NameCensus.

UK surname

Egan

Derived from the Irish surname Mac Aodhagáin, meaning "descendant of Aodhagán," a personal name meaning "little fire."

In the 1881 census there were 2,487 people recorded with the Egan surname, ranking it #1,793 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,849, ranked #985, up from #1,793 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Neath Port Talbot, Rossendale and Condorrat.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Egan is 7,082 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 175.4%.

1881 census count

2,487

Ranked #1,793

Modern count

6,849

2016, ranked #985

Peak year

2010

7,082 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Egan had 2,487 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,793 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,849 in 2016, ranked #985.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,501 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Egan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Egan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Egan 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 1,004 #2,781
1861 historical 1,256 #2,269
1881 historical 2,487 #1,793
1891 historical 2,819 #1,680
1901 historical 3,389 #1,644
1911 historical 3,501 #1,493
1997 modern 6,626 #981
1998 modern 6,845 #983
1999 modern 6,893 #988
2000 modern 6,866 #986
2001 modern 6,752 #984
2002 modern 6,837 #988
2003 modern 6,663 #993
2004 modern 6,660 #992
2005 modern 6,659 #988
2006 modern 6,641 #988
2007 modern 6,681 #990
2008 modern 6,713 #991
2009 modern 6,923 #981
2010 modern 7,082 #978
2011 modern 6,972 #977
2012 modern 6,768 #986
2013 modern 6,884 #992
2014 modern 6,938 #985
2015 modern 6,894 #984
2016 modern 6,849 #985

Geography

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Where Egans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Neath Port Talbot, Rossendale, Condorrat and Doncaster. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Neath Port Talbot 017 Neath Port Talbot
2 Rossendale 003 Rossendale
3 Neath Port Talbot 008 Neath Port Talbot
4 Condorrat North Lanarkshire
5 Doncaster 004 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Egan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Egan

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

Challenged Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Egan 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

Egan 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

Egan falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Egan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Egan

The surname Egan has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged as a variant of the Gaelic name Ó hAodhagáin, meaning "descendant of Aodhagán." Aodhagán itself is a diminutive form of the name Aodh, meaning "fire."

The Egan surname is most closely associated with County Offaly and County Tipperary, where it has been present since the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated as a patronymic name, indicating a family's descent from a particular ancestor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Egan name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention an individual named Conchobhar Ó hAodhagáin, who was the Chief of Ui Fiachrach in County Sligo, in the year 1182.

In the 16th century, the Egan family was prominent in County Offaly, where they held lands in the baronies of Geashill and Philipstown. Notable members from this period include Terence Egan, a member of the Irish Parliament in 1585, and William Egan, who was appointed Sheriff of County Offaly in 1596.

During the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s, several Egans played significant roles, including John Egan, who served as a captain in the Confederate Catholic forces, and Rory Egan, a prominent landowner in County Offaly who supported the Catholic cause.

In the 18th century, Patrick Egan (1670-1759) was a renowned historian and genealogist from County Offaly, who compiled a detailed account of the Egan family's history and lineage.

Another notable figure was John Egan (1784-1858), a Catholic priest and educator from County Tipperary, who played a key role in establishing primary schools and promoting education in his local community.

