NameCensus.

UK surname

Goonan

An Irish surname derived from O'Comhdhain, meaning descendant of the brown-haired one.

In the 1881 census there were 17 people recorded with the Goonan surname, ranking it #31,170 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 164, ranked #22,314, up from #31,170 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Erewash, Sheffield and Nottingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goonan is 166 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 864.7%.

1881 census count

17

Ranked #31,170

Modern count

164

2016, ranked #22,314

Peak year

2015

166 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goonan had 17 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,170 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016, ranked #22,314.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 42 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Goonan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goonan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goonan 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 2 #33,133
1861 historical 9 #32,724
1881 historical 17 #31,170
1891 historical 22 #32,449
1901 historical 32 #30,501
1911 historical 42 #28,691
1997 modern 141 #21,941
1998 modern 152 #21,481
1999 modern 154 #21,455
2000 modern 155 #21,341
2001 modern 146 #21,857
2002 modern 147 #22,197
2003 modern 141 #22,549
2004 modern 142 #22,573
2005 modern 143 #22,473
2006 modern 143 #22,619
2007 modern 147 #22,510
2008 modern 148 #22,627
2009 modern 149 #23,031
2010 modern 144 #24,147
2011 modern 152 #23,101
2012 modern 157 #22,551
2013 modern 161 #22,521
2014 modern 163 #22,547
2015 modern 166 #22,159
2016 modern 164 #22,314

Geography

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Where Goonans 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 Erewash, Sheffield, Nottingham, South Ribble and Northumberland. 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 Erewash 003 Erewash
2 Sheffield 039 Sheffield
3 Nottingham 020 Nottingham
4 South Ribble 007 South Ribble
5 Northumberland 021 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goonan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goonan

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Goonan is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Goonan 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

Goonan 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 Goonan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Goonan

The surname Goonan is of Irish origin, originating in the 16th century from the Gaelic words "gabhann" meaning "small inlet or bay", and "an" meaning "the". It is believed to have originated in County Clare, a coastal region in the west of Ireland.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor Conquest, a collection of documents from the 16th and 17th centuries. The name appears as "Goonan" and variations such as "Gownan" and "Gownane". These records suggest that the name was originally associated with families living near small inlets or bays along the rugged Atlantic coastline of County Clare.

In the 17th century, the name Goonan began to appear in parish records and land deeds in the Burren region of County Clare. One notable figure from this time was Dermot Goonan, a landowner and farmer who was involved in disputes over land ownership and grazing rights in the 1660s.

By the 18th century, the Goonan name had spread to other parts of Ireland, particularly in County Galway and County Limerick. In 1785, a Patrick Goonan was recorded as a merchant in the city of Limerick, suggesting that some members of the family had achieved a degree of prosperity and urban influence.

In the 19th century, the Goonan name became more widespread due to the widespread emigration of Irish families to other parts of the world. Michael Goonan (1802-1878) was an Irish immigrant to Australia who became a successful farmer and landowner in the colony of New South Wales. Another notable figure was John Goonan (1835-1911), a soldier who fought in the American Civil War and later became a politician in Pennsylvania.

Other notable individuals with the surname Goonan include:

1. Bernard Goonan (1892-1966), an Australian politician who served in the House of Representatives. 2. Martin Goonan (1903-1984), an American baseball player who played in the Major Leagues in the 1920s. 3. Mary Goonan (born 1946), an American science fiction author known for her novels and short stories. 4. James Goonan (1918-2008), an Australian rules footballer who played for the Fitzroy Football Club in the 1940s.

The Goonan surname is a prime example of how Irish surnames often originated from geographical features and locations, reflecting the strong connections between families and the land they occupied.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goonan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goonan 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 7 Goonans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.56x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 7 3.56x
Yorkshire 7 4.26x
Lanarkshire 2 3.73x
Cheshire 1 2.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 7 Goonans recorded in 1881 and an index of 133.84x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 7 133.84x
Stretford 5 462.96x
Glasgow 2 21.03x
Little Woolton 1 1666.67x
Macclesfield 1 61.35x
Much Woolton 1 370.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Catherine 2
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Hannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alexander 1
Herbert 1
John 1
Michael 1
P.W.E. 1
Patrick 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 Goonan households.

FAQ

Goonan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goonan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 17 people were recorded with the Goonan surname. That placed it at #31,170 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goonan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016. That gives Goonan a modern rank of #22,314.

What does the Goonan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from O'Comhdhain, meaning descendant of the brown-haired one.

What does the Goonan map show?

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