NameCensus.

UK surname

Haggerty

An Irish surname derived from Ó hÉigeartuigh, meaning "descendant of Éigeartach," a personal name meaning "fierce" or "anxious."

In the 1881 census there were 556 people recorded with the Haggerty surname, ranking it #6,212 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,701, ranked #3,672, up from #6,212 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkintilloch, London parishes and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Badenoch and Strathspey Central, St. Helens and Johnstone North West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Haggerty is 1,743 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 205.9%.

1881 census count

556

Ranked #6,212

Modern count

1,701

2016, ranked #3,672

Peak year

2014

1,743 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Haggerty had 556 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,212 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,701 in 2016, ranked #3,672.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 963 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Haggerty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Haggerty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Haggerty 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 218 #9,754
1861 historical 327 #7,788
1881 historical 556 #6,212
1891 historical 772 #5,191
1901 historical 963 #4,878
1911 historical 528 #7,519
1997 modern 1,601 #3,699
1998 modern 1,667 #3,697
1999 modern 1,702 #3,653
2000 modern 1,704 #3,638
2001 modern 1,645 #3,680
2002 modern 1,671 #3,696
2003 modern 1,592 #3,782
2004 modern 1,641 #3,685
2005 modern 1,646 #3,645
2006 modern 1,670 #3,599
2007 modern 1,668 #3,634
2008 modern 1,673 #3,644
2009 modern 1,704 #3,657
2010 modern 1,721 #3,709
2011 modern 1,676 #3,763
2012 modern 1,654 #3,731
2013 modern 1,713 #3,681
2014 modern 1,743 #3,637
2015 modern 1,708 #3,666
2016 modern 1,701 #3,672

Geography

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Where Haggertys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkintilloch, London parishes, Govan Combination and Gateshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Badenoch and Strathspey Central, St. Helens, Johnstone North West and Balfron and Drymen. 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 Kirkintilloch Dunbarton
2 London parishes London 1
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Gateshead Durham
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Badenoch and Strathspey Central Highland
2 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
3 St. Helens 017 St. Helens
4 Johnstone North West Renfrewshire
5 Balfron and Drymen Stirling

Forenames

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First names often paired with Haggerty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Haggerty

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Haggerty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Haggerty household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Haggerty is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Haggerty is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Haggerty 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 Haggerty 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Haggerty

The surname Haggerty originated in Ireland and is derived from the Gaelic Ó hAgrí, meaning "descendant of Agrí." Agrí was a personal name derived from the Old Irish word "agra," meaning "lively" or "vigorous."

The name first appeared in the counties of Tipperary and Waterford, where the Haggerty clan held lands. The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Donnchadh Ó hAgrí in the year 1273.

In the 16th century, the Haggerty family played a significant role in the Desmond Rebellions, supporting the Earl of Desmond against English rule. During this period, the name was sometimes spelled as Haggarty or Haggerdie.

One notable figure with the Haggerty surname was Sir Nicholas Haggerty (c. 1550-1624), an Irish soldier and landowner who served under the Earl of Tyrone during the Nine Years' War. He later received a pardon from King James I and was granted lands in County Fermanagh.

Another prominent Haggerty was Patrick Haggerty (c. 1700-1782), a Catholic priest and poet from County Tipperary. He is remembered for his work "The Tipperary Litany," which celebrated the beauty of his native county.

In the 19th century, James Haggerty (1809-1884) was a successful businessman and philanthropist in New York City. He made his fortune in the shipping industry and donated generously to various Catholic charities and institutions.

John Haggerty (1825-1905) was an Irish-American politician who served as the Mayor of Brooklyn from 1889 to 1891. He played a significant role in the consolidation of Brooklyn with New York City in 1898.

