NameCensus.

UK surname

Grogan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Grógáin, meaning "descendant of Grógán," a personal name of unknown meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 1,101 people recorded with the Grogan surname, ranking it #3,609 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,745, ranked #2,446, up from #3,609 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Liverpool and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Blackburn with Darwen and Ealing.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grogan is 2,798 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 149.3%.

1881 census count

1,101

Ranked #3,609

Modern count

2,745

2016, ranked #2,446

Peak year

2010

2,798 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grogan had 1,101 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,609 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,745 in 2016, ranked #2,446.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,496 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Grogan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grogan surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Grogan 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 444 #5,543
1861 historical 609 #4,362
1881 historical 1,101 #3,609
1891 historical 1,103 #3,839
1901 historical 1,345 #3,725
1911 historical 1,496 #3,224
1997 modern 2,661 #2,397
1998 modern 2,737 #2,419
1999 modern 2,792 #2,398
2000 modern 2,749 #2,419
2001 modern 2,669 #2,430
2002 modern 2,693 #2,459
2003 modern 2,624 #2,467
2004 modern 2,621 #2,472
2005 modern 2,636 #2,434
2006 modern 2,657 #2,422
2007 modern 2,670 #2,431
2008 modern 2,650 #2,455
2009 modern 2,699 #2,464
2010 modern 2,798 #2,449
2011 modern 2,740 #2,463
2012 modern 2,684 #2,468
2013 modern 2,763 #2,454
2014 modern 2,792 #2,446
2015 modern 2,749 #2,458
2016 modern 2,745 #2,446

Geography

Back to top

Where Grogans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Liverpool, Bradford and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Blackburn with Darwen, Ealing, Campbeltown and Kirklees. 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 Liverpool Lancashire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 021 Bradford
2 Blackburn with Darwen 009 Blackburn with Darwen
3 Ealing 030 Ealing
4 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute
5 Kirklees 011 Kirklees

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Grogan

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Grogan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Grogan, 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 Grogan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Grogan 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Grogan is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Grogan 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

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

Meaning and origin of Grogan

The surname GROGAN has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Irish Gaelic word "gróg," which means "a hardy little fellow" or "a stout man." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname to describe someone with a sturdy or robust physique.

The name is thought to have originated in County Cork, where it was particularly prevalent in the baronies of Kinalmeaky and Kerrycurrihy. The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in various Irish annals and medieval manuscripts, such as the Annals of Inisfallen, which date back to the 12th century.

One of the earliest known references to the name GROGAN can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England, from the year 1199, where a man named Adam Grogan is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already spread beyond Ireland by the late 12th century, likely due to the migration of Irish families to England and other parts of the British Isles.

In the 16th century, the name GROGAN was prominently associated with the Gaelic noble family of the same name, who were Lords of Inchiquin in County Clare, Ireland. One notable figure from this family was Sir Donogh Grogan, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries and played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars.

Another famous bearer of the name GROGAN was John Grogan, an Irish-American painter and illustrator born in 1857 in Boston, Massachusetts. He is best known for his illustrations in books and magazines, and his works can be found in the collections of various art museums across the United States.

Other notable individuals with the surname GROGAN include:

1. John Grogan (1831-1912), an Irish-American entrepreneur and philanthropist from Boston. 2. Ewart Grogan (1876-1957), a British explorer and colonial administrator in East Africa. 3. Enda Grogan (born 1932), an Irish historian and academic. 4. Dermot Grogan (1916-2002), an Irish diplomat and civil servant. 5. Kathleen Grogan (1926-2015), an American author and journalist.

