NameCensus.

UK surname

Cusack

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Cíosóg," meaning "descendant of Cíosóg," a personal name of uncertain meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 322 people recorded with the Cusack surname, ranking it #9,262 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,547, ranked #4,003, up from #9,262 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bury, Merthyr Tydfil and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cusack is 1,622 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 380.4%.

1881 census count

322

Ranked #9,262

Modern count

1,547

2016, ranked #4,003

Peak year

2010

1,622 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cusack had 322 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,262 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,547 in 2016, ranked #4,003.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 470 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cusack surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cusack surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cusack 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 121 #15,049
1861 historical 181 #12,997
1881 historical 322 #9,262
1891 historical 373 #9,367
1901 historical 454 #8,657
1911 historical 470 #8,217
1997 modern 1,438 #4,057
1998 modern 1,493 #4,068
1999 modern 1,525 #4,020
2000 modern 1,509 #4,040
2001 modern 1,484 #4,015
2002 modern 1,529 #4,003
2003 modern 1,507 #3,985
2004 modern 1,502 #3,991
2005 modern 1,491 #3,982
2006 modern 1,519 #3,922
2007 modern 1,520 #3,949
2008 modern 1,531 #3,939
2009 modern 1,553 #3,986
2010 modern 1,622 #3,910
2011 modern 1,576 #3,965
2012 modern 1,568 #3,923
2013 modern 1,571 #3,977
2014 modern 1,597 #3,945
2015 modern 1,554 #4,001
2016 modern 1,547 #4,003

Geography

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Where Cusacks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bury, Merthyr Tydfil, Rotherham, Parkhead West and Barrowfield and Birmingham. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bury 014 Bury
2 Merthyr Tydfil 007 Merthyr Tydfil
3 Rotherham 026 Rotherham
4 Parkhead West and Barrowfield Glasgow City
5 Birmingham 011 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cusack

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cusack

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Cusack is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cusack 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

Cusack falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cusack

The surname Cusack is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname O'Cusaigh, which originated in County Meath, Ireland. The name is derived from the Gaelic word 'cusac' meaning 'footstep' or 'track'.

The Cusacks were a prominent Irish family who held lands in County Meath from the 12th century onwards. The name first appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, in the year 1166.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname is Sir Thomas Cusack, who was born around 1490 and served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland in the 16th century. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Cusack, Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1554.

The Cusack family also had strong connections to the town of Coolock, located near Dublin. The name of the town is believed to be derived from the Irish 'Cuil Uisceach', meaning 'marshy corner', and may have been associated with the Cusack family's lands in the area.

During the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, the Cusack family played a significant role in supporting the English forces. This led to the anglicization of their surname from O'Cusaigh to Cusack.

Prominent individuals with the surname Cusack throughout history include:

1. Cyril Cusack (1910-1993), an Irish actor known for his roles in films like 'The Remains of the Day' and 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'. 2. Mary Cusack (1830-1899), also known as 'The Nun of Kenmare', an Irish nun and author who wrote about her experiences in religious life. 3. Dymphna Cusack (1902-1981), an Australian author and activist known for her novels exploring social and political issues. 4. John Cusack (born 1966), an American actor and producer, best known for his roles in films like 'Say Anything', 'High Fidelity', and 'Grosse Pointe Blank'. 5. Adam Cusack (born 1989), an Irish rugby union player who has represented Ireland at international level.

