UK surname
Hardy or intrepid person from a difficult or challenging environment.
In the 1881 census there were 81 people recorded with the Dougharty surname, ranking it #22,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5, ranked #38,264, down from #22,082 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Inverness and Bona and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dougharty is 153 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 93.8%.
1881 census count
81
Ranked #22,082
Modern count
5
2016, ranked #38,264
Peak year
1861
153 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Dougharty surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Dougharty surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 78 | #19,840 |
| 1861 | historical | 153 | #15,032 |
| 1881 | historical | 81 | #22,082 |
| 1891 | historical | 52 | #30,061 |
| 1901 | historical | 48 | #28,808 |
| 1911 | historical | 25 | #30,654 |
| 1997 | modern | 9 | #37,214 |
| 1998 | modern | 10 | #37,048 |
| 1999 | modern | 9 | #37,217 |
| 2000 | modern | 9 | #37,119 |
| 2001 | modern | 8 | #37,124 |
| 2002 | modern | 8 | #37,206 |
| 2003 | modern | 7 | #37,397 |
| 2004 | modern | 7 | #37,496 |
| 2005 | modern | 7 | #37,581 |
| 2006 | modern | 8 | #37,481 |
| 2007 | modern | 6 | #37,837 |
| 2008 | modern | 6 | #37,883 |
| 2009 | modern | 6 | #37,953 |
| 2010 | modern | 6 | #38,024 |
| 2011 | modern | 6 | #38,016 |
| 2012 | modern | 5 | #38,167 |
| 2013 | modern | 5 | #38,195 |
| 2014 | modern | 5 | #38,228 |
| 2015 | modern | 5 | #38,221 |
| 2016 | modern | 5 | #38,264 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Inverness and Bona, Manchester, Lambeth and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 2 | Inverness and Bona | Inverness |
| 3 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 4 | Lambeth | London (South Districts) |
| 5 | Glasgow | Lanark |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Dougharty surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dougharty, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Dougharty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Dougharty household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Dougharty is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dougharty is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Dougharty, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Dougharty originates from Scotland, first appearing in records around the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "dubh" meaning dark or black, and "ard" meaning high or elevated place, referring to a person who lived in a dark or shaded highland area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dougharty can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document containing the names of Scottish noblemen who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appeared as "de Doucharde", likely an anglicized spelling of the original Gaelic form.
In the 16th century, the Dougharty family held lands in the region of Galloway, located in the southwest of Scotland. A notable member of the clan was Sir William Dougharty, who served as a captain in the Scottish army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in the 1600s.
The Dougharty name also appears in the historical records of Ireland, where it is believed to have been introduced by Scottish settlers during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century. One prominent Irish Dougharty was John Dougharty, a wealthy merchant and landowner from County Antrim, who lived from 1680 to 1756.
In the 18th century, the Dougharty surname spread to North America, with many Scottish and Irish immigrants bearing the name settling in the American colonies and later, Canada. A notable figure was Samuel Dougharty (1734-1806), a Revolutionary War soldier from Pennsylvania who fought in the Battle of Brandywine.
Another distinguished Dougharty was Sir James Dougharty (1828-1912), a Scottish-born lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament and played a significant role in the formation of the province of Alberta.
Throughout its history, the Dougharty surname has also been spelled in various ways, including Dougherty, Doherty, and Dogherty, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling across different regions and time periods.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dougharty surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 26 Doughartys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.93x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lanarkshire | 26 | 9.93x |
| Surrey | 14 | 3.55x |
| Yorkshire | 14 | 1.75x |
| Durham | 7 | 2.91x |
| Angus | 5 | 6.67x |
| Inverness-shire | 5 | 20.68x |
| Northumberland | 5 | 4.15x |
| Isle of Man | 2 | 13.31x |
| Ross-shire | 2 | 9.00x |
| Buteshire | 1 | 20.41x |
| Cheshire | 1 | 0.56x |
| Morayshire | 1 | 7.95x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 18 Doughartys recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.17x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Barony | 18 | 27.17x |
| Lambeth | 13 | 18.42x |
| Barnsley | 7 | 84.64x |
| Cornsay | 6 | 923.08x |
| Dundee | 5 | 17.86x |
| Elswick | 5 | 52.03x |
| Inverness | 5 | 82.24x |
| Bingley | 4 | 78.28x |
| Govan | 4 | 6.18x |
| Hamilton | 3 | 41.10x |
| Bride | 2 | 952.38x |
| Horton In Bradford | 2 | 15.96x |
| Killearnan | 2 | 689.66x |
| Boharm | 1 | 303.03x |
| Camberwell | 1 | 1.93x |
| Glasgow | 1 | 2.15x |
| Huddersfield | 1 | 8.55x |
| Kingarth | 1 | 285.71x |
| Liscard | 1 | 31.06x |
| Stockton On Tees | 1 | 8.61x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Dougharty surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Dougharty surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Dougharty households.
FAQ
In 1881, 81 people were recorded with the Dougharty surname. That placed it at #22,082 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 5 in 2016. That gives Dougharty a modern rank of #38,264.
Hardy or intrepid person from a difficult or challenging environment.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dougharty bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.