NameCensus.

UK surname

Feenan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "ó Fíodhbháin" meaning "descendent of the woodsman".

In the 1881 census there were 35 people recorded with the Feenan surname, ranking it #28,715 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 275, ranked #15,720, up from #28,715 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and Wigton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wandsworth, County Durham and Middlesbrough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Feenan is 284 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 685.7%.

1881 census count

35

Ranked #28,715

Modern count

275

2016, ranked #15,720

Peak year

2013

284 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Feenan had 35 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,715 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 275 in 2016, ranked #15,720.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 103 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Feenan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Feenan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Feenan 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 20 #29,743
1861 historical 18 #31,580
1881 historical 35 #28,715
1891 historical 91 #25,239
1901 historical 103 #22,444
1911 historical 71 #25,742
1997 modern 232 #16,012
1998 modern 235 #16,358
1999 modern 256 #15,557
2000 modern 251 #15,692
2001 modern 256 #15,273
2002 modern 272 #14,930
2003 modern 270 #14,825
2004 modern 262 #15,233
2005 modern 257 #15,365
2006 modern 263 #15,215
2007 modern 261 #15,444
2008 modern 258 #15,732
2009 modern 266 #15,711
2010 modern 271 #15,856
2011 modern 279 #15,353
2012 modern 268 #15,745
2013 modern 284 #15,358
2014 modern 278 #15,692
2015 modern 282 #15,417
2016 modern 275 #15,720

Geography

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Where Feenans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Wigton, Toxteth Park and Workington (Workington), Clossocks. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wandsworth, County Durham, Middlesbrough and Crawley. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 Wigton Cumberland
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wandsworth 010 Wandsworth
2 County Durham 008 County Durham
3 County Durham 009 County Durham
4 Middlesbrough 007 Middlesbrough
5 Crawley 008 Crawley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Feenan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Feenan

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Feenan is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Feenan is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Feenan

The surname Feenan is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the northern counties of Ulster. It is thought to have derived from the Gaelic words "fionn" meaning "fair" or "white," and "an" meaning "one," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone with fair or pale features.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Feenan surname can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Feenan of Armagh" in the year 1142. This indicates that the name was already established in the region by the 12th century.

In the 16th century, the Feenan name appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Fiants of the Tudor sovereigns, which were official documents issued by the English government in Ireland. One notable entry mentions a "Feenan of Tyrone" in 1586, indicating the presence of the family in the northern county of Tyrone.

The surname Feenan has been spelled in various ways throughout history, including Feenan, Feeney, Feehan, and Feenay. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the influence of English spelling conventions.

Notable individuals with the surname Feenan throughout history include:

1. Dermot Feenan (c. 1570-1640), an Irish Catholic priest and scholar who was instrumental in preserving ancient Irish manuscripts and literature. 2. Michael Feenan (1755-1832), an Irish-born sailor who served in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Pennsylvania. 3. John Feenan (1819-1892), an Irish-American politician and businessman who served as the mayor of Chicago from 1879 to 1881. 4. Mary Feenan (1878-1956), an Irish-born nurse and social worker who founded the first district nursing service in Northern Ireland. 5. James Feenan (1921-2008), an American lawyer and judge who served on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

While the Feenan surname has retained its Irish roots, it has also been carried by individuals of various nationalities and backgrounds, reflecting the migration patterns and histories of families over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Feenan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Feenan 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 12 Feenans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.88x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 12 2.88x
Cumberland 10 33.08x
Lanarkshire 9 7.92x
Angus 1 3.07x
Cheshire 1 1.29x
Kent 1 0.83x
Middlesex 1 0.28x
Royal Navy 1 23.92x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 9 Feenans recorded in 1881 and an index of 63.78x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 9 63.78x
New Monkland 6 178.57x
Workington 6 346.82x
Wigton 4 888.89x
Glasgow 3 14.87x
Bromley London 1 12.94x
Dundee St Andrew 1 10000.00x
Eastham 1 1000.00x
Little Woolton 1 833.33x
Liverpool 1 3.95x
Milton In Gravesend 1 55.56x
Royal Navy 1 27.93x
West Derby 1 8.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Martha 2
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Elizabeth 1
Fanny 1
Margt. 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Richard 2
William 2
Bernard 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
James 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Feenan households.

FAQ

Feenan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Feenan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 35 people were recorded with the Feenan surname. That placed it at #28,715 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Feenan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 275 in 2016. That gives Feenan a modern rank of #15,720.

What does the Feenan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "ó Fíodhbháin" meaning "descendent of the woodsman".

What does the Feenan map show?

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