NameCensus.

UK surname

Conran

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'Comhráin" meaning "descendant of the wolf lover".

In the 1881 census there were 57 people recorded with the Conran surname, ranking it #25,575 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 161, ranked #22,606, up from #25,575 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wycombe, Wandsworth and Haringey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Conran is 170 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 182.5%.

1881 census count

57

Ranked #25,575

Modern count

161

2016, ranked #22,606

Peak year

2015

170 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Conran had 57 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,575 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 161 in 2016, ranked #22,606.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 64 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Conran surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Conran surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Conran 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 50 #27,636
1881 historical 57 #25,575
1891 historical 64 #28,781
1901 historical 45 #29,156
1911 historical 34 #29,600
1997 modern 157 #20,513
1998 modern 146 #22,031
1999 modern 149 #21,924
2000 modern 157 #21,146
2001 modern 153 #21,197
2002 modern 153 #21,609
2003 modern 151 #21,574
2004 modern 153 #21,528
2005 modern 145 #22,253
2006 modern 149 #22,013
2007 modern 158 #21,464
2008 modern 162 #21,350
2009 modern 159 #22,072
2010 modern 167 #21,835
2011 modern 155 #22,790
2012 modern 158 #22,460
2013 modern 168 #21,914
2014 modern 167 #22,180
2015 modern 170 #21,800
2016 modern 161 #22,606

Geography

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Where Conrans 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 Wycombe, Wandsworth, Haringey, Westminster and Greenwich. 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 Wycombe 004 Wycombe
2 Wandsworth 012 Wandsworth
3 Haringey 028 Haringey
4 Westminster 016 Westminster
5 Greenwich 025 Greenwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Conran

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Conran

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Conran surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Conran 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Conran is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Conran 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

Conran falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Conran

The surname Conran is of Irish origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Conran" or "Conran", which means "little hound" or "wolf cub". The name was initially found in County Galway and the surrounding regions of western Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Conran can be traced back to the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history dating back to the 12th century. The annals mention an individual named "Conran Ua Duibh" who was involved in a conflict in the year 1166.

The Conran surname also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, a collection of financial records from the late 12th century related to the Diocese of Cloyne in County Cork. These rolls list several individuals with the surname, suggesting its widespread use in the region.

In the 16th century, the Conran family was well-established in County Galway, particularly in the area around Gort. Notable figures from this time include Fergal Conran (c. 1520 - 1585), a prominent landowner and chieftain, and Rory Conran (c. 1550 - 1612), who fought alongside the Irish forces during the Nine Years' War against English rule.

During the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the 17th century, many Conran families were dispossessed of their lands and forced to relocate to other parts of the country. This led to the spread of the surname beyond its traditional stronghold in western Ireland.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure was Dermot Conran (1725 - 1798), a successful merchant and landowner from County Galway. He was known for his involvement in local politics and his support for Irish independence movements.

The 19th century saw the emigration of many Conrans from Ireland to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. One notable individual from this period was Michael Conran (1840 - 1912), an Irish-American soldier who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War and later became a successful businessman in New York.

Other notable individuals with the surname Conran include Terence Conran (1931 - 2020), a renowned British designer and restaurateur who was instrumental in the revival of the British design industry in the 20th century, and Jasper Conran (born 1959), a fashion designer and the son of Terence Conran, who has achieved significant success in the fashion world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Conran families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Conran 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. Denbighshire leads with 10 Conrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.62x.

County Total Index
Denbighshire 10 47.62x
Yorkshire 8 1.45x
Glamorgan 7 7.23x
Devon 6 5.18x
Hampshire 4 3.51x
Lancashire 4 0.61x
Berkshire 3 7.19x
Kent 2 1.05x
Middlesex 2 0.36x
Somerset 2 2.23x
Angus 1 1.94x
Buckinghamshire 1 2.98x
Cornwall 1 1.59x
Fife 1 3.04x
Flintshire 1 6.69x
Gloucestershire 1 0.92x
Midlothian 1 1.34x
Renfrewshire 1 2.32x
Suffolk 1 1.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cardiff St Mary in Glamorgan leads with 7 Conrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 131.33x.

Place Total Index
Cardiff St Mary 7 131.33x
Chirk 7 1707.32x
Holy Trinity 6 45.28x
Plympton St Mary 6 895.52x
Liverpool 4 9.98x
Portsea 3 13.43x
Stansty 3 1304.35x
Deptford St Paul 2 13.67x
Dewsbury 2 35.40x
New Windsor 2 142.86x
Weston Super Mare 2 88.50x
Abbotshall 1 81.30x
Basingstoke 1 76.34x
Bodmin 1 96.15x
Cheltenham 1 11.89x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 3.34x
Hopton 1 588.24x
Liff Benvie 1 12.79x
Rhuddlan 1 75.76x
Sandhurst 1 123.46x
St George Hanover Square 1 10.20x
St Pancras London 1 2.23x
Stony Stratford East 1 714.29x
West Greenock 1 12.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 2
Margaret 2
Ann 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Edward 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Frances 1
Franci 1
Francis 1
Geraldine 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Marri 1
Robina 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Henry 2
Patrick 2
Timothy 2
William 2
Charles 1
Edward 1
Edwyn 1
Guy 1
Isaac 1
James 1
Lewis 1
Marcell 1
Michael 1
Reuped 1
Robert 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Conran surname: questions and answers

How common was the Conran surname in 1881?

In 1881, 57 people were recorded with the Conran surname. That placed it at #25,575 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Conran surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 161 in 2016. That gives Conran a modern rank of #22,606.

What does the Conran surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'Comhráin" meaning "descendant of the wolf lover".

What does the Conran map show?

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