NameCensus.

UK surname

Ennis

From the Irish Gaelic "Ó hAonghusa," meaning "descendant of Angus," a personal name meaning "unique strength."

In the 1881 census there were 795 people recorded with the Ennis surname, ranking it #4,682 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,468, ranked #2,670, up from #4,682 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dudley, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Knowsley and Carmarthenshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ennis is 2,536 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 210.4%.

1881 census count

795

Ranked #4,682

Modern count

2,468

2016, ranked #2,670

Peak year

2010

2,536 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ennis had 795 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,682 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,468 in 2016, ranked #2,670.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,033 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Ennis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ennis surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ennis 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 362 #6,537
1861 historical 373 #6,841
1881 historical 795 #4,682
1891 historical 790 #5,085
1901 historical 957 #4,908
1911 historical 1,033 #4,441
1997 modern 2,337 #2,669
1998 modern 2,415 #2,687
1999 modern 2,417 #2,709
2000 modern 2,396 #2,709
2001 modern 2,357 #2,700
2002 modern 2,421 #2,696
2003 modern 2,399 #2,663
2004 modern 2,388 #2,670
2005 modern 2,362 #2,662
2006 modern 2,358 #2,671
2007 modern 2,398 #2,660
2008 modern 2,396 #2,674
2009 modern 2,470 #2,676
2010 modern 2,536 #2,664
2011 modern 2,511 #2,664
2012 modern 2,429 #2,684
2013 modern 2,451 #2,713
2014 modern 2,498 #2,683
2015 modern 2,486 #2,663
2016 modern 2,468 #2,670

Geography

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Where Ennis' are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Knowsley, Carmarthenshire and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Dudley Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 001 Copeland
2 Knowsley 020 Knowsley
3 Knowsley 006 Knowsley
4 Carmarthenshire 015 Carmarthenshire
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 024 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ennis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ennis

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Ennis 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

Ennis 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

Ennis 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 Ennis 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Ennis

The surname Ennis has its origins in Ireland, where it first appeared around the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "innis," which means "island" or "river meadow." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or on an island or riverbank.

The name Ennis is particularly associated with County Clare in the west of Ireland, where the town of Ennis is located. This town dates back to the 13th century and was once an important center of trade and commerce. It's possible that the surname originated from this location and spread from there.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ennis can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention an individual named Ennis O'Brien, who was a chieftain of the O'Brien clan in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Monarchs, a collection of documents relating to Ireland during the reign of the Tudor dynasty. These records mention several individuals with the surname Ennis, including John Ennis, who was granted lands in County Longford in 1591.

One notable bearer of the name Ennis was Sir Walter Ennis (1565-1625), an Irish soldier and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for County Down in the early 17th century. Another was Sir John Ennis (1614-1683), an Irish judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas.

In the 18th century, the name Ennis was associated with the Irish diaspora, as many individuals with this surname emigrated to other parts of the world, particularly the United States and Canada. For example, James Ennis (1760-1820) was an Irish immigrant to Pennsylvania who became a successful merchant and landowner.

Other notable individuals with the surname Ennis include the British actor Wilfred Ennis (1884-1967), known for his roles in films such as "The Winslow Boy" and "The Lady Vanishes," and the American baseball player Del Ennis (1925-1996), who played for the Philadelphia Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1940s and 1950s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ennis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ennis 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 282 Ennis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.98x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 282 2.98x
Middlesex 92 1.15x
Surrey 47 1.21x
Yorkshire 43 0.54x
Durham 38 1.60x
Channel Islands 28 11.86x
Gloucestershire 27 1.73x
Worcestershire 25 2.40x
Sussex 21 1.56x
Cheshire 20 1.14x
Cumberland 19 2.77x
Cornwall 16 1.77x
Warwickshire 15 0.75x
Hampshire 14 0.86x
Lanarkshire 10 0.39x
Staffordshire 10 0.37x
Ayrshire 9 1.51x
Essex 8 0.51x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.74x
Glamorgan 7 0.50x
Devon 6 0.36x
Kent 6 0.22x
Midlothian 6 0.56x
Dorset 5 0.96x
Hertfordshire 5 0.91x
Northumberland 5 0.42x
Royal Navy 5 5.26x
Shropshire 5 0.73x
Dunbartonshire 4 1.87x
Lincolnshire 4 0.31x
Leicestershire 3 0.34x
Wiltshire 3 0.43x
Derbyshire 2 0.16x
Herefordshire 2 0.61x
Northamptonshire 2 0.27x
Renfrewshire 2 0.32x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.14x
Anglesey 1 0.71x
Angus 1 0.14x
Berkshire 1 0.17x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.21x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.57x
Flintshire 1 0.47x
Monmouthshire 1 0.17x
Perthshire 1 0.28x
Selkirkshire 1 1.39x
Somerset 1 0.08x
Stirlingshire 1 0.34x
Suffolk 1 0.10x