The name GROGAN has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Grogan's Hill and Grogan's Bridge in County Cork, further emphasizing its historical significance and deep roots in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Grogan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grogan 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 433 Grogans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 433 3.42x
Yorkshire 163 1.54x
Middlesex 86 0.81x
Surrey 73 1.41x
Warwickshire 54 2.01x
Hampshire 41 1.88x
Angus 29 2.94x
Lanarkshire 28 0.81x
Gloucestershire 24 1.15x
Cheshire 19 0.81x
Staffordshire 19 0.53x
Essex 16 0.76x
Kent 14 0.38x
Glamorgan 12 0.65x
Derbyshire 10 0.60x
Cumberland 9 0.98x
Leicestershire 8 0.68x
Northumberland 7 0.44x
Sussex 7 0.39x
Worcestershire 7 0.50x
Durham 6 0.19x
Midlothian 6 0.42x
Perthshire 5 1.04x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 2.59x
Lincolnshire 2 0.12x
Renfrewshire 2 0.24x
Royal Navy 2 1.57x
Bedfordshire 1 0.18x
Berwickshire 1 0.77x
Denbighshire 1 0.25x
Devon 1 0.05x
Rutland 1 1.28x
Somerset 1 0.06x
West Lothian 1 0.62x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 108 Grogans recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.08x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 108 32.08x
Liverpool 85 11.06x
Birmingham 38 4.24x
Leeds 35 5.87x
Camberwell 29 4.26x
Dundee 28 7.59x
Bootle Cum Linacre 27 26.87x
Manchester 22 3.87x
West Derby 18 4.86x
Alverstoke 16 20.23x
Glasgow 16 2.61x
Kensington London 16 2.70x
Bradford 15 5.86x
Horton In Bradford 13 7.88x
St Bartholomew Great 13 134.02x
Bermondsey 12 3.78x
Portsea 12 2.80x
St Marylebone London 11 1.93x
Burslem 10 9.70x
Lambeth 10 1.08x
Preston 10 2.95x
Selby 10 45.29x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 9 23.46x
Batley 9 8.96x
Coventry Holy Trinity 9 11.21x
Hensingham 9 120.00x
Holy Trinity 9 3.54x
Moss Side 9 13.52x
Wandsworth 9 8.77x
Wavertree 9 22.22x
Ashton Under Lyne 8 2.89x
Bury 8 5.54x
Dalton In Furness 8 16.38x
Headingley Cum Burley 8 11.76x
Little Bolton 8 4.92x
Wigan 8 4.52x
Birkenhead 7 3.73x
Bristol Temple 7 50.84x
Garston 7 18.75x
Great Crosby 7 20.30x
Harborne 7 6.07x
Prescot 7 30.59x
Roath 7 8.30x
Southampton St Mary 7 5.09x
Spotland 7 4.98x
Wardleworth 7 9.68x
West Ham 7 1.51x
Westbury On Trym 7 9.88x
Withington 7 17.17x
Aston 6 0.81x
Brightside Bierlow 6 2.90x
Derby All Sts 6 43.04x
Govan 6 0.70x
Hackney London 6 1.00x
Hastings St Mary 6 13.41x
Ormskirk 6 24.78x
Pennington In Leigh 6 24.72x
South Leith 6 3.73x
St Luke London 6 3.51x
Widnes 6 6.58x
Deptford St Nicholas 5 17.32x
Fulwood 5 36.58x
Gloucester St John Baptist 5 37.04x
Macclesfield 5 4.78x
Maryhill 5 7.41x
Normanton 5 15.75x
Openshaw 5 8.44x
St Gilesin Fields London 5 55.43x
Tibbermore 5 72.89x
Yardley 5 14.04x
Everton 4 0.99x
Gateshead 4 1.68x
Huddersfield 4 2.60x
Hulme 4 1.51x
Leicester St Margaret 4 1.39x
Mortlake 4 17.28x
Sheffield 4 1.19x
Shoreditch London 4 0.87x
Troqueer 4 19.75x
Walthamstow 4 5.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 126
Ellen 35
Bridget 32
Catherine 29
Margaret 26
Elizabeth 19
Ann 18
Sarah 18
Annie 15
Eliza 13
Jane 9
Julia 9
Alice 8
Edith 8
Hannah 8
Maria 8
Emma 6
Anne 5
Kate 5
Agnes 4
Florence 4
Winifred 4
Eleanor 3
Margret 3
Rose 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Cecelia 2
Charlotte 2
Emily 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Helen 2
Isabella 2
Lavinia 2
Lizzie 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Susan 2
Susannah 2
Amy 1
Bessie 1
Bridgett 1
Bridgt. 1
Emiley 1
Emly 1
Irene 1
John 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 65
Thomas 62
James 55
Patrick 45
William 35
Michael 33
Edward 17
Peter 15
Martin 12
Joseph 10
Henry 9
Owen 9
Charles 8
Alfred 7
George 7
Andrew 6
Anthony 5
Frederick 5
Stephen 5
Walter 5
Bernard 4
Albert 3
Arthur 3
Chas. 3
Denis 3
Francis 3
Michal 3
Richard 3
Thos. 3
Augustus 2
Bryan 2
Cornelius 2
Daniel 2
Earnest 2
Edwd. 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Fredk. 2
Hugh 2
Jas. 2
Samuel 2
Alexandria 1
Aron 1
C.W. 1
E.C.J. 1
Edmond 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
J.T. 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Grogan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grogan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,101 people were recorded with the Grogan surname. That placed it at #3,609 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grogan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,745 in 2016. That gives Grogan a modern rank of #2,446.

What does the Grogan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Grógáin, meaning "descendant of Grógán," a personal name of unknown meaning.

What does the Grogan map show?

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