NameCensus.

UK surname

Deighan

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Dochartaigh meaning "descendant of Dochartach".

In the 1881 census there were 46 people recorded with the Deighan surname, ranking it #27,188 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 382, ranked #12,292, up from #27,188 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gracemount, Southhouse and Burdiehouse, Bolton and Linwood South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Deighan is 397 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 730.4%.

1881 census count

46

Ranked #27,188

Modern count

382

2016, ranked #12,292

Peak year

2014

397 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Deighan had 46 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,188 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 382 in 2016, ranked #12,292.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 96 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Deighan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Deighan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Deighan 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 16 #30,441
1861 historical 17 #31,714
1881 historical 46 #27,188
1891 historical 49 #30,349
1901 historical 96 #23,342
1911 historical 27 #30,437
1997 modern 346 #12,273
1998 modern 352 #12,489
1999 modern 351 #12,582
2000 modern 356 #12,408
2001 modern 349 #12,392
2002 modern 365 #12,246
2003 modern 355 #12,285
2004 modern 347 #12,516
2005 modern 360 #12,112
2006 modern 362 #12,151
2007 modern 354 #12,489
2008 modern 369 #12,210
2009 modern 386 #12,044
2010 modern 387 #12,301
2011 modern 374 #12,464
2012 modern 376 #12,262
2013 modern 396 #12,015
2014 modern 397 #12,076
2015 modern 386 #12,237
2016 modern 382 #12,292

Geography

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Where Deighans 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 Gracemount, Southhouse and Burdiehouse, Bolton, Linwood South, Balornock and Port Glasgow Upper East. 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 Gracemount, Southhouse and Burdiehouse City of Edinburgh
2 Bolton 004 Bolton
3 Linwood South Renfrewshire
4 Balornock Glasgow City
5 Port Glasgow Upper East Inverclyde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Deighan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Deighan

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Deighan is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Deighan 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

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

Meaning and origin of Deighan

The surname Deighan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "O'Deaghain". It is believed to have originated in the 10th century in the county of Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The name is thought to be a variant of the Gaelic name "O'Dechin", which means "descendant of the bright one".

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Deighan can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it is written as "O'Deaghain". This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the 12th century.

The Deighan surname is also linked to the Irish clan of O'Deaghain, which was based in the barony of Loughinsholin, County Londonderry. This clan held significant power and influence in the area during the Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, the Deighan name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Conquest, a collection of official documents from the reign of Henry VIII. This record mentions a "John Deighan" who was granted lands in County Armagh in 1543.

One notable figure bearing the Deighan surname was Patrick Deighan (1701-1778), an Irish Catholic priest and philosopher. He was a prominent figure in the Irish Enlightenment and served as the President of the Irish College in Paris.

Another notable Deighan was William Deighan (1832-1905), an Irish-born businessman and politician who emigrated to Australia in the mid-19th century. He served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council and was instrumental in the development of the coal mining industry in the Hunter Valley region.

In the 19th century, the Deighan name was also found in the United States, with records showing several individuals of this surname arriving as immigrants from Ireland. One such individual was Michael Deighan (1820-1892), an Irish-born farmer who settled in Pennsylvania and served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The name Deighan has also been associated with place names in Ireland, such as Deighanacha, a townland in County Tyrone, and Deighaneely, a townland in County Londonderry. These place names likely derive from the Gaelic "O'Deaghain" and further reinforce the connection between the surname and its Irish origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Deighan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Deighan 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 17 Deighans recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.71x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 17 11.71x
Ayrshire 10 29.78x
Norfolk 8 11.60x
Northumberland 8 11.98x
Renfrewshire 2 5.75x
Lancashire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 15 Deighans recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.21x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 15 58.21x
Auckinleck 9 865.38x
Cramlington 8 909.09x
Norwich St Augustine 8 2857.14x
Old Monkland 2 34.72x
Port Glasgow 2 119.05x
Kilmarnock 1 25.00x
Little Bolton 1 14.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 3
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amma 1
Edburg 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Peter 3
Barrnard 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 Deighan households.

FAQ

Deighan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Deighan surname in 1881?

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

How common is the Deighan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 382 in 2016. That gives Deighan a modern rank of #12,292.

What does the Deighan surname mean?

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Dochartaigh meaning "descendant of Dochartach".

What does the Deighan map show?

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