NameCensus.

UK surname

Fannon

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Fánáin" meaning "descendant of the wanderer".

In the 1881 census there were 174 people recorded with the Fannon surname, ranking it #14,042 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 451, ranked #10,791, up from #14,042 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Denis in Walmgate, St George, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Manchester, Bradford and Torbay.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fannon is 531 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 159.2%.

1881 census count

174

Ranked #14,042

Modern count

451

2016, ranked #10,791

Peak year

2010

531 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fannon had 174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,042 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 451 in 2016, ranked #10,791.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 226 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Fannon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fannon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fannon 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 75 #20,268
1861 historical 120 #18,255
1881 historical 174 #14,042
1891 historical 164 #17,205
1901 historical 218 #14,332
1911 historical 226 #13,840
1997 modern 470 #9,747
1998 modern 487 #9,794
1999 modern 479 #9,987
2000 modern 461 #10,231
2001 modern 449 #10,254
2002 modern 473 #10,043
2003 modern 474 #9,865
2004 modern 480 #9,793
2005 modern 494 #9,527
2006 modern 508 #9,369
2007 modern 504 #9,508
2008 modern 496 #9,694
2009 modern 513 #9,654
2010 modern 531 #9,615
2011 modern 519 #9,687
2012 modern 474 #10,254
2013 modern 473 #10,436
2014 modern 474 #10,486
2015 modern 466 #10,552
2016 modern 451 #10,791

Geography

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Where Fannons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Denis in Walmgate, St George, London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Manchester, Bradford, Torbay and Northumberland. 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 St Denis in Walmgate, St George Yorkshire, East Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Manchester 041 Manchester
2 Bradford 004 Bradford
3 Torbay 008 Torbay
4 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
5 Manchester 023 Manchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fannon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fannon

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

Fannon is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Fannon

The surname Fannon is of Irish origin and is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "fánaideach," which means "a wanderer" or "a sojourner." This name is thought to have originated in the 16th century in the northern regions of Ireland, particularly in County Antrim and County Londonderry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fannon appears in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663, which were tax records for households in Ireland. In these rolls, a family by the name of Fannon is listed as residing in the parish of Aghadowey, County Londonderry.

In the 18th century, the name Fannon was prevalent in the area around Lough Neagh, a freshwater lake situated between County Antrim and County Londonderry. It is possible that the name was associated with families who lived or worked near the lough.

The earliest known bearer of the name Fannon was Patrick Fannon, born in County Londonderry in the late 16th century. He is mentioned in historical records as a landowner and farmer in the area.

Another notable figure with the surname Fannon was John Fannon (1736-1811), an Irish-born merchant and landowner who emigrated to Virginia in the late 18th century. He became a prominent figure in the early American colonies and was involved in the Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, the name Fannon gained some recognition with the birth of James Fannon (1832-1897), an Irish-born Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in Ireland.

The surname Fannon has also been associated with the place name Fannon, a small village in County Donegal, Ireland. It is possible that the name originated from this location or that families bearing the surname resided in this area.

Notable individuals with the surname Fannon include Michael Fannon (1858-1932), an Irish politician and member of the British Parliament, and Robert Fannon (1885-1959), an American baseball player who played for the Boston Red Sox in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fannon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fannon 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 73 Fannons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.67x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 73 3.67x
Yorkshire 30 1.80x
Cheshire 10 2.70x
Northumberland 9 3.61x
Staffordshire 9 1.59x
Warwickshire 9 2.13x
Middlesex 7 0.42x
Kent 6 1.05x
Denbighshire 3 4.73x
Durham 3 0.60x
Surrey 3 0.37x
Derbyshire 2 0.76x
Hampshire 2 0.58x
Lanarkshire 2 0.37x
Midlothian 2 0.89x
Dorset 1 0.91x
Essex 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 23 Fannons recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.69x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 23 25.69x
York St Denis In 11 1506.85x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 31.62x
Liverpool 10 8.27x
Oldham 10 15.56x
Birmingham 9 6.38x
Chester St Olave 9 2727.27x
Newcastle Under Lyme 9 89.82x
York St George 9 687.02x
Dewsbury 6 35.19x
Dover St Mary Virgin 5 90.25x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 33.53x
Preston 5 9.39x
St Andrew Holborn London 5 68.87x
Alnwick 4 93.24x
Leeds 3 3.20x
Ruabon 3 34.44x
Warrington 3 12.71x
Bishopwearmouth 2 4.67x
Bradford 2 21.46x
Chesterfield 2 20.30x
Claughton In Garstang 2 645.16x
Govan 2 1.49x
Prescot 2 55.56x
Aldershot 1 8.68x
Bollington In 1 30.30x
Camberwell 1 0.93x
Colinton 1 39.84x
Croydon 1 2.20x
Darlington 1 5.19x
Edinburgh Greenside 1 33.67x
Farnborough 1 27.70x
Farnham 1 15.72x
Gate Fulford 1 25.77x
Gillingham 1 8.47x
Gorton 1 5.34x
Halsall 1 126.58x
Kensington London 1 1.07x
Kirkdale 1 2.99x
Pendleton In Salford 1 4.22x
Portland 1 16.89x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.38x
West Derby 1 1.72x
West Thurrock 1 90.91x
Wigan 1 3.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Margaret 8
Catherine 7
Ellen 6
Annie 4
Sarah 4
Bridget 3
Kate 3
Agnes 2
Ann 2
Emily 2
Helen 2
Alice 1
Bedelia 1
Celestine 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Frances 1
Ineh 1
Julia 1
M.L.E.E. 1
Margrate 1
Margt. 1
Nora 1
P.M. 1
Rose 1
Winefred 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Fannon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fannon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 174 people were recorded with the Fannon surname. That placed it at #14,042 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fannon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 451 in 2016. That gives Fannon a modern rank of #10,791.

What does the Fannon surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Fánáin" meaning "descendant of the wanderer".

What does the Fannon map show?

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