NameCensus.

UK surname

Hagan

Derived from the Irish surname Ó hÁgáin, meaning "descendant of Ágán," a personal name of unknown meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 1,491 people recorded with the Hagan surname, ranking it #2,806 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,841, ranked #2,366, up from #2,806 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Knowsley, East Riding of Yorkshire and Isle of Anglesey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hagan is 2,922 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 90.5%.

1881 census count

1,491

Ranked #2,806

Modern count

2,841

2016, ranked #2,366

Peak year

2010

2,922 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hagan had 1,491 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,806 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,841 in 2016, ranked #2,366.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,722 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hagan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hagan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hagan 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 634 #4,094
1861 historical 772 #3,566
1881 historical 1,491 #2,806
1891 historical 1,562 #2,840
1901 historical 1,722 #3,004
1911 historical 1,384 #3,482
1997 modern 2,532 #2,496
1998 modern 2,646 #2,487
1999 modern 2,656 #2,490
2000 modern 2,661 #2,485
2001 modern 2,633 #2,462
2002 modern 2,731 #2,431
2003 modern 2,670 #2,431
2004 modern 2,681 #2,427
2005 modern 2,678 #2,404
2006 modern 2,658 #2,421
2007 modern 2,676 #2,429
2008 modern 2,737 #2,406
2009 modern 2,840 #2,381
2010 modern 2,922 #2,361
2011 modern 2,850 #2,385
2012 modern 2,754 #2,425
2013 modern 2,824 #2,405
2014 modern 2,835 #2,409
2015 modern 2,855 #2,372
2016 modern 2,841 #2,366

Geography

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Where Hagans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead, Manchester, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Knowsley, East Riding of Yorkshire, Isle of Anglesey and Hammersmith and Fulham. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Knowsley 002 Knowsley
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 039 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Isle of Anglesey 003 Isle of Anglesey
4 Knowsley 010 Knowsley
5 Hammersmith and Fulham 018 Hammersmith and Fulham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hagan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hagan

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Hagan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hagan 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

Hagan 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 Hagan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Hagan

The surname Hagan is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English pre-7th century personal name "Hagan" or "Hagen", meaning "hawthorn" or "hedge-born". This name was initially widespread throughout England, though it is believed to have originated in the northern regions of the country.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals bearing variations of the name, such as Hagen, Hagene, and Hagana. This suggests that the surname was already established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hagan is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a man named Ricardus Hagan. Another early reference is in the Curia Regis Rolls for Northamptonshire in 1201, where a certain Rogerus Hagan is mentioned.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as Haghen, Haghan, and Haghene, indicating regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a William Hagen in Oxfordshire, while the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275 list a Thomas Haghen.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Hagan include William Hagan (c. 1550-1618), an English Roman Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of King James I. Another prominent figure was Sir John Hagan (1778-1858), an Irish-born British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

In literature, the surname is associated with the American writer and essayist Walter Hagen (1892-1969), known for his works on golf and its history. Hagan was also the surname of Dorothy Hagan (1905-1986), an American stage and film actress who appeared in numerous productions throughout her career.

The surname Hagan has also been linked to various place names throughout England, such as Hagen in Westmorland (now part of Cumbria) and Hagen Hill in Worcestershire, suggesting that the name may have originated from or been associated with these locations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hagan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hagan 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 449 Hagans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.59x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 449 2.59x
Durham 229 5.27x
Middlesex 112 0.77x
Lanarkshire 95 2.01x
Yorkshire 84 0.58x
Northumberland 70 3.22x
Cumberland 54 4.30x
Cheshire 48 1.49x
Staffordshire 47 0.95x
Angus 46 3.40x
Renfrewshire 43 3.80x
Norfolk 31 1.38x
Warwickshire 30 0.81x
Hampshire 20 0.67x
Derbyshire 19 0.83x
Kent 14 0.28x
Glamorgan 13 0.51x
Surrey 10 0.14x
Essex 9 0.31x
Midlothian 7 0.36x
Ayrshire 6 0.55x
Channel Islands 6 1.39x
Leicestershire 6 0.37x
Shropshire 6 0.48x
Worcestershire 6 0.31x
Dunbartonshire 4 1.02x
Stirlingshire 4 0.74x
Bedfordshire 3 0.40x
East Lothian 3 1.55x
Flintshire 3 0.76x
Sussex 3 0.12x
Buteshire 2 2.26x
Devon 2 0.07x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.62x
Gloucestershire 2 0.07x
Roxburghshire 2 0.76x
Anglesey 1 0.39x
Denbighshire 1 0.18x
Hertfordshire 1 0.10x
Lincolnshire 1 0.04x
Perthshire 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 0.57x
Selkirkshire 1 0.76x

