NameCensus.

UK surname

Drynan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Draignéin, meaning "descendant of the blackthorn".

In the 1881 census there were 144 people recorded with the Drynan surname, ranking it #15,891 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 105, ranked #30,114, down from #15,891 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Girvan, London parishes and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gravesham, Roslin and Bilston and South Tyneside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Drynan is 191 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 27.1%.

1881 census count

144

Ranked #15,891

Modern count

105

2016, ranked #30,114

Peak year

1851

191 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Drynan had 144 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,891 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016, ranked #30,114.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 191 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Drynan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Drynan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Drynan 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 191 #10,808
1861 historical 158 #14,644
1881 historical 144 #15,891
1891 historical 158 #17,705
1901 historical 132 #19,469
1911 historical 25 #30,654
1997 modern 85 #28,988
1998 modern 96 #28,188
1999 modern 92 #28,833
2000 modern 90 #29,068
2001 modern 91 #28,670
2002 modern 93 #28,920
2003 modern 90 #29,260
2004 modern 89 #29,623
2005 modern 89 #29,683
2006 modern 84 #30,665
2007 modern 87 #30,666
2008 modern 81 #31,713
2009 modern 92 #30,820
2010 modern 95 #31,000
2011 modern 92 #31,301
2012 modern 100 #30,258
2013 modern 104 #30,076
2014 modern 102 #30,714
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 105 #30,114

Geography

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Where Drynans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Girvan, London parishes, Govan Combination, Inch and Stranraer. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gravesham, Roslin and Bilston, South Tyneside, Drongan and Girvan Glendoune. 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 Girvan Ayr
2 London parishes London 3
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Inch Wigtown
5 Stranraer Wigtown

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gravesham 003 Gravesham
2 Roslin and Bilston Midlothian
3 South Tyneside 015 South Tyneside
4 Drongan East Ayrshire
5 Girvan Glendoune South Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Drynan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Drynan

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

London Fringe

Within London, Drynan is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Drynan 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

Drynan falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Drynan 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Drynan

The surname Drynan is believed to have originated in Scotland during the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "druim" meaning ridge and "a' namunn" meaning of the river, combined to form "Druimanamunn" or "ridge of the river".

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Ragman Rolls of 1296 as "Dromanan". This document was a record of Scottish nobles who were forced to swear fealty to King Edward I of England after his invasion of Scotland.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms such as "Drymnane", "Drymnan", and "Drynnane" in various Scottish charters and records. One notable figure from this time was John Drynan, a Scottish nobleman who fought alongside Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

By the 16th century, the spelling had largely settled on "Drynan" or "Drynane". In 1548, a Robert Drynan is recorded as being a landowner in the county of Ayrshire. Another notable Drynan from this period was William Drynan, a Scottish clergyman who served as the Dean of Dunblane Cathedral in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name spread beyond Scotland, with records of Drynans appearing in England and Ireland. One of the most notable figures from this time was Captain James Drynan, an Irish soldier who served in the British Army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

The 18th century saw the Drynan name continue to spread throughout the British Isles and beyond. One notable figure was John Drynan, a Scottish merchant who settled in Virginia in the early 1700s and became a prominent landowner and plantation owner.

Over the centuries, the Drynan name has been associated with various places in Scotland, such as the village of Drynan in East Ayrshire and the Drynan Burn, a stream in the Scottish Borders. The name has also been linked to the Clan Drummond, with some suggesting that Drynan may have been a sept or branch of this larger Scottish clan.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Drynan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Drynan 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. Ayrshire leads with 59 Drynans recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.13x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 59 56.13x
Wigtownshire 46 246.65x
Dunbartonshire 8 21.19x
Lanarkshire 8 1.76x
Midlothian 5 2.66x
West Lothian 5 23.64x
Durham 4 0.96x
Herefordshire 3 5.21x
Suffolk 2 1.17x
Yorkshire 2 0.14x
Cumberland 1 0.83x
Selkirkshire 1 7.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Colmonell in Ayrshire leads with 20 Drynans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1886.79x.

Place Total Index
Colmonell 20 1886.79x
Girvan 20 757.58x
Ballantrae 17 2428.57x
Inch 12 659.34x
Leswalt 9 703.13x
Stranraer 9 526.32x
New Kilpatrick 8 222.84x
Dalmeny 5 617.28x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 6.61x
Govan 5 4.45x
Kirkinner 5 649.35x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 22.10x
New Luce 4 1176.47x
Portpatrick 4 634.92x
Barony 3 2.61x
Hope Under Dinmore 3 1250.00x
Kirkmaiden 2 169.49x
Middlesbrough 2 11.03x
Sproughton 2 666.67x
Dundonald 1 25.77x
Galashiels 1 21.28x
Kirkoswald 1 116.28x
St Cuthbert W O 1 16.98x
Stoneykirk 1 75.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Agnes 1
Jane 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 2
William 2
Andrew 1
Gilbert 1
John 1
Peter 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 Drynan households.

FAQ

Drynan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Drynan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 144 people were recorded with the Drynan surname. That placed it at #15,891 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Drynan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016. That gives Drynan a modern rank of #30,114.

What does the Drynan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Draignéin, meaning "descendant of the blackthorn".

What does the Drynan map show?

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