NameCensus.

UK surname

Croghan

A surname of Irish origin meaning "of the crooked little hills".

In the 1881 census there were 47 people recorded with the Croghan surname, ranking it #27,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 131, ranked #26,004, up from #27,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Staffordshire, Braintree and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Croghan is 131 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 178.7%.

1881 census count

47

Ranked #27,019

Modern count

131

2016, ranked #26,004

Peak year

2016

131 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Croghan had 47 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016, ranked #26,004.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 67 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Croghan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Croghan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Croghan 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 55 #27,007
1881 historical 47 #27,019
1891 historical 54 #29,849
1901 historical 41 #29,602
1911 historical 67 #26,152
1997 modern 103 #26,498
1998 modern 112 #25,856
1999 modern 115 #25,620
2000 modern 110 #26,248
2001 modern 108 #26,184
2002 modern 105 #27,123
2003 modern 100 #27,722
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 99 #28,177
2006 modern 101 #28,125
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 110 #27,991
2010 modern 112 #28,336
2011 modern 118 #27,192
2012 modern 117 #27,394
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 129 #26,352
2015 modern 129 #26,226
2016 modern 131 #26,004

Geography

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Where Croghans 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 East Staffordshire, Braintree, Cheshire West and Chester, Elmbridge and Cherwell. 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 East Staffordshire 015 East Staffordshire
2 Braintree 017 Braintree
3 Cheshire West and Chester 011 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Elmbridge 014 Elmbridge
5 Cherwell 002 Cherwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Croghan

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Croghan

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Croghan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Croghan 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 are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Croghan is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Croghan 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

Croghan 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 Croghan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Croghan

The surname Croghan originates from the Gaelic Irish O'Crochain or O'Croidheagain, which translates to "descendant of Crochán." The name is believed to have emerged in the province of Connacht in western Ireland during the Middle Ages.

Croghan is derived from the Gaelic word "croch," which means "saffron" or "yellow-red," suggesting that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with reddish or saffron-colored hair or complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it mentions a Maolmuire O'Croidheagain in the year 1264.

In the 16th century, there are records of the Croghan family holding lands in County Roscommon, particularly around the town of Elphin. The name is also associated with the famous Rathcroghan archaeological site, an ancient royal complex in County Roscommon, suggesting a connection between the family and this significant location.

A notable historical figure with the surname Croghan was George Croghan (1720-1782), an Irish-born American trader and diplomat who played a crucial role in negotiating with Native American tribes during the colonial era. He was also involved in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War.

Another prominent individual was Colonel George Croghan (1791-1849), an American military officer and land surveyor who served in the War of 1812 and later became a key figure in the development of the Ohio country and the state of Indiana.

William Croghan (1752-1822), an Irish-born merchant and landowner in Kentucky, was a prominent figure in the early history of the state and served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.

In the literary world, the surname is associated with Mary Croghan Wharton (1798-1851), an American author and poet who wrote under the pen name "Mrs. Wharton."

Lastly, Major John Croghan (1842-1916) was a Union officer in the American Civil War who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Fort Stephenson in 1813.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Croghan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Croghan 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 10 Croghans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.84x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 10 1.84x
Leicestershire 10 19.68x
Middlesex 8 1.75x
Yorkshire 6 1.32x
Cheshire 4 3.95x
Derbyshire 4 5.57x
Gloucestershire 4 4.45x
Midlothian 1 1.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Loughborough in Leicestershire leads with 10 Croghans recorded in 1881 and an index of 432.90x.

Place Total Index
Loughborough 10 432.90x
Middlesbrough 5 84.60x
Clifton 4 88.11x
Paddington London 4 23.74x
Wigan 4 52.63x
Buxton 2 327.87x
Chester St Mary On Hill 2 229.89x
Glossop Dale 2 59.52x
Kensington London 2 7.85x
Liverpool 2 6.06x
Macclesfield 2 44.44x
Manchester 2 8.18x
Hook 1 100.00x
Mile End Old Town London 1 10.25x
North Leith 1 35.21x
Rainford 1 169.49x
St Pancras London 1 2.71x
Widnes 1 25.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 3
Eliza 2
Amy 1
Ann 1
Dorothy 1
Elizth.Clare 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Honora 1
Kate 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

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 Croghan households.

FAQ

Croghan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Croghan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 47 people were recorded with the Croghan surname. That placed it at #27,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Croghan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016. That gives Croghan a modern rank of #26,004.

What does the Croghan surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "of the crooked little hills".

What does the Croghan map show?

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