NameCensus.

UK surname

Farrelly

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Faircheallaigh meaning "descendant of Faircheallaigh" Irishman's name derived from faire meaning "effort".

In the 1881 census there were 160 people recorded with the Farrelly surname, ranking it #14,860 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,878, ranked #3,388, up from #14,860 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Erith, Govan Combination and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rossendale, Cheshire West and Chester and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Farrelly is 1,892 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1073.8%.

1881 census count

160

Ranked #14,860

Modern count

1,878

2016, ranked #3,388

Peak year

2010

1,892 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Farrelly had 160 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,860 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,878 in 2016, ranked #3,388.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 243 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Farrelly surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Farrelly surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Farrelly 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 13 #30,970
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 160 #14,860
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 243 #13,358
1911 historical 240 #13,281
1997 modern 1,692 #3,529
1998 modern 1,745 #3,557
1999 modern 1,798 #3,479
2000 modern 1,776 #3,498
2001 modern 1,717 #3,544
2002 modern 1,786 #3,483
2003 modern 1,741 #3,499
2004 modern 1,748 #3,489
2005 modern 1,751 #3,450
2006 modern 1,760 #3,439
2007 modern 1,791 #3,421
2008 modern 1,809 #3,422
2009 modern 1,834 #3,454
2010 modern 1,892 #3,436
2011 modern 1,869 #3,423
2012 modern 1,836 #3,427
2013 modern 1,870 #3,420
2014 modern 1,890 #3,408
2015 modern 1,872 #3,408
2016 modern 1,878 #3,388

Geography

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Where Farrellys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Erith, Govan Combination, 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 Rossendale, Cheshire West and Chester, Birmingham, Bury and Liverpool. 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 Erith Kent
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rossendale 002 Rossendale
2 Cheshire West and Chester 047 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Birmingham 004 Birmingham
4 Bury 009 Bury
5 Liverpool 059 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Farrelly

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Farrelly

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

Farrelly 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

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

Meaning and origin of Farrelly

The surname Farrelly has its origins in Ireland, and it is believed to have emerged during the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. It is a variant of the Irish surname Ferrall, which is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Faircheallaigh.

The name Ó Faircheallaigh is derived from the Gaelic word "fairchealladh," meaning "superiority" or "excellence," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone of exceptional character or achievements. The prefix "Ó" in the original Gaelic name indicates that it was a patronymic name, meaning "descendant of."

The Farrelly surname was primarily associated with County Longford in the northern part of the ancient province of Leinster. The Ó Faircheallaigh family was a prominent sept (clan) in this region and held positions of influence and authority.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Farrelly surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a notable figure named Brian Ó Faircheallaigh, who was the Lord of Muintir Anghaile (a territory in County Longford) in the early 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Farrelly name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor sovereigns, which were official records of grants and appointments made by the English monarchs in Ireland. This suggests that members of the Farrelly family were involved in administrative or legal affairs during this period.

Notable individuals with the Farrelly surname throughout history include:

1. Patrick Farrelly (c. 1456-1529), a prominent Irish ecclesiastic who served as the Bishop of Ardagh from 1490 to 1529. 2. Edmond Farrelly (c. 1594-1668), an Irish Franciscan friar and historian who wrote extensively about the Irish Confederate Wars of the 17th century. 3. Michael Farrelly (c. 1719-1799), an Irish poet and songwriter known for his works in the Irish language. 4. Garrett Farrelly (1824-1892), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana during the 1870s. 5. John Farrelly (1856-1930), an Irish-American prelate who was the first bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio, serving from 1909 to 1930.

While the Farrelly surname has its roots in County Longford, it has since spread throughout Ireland and beyond, with many descendants of the original Ó Faircheallaigh clan now residing in various parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Farrelly families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Farrelly 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 92 Farrellys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.97x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 92 4.97x
Yorkshire 29 1.88x
Lanarkshire 12 2.38x
Angus 7 4.84x
Middlesex 4 0.26x
Worcestershire 4 1.96x
Cumberland 3 2.23x
Hampshire 3 0.94x
Buteshire 2 21.14x
Durham 2 0.43x
Kent 2 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kirkdale in Lancashire leads with 20 Farrellys recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.21x.

Place Total Index
Kirkdale 20 64.21x
Liverpool 13 11.56x
Bowling 10 65.27x
Dundee 7 12.97x
Glasgow 7 7.81x
Gorton 7 40.21x
Ince In Makerfield 7 81.21x
Pilkington 7 99.57x
Beeston 6 384.62x
Horton In Bradford 6 24.84x
Widnes 6 44.91x
Wigan 6 23.18x
Colne 5 90.58x
Barony 4 3.13x
Blackburn 4 8.12x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 27.19x
Everton 4 6.78x
Kidderminster Borough 4 33.53x
Leeds 4 4.58x
Farnley In Bramley 3 155.44x
Toxteth Park 3 4.78x
Aldershot 2 18.66x
Cleator 2 35.78x
Erith 2 38.10x
Gateshead 2 5.75x
Preston 2 4.04x
Rothesay 2 43.67x
Sefton 2 952.38x
St Marylebone London 2 2.40x
Cockermouth 1 35.34x
Hound 1 46.08x
Islington London 1 0.66x
Lanark 1 24.63x
Little Bolton 1 4.20x
St George Martyr London 1 31.65x
Sutton 1 16.10x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
James 8
Thomas 5
Edward 3
Patrick 3
Henry 2
Michael 2
William 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Bartholomew 1
Bartle 1
Bernard 1
Charles 1
David 1
Ed. 1
Francis 1
Johns 1
Joseph 1
Lawerance 1
Lawrence 1
Luke 1
Matt 1
Michl. 1
Nicholas 1
Owen 1
Pat 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Phillpp 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Terence 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Farrelly surname: questions and answers

How common was the Farrelly surname in 1881?

In 1881, 160 people were recorded with the Farrelly surname. That placed it at #14,860 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Farrelly surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,878 in 2016. That gives Farrelly a modern rank of #3,388.

What does the Farrelly surname mean?

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Faircheallaigh meaning "descendant of Faircheallaigh" Irishman's name derived from faire meaning "effort".

What does the Farrelly map show?

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