NameCensus.

UK surname

Fahey

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Fathaigh," meaning "descendant of Fathach," a personal name meaning "raven-like."

In the 1881 census there were 342 people recorded with the Fahey surname, ranking it #8,902 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,534, ranked #4,032, up from #8,902 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Stockport and Winwick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Cornwall and Halton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fahey is 1,576 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 348.5%.

1881 census count

342

Ranked #8,902

Modern count

1,534

2016, ranked #4,032

Peak year

2010

1,576 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fahey had 342 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,902 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,534 in 2016, ranked #4,032.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 403 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Fahey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fahey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fahey 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 123 #14,886
1861 historical 160 #14,468
1881 historical 342 #8,902
1891 historical 285 #11,515
1901 historical 403 #9,442
1911 historical 353 #10,212
1997 modern 1,411 #4,113
1998 modern 1,505 #4,034
1999 modern 1,504 #4,072
2000 modern 1,516 #4,022
2001 modern 1,492 #3,999
2002 modern 1,487 #4,104
2003 modern 1,444 #4,119
2004 modern 1,456 #4,098
2005 modern 1,440 #4,094
2006 modern 1,442 #4,100
2007 modern 1,478 #4,056
2008 modern 1,502 #4,026
2009 modern 1,541 #4,019
2010 modern 1,576 #4,009
2011 modern 1,520 #4,111
2012 modern 1,478 #4,139
2013 modern 1,506 #4,141
2014 modern 1,546 #4,065
2015 modern 1,521 #4,086
2016 modern 1,534 #4,032

Geography

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Where Faheys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Stockport, Winwick, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Cornwall, Halton, Trafford and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Stockport Cheshire
3 Winwick Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 050 County Durham
2 Cornwall 027 Cornwall
3 Halton 004 Halton
4 Trafford 025 Trafford
5 Stoke-on-Trent 030 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fahey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fahey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fahey, 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 Fahey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Fahey 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Fahey 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

Fahey 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

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

Meaning and origin of Fahey

The surname Fahey is of Irish origin and can be traced back to County Tipperary, Ireland in the late 16th century. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name O'Fahy or O'Fathaidh, derived from the word "fathach" meaning "leader" or "chief".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fahey can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth I, which mentions a Patrick O'Fahy in 1598. The name also appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, an ancient chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it is spelled as O'Fathaidh.

The Fahey surname was particularly prevalent in the baronies of Iffa and Offa in County Tipperary, where it was associated with the O'Fahy clan. Some notable individuals bearing this name include John Fahey (1805-1873), an Irish-American politician who served as the 13th Mayor of New York City, and John Henry Fahey (1919-2001), an American musician and historian often referred to as the "Father of American Folk Music".

Another prominent figure was Reverend Denis Fahey (1883-1954), an Irish Catholic priest and author who wrote extensively on the topic of Catholic social teaching. In the world of literature, Anne Fahey (1838-1916) was a British novelist and playwright known for her works such as "The Warden's Niece" and "The Broad Arrow".

The Fahey name can also be found in other parts of Ireland, including County Cork, where it is sometimes spelled as Fahie. One notable bearer of this variant spelling was Father Patrick Fahie (1723-1798), a Catholic priest who played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

Over the centuries, the Fahey surname has spread across the globe, with many descendants of Irish immigrants carrying the name in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fahey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fahey 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 115 Faheys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.82x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 115 2.82x
Cheshire 58 7.65x
Middlesex 46 1.34x
Durham 28 2.74x
Yorkshire 22 0.65x
Derbyshire 13 2.42x
Gloucestershire 11 1.63x
Glamorgan 9 1.51x
Surrey 9 0.54x
Channel Islands 8 7.86x
Hampshire 7 0.99x
Warwickshire 6 0.69x
Somerset 5 0.90x
Lanarkshire 4 0.36x
Staffordshire 4 0.35x
Midlothian 2 0.43x
Royal Navy 2 4.89x
Argyllshire 1 1.05x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.69x
Ross-shire 1 1.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birkenhead in Cheshire leads with 25 Faheys recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.38x.

