NameCensus.

UK surname

Craney

An English surname derived from a town name, likely meaning "one from Craney".

In the 1881 census there were 123 people recorded with the Craney surname, ranking it #17,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 253, ranked #16,671, up from #17,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Petershill, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Craney is 268 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 105.7%.

1881 census count

123

Ranked #17,506

Modern count

253

2016, ranked #16,671

Peak year

2004

268 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Craney had 123 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 253 in 2016, ranked #16,671.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 164 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Craney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Craney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Craney 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 89 #18,446
1861 historical 97 #21,503
1881 historical 123 #17,506
1891 historical 164 #17,205
1901 historical 121 #20,444
1911 historical 95 #23,294
1997 modern 252 #15,193
1998 modern 263 #15,161
1999 modern 260 #15,390
2000 modern 257 #15,468
2001 modern 257 #15,236
2002 modern 258 #15,485
2003 modern 250 #15,605
2004 modern 268 #14,995
2005 modern 255 #15,437
2006 modern 251 #15,696
2007 modern 251 #15,861
2008 modern 247 #16,205
2009 modern 257 #16,099
2010 modern 257 #16,476
2011 modern 252 #16,543
2012 modern 250 #16,523
2013 modern 256 #16,506
2014 modern 255 #16,682
2015 modern 254 #16,608
2016 modern 253 #16,671

Geography

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Where Craneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Gateshead and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Petershill, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, Liverpool, West Lancashire and Birkenshaw. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 London parishes London 3
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Petershill Glasgow City
2 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
3 Liverpool 008 Liverpool
4 West Lancashire 010 West Lancashire
5 Birkenshaw North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Craney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Craney

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Craney 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

Craney 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

Craney 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 Craney 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 Craney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Craney

The surname Craney is believed to have originated in Ireland. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "crannach" which means a wooded place or a place of trees. The earliest recorded examples of the name date back to the 16th century in County Mayo, Ireland.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Craney surname was John Craney, born in 1582 in Westport, County Mayo. He was a farmer and landowner who is mentioned in local records from the time. Another early bearer was Patrick Craney, born in 1612 in Belmullet, County Mayo, who worked as a fisherman.

The Craney surname is also found in some historical records from County Sligo, Ireland. For instance, there is a reference to a Michael Craney, born in 1675 in Ballymote, County Sligo, who was a blacksmith by trade.

In the 18th century, the Craney name appeared in the Hearth Money Rolls, which were tax records from the time. One entry from 1767 lists a Thomas Craney from County Mayo who was a tenant farmer.

Several notable individuals have borne the Craney surname throughout history. One example is John Craney (1801-1870), who was an Irish politician and member of the British Parliament for County Mayo in the mid-19th century. Another is Michael Craney (1832-1901), an Irish-born American soldier who fought in the American Civil War and received the Medal of Honor for his bravery.

Other individuals with the Craney surname include William Craney (1859-1927), an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, and Mary Craney (1887-1964), an Irish novelist and playwright who wrote several works in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Craney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Craney 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 33 Craneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.50x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 33 8.50x
Lancashire 21 1.48x
Middlesex 17 1.42x
Durham 15 4.20x
Cumberland 7 6.78x
Northumberland 7 3.92x
Warwickshire 6 1.98x
Devon 4 1.60x
Surrey 4 0.68x
Kent 2 0.49x
Sussex 2 0.99x
Ayrshire 1 1.11x
Bedfordshire 1 1.61x
Cheshire 1 0.38x
Glamorgan 1 0.48x
Midlothian 1 0.62x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 15 Craneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.63x.

Place Total Index
Govan 15 15.63x
Seaton Delaval 7 445.86x
Chelsea London 6 16.60x
Clitheroe 6 143.20x
Coventry St Michael 6 61.73x
Shotts 6 129.31x
Westoe 6 29.64x
Ardwick 5 38.94x
Glasgow 5 7.26x
Crosscanonby 4 116.96x
Old Monkland 4 25.97x
Tanfield 4 94.34x
Westminster St John 4 27.38x
Croydon 3 9.25x
Liverpool 3 3.47x
Stoke Damerel 3 17.16x
Workington 3 50.76x
Billingshurst 2 303.03x
Dartford 2 47.73x
Hackney London 2 2.97x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 12.94x
Kirkdale 2 8.35x
Poplar London 2 8.83x
Rusholme 2 52.63x
Rutherglen 2 35.15x
Salford 2 4.78x
Thornley 2 155.04x
Barony 1 1.02x
Barrow In Furness 1 5.17x
Bedford St Paul 1 23.47x
Chertsey 1 26.46x
Cornforth 1 95.24x
Devonport 1 34.84x
Kirknewton 1 217.39x
Mile End Old Town London 1 3.92x
Runcorn 1 16.37x
Sorn 1 56.82x
St Botolph Aldgate London 1 40.49x
St Sepulchre London 1 56.82x
Swansea Town 1 5.84x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
Thomas 6
William 5
George 3
Charles 2
Henry 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Andersen 1
Bernard 1
David 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
Jas.R. 1
Jonathan 1
Robert 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Craney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Craney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 123 people were recorded with the Craney surname. That placed it at #17,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Craney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 253 in 2016. That gives Craney a modern rank of #16,671.

What does the Craney surname mean?

An English surname derived from a town name, likely meaning "one from Craney".

What does the Craney map show?

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