NameCensus.

UK surname

Drohan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic phrase "druadh àn" meaning "firm ridge" or "hardy ridge".

In the 1881 census there were 21 people recorded with the Drohan surname, ranking it #30,609 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 176, ranked #21,298, up from #30,609 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Brent and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Drohan is 177 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 738.1%.

1881 census count

21

Ranked #30,609

Modern count

176

2016, ranked #21,298

Peak year

2013

177 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Drohan had 21 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,609 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 176 in 2016, ranked #21,298.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 47 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Drohan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Drohan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Drohan 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 2 #33,133
1861 historical 16 #31,832
1881 historical 21 #30,609
1891 historical 20 #32,579
1901 historical 44 #29,276
1911 historical 47 #28,110
1997 modern 126 #23,461
1998 modern 134 #23,202
1999 modern 135 #23,279
2000 modern 144 #22,357
2001 modern 147 #21,756
2002 modern 145 #22,392
2003 modern 145 #22,172
2004 modern 141 #22,689
2005 modern 148 #21,961
2006 modern 145 #22,420
2007 modern 149 #22,318
2008 modern 151 #22,323
2009 modern 160 #21,978
2010 modern 162 #22,292
2011 modern 160 #22,282
2012 modern 170 #21,379
2013 modern 177 #21,170
2014 modern 173 #21,639
2015 modern 175 #21,372
2016 modern 176 #21,298

Geography

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Where Drohans 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 Doncaster, Brent, Rotherham and Oxford. 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 Doncaster 036 Doncaster
2 Brent 028 Brent
3 Doncaster 022 Doncaster
4 Rotherham 020 Rotherham
5 Oxford 013 Oxford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Drohan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Drohan

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

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Drohan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Drohan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Drohan 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

Drohan 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

Drohan 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 Drohan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Drohan

The surname Drohan has its origins in Ireland, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Drocháin," which means "descendant of Drochan." The name Drochan itself is derived from the Gaelic word "droch," meaning "ill-natured" or "harsh."

Early records show that the Drohan family was originally based in County Galway, particularly in the baronies of Loughrea and Kiltartan. The name is also found in Counties Mayo and Sligo, suggesting that branches of the family may have migrated to these areas over time.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Drohan can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which were records of official letters and documents issued by the English monarchs during the 16th and 17th centuries. The Fiants mention a "James Droghan" in 1585, who was granted lands in County Galway.

In the 17th century, the Drohan name appears in the Petty Census of 1659, which was a survey of Ireland conducted by Sir William Petty. This census recorded several Drohan families living in the parishes of Kilmoylan and Killoscobe in County Galway.

Notable individuals with the surname Drohan throughout history include:

1. John Drohan (c. 1760-1847), an Irish politician who served as a Member of Parliament for County Galway from 1806 to 1818. 2. Michael Drohan (1808-1891), an Irish priest and author who wrote several works on Irish history and folklore. 3. Thomas Drohan (1860-1935), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as Mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts. 4. Patrick Drohan (1892-1968), an Irish hurler who played for the Galway senior hurling team in the 1910s and 1920s. 5. Eileen Drohan (1902-1982), an Irish stage and film actress who appeared in several plays and movies in the 1930s and 1940s.

The Drohan surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Drohan, a townland in County Galway, and Drohanstown, a civil parish in County Meath.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Drohan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Drohan 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. Lancashire leads with 17 Drohans recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.00x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 17 7.00x
Hampshire 2 4.76x
Kent 2 2.86x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 11 Drohans recorded in 1881 and an index of 133.66x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 11 133.66x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 51.81x
Aldershot 1 70.92x
Eccleston In Prescot 1 81.97x
Erith 1 144.93x
Farnborough 1 227.27x
Liverpool 1 6.78x
Manchester 1 9.15x
Milton In Gravesend 1 95.24x
North Meols 1 42.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Agnes 1
Agnesa 1
Bridget 1
Elizabeth 1
Johanna 1
Kate 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 2
John 2
Patrick 2
Edmund 1
Herbert 1
Laurence 1
Michael 1
Thomas 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 Drohan households.

FAQ

Drohan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Drohan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 21 people were recorded with the Drohan surname. That placed it at #30,609 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Drohan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 176 in 2016. That gives Drohan a modern rank of #21,298.

What does the Drohan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic phrase "druadh àn" meaning "firm ridge" or "hardy ridge".

What does the Drohan map show?

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