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 83 Hagans recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.89x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 83 7.89x
Toxteth Park 39 6.65x
Dundee 38 7.52x
Glasgow 34 4.05x
Birmingham 28 2.28x
West Derby 28 5.52x
Wigan 26 10.74x
Salford 25 4.91x
Heworth 24 28.03x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 23 12.22x
Cleator 21 40.13x
Manchester 21 2.69x
Stranton 19 12.99x
Old Monkland 18 9.60x
Bootle Cum Linacre 17 12.35x
Birkenhead 16 6.23x
Tottington Lower End 14 17.00x
Cranworth 13 1092.44x
Iveston 13 64.97x
Limehouse London 13 8.11x
Widnes 13 10.40x
Benfieldside 12 42.00x
Conside Knitsley 12 35.52x
Habergham Eaves 12 7.58x
Heaton Norris 12 12.17x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 12 9.25x
West Greenock 12 5.91x
Willington 12 47.81x
Workington 12 16.67x
Birtley 11 62.04x
Great Bolton 11 4.79x
Heap 11 11.97x
Oldham 11 1.97x
Royton 11 20.75x
Shoreditch London 11 1.74x
Stockton On Tees 11 5.25x
Islington London 10 0.71x
Longbenton 10 10.87x
Newcastle Under Lyme 10 11.47x
St Giles In Fields London 10 13.96x
Deptford St Paul 9 2.34x
East Greenock 9 8.42x
Govan 9 0.77x
Leeds 9 1.10x
Linthorpe 9 10.42x
Port Glasgow 9 16.45x
Sheffield 9 1.95x
St Helens 9 41.36x
St Marylebone London 9 1.15x
Stafford St Mary 9 12.90x
West Ham 9 1.41x
Willesden 9 6.54x
Cadder 8 22.94x
Foulsham 8 168.78x
Hulme 8 2.21x
Latchford 8 37.37x
Millom 8 20.76x
Sturston 8 211.64x
Westoe 8 3.25x
Weston In Runcorn 8 95.47x
Amble 7 70.78x
Barony 7 0.59x
Bishop Auckland 7 12.01x
Bury 7 3.54x
Cheetham 7 5.42x
Elswick 7 4.04x
Everton 7 1.27x
Great Yarmouth 7 3.76x
Hexham 7 20.81x
Kirkdale 7 2.40x
Merthyr Tydfil 7 2.86x
Middlesbrough 7 3.71x
Northowram 7 6.90x
Preston 7 1.51x
Rutherglen 7 10.10x
St Vigeans 7 9.59x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 1.34x
Washington 7 38.42x
Usworth 6 26.01x
Whitwick 6 29.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 137
Margaret 47
Elizabeth 38
Catherine 32
Ellen 30
Bridget 29
Jane 29
Sarah 25
Ann 24
Annie 20
Eliza 12
Kate 9
Agnes 8
Emma 8
Alice 7
Maria 6
Emily 5
Frances 5
Isabella 5
Susan 5
Hannah 4
Ada 3
Amelia 3
Caroline 3
Cathrine 3
Helen 3
Katherine 3
Margret 3
Amy 2
Anna 2
Catharine 2
Dorothy 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Florence 2
Grace 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Jessie 2
Johanna 2
Laura 2
Lizzie 2
Maggie 2
Rose 2
Susannah 2
Theresa 2
Betsy 1
Bridgett 1
Elizth.Agness 1
Elsie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 128
James 82
Patrick 68
William 56
Thomas 48
Michael 34
Henry 26
Edward 19
Peter 15
Robert 14
Charles 13
Joseph 12
Martin 12
George 10
Francis 8
Daniel 7
Hugh 6
Albert 5
Harry 5
Samuel 5
Thos. 5
Arthur 4
Dennis 4
Frank 4
Matthew 4
Owen 4
Timothy 4
Bernard 3
Philip 3
Richard 3
Stephen 3
Wm. 3
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Christopher 2
Danl. 2
Felix 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Jas. 2
Lawrence 2
Micheal 2
Phillip 2
Rott 2
Cuthbert 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Friderick 1
G.Edward 1
Laurence 1
Leonard 1

FAQ

Hagan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hagan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,491 people were recorded with the Hagan surname. That placed it at #2,806 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hagan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,841 in 2016. That gives Hagan a modern rank of #2,366.

What does the Hagan surname mean?

Derived from the Irish surname Ó hÁgáin, meaning "descendant of Ágán," a personal name of unknown meaning.

What does the Hagan map show?

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