NameCensus.

UK surname

Durkan

An Irish surname derived from the Old Irish name "Dúradháin" meaning "child of the oak glade."

In the 1881 census there were 66 people recorded with the Durkan surname, ranking it #24,256 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 497, ranked #10,024, up from #24,256 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Gateshead and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Reading, Merthyr Tydfil and Harrogate.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Durkan is 519 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 653.0%.

1881 census count

66

Ranked #24,256

Modern count

497

2016, ranked #10,024

Peak year

2014

519 bearers

Map years

5

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Durkan had 66 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,256 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 497 in 2016, ranked #10,024.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 124 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Durkan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Durkan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Durkan 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 115 #15,634
1861 historical 78 #23,836
1881 historical 66 #24,256
1891 historical 61 #29,103
1901 historical 85 #24,636
1911 historical 124 #20,023
1997 modern 463 #9,850
1998 modern 483 #9,853
1999 modern 491 #9,797
2000 modern 481 #9,916
2001 modern 468 #9,949
2002 modern 484 #9,869
2003 modern 483 #9,735
2004 modern 490 #9,639
2005 modern 481 #9,702
2006 modern 478 #9,806
2007 modern 492 #9,677
2008 modern 492 #9,771
2009 modern 500 #9,862
2010 modern 511 #9,882
2011 modern 517 #9,719
2012 modern 506 #9,776
2013 modern 513 #9,839
2014 modern 519 #9,818
2015 modern 508 #9,891
2016 modern 497 #10,024

Geography

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Where Durkans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Gateshead, Liverpool, Bradford and Bangor. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Reading, Merthyr Tydfil, Harrogate, Hammersmith and Fulham and Trafford. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bangor Carnarvonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Reading 004 Reading
2 Merthyr Tydfil 006 Merthyr Tydfil
3 Harrogate 004 Harrogate
4 Hammersmith and Fulham 007 Hammersmith and Fulham
5 Trafford 006 Trafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Durkan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Durkan

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Durkan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Durkan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Durkan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Durkan 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

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

Meaning and origin of Durkan

The surname DURKAN has its origins in Ireland, emerging in the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "dor" meaning "door" or "gate," combined with the diminutive suffix "-kin." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a gate or worked as a gatekeeper.

One of the earliest records of the name DURKAN can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The Annals mention a Domhnall O'Durcain, who lived in the 13th century and was a member of the O'Durcain clan in County Sligo, Ireland.

In the 16th century, the DURKAN surname appears in various Irish historical documents, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Calendars of State Papers. These records often refer to individuals with the name DURKAN or similar spellings like DURKIN or DOORKEN.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the DURKAN name spread across Ireland, with concentrations in counties like Sligo, Mayo, and Donegal. Several notable individuals with the surname emerged during this period, including Patrick Durkan (1649-1731), an Irish Catholic priest and educator, and Mary Durkan (1680-1748), a renowned traditional Irish singer and storyteller.

In the 19th century, the DURKAN name gained prominence with individuals like John Durkan (1809-1890), a prominent Irish nationalist and member of the Young Ireland movement, and Patrick Durkan (1834-1901), an Irish-born American politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts State Senate.

Other notable individuals with the DURKAN surname include Robert Durkan (1887-1956), an Irish-American labor leader and political activist, and Seán Durkan (1919-2002), an Irish Gaelic footballer and hurler who played for the Donegal senior teams in the 1940s and 1950s.

Throughout its history, the DURKAN surname has maintained strong ties to its Irish roots, with many bearers of the name tracing their ancestry back to counties like Sligo, Mayo, and Donegal, where the name first emerged and flourished.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Durkan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Durkan 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 28 Durkans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.67x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 28 3.67x
Yorkshire 14 2.20x
Durham 7 3.66x
Cumberland 5 9.02x
Caernarfonshire 3 11.53x
Cheshire 2 1.41x
Denbighshire 2 8.23x
Derbyshire 1 0.99x
Lincolnshire 1 0.97x
Middlesex 1 0.16x
Midlothian 1 1.16x
Shropshire 1 1.80x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Haslingden in Lancashire leads with 9 Durkans recorded in 1881 and an index of 284.81x.

Place Total Index
Haslingden 9 284.81x
Haigh 6 2222.22x
Caldewgate 5 164.47x
Great Little Marsden 5 142.86x
Heworth 5 132.63x
Bangor 3 119.52x
Liverpool 3 6.47x
Middlesbrough 3 36.14x
Ackworth 2 408.16x
Northen Etchells 2 1176.47x
Over Darwen 2 32.79x
Wrexham Abbot 2 327.87x
Bainbridge 1 666.67x
Bishops Castle In 1 312.50x
Cockpen 1 99.01x
Coniston Cold 1 1428.57x
Darfield 1 172.41x
Easingwold 1 222.22x
Esh 1 71.94x
Everton 1 4.11x
Hessle In Hemsworth 1 3333.33x
Holme On Spalding Moor 1 238.10x
Kirkleatham 1 116.28x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 1 62.11x
Newchurch 1 16.00x
Rainford 1 120.48x
Ryther Cum Ossendyke 1 1666.67x
St Pancras London 1 1.93x
Stockton On Tees 1 10.83x
Thurlby 1 1428.57x
Whitwell 1 250.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Bridget 5
Catherine 2
Margaret 2
Ann 1
Anne 1
Elizabeth 1
Honor 1
Kate 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 11
John 8
Michael 6
Patrick 5
Edward 3
Thomas 3
Walter 2
Daniel 1
Luke 1
Pat 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
William 1

FAQ

Durkan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Durkan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 66 people were recorded with the Durkan surname. That placed it at #24,256 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Durkan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 497 in 2016. That gives Durkan a modern rank of #10,024.

What does the Durkan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Old Irish name "Dúradháin" meaning "child of the oak glade."

What does the Durkan map show?

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