NameCensus.

UK surname

Fegan

A surname deriving from the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Fiaghain" meaning "descendant of Fiaghain".

In the 1881 census there were 350 people recorded with the Fegan surname, ranking it #8,762 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 802, ranked #6,897, up from #8,762 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Parkhead West and Barrowfield, Burnley and West Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fegan is 825 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 129.1%.

1881 census count

350

Ranked #8,762

Modern count

802

2016, ranked #6,897

Peak year

2010

825 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fegan had 350 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,762 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 802 in 2016, ranked #6,897.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 414 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Fegan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fegan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fegan 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 263 #8,439
1861 historical 283 #8,866
1881 historical 350 #8,762
1891 historical 406 #8,765
1901 historical 414 #9,254
1911 historical 297 #11,524
1997 modern 707 #7,191
1998 modern 750 #7,100
1999 modern 744 #7,190
2000 modern 729 #7,270
2001 modern 714 #7,250
2002 modern 747 #7,131
2003 modern 754 #6,990
2004 modern 747 #7,040
2005 modern 752 #6,941
2006 modern 748 #6,996
2007 modern 789 #6,765
2008 modern 783 #6,875
2009 modern 816 #6,775
2010 modern 825 #6,849
2011 modern 797 #6,974
2012 modern 780 #7,002
2013 modern 814 #6,844
2014 modern 820 #6,837
2015 modern 804 #6,911
2016 modern 802 #6,897

Geography

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Where Fegans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, London parishes, Gateshead, Toxteth Park and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Parkhead West and Barrowfield, Burnley, West Lindsey, Cherwell and Gracemount, Southhouse and Burdiehouse. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Parkhead West and Barrowfield Glasgow City
2 Burnley 010 Burnley
3 West Lindsey 001 West Lindsey
4 Cherwell 019 Cherwell
5 Gracemount, Southhouse and Burdiehouse City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fegan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fegan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fegan, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Fegan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Fegan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Fegan 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

Fegan is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fegan falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fegan 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 Fegan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fegan

The surname Fegan originates from Ireland, specifically the Irish counties of Westmeath and Longford. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó Fiaghain, which means "descendant of Fiaghan." The name is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century.

The earliest recorded instance of the Fegan surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written in the 17th century. It mentions a Tadhg Ó Fiaghain, who was a prominent member of the Uí Fiaghain clan in the 13th century.

In the 16th century, the surname is also mentioned in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of records from the reign of the Tudor monarchs in Ireland. A John Fegan is listed as holding lands in County Westmeath in 1585.

During the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century, many Irish families, including the Fegans, were dispossessed of their lands and forced to migrate to other parts of Ireland or abroad. As a result, the Fegan surname can now be found in various parts of Ireland, as well as in regions with significant Irish diaspora populations, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Notable individuals with the surname Fegan include:

1. Sir Michael Fegan (1828-1888), an Irish-born Australian politician and merchant who served as the Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1876 to 1878. 2. James Fegan (1808-1873), an Irish Catholic priest and philanthropist who founded the first Catholic reformatory school in England. 3. Robert Fegan (1817-1876), an Irish-born American politician and businessman who served as the 17th Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey, from 1873 to 1875. 4. Mary Fegan (1884-1952), an Irish-born American labor activist and union leader who played a significant role in the Ladies' Garment Workers' Union in the early 20th century. 5. Patrick Fegan (1856-1932), an Irish-born Australian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1910 to 1913.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fegan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fegan 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 109 Fegans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.68x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 109 2.68x
Lanarkshire 53 4.79x
Angus 36 11.35x
Middlesex 18 0.53x
Midlothian 18 3.92x
Cheshire 13 1.72x
Staffordshire 12 1.04x
Kent 11 0.94x
Yorkshire 11 0.32x
Ayrshire 10 3.90x
Devon 8 1.12x
Surrey 8 0.48x
Bedfordshire 7 3.95x
Dorset 6 2.67x
Dunbartonshire 5 5.43x
Durham 5 0.49x
Cumberland 4 1.36x
Perthshire 3 1.95x
Renfrewshire 3 1.13x
Hampshire 2 0.29x
Northumberland 2 0.39x
Stirlingshire 2 1.58x
Argyllshire 1 1.05x
Glamorgan 1 0.17x
Gloucestershire 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 2.45x
Shropshire 1 0.34x

