NameCensus.

UK surname

Geraghty

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Oireachtaigh," meaning "descendant of Oireachtach," a personal name meaning "member of the assembly."

In the 1881 census there were 272 people recorded with the Geraghty surname, ranking it #10,409 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,284, ranked #2,841, up from #10,409 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Hull Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Halton, Uttlesford and North Hertfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Geraghty is 2,381 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 739.7%.

1881 census count

272

Ranked #10,409

Modern count

2,284

2016, ranked #2,841

Peak year

2010

2,381 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Geraghty had 272 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,409 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,284 in 2016, ranked #2,841.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 638 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Geraghty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Geraghty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Geraghty 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 79 #19,712
1861 historical 114 #19,011
1881 historical 272 #10,409
1891 historical 397 #8,927
1901 historical 541 #7,611
1911 historical 638 #6,534
1997 modern 2,224 #2,794
1998 modern 2,312 #2,792
1999 modern 2,327 #2,798
2000 modern 2,301 #2,803
2001 modern 2,269 #2,786
2002 modern 2,310 #2,795
2003 modern 2,284 #2,769
2004 modern 2,215 #2,851
2005 modern 2,204 #2,835
2006 modern 2,218 #2,820
2007 modern 2,207 #2,856
2008 modern 2,254 #2,818
2009 modern 2,306 #2,828
2010 modern 2,381 #2,807
2011 modern 2,318 #2,838
2012 modern 2,280 #2,829
2013 modern 2,306 #2,845
2014 modern 2,314 #2,852
2015 modern 2,296 #2,843
2016 modern 2,284 #2,841

Geography

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Where Geraghtys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Hull Holy Trinity, Manchester and Bolton-on-Dearne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Halton, Uttlesford and North Hertfordshire. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Bolton-on-Dearne Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Halton 006 Halton
2 Halton 002 Halton
3 Uttlesford 007 Uttlesford
4 North Hertfordshire 002 North Hertfordshire
5 Halton 005 Halton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Geraghty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Geraghty

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Geraghty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Geraghty household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Geraghty 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

Geraghty 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

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

Meaning and origin of Geraghty

The surname Geraghty is of Irish Gaelic origin, deriving from the old Irish name 'O Gearaghty' or 'O Gearghaile'. It is believed to have originated in County Mayo in the west of Ireland during the 11th or 12th centuries. The name is an anglicized version of the Gaelic 'O Gearaghty', meaning 'descendant of Gearaghty'.

The root of the name 'Gearaghty' can be traced back to the Irish word 'gearr', meaning 'short' or 'small', and 'aidhe', meaning 'fire' or 'heat'. This suggests that the original bearer of the name may have been a person of small stature or a blacksmith or metalworker by trade. Variations in spelling over the centuries have included Gerraty, Gearaty, Gearety, Gerraghty, and Garrity.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Geraghty can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals refer to a Conor O'Geraghty who was a prominent chieftain in County Mayo in the late 14th century.

Another notable figure in history bearing the name Geraghty was John Geraghty, an Irish soldier and politician who lived from 1670 to 1737. He served in the Irish Brigades of the French and Spanish armies and later became a member of the Irish House of Commons.

In the 18th century, James Geraghty (1738-1819) was a prominent Catholic activist and writer who campaigned for Catholic emancipation in Ireland. His works included 'A Vindication of the Loyal Catholics of Ireland' published in 1786.

During the 19th century, Patrick Geraghty (1801-1878) was a notable Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the shipping and railroad industries in New York City. He donated large sums of money to various Catholic charities and institutions.

