NameCensus.

UK surname

Fennelly

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Fionnalaidh, meaning "descendant of a fair-haired one."

In the 1881 census there were 37 people recorded with the Fennelly surname, ranking it #28,418 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 340, ranked #13,456, up from #28,418 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Calderdale and Windsor and Maidenhead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fennelly is 362 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 818.9%.

1881 census count

37

Ranked #28,418

Modern count

340

2016, ranked #13,456

Peak year

2010

362 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fennelly had 37 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,418 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 340 in 2016, ranked #13,456.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 72 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Fennelly surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fennelly surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fennelly 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 10 #31,497
1861 historical 34 #29,685
1881 historical 37 #28,418
1891 historical 58 #29,439
1901 historical 63 #27,134
1911 historical 72 #25,642
1997 modern 318 #13,024
1998 modern 326 #13,146
1999 modern 340 #12,870
2000 modern 352 #12,510
2001 modern 327 #12,970
2002 modern 332 #13,090
2003 modern 305 #13,662
2004 modern 311 #13,549
2005 modern 321 #13,195
2006 modern 326 #13,128
2007 modern 326 #13,260
2008 modern 342 #12,933
2009 modern 354 #12,858
2010 modern 362 #12,914
2011 modern 340 #13,375
2012 modern 314 #14,063
2013 modern 333 #13,682
2014 modern 343 #13,463
2015 modern 341 #13,425
2016 modern 340 #13,456

Geography

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Where Fennellys 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 Doncaster, Calderdale and Windsor and Maidenhead. 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 Doncaster 037 Doncaster
2 Calderdale 010 Calderdale
3 Doncaster 025 Doncaster
4 Windsor and Maidenhead 002 Windsor and Maidenhead
5 Doncaster 027 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fennelly

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fennelly

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Fennelly surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Fennelly household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fennelly 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

Fennelly 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

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

Meaning and origin of Fennelly

The surname Fennelly originated in Ireland and has its roots in the Irish Gaelic language. It is a variant of the name Fennessy, which is derived from the old Irish personal name "Fionnghus," meaning "fair-haired." This name was brought to Ireland by Viking settlers during the 9th and 10th centuries.

The name Fennelly is most commonly found in County Cork and County Kerry in the southwestern part of Ireland. It is believed that the earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, though it is difficult to pinpoint the exact origin due to the lack of comprehensive historical records from that time.

One of the earliest known references to the name Fennelly can be found in the "Annals of the Four Masters," a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. This text mentions a "Fennessy" family as landowners in County Cork during the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Fennelly name appears in the "Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns," a collection of documents relating to the administration of Ireland during the Tudor period. These records list several individuals with the surname Fennelly as holders of land grants and other official positions.

Notable individuals with the surname Fennelly throughout history include:

1. Maurice Fennelly (c. 1600 - 1680), an Irish military leader who fought in the Confederate Wars of the 1640s. 2. Jeremiah Fennelly (1766 - 1842), an Irish-American soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War. 3. Richard Fennelly (1823 - 1893), an Irish-born Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. 4. Mary Fennelly (1892 - 1969), an Irish-American labor organizer and activist for workers' rights. 5. Daniel Fennelly (1939 - 2010), an American author and playwright known for his works depicting Irish-American culture.

While the surname Fennelly has roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish emigration to countries like the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fennelly families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fennelly 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 11 Fennellys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.88x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 11 2.88x
Middlesex 9 2.80x
Durham 5 5.23x
Cheshire 3 4.23x
Lincolnshire 3 5.83x
Devon 1 1.49x
Sussex 1 1.84x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Warrington in Lancashire leads with 8 Fennellys recorded in 1881 and an index of 176.99x.

Place Total Index
Warrington 8 176.99x
St Pancras London 6 23.18x
Hartlepool 5 367.65x
St Swithin Lincoln 3 370.37x
Preston 2 19.59x
St George In East London 2 66.01x
Upton By Birkenhead 2 2857.14x
Broadwater 1 80.65x
Devonport 1 129.87x
Liverpool 1 4.31x
Runcorn 1 60.98x
St Marylebone London 1 5.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 3
Bernard 2
John 2
Francis 1
Henry 1
James 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Paul 1
Richard 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 Fennelly households.

FAQ

Fennelly surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fennelly surname in 1881?

In 1881, 37 people were recorded with the Fennelly surname. That placed it at #28,418 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fennelly surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 340 in 2016. That gives Fennelly a modern rank of #13,456.

What does the Fennelly surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Fionnalaidh, meaning "descendant of a fair-haired one."

What does the Fennelly map show?

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