NameCensus.

UK surname

Gaffney

Derived from the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Gamhna, meaning "descendant of Gamhain," a personal name meaning "calf."

In the 1881 census there were 1,016 people recorded with the Gaffney surname, ranking it #3,860 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,519, ranked #1,928, up from #3,860 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Newcastle All Saints and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool, South Angus and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gaffney is 3,602 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 246.4%.

1881 census count

1,016

Ranked #3,860

Modern count

3,519

2016, ranked #1,928

Peak year

2010

3,602 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gaffney had 1,016 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,860 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,519 in 2016, ranked #1,928.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,454 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gaffney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gaffney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gaffney 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 259 #8,550
1861 historical 421 #6,096
1881 historical 1,016 #3,860
1891 historical 1,135 #3,750
1901 historical 1,454 #3,504
1911 historical 1,186 #3,954
1997 modern 3,335 #1,936
1998 modern 3,433 #1,949
1999 modern 3,487 #1,947
2000 modern 3,413 #1,976
2001 modern 3,358 #1,968
2002 modern 3,454 #1,958
2003 modern 3,321 #1,988
2004 modern 3,335 #1,986
2005 modern 3,379 #1,928
2006 modern 3,393 #1,915
2007 modern 3,408 #1,926
2008 modern 3,419 #1,940
2009 modern 3,534 #1,927
2010 modern 3,602 #1,934
2011 modern 3,530 #1,946
2012 modern 3,488 #1,936
2013 modern 3,524 #1,955
2014 modern 3,584 #1,925
2015 modern 3,549 #1,922
2016 modern 3,519 #1,928

Geography

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Where Gaffneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Newcastle All Saints, Edinburgh, Manchester and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hartlepool, South Angus, Manchester and Dalbeattie. 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 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hartlepool 012 Hartlepool
2 South Angus Angus
3 Manchester 013 Manchester
4 Dalbeattie Dumfries and Galloway
5 Hartlepool 007 Hartlepool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gaffney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gaffney

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gaffney 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

Gaffney 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

Gaffney 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 Gaffney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Gaffney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gaffney

The surname Gaffney originated in Ireland and is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Ó Gamhnaidh," meaning "descendant of Gamhnaidh." The name Gamhnaidh is derived from the Old Irish word "gamhan," which means "calf" or "offspring."

The Gaffneys were a prominent family in County Cavan, Ireland, and their ancestral homeland was in the vicinity of the town of Belturbet. The name is first recorded in historical records from the 12th century, with references to various members of the Ó Gamhnaidh clan.

In the 16th century, the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle of medieval Irish history, mentions a notable figure named Brian Ó Gamhnaidh, who was a chief of the clan and fought against the English forces during the Elizabethan conquest of Ireland.

The earliest known spelling of the name in English records dates back to the 17th century, where it appears as "Gaffney" in various documents and land records. During this time, the name was also associated with the townland of Gaffney, located in County Cavan.

One notable figure with the surname Gaffney was Daniel Gaffney (1787-1866), an Irish-born American businessman and politician who served as Mayor of Chicago from 1845 to 1846. Another prominent individual was James Gaffney (1811-1873), an Irish-born prelate who served as the Bishop of Hartford, Connecticut, from 1859 until his death.

In the 19th century, the name Gaffney was also associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Gaffney's Cross and Gaffney's Bridge, both located in County Cavan. Additionally, the name gained recognition through figures like Patrick Gaffney (1815-1899), an Irish-born Australian politician and landowner, and Michael Gaffney (1838-1917), an Irish-born American prelate who served as the Bishop of Ogdensburg, New York.

Throughout history, the surname Gaffney has been carried by many individuals of Irish descent, and it remains a prominent name in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Cavan and Monaghan, where it has its ancestral roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gaffney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gaffney 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 344 Gaffneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.93x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 344 2.93x
Lanarkshire 109 3.40x
Middlesex 74 0.75x
Durham 72 2.44x
Yorkshire 55 0.56x
Midlothian 47 3.54x
Cheshire 45 2.06x
Ayrshire 44 5.93x
Angus 41 4.47x
East Lothian 29 22.09x
Northumberland 28 1.90x
Kent 18 0.53x
Surrey 15 0.31x
Derbyshire 14 0.90x
Renfrewshire 14 1.82x
Staffordshire 13 0.39x
Hampshire 11 0.54x
Cumberland 7 0.82x
Perthshire 7 1.57x
Flintshire 6 2.25x
Roxburghshire 6 3.34x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.22x
Berkshire 2 0.27x
Fife 2 0.34x
Royal Navy 2 1.69x
Shropshire 2 0.23x
Cornwall 1 0.09x
Hertfordshire 1 0.15x
Selkirkshire 1 1.12x
Somerset 1 0.06x
Suffolk 1 0.08x
Sussex 1 0.06x
Warwickshire 1 0.04x

