NameCensus.

UK surname

Flannagan

An Irish surname meaning son of the red-haired lad.

In the 1881 census there were 602 people recorded with the Flannagan surname, ranking it #5,818 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 445, ranked #10,890, down from #5,818 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Govan Combination and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mauchline Rural, Cumnock South and Craigens and Dalmarnock.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Flannagan is 628 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 26.1%.

1881 census count

602

Ranked #5,818

Modern count

445

2016, ranked #10,890

Peak year

1901

628 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Flannagan had 602 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,818 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 445 in 2016, ranked #10,890.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 628 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Flannagan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Flannagan surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Flannagan 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 376 #6,343
1861 historical 420 #6,114
1881 historical 602 #5,818
1891 historical 526 #7,125
1901 historical 628 #6,820
1911 historical 252 #12,834
1997 modern 409 #10,818
1998 modern 450 #10,409
1999 modern 452 #10,422
2000 modern 436 #10,701
2001 modern 424 #10,740
2002 modern 418 #11,084
2003 modern 409 #11,088
2004 modern 423 #10,816
2005 modern 388 #11,437
2006 modern 412 #10,976
2007 modern 420 #10,943
2008 modern 418 #11,083
2009 modern 435 #10,991
2010 modern 453 #10,858
2011 modern 438 #11,017
2012 modern 424 #11,183
2013 modern 443 #10,968
2014 modern 455 #10,804
2015 modern 453 #10,769
2016 modern 445 #10,890

Geography

Back to top

Where Flannagans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Govan Combination, Manchester, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mauchline Rural, Cumnock South and Craigens, Dalmarnock, Tollcross and Blaby. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mauchline Rural East Ayrshire
2 Cumnock South and Craigens East Ayrshire
3 Dalmarnock Glasgow City
4 Tollcross Glasgow City
5 Blaby 010 Blaby

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Flannagan

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Flannagan

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Flannagan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Flannagan is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Flannagan

The surname Flannagan has its origins in Ireland, emerging sometime during the Middle Ages. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Flannagáin, meaning "descendent of Flannagán." The name Flannagán itself is a diminutive of the Irish personal name Flann, derived from the word "flann," meaning "red" or "ruddy."

The Flannagans were initially concentrated in County Roscommon, where they were a prominent family in the region known as Moylurg. Some 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.

One notable figure was Malachy Flannagan, who served as the Bishop of Clonmacnoise from 1347 to 1359. Another early mention is of Dermot Flannagan, a 15th-century chief of the clan in Moylurg, who is recorded as having participated in various conflicts and negotiations with neighboring clans.

In the 16th century, the Flannagans were among the Irish families who faced persecution and displacement during the Plantation of Ulster, a state-sponsored colonization effort by the English Crown. Many Flannagans were forced to flee their ancestral lands, with some settling in other parts of Ireland and others seeking refuge in continental Europe.

As the name spread, it underwent various spelling variations, including Flanagan, Flannigan, and Flanagen. One notable bearer of the name was Michael Joseph Flanagan (1844-1920), an Irish priest and historian who wrote extensively on the history and language of Ireland.

Another prominent Flannagan was Thomas Flannagan (1766-1810), an Irish-born American architect and bridge builder who is best known for his work on the Potomac River bridges in Washington, D.C., and the first permanent bridge across the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.

In more recent times, the name has been carried by individuals such as John Flannagan (1895-1942), an American sculptor who created the famous relief on the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C., and Conor Flannagan (1983-), an Irish professional golfer who has competed on various international tours.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Flannagan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Flannagan 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 194 Flannagans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.76x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 194 2.76x
Lanarkshire 89 4.64x
Yorkshire 64 1.09x
Staffordshire 44 2.20x
Ayrshire 32 7.21x
Cheshire 24 1.83x
Middlesex 24 0.40x
Renfrewshire 23 5.00x
Angus 14 2.55x
Warwickshire 13 0.87x
Northumberland 12 1.36x
Cumberland 11 2.15x
Durham 10 0.57x
Hampshire 9 0.74x
Denbighshire 8 3.57x
Stirlingshire 7 3.20x
Isle of Man 6 5.45x
Shropshire 5 0.98x
Flintshire 4 2.51x
Lincolnshire 4 0.42x
Midlothian 4 0.50x
Derbyshire 3 0.32x
Devon 2 0.16x
Essex 1 0.09x
Kent 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 34 Flannagans recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.00x.

