NameCensus.

UK surname

Degnan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Duibhgeannáin," meaning "descendant of the dark-haired one."

In the 1881 census there were 176 people recorded with the Degnan surname, ranking it #13,930 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 580, ranked #8,938, up from #13,930 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ11, Darlington and Oldham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Degnan is 581 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 229.5%.

1881 census count

176

Ranked #13,930

Modern count

580

2016, ranked #8,938

Peak year

2010

581 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Degnan had 176 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,930 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 580 in 2016, ranked #8,938.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 248 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Degnan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Degnan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Degnan 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 51 #24,096
1861 historical 86 #22,810
1881 historical 176 #13,930
1891 historical 171 #16,733
1901 historical 248 #13,204
1911 historical 183 #15,811
1997 modern 521 #9,026
1998 modern 521 #9,296
1999 modern 513 #9,478
2000 modern 514 #9,424
2001 modern 518 #9,218
2002 modern 522 #9,349
2003 modern 530 #9,093
2004 modern 518 #9,274
2005 modern 528 #9,081
2006 modern 522 #9,183
2007 modern 532 #9,122
2008 modern 544 #9,041
2009 modern 577 #8,838
2010 modern 581 #8,991
2011 modern 567 #9,055
2012 modern 549 #9,184
2013 modern 562 #9,162
2014 modern 575 #9,068
2015 modern 577 #8,985
2016 modern 580 #8,938

Geography

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Where Degnans are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to IZ11, Darlington, Oldham and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Chesterfield Derbyshire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ11 West Dunbartonshire
2 Darlington 008 Darlington
3 Oldham 029 Oldham
4 Stockton-on-Tees 006 Stockton-on-Tees
5 Darlington 012 Darlington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Degnan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Degnan

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Degnan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Degnan is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Degnan 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 Degnan 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Degnan

The surname DEGNAN is of Irish origin, emerging in the early medieval period around the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "deaganach," which means "decanus" or "dean." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have held ecclesiastical positions as deans or were closely associated with church officials.

The name is believed to have originated in the counties of Longford and Westmeath in the Irish Midlands. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. One notable entry mentions a Donnchadh Deganach, who was the Bishop of Raphoe in the early 13th century.

In the 16th century, the surname DEGNAN appeared in various forms, such as Deaganaigh, Degannagh, and Degnane, reflecting the linguistic variations and dialects of different regions. The anglicized spelling "DEGNAN" became more prevalent during the 17th and 18th centuries.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname DEGNAN was Patrick Degnan, born around 1610 in County Longford, Ireland. He was a prominent landowner and played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

Another notable figure was John DEGNAN (1683-1755), a Catholic priest and philosopher from County Westmeath. He studied at the University of Louvain in Belgium and later became a professor of philosophy at the Irish College in Paris.

In the 19th century, James DEGNAN (1823-1901) was a renowned Irish-American architect based in New York City. He designed several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola on Park Avenue.

Mary DEGNAN (1858-1935) was an Irish-American philanthropist and social reformer from Chicago. She founded the St. Mary's Settlement House, which provided educational and social services to immigrants and underprivileged families.

During the 20th century, John DEGNAN (1906-1989) was a prominent American lawyer and politician from New Jersey. He served as the Attorney General of New Jersey from 1954 to 1958 and played a crucial role in the state's legal affairs.

While the surname DEGNAN is primarily associated with Ireland, it has also been carried by individuals of Irish descent around the world, particularly in the United States, Canada, and Australia, where many Irish immigrants settled over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Degnan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Degnan 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 30 Degnans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.73x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 30 5.73x
Lancashire 26 1.35x
Yorkshire 26 1.62x
Durham 15 3.11x
Midlothian 15 6.91x
Derbyshire 12 4.73x
Renfrewshire 12 9.56x
Peeblesshire 9 118.11x
Dunbartonshire 8 18.38x
Cheshire 3 0.84x
Staffordshire 3 0.55x
Ayrshire 2 1.65x
Warwickshire 2 0.49x
Hampshire 1 0.30x
Somerset 1 0.38x
Stirlingshire 1 1.67x

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 17 Degnans recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.13x.

Place Total Index
Govan 17 13.13x
Chesterfield 12 126.32x
Abbey 11 57.44x
Rotherham 9 99.45x
West Linton 9 1451.61x
Ryhope 8 239.52x
South Leith 8 32.77x
Colinton 6 247.93x
Glasgow 6 6.45x
Thornaby 6 100.00x
Castleton 5 26.06x
Darlington 5 26.88x
Dumbarton 5 82.51x
Salford 5 8.85x
Southcoates 5 56.12x
Wigan 5 18.62x
Ashton Under Lyne 4 9.52x
Bothwell 4 28.17x
Gorbals 3 96.46x
Old Kilpatrick 3 58.37x
Stockport 3 16.30x
Aston 2 1.78x
Auckinleck 2 53.33x
Bury 2 9.11x
Hulme 2 4.99x
Middlesbrough 2 9.57x
Aldershot 1 8.99x
Armley 1 14.12x
Bedminster 1 4.08x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.42x
Clifford Cum Boston 1 69.44x
Dunnington In York 1 243.90x
Harborne 1 5.71x
Kirkdale 1 3.09x
Kirknewton East 1 109.89x
Neilston 1 15.87x
Slamannan 1 30.58x
Southowram 1 20.41x
Stockton On Tees 1 4.31x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.73x
Walsall Foreign 1 3.54x
West Derby 1 1.78x
Withington 1 16.16x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Degnan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Degnan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 176 people were recorded with the Degnan surname. That placed it at #13,930 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Degnan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 580 in 2016. That gives Degnan a modern rank of #8,938.

What does the Degnan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Duibhgeannáin," meaning "descendant of the dark-haired one."

What does the Degnan map show?

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