Place Total Index
Birkenhead 25 41.38x
Liverpool 24 9.70x
Manchester 11 6.00x
Newton In Makerfield 10 80.13x
Hulme 9 10.58x
St Sepulchre London 9 178.93x
Stockport 9 23.08x
West Derby 9 7.55x
Gelligaer 8 58.61x
St Brelade 8 305.34x
St Luke London 8 14.53x
Staveley 8 83.86x
Leftwich 7 207.72x
Windle 7 30.54x
Bethnal Green London 6 4.02x
Blackburn 6 5.54x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 9.46x
Huddersfield 6 12.10x
Islington London 6 1.80x
Usworth 6 110.70x
Battersea 5 3.96x
Bishopwearmouth 5 5.70x
Chester St Olave 5 735.29x
Gateshead 5 6.54x
Kensington London 5 2.62x
Lyncombe Widcombe 5 34.55x
Preston 5 4.59x
Bradford 4 4.86x
Ilkeston 4 26.54x
Leeds 4 2.08x
Mile End Old Town London 4 5.47x
Oldham 4 3.04x
Shildon 4 48.72x
Shotts 4 30.10x
Trimdon 4 110.80x
Warwick St Mary 4 53.19x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 3.37x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 4.64x
Crook Billy Row 3 22.94x
Great Bolton 3 5.56x
Headingley Cum Burley 3 13.70x
Horsley 3 100.67x
Knutsford Nether 3 65.50x
North Stoneham 3 187.50x
Ormskirk 3 38.46x
Rotherhithe 3 7.07x
Shadwell London 3 31.22x
Toxteth Park 3 2.17x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 6.18x
Bristol St James In 2 20.20x
Hindley 2 11.51x
Lymm 2 36.30x
Pennington In Leigh 2 25.58x
Pilsworth 2 222.22x
Royal Navy 2 5.72x
South Leith 2 3.86x
St George In East London 2 6.19x
Weaverham Cum Milton 2 100.00x
Widnes 2 6.81x
Wolstanton Oldcott 2 47.62x
Aldershot 1 4.24x
Alverstoke 1 3.93x
Appleton 1 58.14x
Armley 1 6.66x
Bury 1 2.15x
Chester Castle 1 250.00x
Chester St Mary On Hill 1 15.38x
Crumpsall 1 10.42x
Eston 1 13.50x
Farnborough 1 13.53x
Fulham London 1 2.01x
Kidwelly 1 33.90x
Kilarrow 1 98.04x
Knowsley 1 68.03x
Little Bolton 1 1.91x
Runcorn 1 5.72x
Urray 1 34.13x
Walsall Borough 1 11.11x
Warrington 1 2.07x
Wimbledon 1 5.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 39
Margaret 15
Bridget 13
Catherine 8
Ellen 8
Elizabeth 7
Ann 6
Annie 4
Eliza 3
Jane 3
Julia 3
Kate 3
Maria 3
Norah 3
Alice 2
Anne 2
Catharine 2
Cecilia 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Honnorah 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Anastasia 1
Anna 1
Cath. 1
Dorathea 1
Eleanor 1
Etta 1
Hannah 1
Helena 1
Jemima 1
Johannah 1
Johanne 1
Katherine 1
Louise 1
Margret 1
Margt. 1
Marshalla 1
Martha 1
May 1
Patsey 1
Rose 1
Winefrid 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 34
Michael 22
James 21
Patrick 18
Thomas 16
Edward 9
William 9
Peter 6
Martin 5
Bernard 4
Dennis 3
Henry 3
Jno. 3
Albert 2
David 2
Joseph 2
Simon 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
A.E. 1
Anthony 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
E.H. 1
Francis 1
George 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
J.S. 1
Lawrence 1
Margaret 1
Mathew 1
Michal 1
Micheal 1
Pat 1
Patsey 1
Richard 1
Roger 1
Thos. 1
Timothy 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Fahey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fahey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 342 people were recorded with the Fahey surname. That placed it at #8,902 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fahey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,534 in 2016. That gives Fahey a modern rank of #4,032.

What does the Fahey surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Fathaigh," meaning "descendant of Fathach," a personal name meaning "raven-like."

What does the Fahey map show?

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