Place Total Index
Barony 34 7.00x
Cambuslang 20 103.41x
Govan 20 4.22x
Manchester 20 6.32x
Kilmarnock 17 32.18x
Warrington 16 19.18x
Blackburn 13 6.94x
Liverpool 13 3.04x
Burnley 11 18.56x
Hulme 11 7.49x
Macclesfield 11 18.90x
Moss Side 11 29.71x
Girvan 10 89.77x
Ulverston 10 48.78x
West Bromwich 10 8.73x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 16.10x
Sheffield 9 4.81x
Stoke Upon Trent 9 4.24x
Alverstoke 8 18.18x
Hammersmith London 8 5.48x
Paisley High Church 8 21.86x
Selby 8 65.15x
Amble 7 174.13x
Cannock 7 20.04x
Everton 7 3.12x
Harborne 7 10.91x
Leeds 7 2.11x
Lochee 7 142.86x
Oldham 7 3.08x
Pendleton In Salford 7 8.35x
Birmingham 6 1.20x
Great Bolton 6 6.44x
Houston Killallan 6 134.83x
Liff Benvie 6 7.19x
New Monkland 6 10.58x
Newton Regis 6 659.34x
Onchan 6 18.91x
Stockport 6 8.90x
West Greenock 6 7.27x
Widnes 6 11.82x
Wolverhampton 6 3.90x
Batley 5 8.95x
Kimberworth 5 15.33x
Mile End New Town London 5 42.66x
Millom 5 31.95x
Muirkirk 5 47.98x
Northowram 5 12.13x
Sculcoates 5 5.37x
Shrewsbury St Mary 5 24.73x
Strathblane 5 183.15x
Toxteth Park 5 2.10x
Wednesbury 5 9.99x
Wrexham Abbot 5 88.81x
Ardwick 4 6.30x
Chadderton 4 11.62x
Glasgow 4 1.17x
Holywell 4 19.98x
Hyde 4 10.35x
Nether Hallam 4 5.03x
Old Monkland 4 5.25x
Wardleworth 4 9.95x
Workington 4 13.68x
Barton Upon Irwell 3 5.66x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 0.94x
Market Rasen 3 56.60x
Newbottle 3 31.12x
Oswaldtwistle 3 12.06x
Salford 3 1.45x
St Botolph Aldgate London 3 24.57x
Wallsend 3 10.72x
Westoe 3 3.00x
Wrexham Regis 3 18.03x
Denton 2 12.82x
Derby St Peter 2 6.76x
Doncaster 2 4.66x
Islington London 2 0.35x
Kirkby Moorside 2 53.48x
Stayley 2 13.37x
Wakefield 2 4.43x
York St George 2 43.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 55
Catherine 28
Margaret 16
Bridget 11
Ellen 11
Ann 10
Elizabeth 10
Sarah 10
Anne 5
Eliza 5
Jane 5
Annie 4
Kate 4
Margt. 3
Catharine 2
Emily 2
Julia 2
Maria 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Bridjet 1
Cecily 1
Clara 1
Eald 1
Easter 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Ester 1
Ettely 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Isabella 1
L. 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
Maggie 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
May 1
Nancy 1
Rose 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 36
James 27
Thomas 18
Michael 15
Patrick 14
William 14
Peter 8
Martin 7
George 6
Joseph 6
Daniel 5
Edward 5
Robert 5
Henry 4
Anthony 3
Matthew 3
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Bernard 2
Charles 2
David 2
Dennis 2
Hugh 2
Josh. 2
Luke 2
Richard 2
Saml. 2
Stephen 2
Walter 2
Bryan 1
Christopher 1
Dominic 1
E. 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Lawrance 1
Michel 1
Pat. 1
Patk 1
Saml.Jas. 1
Teddy 1
Thos. 1
Tim. 1
Timothy 1
W. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Flannagan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Flannagan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 602 people were recorded with the Flannagan surname. That placed it at #5,818 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Flannagan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 445 in 2016. That gives Flannagan a modern rank of #10,890.

What does the Flannagan surname mean?

An Irish surname meaning son of the red-haired lad.

What does the Flannagan map show?

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