The surname Cusack continues to be prevalent in Ireland, particularly in the provinces of Leinster and Munster, as well as among Irish diaspora communities around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cusack families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cusack 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 76 Cusacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.06x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 76 2.06x
Middlesex 45 1.45x
Lanarkshire 35 3.49x
Yorkshire 17 0.55x
Cheshire 15 2.19x
Devon 15 2.32x
Northumberland 15 3.25x
Perthshire 13 9.34x
Kent 11 1.04x
Angus 10 3.48x
Midlothian 10 2.41x
Hampshire 9 1.42x
Sussex 8 1.53x
Berkshire 5 2.15x
Monmouthshire 5 2.23x
Worcestershire 5 1.23x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.96x
Derbyshire 3 0.62x
Oxfordshire 3 1.57x
Surrey 3 0.20x
Dorset 2 0.98x
Gloucestershire 2 0.33x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.80x
Essex 1 0.16x
Glamorgan 1 0.19x
Leicestershire 1 0.29x
Stirlingshire 1 0.87x
West Lothian 1 2.14x
Wiltshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Damerel in Devon leads with 14 Cusacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.98x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Damerel 14 30.98x
Glasgow 12 6.74x
Deptford St Paul 11 13.48x
Liverpool 11 4.92x
Maryhill 11 56.01x
St Marylebone London 10 6.04x
Toxteth Park 10 8.02x
Chorley 9 43.58x
Keighley 8 24.42x
Stoke Newington London 8 33.11x
Barony 7 2.76x
Liff Benvie 7 16.05x
Perth East Church 7 53.31x
Aldershot 6 28.17x
Barrow In Furness 6 11.99x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 20.53x
Edinburgh New North 6 165.75x
Newton 6 21.15x
Perth Middle Church 6 114.50x
Subdeanery 6 151.13x
Westgate 6 20.99x
Congleton 5 42.27x
Govan 5 2.02x
North Shields 5 54.29x
Ashton In Makerfield 4 38.17x
Dukinfield 4 12.64x
Horton In Bradford 4 8.33x
Newcastle On Tyne St 4 16.72x
Nottingham St Mary 4 3.70x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 4 50.76x
Reading St Mary 4 21.45x
St Pancras London 4 1.60x
Stourbridge 4 38.39x
Tottenham 4 8.10x
Westminster St John 4 10.59x
Brightside Bierlow 3 4.98x
Cowley 3 50.17x
Dundee 3 2.80x
Edinburgh New 3 92.88x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 2.49x
Bedwellty 2 5.05x
Bethnal Green London 2 1.48x
Birkenhead 2 3.66x
Blackley 2 31.01x
Bradford 2 2.69x
Brighton 2 1.90x
Bromley London 2 2.93x
Caerleon 2 170.94x
Carisbrooke 2 22.65x
Clifton 2 6.50x
Derby St Peter 2 12.93x
Fulwood 2 50.25x
Great Bolton 2 4.10x
Paddington London 2 1.75x
Skelmersdale 2 32.63x
St George Hanover Square 2 3.66x
Wavertree 2 16.98x
Ardwick 1 3.01x
Clewer 1 10.48x
Devizes St James 1 27.40x
Eckington 1 8.47x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.60x
Farnborough 1 14.97x
Hammersmith London 1 1.31x
Iwerne Courtnay 1 72.99x
Kirkdale 1 1.62x
Layton With Warbreck 1 7.40x
Little Warley 1 117.65x
Manchester 1 0.60x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.51x
Northfield 1 13.00x
Preston 1 1.02x
Putney 1 7.07x
Salford 1 0.92x
St George In East London 1 3.43x
Stirling 1 6.93x
Swansea Town 1 2.26x
Trefriw 1 158.73x
Uphall 1 19.46x
Whiston 1 34.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Elizabeth 13
Catherine 10
Margaret 8
Ann 6
Ellen 5
Sarah 5
Jane 4
Annie 3
Helen 3
Bridget 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Rebecca 2
Susannah 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Betsey 1
Briget 1
Catharine 1
Charlotte 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Eva 1
Evena 1
Henrietta 1
Honor 1
Isabella 1
Johanna 1
Louisa 1
Margarette 1
Margret 1
Margt. 1
Phoebe 1
Rosa 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 24
William 14
Thomas 13
Michael 12
James 11
Patrick 5
Walter 5
Joseph 4
Charles 3
David 2
Edward 2
Fred 2
Henry 2
Jno. 2
Nicholas 2
Philip 2
Timothy 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Bryan 1
Christopher 1
Danial 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Martin 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Thom 1
Thos. 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Cusack surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cusack surname in 1881?

In 1881, 322 people were recorded with the Cusack surname. That placed it at #9,262 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cusack surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,547 in 2016. That gives Cusack a modern rank of #4,003.

What does the Cusack surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Cíosóg," meaning "descendant of Cíosóg," a personal name of uncertain meaning.

What does the Cusack map show?

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