NameCensus.

UK surname

Fallon

Descended from the ruler or chief of a town or settlement, derived from the Irish surname Ó Fallamháin.

In the 1881 census there were 1,102 people recorded with the Fallon surname, ranking it #3,605 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,114, ranked #1,648, up from #3,605 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Rochdale and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stane, Rossendale and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fallon is 4,300 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 273.3%.

1881 census count

1,102

Ranked #3,605

Modern count

4,114

2016, ranked #1,648

Peak year

2010

4,300 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fallon had 1,102 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,605 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,114 in 2016, ranked #1,648.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,612 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Fallon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fallon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fallon 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 379 #6,300
1861 historical 533 #4,927
1881 historical 1,102 #3,605
1891 historical 1,097 #3,851
1901 historical 1,612 #3,211
1911 historical 1,579 #3,073
1997 modern 3,953 #1,644
1998 modern 4,133 #1,633
1999 modern 4,186 #1,626
2000 modern 4,135 #1,640
2001 modern 4,068 #1,628
2002 modern 4,170 #1,615
2003 modern 4,022 #1,643
2004 modern 4,076 #1,611
2005 modern 4,045 #1,605
2006 modern 4,038 #1,607
2007 modern 4,041 #1,620
2008 modern 4,103 #1,610
2009 modern 4,201 #1,615
2010 modern 4,300 #1,614
2011 modern 4,178 #1,637
2012 modern 4,108 #1,632
2013 modern 4,193 #1,632
2014 modern 4,197 #1,637
2015 modern 4,145 #1,646
2016 modern 4,114 #1,648

Geography

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Where Fallons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Rochdale, Edinburgh, 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 Stane, Rossendale, Manchester, Rochdale 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Rochdale Lancashire
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stane North Lanarkshire
2 Rossendale 009 Rossendale
3 Manchester 001 Manchester
4 Rochdale 025 Rochdale
5 Trafford 024 Trafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fallon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fallon

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fallon 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

Fallon 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

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

Meaning and origin of Fallon

The surname Fallon is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "Ó Fallamhain," meaning "descendant of Fallamhan." The name Fallamhan is believed to have been derived from the Old Irish word "fáll," meaning "ruler" or "chief."

The Fallon family is associated with County Longford and County Westmeath in Ireland, where they were prominent landowners and chieftains. The name can be traced back to the 11th century, and it is mentioned in several Irish annals and manuscripts from that period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fallon appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a notable figure named Fallon Ó Fallamhain in the year 1150.

In the 16th century, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, the Fallon family was among the Irish clans that resisted the English invasion. The Fallon clan's stronghold was located in the territory of Muintir Fallon (meaning "people of Fallon") in County Longford.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Fallon. One such person was Sir Samuel Fallon (1805-1888), an Irish politician and land agent who served as a Member of Parliament for County Longford.

Another prominent figure was Patrick Fallon (1858-1935), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Portland, Oregon, from 1911 to 1917.

In the field of literature, William Fallon (1886-1966) was an Irish poet and playwright known for his works celebrating Irish culture and rural life.

Eamon Fallon (1914-2003) was an Irish hurler who played for the Galway senior hurling team and won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1938.

More recently, Jimmy Fallon (born 1974) is an American comedian, actor, and television host best known for hosting "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on NBC.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fallon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fallon 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 387 Fallons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.02x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 387 3.02x
Yorkshire 128 1.20x
Staffordshire 90 2.47x
Lanarkshire 76 2.18x
Middlesex 73 0.68x
Midlothian 68 4.70x
Cheshire 58 2.43x
Durham 43 1.34x
Warwickshire 36 1.32x
Surrey 23 0.44x
Derbyshire 16 0.95x
Renfrewshire 13 1.55x
Northumberland 12 0.75x
Stirlingshire 10 2.51x
Angus 8 0.80x
East Lothian 8 5.59x
West Lothian 7 4.30x
Clackmannanshire 6 6.73x
Berwickshire 5 3.82x
Argyllshire 4 1.33x
Gloucestershire 4 0.19x
Hampshire 4 0.18x
Kent 4 0.11x
Royal Navy 4 3.11x
Suffolk 4 0.30x
Denbighshire 3 0.74x
Devon 3 0.13x
Lincolnshire 2 0.12x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.10x
Cumberland 1 0.11x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.34x
Isle of Man 1 0.50x
Leicestershire 1 0.08x
Sussex 1 0.05x
Westmorland 1 0.42x
Worcestershire 1 0.07x

