NameCensus.

UK surname

Degan

An Irish surname derived from the first name Deaghan, meaning "God is gracious".

In the 1881 census there were 46 people recorded with the Degan surname, ranking it #27,188 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 109, ranked #29,402, down from #27,188 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Alness, Glenrothes Macedonia and Tanshall and IZ18.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Degan is 116 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 137.0%.

1881 census count

46

Ranked #27,188

Modern count

109

2016, ranked #29,402

Peak year

2009

116 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Degan had 46 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,188 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016, ranked #29,402.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 53 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Degan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Degan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Degan 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 29 #28,082
1861 historical 43 #28,562
1881 historical 46 #27,188
1891 historical 35 #31,540
1901 historical 53 #28,271
1911 historical 36 #29,370
1997 modern 99 #27,039
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 109 #26,439
2000 modern 106 #26,848
2001 modern 106 #26,468
2002 modern 98 #28,243
2003 modern 104 #27,101
2004 modern 102 #27,637
2005 modern 101 #27,854
2006 modern 100 #28,283
2007 modern 98 #29,019
2008 modern 111 #27,225
2009 modern 116 #27,062
2010 modern 114 #28,017
2011 modern 104 #29,424
2012 modern 115 #27,717
2013 modern 106 #29,740
2014 modern 108 #29,658
2015 modern 109 #29,327
2016 modern 109 #29,402

Geography

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Where Degans 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 Alness, Glenrothes Macedonia and Tanshall, IZ18, IZ14 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Alness Highland
2 Glenrothes Macedonia and Tanshall Fife
3 IZ18 West Dunbartonshire
4 IZ14 West Dunbartonshire
5 Birmingham 108 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Degan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Degan 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 Degan

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Degan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Degan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Degan is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Degan 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

Degan falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Degan 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
Asian - Indian

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

Meaning and origin of Degan

The surname Degan is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "dæge," which means "day laborer" or "hired worker." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a day laborer or hired hand.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Degan can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a person named "Degan" who held land in the county of Hertfordshire.

The name Degan can also be traced back to various place names in England, such as Deganwy in Conwy, Wales, which was originally spelled "Degan-wy" in old records. This place name likely derived from the same Old English root word as the surname.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname Degan. One of the earliest was Sir John Degan, a knight who lived in the 13th century and served under King Edward I. Another notable figure was Richard Degan, who was born in 1547 and served as the Sheriff of Hertfordshire in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, there was a prominent English lawyer named Thomas Degan, who practiced law in London and wrote several legal treatises. In the 18th century, William Degan was a notable architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the city of Bristol.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Degan was Sir Edward Degan, a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1785 and played a crucial role in several important naval battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

While the surname Degan has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely due to migration and immigration. However, the historical origins and early recorded instances of the name can be traced back to medieval England and the Old English language.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Degan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Degan 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. Middlesex leads with 13 Degans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.90x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 13 2.90x
Lancashire 11 2.07x
Dunbartonshire 5 41.46x
Lanarkshire 4 2.76x
Surrey 3 1.37x
Yorkshire 2 0.45x
Cheshire 1 1.01x
Cumberland 1 2.59x
Devon 1 1.07x
Glamorgan 1 1.28x
Kent 1 0.65x
Northumberland 1 1.50x
Staffordshire 1 0.66x
Warwickshire 1 0.88x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 7 Degans recorded in 1881 and an index of 73.30x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town London 7 73.30x
Bonhill 5 257.73x
Rutherglen 4 187.79x
Whitechapel London 4 90.50x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 25.77x
Horton In Bradford 2 28.82x
Liverpool 2 6.18x
Salford 2 12.77x
Betchworth 1 370.37x
Birkenhead 1 12.66x
Birmingham 1 2.65x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 23.64x
Bromley London 1 10.13x
Bury 1 16.45x
Cleator 1 62.11x
Crumpsall 1 80.00x
Gelligaer 1 56.18x
Harborne 1 20.62x
Heap 1 35.46x
Islington London 1 2.30x
North Shields 1 75.19x
Plumstead 1 19.61x
Stoke 1 97.09x
Stokenham 1 384.62x
Woking 1 75.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Catherine 2
Maria 2
Amy 1
Bridget 1
Clara 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
George 2
Henry 2
Michael 2
Patrick 2
Peter 2
Charles 1
David 1
Denis 1
Edward 1
Fantham 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
James 1
Martin 1
Michl. 1
William 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 Degan households.

FAQ

Degan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Degan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 46 people were recorded with the Degan surname. That placed it at #27,188 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Degan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016. That gives Degan a modern rank of #29,402.

What does the Degan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the first name Deaghan, meaning "God is gracious".

What does the Degan map show?

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