NameCensus.

UK surname

Coonan

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Codnáin, a patronymic meaning "descendant of Codnán".

In the 1881 census there were 105 people recorded with the Coonan surname, ranking it #19,183 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 192, ranked #20,118, down from #19,183 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Liverpool and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, Boston and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coonan is 207 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 82.9%.

1881 census count

105

Ranked #19,183

Modern count

192

2016, ranked #20,118

Peak year

2014

207 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coonan had 105 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,183 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 192 in 2016, ranked #20,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 130 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Coonan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coonan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coonan 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 33 #27,390
1861 historical 41 #28,839
1881 historical 105 #19,183
1891 historical 87 #25,802
1901 historical 123 #20,248
1911 historical 130 #19,504
1997 modern 183 #18,642
1998 modern 200 #18,114
1999 modern 193 #18,642
2000 modern 190 #18,806
2001 modern 186 #18,773
2002 modern 197 #18,474
2003 modern 183 #19,152
2004 modern 191 #18,723
2005 modern 184 #19,117
2006 modern 186 #19,140
2007 modern 190 #19,088
2008 modern 198 #18,753
2009 modern 206 #18,657
2010 modern 193 #19,880
2011 modern 193 #19,729
2012 modern 189 #19,949
2013 modern 203 #19,327
2014 modern 207 #19,259
2015 modern 196 #19,840
2016 modern 192 #20,118

Geography

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Where Coonans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Liverpool, Bradford, Blackburn and Houghton-le-Spring. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, Boston, Sunderland, Stratford-on-Avon and Merton. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Liverpool Lancashire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Houghton-le-Spring Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 012 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Boston 002 Boston
3 Sunderland 027 Sunderland
4 Stratford-on-Avon 009 Stratford-on-Avon
5 Merton 008 Merton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coonan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coonan

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Coonan 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

Coonan 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

Coonan 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 Coonan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Coonan

The surname Coonan is of Irish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is an anglicized version of the old Gaelic name Ó Conáin, which means "descendant of Conán". Conán was a popular personal name derived from the old Irish word "cú" meaning "wolf" and the diminutive suffix "-án".

The name is believed to have originated in County Sligo, particularly in the baronies of Carbury and Dromahair. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, where it appears as "O'Conane" and "O'Conan".

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Donough O'Coonan, a prominent landowner in County Sligo during the 16th century. He is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as "O'Coonane", "O'Coonan", and "Coonan" in the Hearth Money Rolls, a tax record of households in Ireland. During this period, the name was also found in County Mayo, where it is believed some members of the family migrated.

Notable individuals with the surname Coonan include William Coonan (1856-1922), an Irish-American politician who served as the 29th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Coonan (1877-1963), an Australian judge and politician who served as the 16th Premier of New South Wales from 1925 to 1927.

In the 19th century, the name appeared in various parts of Ireland, including County Cork, where it is thought some members of the family settled during the Plantation of Munster. One notable individual from this period was Michael Coonan (1819-1901), an Irish Roman Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively on the history of the Diocese of Cork and Ross.

Another prominent figure was John Coonan (1865-1935), an Irish-American baseball player who played for various teams in the Major Leagues, including the Brooklyn Bridegrooms (later known as the Dodgers) and the Chicago Orphans (later known as the Cubs).

While the surname Coonan is not as widespread as some other Irish names, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its roots in County Sligo, where it first emerged in the 16th century as a distinct Gaelic clan name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Coonan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coonan 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 50 Coonans recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.04x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 50 4.04x
Yorkshire 26 2.51x
Durham 10 3.22x
Gloucestershire 7 3.42x
Cheshire 5 2.17x
Angus 4 4.14x
Channel Islands 2 6.47x
Surrey 2 0.39x
Middlesex 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 10 Coonans recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.36x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 10 30.36x
Clifford Cum Boston 10 1075.27x
Penshaw 10 1075.27x
Bradford 8 31.96x
Rishton 8 551.72x
Bingley 6 91.05x
Bristol St James St Paul 6 87.98x
Walton On Hill 6 89.42x
Ardwick 5 44.76x
Oldham 5 12.51x
Toxteth Park 5 11.92x
Monifieth 4 117.30x
Bury 3 21.22x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 15.25x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 3 113.21x
Croydon 2 7.09x
Litherland 2 77.22x
Liverpool 2 2.66x
Monks Coppenhall 2 23.02x
St Maryde Castro 2 263.16x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 5.19x
Hackney London 1 1.71x
Penistone 1 123.46x
Sheffield 1 3.04x
Sutton 1 24.10x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Ann 7
Bridget 4
Margaret 3
Catherine 2
Teresa 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Barbara 1
Cathr. 1
Cathrine 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
May 1
Nora 1
Pattie 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1
Veronica 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
James 7
Thomas 7
Patrick 5
Michael 4
William 3
Edward 2
Andrew 1
Denis 1
Dominic 1
George 1
Jno. 1
Joseph 1
M.W. 1
Maurice 1
Patk. 1
Paul 1
Peter 1
Sylvester 1
Thos. 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Coonan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coonan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 105 people were recorded with the Coonan surname. That placed it at #19,183 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coonan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 192 in 2016. That gives Coonan a modern rank of #20,118.

What does the Coonan surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Codnáin, a patronymic meaning "descendant of Codnán".

What does the Coonan map show?

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