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 45 Fallons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.78x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 45 5.78x
Manchester 43 7.46x
Wardleworth 32 43.70x
Willenhall 32 46.87x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 29 4.98x
Govan 29 3.36x
Birmingham 28 3.09x
Stockport 25 20.38x
Widnes 21 22.72x
Spotland 18 12.64x
Warrington 18 11.85x
Kensington London 17 2.83x
Salford 17 4.51x
Barony 16 1.81x
Leeds 15 2.48x
Wolverhampton 15 5.35x
Holy Trinity 14 5.44x
Windle 14 19.42x
Blackburn 13 3.81x
West Derby 13 3.47x
South Leith 12 7.37x
West Greenock 11 7.32x
Edinburgh Old Church 10 86.13x
Glasgow 10 1.61x
Little Bolton 10 6.07x
Newcastle Under Lyme 10 15.50x
Shoreditch London 10 2.14x
Leftwich 9 84.99x
Oldham 9 2.18x
Stoke Upon Trent 9 2.33x
Wakefield 9 10.96x
Berwick North 8 79.84x
Crook Billy Row 8 19.45x
Eccleshill 8 30.72x
Hulme 8 2.99x
Manningham 8 6.07x
St Anne Soho London 8 12.97x
Sutton 8 18.62x
Bowling 7 6.60x
Bradford 7 11.67x
Edinburgh New North 7 55.60x
Elvet 7 30.19x
Kirkdale 7 3.25x
Rugeley 7 26.76x
Sheffield 7 2.05x
Walsall Borough 7 24.74x
Ashton Under Lyne 6 2.14x
Bathgate 6 17.00x
Buxton 6 41.93x
Cambuslang 6 17.04x
Dewsbury 6 5.47x
Lesbury 6 169.01x
Lesmahagow 6 16.25x
Mile End Old Town London 6 2.61x
Monks Coppenhall 6 6.67x
Radcliffe 6 9.71x
St Botolph Aldgate London 6 26.98x
St Pancras London 6 0.69x
Aston 5 0.67x
Barrow In Furness 5 2.87x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 4.91x
Broughton In Salford 5 4.27x
Camberwell 5 0.72x
Clapham 5 3.70x
Coldstream 5 52.85x
Croydon 5 1.71x
Edinburgh Canongate 5 13.58x
Farnworth 5 6.51x
Framwellgate 5 26.27x
Gorton 5 4.15x
Kearsley 5 18.55x
Lambeth 5 0.53x
Morpeth 5 26.47x
Sculcoates 5 2.95x
Stockton On Tees 5 3.23x
Cheadle 4 8.79x
Leek Lowe 4 8.25x
Lismore Appin 4 40.00x
Shadwell London 4 13.24x
York St Sampson 4 174.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 87
Sarah 28
Catherine 27
Elizabeth 24
Margaret 23
Ellen 20
Jane 20
Ann 17
Alice 11
Annie 11
Bridget 11
Frances 7
Kate 7
Martha 7
Agnes 6
Louisa 6
Maria 6
Ada 4
Caroline 4
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Isabella 4
Rose 4
Amy 3
Anna 3
Anne 3
Hannah 3
Harriet 3
Susan 3
Winifred 3
Charlotte 2
Dora 2
Dorothy 2
Eliz. 2
Esther 2
Flora 2
Francess 2
Helen 2
Lizzie 2
Maggie 2
Margt. 2
Minnie 2
Annelizabeth 1
Anny 1
Bessie 1
Cecilia 1
Clara 1
Delia 1
E. 1
Hester 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 91
Thomas 51
James 48
William 38
Patrick 25
Michael 24
Edward 14
Joseph 14
George 9
Peter 9
Francis 7
Daniel 6
Henry 6
Martin 6
Robert 6
Richard 5
Frederick 4
Thos. 4
Timothy 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Bernard 3
David 3
Edmund 3
Hugh 3
Jas. 3
Samuel 3
Andrew 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Harry 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Micheal 2
Patk. 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
Bertie 1
Dennis 1
Fredk. 1
Gregory 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Jacob 1
Lawrence 1
Luke 1
M.E. 1
Malachi 1
Mathew 1

FAQ

Fallon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fallon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,102 people were recorded with the Fallon surname. That placed it at #3,605 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fallon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,114 in 2016. That gives Fallon a modern rank of #1,648.

What does the Fallon surname mean?

Descended from the ruler or chief of a town or settlement, derived from the Irish surname Ó Fallamháin.

What does the Fallon map show?

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