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 58 Gaffneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.12x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 58 8.12x
Dundee 36 10.50x
Glasgow 33 5.80x
Ashton Under Lyne 28 10.89x
Barrow In Furness 27 16.88x
Everton 25 6.67x
Manchester 25 4.73x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 19 21.57x
Old Monkland 18 14.15x
Hamilton 17 19.02x
Gateshead 16 7.25x
Haddington 16 82.56x
Leeds 15 2.70x
Old Cumnock 15 90.85x
Evenwood Barony 14 139.72x
Sunderland 14 26.89x
Salford 13 3.76x
Auckinleck 12 52.26x
Garston 12 34.57x
Sutton 11 27.89x
Ayr 10 28.56x
Dukinfield 10 9.89x
Islington London 10 1.04x
Middlewich 10 222.22x
Ardwick 9 8.48x
Gorton 9 8.14x
Kirkdale 9 4.55x
Lanark 9 34.90x
Middle Greenock 9 42.94x
Newcastle Under Lyme 9 15.20x
Toxteth Park 9 2.26x
West Derby 9 2.62x
Bethnal Green London 8 1.86x
Chorlton On Medlock 8 4.28x
Govan 8 1.01x
Newton In Makerfield 8 22.22x
Parr 8 19.02x
Dalziel 7 20.30x
Dunbar 7 38.04x
Edinburgh Canongate 7 20.72x
Kirknewton 7 183.25x
Litherland 7 28.47x
Macclesfield 7 7.20x
Stockport 7 6.22x
Wallsend 7 14.97x
Wombwell 7 24.44x
Birkenhead 6 3.44x
Cambuslang 6 18.57x
Croydon 6 2.24x
Dalry 6 17.19x
Hampstead London 6 3.89x
Holywell 6 17.94x
Hulme 6 2.44x
Kensington London 6 1.09x
Rochester St Margaret 6 16.83x
South Leith 6 4.02x
Throston 6 106.01x
Walmersley Cum 6 31.93x
Derby St Werburgh 5 5.58x
Edinburgh St Johns 5 59.67x
Kirknewton East 5 90.09x
Lancaster 5 7.15x
Liff Benvie 5 3.59x
Limehouse London 5 4.60x
Melrose 5 32.22x
Middlesbrough 5 3.91x
Mile End Old Town London 5 2.37x
St Lawrence 5 21.51x
St Pancras London 5 0.63x
Wigan 5 3.04x
Willington 5 29.34x
Aldershot 4 5.88x
Benfieldside 4 20.63x
Camberwell 4 0.63x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 4 43.48x
Neilston 4 10.37x
Oldham 4 1.05x
Pendleton In Salford 4 2.85x
Rattray 4 38.65x
St Clement Danes London 4 19.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 82
Ann 36
Ellen 20
Elizabeth 19
Margaret 19
Catherine 18
Jane 17
Bridget 13
Sarah 13
Kate 10
Eliza 8
Maria 8
Annie 7
Emily 6
Emma 6
Alice 5
Anne 5
Elizth. 5
Rose 5
Agnes 3
Clara 3
Edith 3
Maggie 3
Margt. 3
Teresa 3
Betsy 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
J. 2
Lucy 2
Matilda 2
May 2
Melinda 2
Susan 2
Susannah 2
Amey 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Esther 1
Ethelburga 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Lilian 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Lozzie 1
Mabel 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 63
James 50
Thomas 32
William 24
Michael 22
Patrick 17
Edward 14
Peter 12
Christopher 8
Richard 8
Joseph 7
Charles 6
George 5
Alfred 3
Andrew 3
Frederick 3
Jas. 3
Martin 3
Thos. 3
Bernard 2
Daniel 2
Dominic 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Lawrence 2
Mark 2
Owen 2
Stephen 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Austin 1
Cornealious 1
Dominick 1
Domnick 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Frankie 1
Gabriel 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Johnny 1
Lorenze 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Moses 1
Robert 1
Simon 1
Stafford 1

FAQ

Gaffney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gaffney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,016 people were recorded with the Gaffney surname. That placed it at #3,860 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gaffney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,519 in 2016. That gives Gaffney a modern rank of #1,928.

What does the Gaffney surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Gamhna, meaning "descendant of Gamhain," a personal name meaning "calf."

What does the Gaffney map show?

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