Another famous bearer of the Geraghty surname was John Geraghty (1858-1942), an Irish-American lawyer and judge who served as a justice on the New York Supreme Court from 1907 to 1933.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Geraghty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Geraghty 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 104 Geraghtys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.27x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 104 3.27x
Yorkshire 41 1.54x
Lanarkshire 19 2.19x
Staffordshire 13 1.44x
Middlesex 12 0.45x
Flintshire 10 13.87x
Warwickshire 10 1.48x
Cheshire 8 1.35x
Renfrewshire 8 3.85x
Cornwall 7 2.31x
Derbyshire 7 1.67x
Durham 6 0.75x
Glamorgan 6 1.28x
Lincolnshire 5 1.17x
Devon 4 0.72x
Northumberland 4 1.00x
Royal Navy 3 9.38x
Berkshire 2 0.99x
Kent 2 0.22x
Surrey 2 0.15x
Cumberland 1 0.43x
Norfolk 1 0.24x

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 26 Geraghtys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.45x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 26 13.45x
Oldham 23 22.39x
Holy Trinity 19 29.72x
Govan 13 6.06x
Toxteth Park 9 8.35x
Mold 8 122.32x
Port Glasgow 8 79.60x
Wardleworth 8 43.98x
Hackney London 7 4.65x
Mawgan In Pyder 7 1076.92x
Wednesbury 7 30.93x
Birmingham 6 2.66x
Cardiff St John 6 39.32x
Derby St Michael 6 681.82x
Dewsbury 6 22.01x
Barony 5 2.28x
Leeds 5 3.33x
Market Rasen 5 208.33x
Worsley 5 25.48x
Birkenhead 4 8.47x
Broughton In Salford 4 13.75x
Chilvers Coton 4 143.88x
Sculcoates 4 9.49x
Sedgefield 4 140.85x
Tavistock 4 62.89x
Bootle Cum Linacre 3 11.87x
Burnley 3 11.19x
Halewood 3 175.44x
Handsworth 3 13.44x
Manningham 3 9.16x
Morpeth 3 63.97x
Newcastle Under Lyme 3 18.73x
Ormskirk 3 49.26x
Windle 3 16.75x
Chadderton 2 12.85x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 3.95x
Everton 2 1.97x
Hawarden 2 35.34x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 5.79x
Latchford 2 50.89x
New Windsor 2 29.54x
Normanby In 2 28.13x
West Derby 2 2.15x
Westminster St Margaret 2 15.46x
Altrincham 1 9.66x
Barrow In Furness 1 2.31x
Batley 1 3.96x
Beckenham 1 8.36x
Berwick Upon Tweed 1 11.82x
Chester St Bridget 1 99.01x
Clapham 1 2.98x
Crosscanonby 1 13.09x
Eckington 1 9.80x
Fulham London 1 2.57x
Glasgow 1 0.65x
Hadlow 1 44.05x
Kirkdale 1 1.87x
Manchester 1 0.70x
Norwich St James 1 30.86x
Orell Ford 1 172.41x
Paddington London 1 1.01x
Putney 1 8.18x
Reddish 1 22.83x
Royal Navy 1 3.66x
Rusholme 1 11.78x
Sheffield 1 1.18x
St Pancras London 1 0.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Ann 11
Catherine 7
Margaret 7
Bridget 5
Ellen 5
Sarah 5
Annie 3
Elizabeth 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Louise 2
Winifred 2
Alicia 1
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Cathn. 1
Celicia 1
Charlotte 1
Christina 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Emilene 1
Emma 1
Frances 1
Helen 1
Honor 1
Isabella 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Maude 1
Phoebe 1
Ruth 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 38
Thomas 13
James 12
Michael 11
Patrick 9
William 7
Edward 5
Martin 4
Joseph 3
Peter 3
Anthony 2
Dominick 2
Eugene 2
Francis 2
Andrew 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Geo. 1
George 1
Gerard 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Laurence 1
Lawrence 1
Marten 1
Matthias 1
Nuria 1
Patric 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Roderick 1
Timothy 1
Wm. 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Geraghty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Geraghty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 272 people were recorded with the Geraghty surname. That placed it at #10,409 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Geraghty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,284 in 2016. That gives Geraghty a modern rank of #2,841.

What does the Geraghty surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Oireachtaigh," meaning "descendant of Oireachtach," a personal name meaning "member of the assembly."

What does the Geraghty map show?

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