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 67 Ennis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.67x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 67 11.67x
Manchester 30 7.05x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 26 25.32x
West Derby 24 8.67x
St Helier 22 28.62x
Salford 19 6.83x
Burnley 16 20.09x
Hulme 15 7.60x
Kensington London 15 3.39x
Lambeth 14 2.01x
St Blazey 14 176.77x
Birmingham 13 1.94x
Camberwell 13 2.55x
Everton 13 4.31x
Parr 13 38.43x
Brightside Bierlow 11 7.10x
Ashleworth 9 652.17x
Dudley 9 7.11x
Pensax 9 692.31x
West Dean 9 35.45x
Basford 8 16.16x
Birkenhead 8 5.70x
Brede 8 283.69x
Chelsea London 8 3.33x
Fulwood 8 78.28x
St George Hanover Square 8 5.70x
St Marylebone London 8 1.88x
Workington 8 20.36x
Ardwick 7 8.21x
Cleator 7 24.51x
Darfield 7 97.36x
Irvine 7 42.25x
Mile End Old Town London 7 4.13x
St Anne Soho London 7 15.38x
Widnes 7 10.26x
Willesden 7 9.32x
Barrow In Furness 6 4.66x
Battersea 6 2.05x
Hammersmith London 6 3.06x
West Bromwich 6 3.90x
West Calder 6 28.52x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 2.42x
Bengeo 5 78.37x
Gateshead 5 2.82x
Govan 5 0.78x
Higher Booths 5 29.33x
Kirkdale 5 3.14x
Macclesfield 5 6.39x
Newington 5 1.70x
Portland 5 17.77x
Redditch 5 23.70x
Rye 5 39.15x
St George Martyr London 5 30.98x
St Lawrence 5 77.52x
Swinton In Rotherham 5 23.95x
Barony 4 0.61x
Brighton 4 1.48x
Cardiff St John 4 8.82x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 2.66x
Crosscanonby 4 17.63x
Great Grimsby 4 4.95x
Newington 4 18.39x
Padiham 4 17.51x
Rogate 4 148.70x
Southampton St Mary 4 3.89x
Stokesay 4 197.04x
Stranton 4 5.01x
Wakefield 4 6.60x
Bradford 3 6.78x
Great Crosby 3 11.64x
Little Burstead 3 545.45x
Markfield 3 68.49x
Millbrook 3 7.29x
Old Kilpatrick 3 11.85x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 1.87x
Stockport 3 3.31x
Stoke Damerel 3 2.58x
Tanfield 3 10.64x
Toxteth Park 3 0.94x
Tynemouth 3 4.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 65
Elizabeth 33
Sarah 23
Ann 17
Catherine 17
Jane 17
Annie 15
Margaret 14
Ellen 13
Alice 8
Eliza 8
Hannah 7
Lucy 7
Anne 6
Emily 6
Isabella 6
Louisa 6
Rose 6
Frances 5
Agnes 4
Clara 4
Emma 4
Harriett 4
Bridget 3
Edith 3
Eleanor 3
Fanny 3
Julia 3
Maria 3
Martha 3
Barbara 2
Caroline 2
Esther 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Jessie 2
Maud 2
Mgt. 2
Priscilla 2
Rebecca 2
Sophia 2
Theresa 2
Bertha 1
Camelia 1
Eda 1
Elizabt. 1
Ellizebeth 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 59
William 40
James 35
Thomas 32
Joseph 17
Edward 15
George 13
Patrick 12
Michael 9
Charles 8
Walter 8
Henry 7
Arthur 6
Francis 6
Peter 6
Robert 6
Alfred 5
Christopher 4
Harry 4
Albert 3
Frederick 3
Jno. 3
Richard 3
Robt. 3
Abraham 2
David 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Jas. 2
Joshua 2
Mark 2
Samuel 2
Wm. 2
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
Bernard 1
Brian 1
Charless 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Geo.J. 1
Guy 1
Keilan 1
Leigham 1
Mabel 1
Martin 1
Matthew 1

FAQ

Ennis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ennis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 795 people were recorded with the Ennis surname. That placed it at #4,682 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ennis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,468 in 2016. That gives Ennis a modern rank of #2,670.

What does the Ennis surname mean?

From the Irish Gaelic "Ó hAonghusa," meaning "descendant of Angus," a personal name meaning "unique strength."

What does the Ennis map show?

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