NameCensus.

UK surname

Darragh

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Daire," meaning oakwood or oak grove.

In the 1881 census there were 122 people recorded with the Darragh surname, ranking it #17,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 462, ranked #10,607, up from #17,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Mearns and Middlesborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Shotts and Parkhead West and Barrowfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Darragh is 502 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 278.7%.

1881 census count

122

Ranked #17,602

Modern count

462

2016, ranked #10,607

Peak year

2010

502 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Darragh had 122 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 462 in 2016, ranked #10,607.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 128 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Darragh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Darragh surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Darragh 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 41 #25,926
1861 historical 64 #25,747
1881 historical 122 #17,602
1891 historical 114 #22,006
1901 historical 128 #19,822
1911 historical 108 #21,736
1997 modern 464 #9,831
1998 modern 470 #10,066
1999 modern 467 #10,179
2000 modern 462 #10,212
2001 modern 468 #9,949
2002 modern 483 #9,882
2003 modern 462 #10,045
2004 modern 453 #10,251
2005 modern 458 #10,077
2006 modern 461 #10,054
2007 modern 471 #9,992
2008 modern 469 #10,119
2009 modern 483 #10,114
2010 modern 502 #10,029
2011 modern 473 #10,376
2012 modern 482 #10,131
2013 modern 475 #10,401
2014 modern 460 #10,713
2015 modern 466 #10,552
2016 modern 462 #10,607

Geography

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Where Darraghs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Mearns, Middlesborough, Portsmouth, Portsea and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Shotts and Parkhead West and Barrowfield. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Mearns Renfrew
3 Middlesborough Durham
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 003 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Shotts North Lanarkshire
3 Stockton-on-Tees 020 Stockton-on-Tees
4 Parkhead West and Barrowfield Glasgow City
5 Stockton-on-Tees 019 Stockton-on-Tees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Darragh

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Darragh

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Darragh is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Darragh 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

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

Meaning and origin of Darragh

The surname Darragh is of Irish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name O'Dearga, which means "descendant of Dearga". Dearga was a personal name derived from the Irish word "dearg", meaning "red" or "ruddy complexion".

The Darragh family was originally based in County Leitrim, Ireland, where they were a prominent clan. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Maolmordha O'Dearga in the year 1180.

In the 16th century, the Darragh family played a role in the Irish Confederate Wars, with several members participating in the struggles against English rule. One notable figure was Mulrony Darragh, who commanded a regiment of Irish soldiers during the Siege of Limerick in 1651.

The surname Darragh has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Derragh in County Longford and Derragh in County Sligo. These place names likely originated from the Gaelic word "doire", meaning "oak wood" or "oak grove".

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Darragh. One of the earliest was Patrick Darragh (c. 1590-1668), an Irish Catholic priest and theologian who served as the Bishop of Dromore from 1647 to 1668.

Another prominent figure was Jeremiah Darragh (1719-1808), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Pennsylvania. He is known for his role in the "Paoli Massacre" in 1777, where he helped save the lives of several Continental Army soldiers.

In the 19th century, Robert Darragh (1836-1908) was an Irish-born Australian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales.

Sir John Darragh (1867-1939) was a British architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall extension and the British Medical Association headquarters.

Finally, Fintan Darragh (1942-2017) was an Irish politician and member of the Fianna Fáil party, serving as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1979 to 1994.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Darragh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Darragh 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 42 Darraghs recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.82x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 42 10.82x
Renfrewshire 23 24.74x
Cheshire 11 4.15x
Northumberland 11 6.16x
Durham 8 2.24x
Kent 5 1.22x
Cumberland 4 3.87x
Hampshire 4 1.63x
Angus 3 2.70x
Cornwall 3 2.21x
Dunbartonshire 3 9.31x
Lancashire 3 0.21x
Ayrshire 1 1.11x
Channel Islands 1 2.81x
Middlesex 1 0.08x

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 18 Darraghs recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.76x.

Place Total Index
Govan 18 18.76x
Mearns 16 981.60x
Wallasey 11 1222.22x
New Monkland 9 78.47x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 7 65.67x
Eastwood 6 104.71x
Stockton On Tees 6 34.86x
Maidstone 5 41.02x
Old Monkland 5 32.47x
Millom 4 126.18x
Portsea 4 8.30x
Rutherglen 4 70.30x
Cardross 3 77.52x
Dundee 3 7.23x
Glasgow 3 4.35x
Barony 2 2.04x
Coxlodge 2 147.06x
St Ives 2 75.19x
Abbey 1 7.05x
Ardrossan 1 32.15x
Barrow In Furness 1 5.17x
Elswick 1 7.02x
Garston 1 23.81x
Gateshead 1 3.74x
Hammersmith London 1 3.38x
Haydon 1 102.04x
Kinning Park 1 1666.67x
Manchester 1 1.56x
St Helier 1 8.64x
St Levan 1 400.00x
Sunderland 1 15.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 5
Daniel 3
Henry 3
William 3
James 2
Patrick 2
Peter 2
Alfred 1
Archibald 1
Charles 1
Edwd.P. 1
Frederick 1
Richard 1

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 Darragh households.

FAQ

Darragh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Darragh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 122 people were recorded with the Darragh surname. That placed it at #17,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Darragh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 462 in 2016. That gives Darragh a modern rank of #10,607.

What does the Darragh surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Daire," meaning oakwood or oak grove.

What does the Darragh map show?

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