NameCensus.

UK surname

Frawley

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Fráoileadh," meaning "descendant of Fráoileadh" (a personal name of unknown meaning).

In the 1881 census there were 126 people recorded with the Frawley surname, ranking it #17,245 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 337, ranked #13,552, up from #17,245 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Eccles and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Cambridgeshire, Wrexham and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Frawley is 380 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 167.5%.

1881 census count

126

Ranked #17,245

Modern count

337

2016, ranked #13,552

Peak year

1999

380 bearers

Map years

4

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Frawley had 126 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,245 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 337 in 2016, ranked #13,552.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 126 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Frawley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Frawley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Frawley 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 44 #25,328
1861 historical 66 #25,487
1881 historical 126 #17,245
1891 historical 91 #25,239
1901 historical 80 #25,251
1911 historical 80 #24,821
1997 modern 361 #11,892
1998 modern 362 #12,259
1999 modern 380 #11,907
2000 modern 354 #12,460
2001 modern 339 #12,641
2002 modern 352 #12,557
2003 modern 326 #13,076
2004 modern 336 #12,848
2005 modern 332 #12,881
2006 modern 327 #13,092
2007 modern 323 #13,351
2008 modern 325 #13,406
2009 modern 328 #13,574
2010 modern 333 #13,717
2011 modern 323 #13,868
2012 modern 327 #13,654
2013 modern 317 #14,186
2014 modern 319 #14,216
2015 modern 330 #13,774
2016 modern 337 #13,552

Geography

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Where Frawleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Eccles, Manchester, Lambeth and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Cambridgeshire, Wrexham, Birmingham, Sevenoaks and Wandsworth. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Cambridgeshire 021 South Cambridgeshire
2 Wrexham 020 Wrexham
3 Birmingham 122 Birmingham
4 Sevenoaks 002 Sevenoaks
5 Wandsworth 011 Wandsworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Frawley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Frawley

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Frawley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Frawley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Frawley 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

Frawley 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

Frawley falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Frawley

The surname Frawley originates from Ireland, first appearing in historical records around the 12th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname "O'Fraghalaigh," which is derived from the Irish words "frag" meaning "valorous" and "gal" meaning "valor" or "bravery." The name likely referred to a person who was considered particularly brave or valiant.

The Frawley surname was first concentrated in the counties of Roscommon and Galway in the western province of Connacht. It is believed to have been adopted by descendants of the Hy-Briuin Seola, a prominent Irish clan that controlled parts of Roscommon and surrounding areas during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a "Frahilidh O'Fraghalaigh" who was a scribe and poet active in the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Frawley family settled in County Clare, where the surname variant "Frawly" became more common. A notable figure from this time was Donough Frawly, a landowner and supporter of the Irish rebel Hugh O'Neill during the Nine Years' War against English rule in the late 16th century.

During the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the 1650s, many Frawley families were dispossessed of their lands and forced to relocate to other parts of the country or emigrate. Some Frawleys may be found in historical records from this period, such as the Petty Census of 1659.

In the 18th century, a prominent member of the Frawley family was John Frawley (1712-1789), a Catholic priest and educator who founded a school in County Roscommon. Another notable figure was Patrick Frawley (1769-1854), a lawyer and landowner from County Clare who served as a member of the Irish Parliament.

Other historical figures with the Frawley surname include Michael Frawley (1861-1936), an Irish politician and member of the British Parliament for North Roscommon, and John Frawley (1898-1969), an Irish Republican Army leader during the Irish War of Independence in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Frawley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Frawley 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 40 Frawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.74x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 40 2.74x
Middlesex 35 2.85x
Yorkshire 14 1.15x
Herefordshire 9 17.86x
Surrey 6 1.00x
Hampshire 5 1.98x
Warwickshire 5 1.61x
Cumberland 4 3.78x
Kent 2 0.48x
Lanarkshire 2 0.50x
Bedfordshire 1 1.57x
Devon 1 0.39x
Gloucestershire 1 0.41x
Monmouthshire 1 1.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Salford in Lancashire leads with 9 Frawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.98x.

Place Total Index
Salford 9 20.98x
Walford 9 1800.00x
Barton Upon Irwell 8 72.86x
Saddleworth 8 85.20x
Fulham London 7 39.28x
St George In East London 7 60.55x
Birmingham 5 4.84x
St Andrew Holborn London 5 93.99x
St George Hanover Square 5 23.09x
Wigan 5 24.53x
Liverpool 4 4.52x
Millom 4 123.46x
St Botolph Aldgate London 4 158.10x
Blackburn 3 7.73x
Idle 3 53.10x
Newington 3 6.61x
Oldham 3 6.37x
St Marylebone London 3 4.57x
Chelsea London 2 5.40x
Farnborough 2 75.47x
Heap 2 25.87x
Woolwich 2 12.91x
Abram 1 89.29x
Aldershot 1 11.85x
Bishop Thornton 1 500.00x
Bow London 1 6.39x
Bristol St Augustine 1 25.71x
Cambuslang 1 24.94x
Everton 1 2.15x
Fulwood 1 63.29x
Govan 1 1.02x
Kempston 1 69.44x
Lambeth 1 0.93x
Llangattock Nigh Usk 1 1000.00x
Normanby In 1 30.67x
Northowram 1 11.71x
Plymouth Charles The 1 8.87x
Portsea 1 2.03x
Portsmouth 1 17.24x
Preston 1 2.56x
Skelmersdale 1 41.15x
Stoke 1 35.34x
Walton Le Dale 1 25.51x
Wandsworth 1 8.45x
Westminster St John 1 6.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Ellen 6
Margaret 6
Annie 5
Elizabeth 5
Catherine 4
Anne 3
Ann 2
Bridget 2
Eliza 2
Norah 2
Alice 1
Anna 1
Caroline 1
E.P. 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Isabella 1
Johannah 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Margt. 1
Nancy 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
James 4
Joseph 4
Patrick 4
Thomas 4
William 4
Alfred 2
Daniel 2
Wm. 2
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Ferdinand 1
Henry 1
J. 1
Jas.M. 1
Laurence 1
Leonard 1
Martin 1
Maurice 1
Michael 1
Richard 1
Simon 1
Timothy 1

FAQ

Frawley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Frawley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 126 people were recorded with the Frawley surname. That placed it at #17,245 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Frawley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 337 in 2016. That gives Frawley a modern rank of #13,552.

What does the Frawley surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Fráoileadh," meaning "descendant of Fráoileadh" (a personal name of unknown meaning).

What does the Frawley map show?

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