ragman Rolls, which recorded those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. This suggests the name was already established in Scotland by that time.

In the 15th century, a John Connacher is mentioned in the records of the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1456. This record lists landowners and tenants who paid taxes to the Crown. The name is spelled slightly differently as "Connochir" in this record.

The surname is also found in the historic parish records of Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, Scotland. A Thomas Connacher is listed as being born in Kilmarnock in 1612. This area of southwestern Scotland appears to be where the name was most concentrated in its early history.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Robert Connacher (1671-1743), a Scottish mathematician and professor at the University of St Andrews. He made contributions to the field of calculus and published several academic works.

Another notable person with this surname was John Connacher (1767-1837), a Scottish minister and historian who wrote a comprehensive history of the parish of Kilbarchan in Renfrewshire.

In the 19th century, James Connacher (1825-1897) was a successful businessman and shipbuilder in Glasgow. He owned the Connacher Line of ships and was involved in trade with India and Australia.

William Connacher (1884-1962) was a Scottish artist known for his landscape paintings of the Scottish countryside. He was a member of the Royal Scottish Academy and his works are held in several museum collections.

The surname Connacher, while not extremely common, has a long and interesting history in Scotland dating back to the medieval period. It is deeply rooted in the cultural and linguistic traditions of that region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Connacher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Connacher 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. Perthshire leads with 38 Connachers recorded in 1881 and an index of 67.29x.

County Total Index
Perthshire 38 67.29x
Lanarkshire 35 8.60x
Angus 19 16.30x
Stirlingshire 14 30.17x
Oxfordshire 8 10.30x
Middlesex 5 0.40x
Sutherland 4 41.32x
Dunbartonshire 3 8.87x
Fife 1 1.34x
Renfrewshire 1 1.03x
Royal Navy 1 6.67x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kilsyth in Stirlingshire leads with 13 Connachers recorded in 1881 and an index of 439.19x.

Place Total Index
Kilsyth 13 439.19x
Cambusnethan 10 110.62x
Logierait 10 1010.10x
Abroath St Vigeans 9 1875.00x
Barony 9 8.74x
Oxford St Thomas 8 220.39x
Cambuslang 7 170.73x
Dundee 7 16.08x
Govan 7 6.96x
Perth East Church 5 93.99x
St Pancras London 5 4.94x
Alyth 4 263.16x
Blairgowrie 4 179.37x
Golspie 4 597.01x
Perth Middle Church 4 188.68x
Perth St Pauls 4 305.34x
Cumbernauld 3 162.16x
Liff Benvie 3 16.95x
Little Dunkeld 3 312.50x
Crieff 1 47.62x
Cupar 1 30.86x
Falkirk 1 9.21x
Lochwinnoch 1 68.97x
New Monkland 1 8.31x
Old Monkland 1 6.19x
Perth West Church 1 37.31x
Tibbermore 1 123.46x
Weem 1 476.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
A. 1
E. 1
Grace 1
J. 1
Julia 1
L. 1
L.G. 1
Maud 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
C. 1
Duncan 1
F. 1
Frederick 1
Ralph 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 Connacher households.

FAQ

Connacher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Connacher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 128 people were recorded with the Connacher surname. That placed it at #17,079 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Connacher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016. That gives Connacher a modern rank of #30,515.

What does the Connacher surname mean?

A Gaelic surname meaning "inhabitant of the hound-field".

What does the Connacher map show?

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