NameCensus.

UK surname

Feighan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Feidhlimidh," meaning "ever good" or "ever prosperous."

In the 1881 census there were 2 people recorded with the Feighan surname, ranking it #33,721 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 135, ranked #25,505, up from #33,721 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bonnybridge, Arbroath Keptie and Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Feighan is 145 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6650.0%.

1881 census count

2

Ranked #33,721

Modern count

135

2016, ranked #25,505

Peak year

2012

145 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Feighan had 2 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,721 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016, ranked #25,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 18 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Feighan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Feighan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Feighan 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 1 #33,412
1881 historical 2 #33,721
1891 historical 12 #33,181
1901 historical 18 #32,032
1911 historical 1 #34,332
1997 modern 127 #23,352
1998 modern 132 #23,394
1999 modern 130 #23,805
2000 modern 120 #24,950
2001 modern 124 #24,114
2002 modern 130 #23,903
2003 modern 127 #24,019
2004 modern 126 #24,335
2005 modern 131 #23,737
2006 modern 128 #24,267
2007 modern 134 #23,931
2008 modern 132 #24,476
2009 modern 136 #24,485
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 132 #25,303
2012 modern 145 #23,780
2013 modern 144 #24,323
2014 modern 137 #25,345
2015 modern 135 #25,481
2016 modern 135 #25,505

Geography

Back to top

Where Feighans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bonnybridge, Arbroath Keptie, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, Wandsworth and Bexley. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bonnybridge Falkirk
2 Arbroath Keptie Angus
3 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
4 Wandsworth 023 Wandsworth
5 Bexley 027 Bexley

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Feighan

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Feighan

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Feighan 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

Feighan is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Feighan falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Feighan

The surname Feighan is of Irish origin, with roots dating back to the early medieval period in Ireland. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó Faichin, which is derived from the personal name Faichín, a diminutive of the Old Irish word "fáich" meaning "green field" or "meadow."

The name is believed to have originated in the province of Connacht, particularly in the counties of Sligo and Mayo. This region was home to several prominent Feighan families during the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Feighan O'Higgin (or Ó Faichin) was mentioned in the Annals as a member of the learned class of poets and scholars. He was renowned for his contributions to Irish literature and poetry during this period.

Another prominent individual with the Feighan surname was Tadhg Ó Faichin, a 16th-century Irish chieftain and leader of the Ó Faichin clan in County Sligo. He played a significant role in the ongoing conflicts between Irish clans and the English forces during the Tudor conquest of Ireland.

As the name spread throughout Ireland, variations in spelling emerged, including Fian, Fian, Fyan, and Feehyn. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the translation of the name from Irish to English by scribes and record-keepers.

In the late 18th century, a notable figure named Mathew Feighan (1751-1824) was born in County Mayo. He was a prominent Irish patriot and revolutionary who actively supported the cause of Irish independence during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

Another individual of note was Patrick Feighan (1814-1888), an Irish-born Catholic priest who emigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century. He served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia, and played a crucial role in the growth of the Catholic Church in the Southern United States.

While the Feighan surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread across the globe due to Irish emigration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Irish clans and their rich cultural heritage in the western regions of Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Feighan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Feighan 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. Lanarkshire leads with 1 Feighans recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.03x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1 16.03x
Lancashire 1 4.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bootle Cum Linacre in Lancashire leads with 1 Feighans recorded in 1881 and an index of 555.56x.

Place Total Index
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 555.56x
Govan 1 64.94x

Top male names

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

Name Count
Patrick 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 Feighan households.

Occupation Count
General Laborer 1

FAQ

Feighan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Feighan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2 people were recorded with the Feighan surname. That placed it at #33,721 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Feighan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016. That gives Feighan a modern rank of #25,505.

What does the Feighan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Feidhlimidh," meaning "ever good" or "ever prosperous."

What does the Feighan map show?

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