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 42 Fegans recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.02x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 42 17.02x
Liff Benvie 24 49.84x
Toxteth Park 22 15.99x
Glasgow 19 9.66x
Barony 15 5.35x
Dundee 12 10.13x
Wolverhampton 11 12.38x
Edinburgh Tron Church 9 418.60x
St Quivox 9 103.93x
Bedford St Paul 7 57.57x
Blantyre 7 60.71x
Bothwell 7 23.31x
Charlton Next Woolwich 7 57.47x
Eccleston In Prescot 7 34.31x
Great Bolton 7 13.01x
Kirkdale 7 10.24x
North Meols 7 17.60x
West Derby 7 5.89x
Portland 6 49.67x
Bishop Auckland 5 36.58x
Dumbarton 5 39.03x
Edinburgh St Andrews 5 131.93x
Shoreditch London 5 3.37x
Southwark St John 5 47.76x
Thornaby 5 39.43x
Tormoham 5 16.58x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 2.17x
Huddersfield 4 8.09x
Islington London 4 1.21x
Birkenhead 3 4.98x
Everton 3 2.32x
Exeter St Thomas The 3 41.27x
Kensington London 3 1.58x
Middle Greenock 3 41.44x
Wigan 3 5.28x
Altrincham 2 15.14x
Brimstage 2 909.09x
Crosscanonby 2 20.51x
Downe 2 307.69x
Govan 2 0.73x
Leftwich 2 59.52x
Manchester 2 1.09x
Old Monkland 2 4.55x
Paddington London 2 1.59x
Perth Middle Church 2 34.60x
St Pancras London 2 0.73x
Aldershot 1 4.25x
Banstead 1 22.12x
Battersea 1 0.79x
Bilston 1 4.46x
Blindcrake Isel Redmain 1 263.16x
Bothkennar 1 26.53x
Cardiff St Mary 1 3.05x
Cheltenham 1 1.93x
Chester Castle 1 250.00x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.55x
Cleator 1 8.15x
Fulham London 1 2.01x
Greasby 1 416.67x
Hamilton 1 3.24x
Kimberworth 1 5.31x
Lambeth 1 0.34x
Lewisham 1 1.61x
Liscard 1 7.34x
Lochgoilhead 1 158.73x
New Cumnock 1 22.52x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 3.79x
Oswestry Town 1 10.56x
Plumstead 1 2.57x
Prescot 1 13.61x
Royal Navy 1 2.87x
Saddleworth 1 3.82x
Southampton St Mary 1 2.27x
St George Martyr London 1 14.43x
Stirling 1 6.28x
Tabley Superior 1 188.68x
Tibbermore 1 45.45x
Westgate 1 3.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Catherine 10
Ellen 6
Margaret 6
Ann 4
Bridget 4
Elizabeth 4
Sarah 4
Alice 3
Kate 3
Agnes 2
Annie 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Julia 2
Margt. 2
Ada 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Eliza 1
Elizth.A. 1
Emily 1
Euphemia 1
Eva 1
Florance 1
Fracis 1
Gwendoline 1
Harriet 1
Maggie 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Nora 1
S. 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Wilhelmina 1
Wineford 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 25
James 14
Thomas 10
Edward 5
Charles 4
Hugh 4
Joseph 4
Patrick 4
William 4
Francis 3
Henry 3
Owen 3
Daniel 2
George 2
Laurence 2
Michael 2
Richard 2
Wm. 2
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Ban...y 1
Benjamin 1
Clifford 1
Edw.K. 1
Felix 1
Frederick 1
Joe. 1
Micheal 1
Peter 1
Samuel 1
Thos.Wm. 1
Vernon 1
Walter 1
Wm.Jos. 1

FAQ

Fegan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fegan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 350 people were recorded with the Fegan surname. That placed it at #8,762 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fegan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 802 in 2016. That gives Fegan a modern rank of #6,897.

What does the Fegan surname mean?

A surname deriving from the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Fiaghain" meaning "descendant of Fiaghain".

What does the Fegan map show?

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