As the Egan name spread throughout Ireland and beyond, it has been associated with various notable individuals, including the American writer and activist Terry Egan (1939-2019), and the Australian rugby league player and coach Kevin Egan (born 1957).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Egan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Egan 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 827 Egans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.88x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 827 2.88x
Middlesex 348 1.44x
Yorkshire 294 1.22x
Kent 129 1.56x
Staffordshire 117 1.43x
Surrey 95 0.80x
Lanarkshire 88 1.12x
Cheshire 86 1.61x
Midlothian 48 1.48x
Hampshire 40 0.81x
Warwickshire 38 0.62x
Durham 31 0.43x
Shropshire 30 1.43x
Essex 29 0.61x
Northumberland 27 0.75x
Devon 21 0.42x
Gloucestershire 21 0.44x
Leicestershire 20 0.74x
Renfrewshire 18 0.96x
Glamorgan 16 0.38x
Angus 14 0.62x
Norfolk 13 0.35x
Suffolk 12 0.41x
Sussex 12 0.29x
Derbyshire 10 0.26x
Cambridgeshire 8 0.52x
Monmouthshire 8 0.46x
Perthshire 8 0.74x
Cumberland 7 0.34x
Royal Navy 7 2.42x
Worcestershire 7 0.22x
Ayrshire 6 0.33x
Berkshire 5 0.27x
Dorset 5 0.31x
Argyllshire 4 0.59x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.61x
Northamptonshire 4 0.18x
Oxfordshire 4 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.20x
Channel Islands 3 0.42x
Lincolnshire 3 0.08x
Denbighshire 2 0.22x
Selkirkshire 2 0.91x
Somerset 2 0.05x
Wiltshire 2 0.09x
Flintshire 1 0.15x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.29x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.03x
Stirlingshire 1 0.11x
West Lothian 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 105 Egans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.01x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 105 6.01x
Manchester 87 6.73x
Leeds 74 5.46x
Toxteth Park 50 5.14x
Preston 46 5.98x
Bradford 45 7.74x
Govan 45 2.32x
Salford 37 4.38x
Everton 36 3.93x
Ashton Under Lyne 34 5.41x
Horton In Bradford 29 7.73x
West Derby 29 3.45x
Bethnal Green London 27 2.57x
Shoreditch London 27 2.57x
Walsall Foreign 27 6.39x
St Pancras London 26 1.33x
St Marylebone London 25 1.93x
Burnley 24 9.91x
Sheffield 23 3.01x
Wolverhampton 23 3.66x
Bowling 22 9.25x
Kensington London 22 1.63x
Lambeth 22 1.04x
Windle 21 12.98x
Deptford St Paul 20 3.14x
Pendleton In Salford 20 5.84x
Birmingham 19 0.93x
Bury 19 5.78x
Tottenham 19 4.92x
Warrington 19 5.57x
Chelsea London 18 2.47x
Kirkdale 18 3.72x
Southwark St George Martyr 17 3.49x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 16 1.23x
Shrewsbury St Julian 16 30.89x
Woolwich 16 5.24x
Aston 15 0.89x
Chorlton On Medlock 15 3.28x
Liscard 15 15.57x
Oldham 15 1.62x
Wigan 15 3.73x
Birkenhead 14 3.28x
Blackburn 14 1.83x
Islington London 14 0.60x
Rugeley 14 23.85x
Aldershot 13 7.81x
Castleton 13 4.53x
Newton In Makerfield 13 14.76x
Lee 12 10.00x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 12 5.57x
Westminster St John 12 4.07x
Amblecote 11 47.17x
Bermondsey 11 1.52x
Camberwell 11 0.71x
Edinburgh St Johns 11 53.68x
Glasgow 11 0.79x
Greenwich 11 2.85x
Liff Benvie 11 3.23x
Rochester St Margaret 11 12.62x
St George Hanover Square 11 2.58x
Stockport 11 4.00x
Wallsend 11 9.62x
Walton On Hill 11 7.06x
West Ham 11 1.04x
Clerkenwell London 10 1.75x
Dover St Mary Virgin 10 12.50x
Dukinfield 10 4.05x
Farnworth 10 5.80x
Great Bolton 10 2.63x
Parr 10 9.72x
Bothwell 9 4.23x
East Stonehouse 9 9.06x
Great Torrington 9 31.47x
Mile End Old Town London 9 1.75x
North Leith 9 5.99x
Pendlebury 9 14.82x
St Giles In Fields London 9 7.57x
Wednesbury 9 4.40x
Whitwick 9 26.35x
Wiston 9 569.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 245
Margaret 77
Catherine 60
Bridget 56
Elizabeth 56
Sarah 49
Ellen 48
Ann 45
Jane 22
Kate 22
Annie 21
Emma 18
Alice 16
Maria 16
Hannah 15
Julia 15
Emily 14
Eliza 13
Susan 13
Martha 11
Agnes 10
Rose 10
Elizth. 8
Fanny 8
Harriet 8
Anne 7
Eleanor 7
Margt. 7
Esther 5
Kathleen 5
Louisa 5
Lucy 5
Margret 5
Flora 4
Florence 4
Frances 4
Matilda 4
Theresa 4
Ada 3
Anna 3
Bessie 3
Caroline 3
Catharine 3
Clara 3
Helen 3
Johanna 3
Lily 3
May 3
Minnie 3
Teresa 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 213
James 128
Thomas 111
William 80
Michael 68
Patrick 66
Joseph 37
Edward 31
George 27
Daniel 24
Peter 21
Henry 20
Charles 19
Martin 19
Thos. 14
Richard 13
Wm. 11
Andrew 10
Francis 10
Frank 10
Arthur 9
Stephen 9
Albert 8
Denis 8
Frederick 8
Robert 8
Timothy 7
Matthew 5
Owen 5
Samuel 5
Walter 5
Alfred 4
Jas. 4
Bernard 3
Dennis 3
Edmund 3
Ernest 3
Eugene 3
Chas. 2
Fred 2
Harry 2
Mathew 2
Michal 2
Mickel 2
Patk. 2
Philip 2
Phillip 2
Pierce 2
Raymond 2
Sidney 2

FAQ

Egan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Egan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,487 people were recorded with the Egan surname. That placed it at #1,793 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Egan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,849 in 2016. That gives Egan a modern rank of #985.

What does the Egan surname mean?

Derived from the Irish surname Mac Aodhagáin, meaning "descendant of Aodhagán," a personal name meaning "little fire."

What does the Egan map show?

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