Bridget Haggerty (1839-1905), known as "The Irish Queen," was a renowned Irish-American labor activist and community organizer in New York City. She advocated for better working conditions and housing for the city's immigrant population.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Haggerty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Haggerty 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. Middlesex leads with 114 Haggertys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.11x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 114 2.11x
Lanarkshire 97 5.55x
Lancashire 45 0.70x
Dunbartonshire 26 17.90x
Kent 26 1.41x
Durham 25 1.56x
Renfrewshire 25 5.97x
Northumberland 22 2.74x
Surrey 22 0.84x
Cumberland 21 4.51x
Midlothian 17 2.35x
Stirlingshire 17 8.53x
Essex 16 1.50x
Ayrshire 12 2.97x
Perthshire 11 4.54x
Monmouthshire 9 2.30x
Kirkcudbrightshire 8 10.23x
West Lothian 7 8.60x
Yorkshire 7 0.13x
Banffshire 6 5.35x
Dumfriesshire 5 4.19x
Staffordshire 4 0.22x
Hertfordshire 3 0.81x
Cheshire 2 0.17x
Devon 2 0.18x
Gloucestershire 1 0.09x
Hampshire 1 0.09x
Inverness-shire 1 0.62x
Roxburghshire 1 1.02x
Royal Navy 1 1.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 31 Haggertys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.99x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 31 9.99x
Ratcliffe London 29 97.19x
Govan 24 5.55x
Barony 16 3.62x
Kirkintilloch 13 65.89x
Old Monkland 13 18.75x
West Ham 13 5.52x
Cowpen 12 64.83x
Millom 12 84.15x
Perth Middle Church 11 120.61x
Kensington London 10 3.33x
Liverpool 10 2.57x
Middle Greenock 10 87.49x
Bethnal Green London 9 3.83x
Dailly 9 217.92x
St Giles In Fields London 9 33.95x
Edinburgh Canongate 8 43.43x
Troqueer 8 77.97x
Eccleston In Prescot 7 21.75x
Greenwich 7 8.14x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 10.05x
Islington London 7 1.34x
Kilsyth 7 55.07x
Lambeth 7 1.49x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 7 91.50x
St Pancras London 7 1.61x
Tottington Lower End 7 22.97x
Whitehaven 7 28.23x
Cumbernauld 6 75.38x
Falkirk 6 12.86x
New Monkland 6 11.61x
Parr 6 26.16x
Poplar London 6 5.88x
Woolwich 6 8.81x
Bonhill 5 21.45x
Chatham 5 9.86x
Chester Le Street 5 40.49x
Dumfries 5 42.44x
Eltham 5 46.30x
Keith 5 41.84x
Newcastle On Tyne St 5 12.00x
Paisley Low Church 5 37.71x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 4.60x
Ashford 4 93.68x
Bromley London 4 3.36x
Camberwell 4 1.16x
Cambusnethan 4 10.30x
Ovenden 4 16.79x
Slamannan 4 36.66x
St Woollos 4 9.17x
Uphall 4 44.69x
West Greenock 4 5.32x
Westoe 4 4.39x
Bromley 3 10.68x
Burslem 3 5.74x
Caerleon 3 147.06x
Charterhouse London 3 117.65x
Little Woolton 3 162.16x
Newchurch 3 5.72x
Renfrew 3 21.69x
Sunderland 3 10.57x
Watford 3 10.39x
Whickham 3 20.28x
Whitburn 3 25.51x
Birkenhead 2 2.10x
Dumbarton 2 9.90x
East Ham 2 10.10x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 2 11.68x
Elswick 2 3.12x
Hamilton 2 4.10x
Inveresk 2 10.20x
Kilmarnock 2 4.15x
Rainhill 2 48.66x
Ratho 2 59.17x
Shoreditch London 2 0.85x
St Cuthbert W O 2 8.82x
St George In East London 2 3.93x
St Mary Le Strand London 2 101.52x
St Marylebone London 2 0.69x
Whitechapel London 2 3.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 36
Ellen 15
Catherine 11
Elizabeth 9
Annie 8
Margaret 8
Ann 5
Alice 4
Bridget 4
Jane 4
Julia 4
Johanna 3
Kate 3
Sarah 3
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Esther 2
Hannah 2
Maria 2
Selina 2
Abigail 1
Betsy 1
Bridgit 1
Cathrine 1
Cecillia 1
Eleanor 1
Elixa 1
Eliza 1
Flora 1
Harriet 1
Hireabella 1
Honorah 1
James 1
Jessie 1
Joanna 1
Johana 1
Madeline 1
Maggie 1
Margret 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
Norah 1
Robert 1
Rosina 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 33
James 16
Thomas 14
Daniel 11
Patrick 10
William 7
George 6
Michael 6
Dennis 5
Henry 4
Robert 4
Andrew 3
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Timothy 3
Cornelius 2
Hugh 2
Lawrence 2
Austin 1
Cornelious 1
Ebenezer 1
Edward 1
Fred. 1
Harry 1
Jeremiah 1
Jerry 1
Jno. 1
Martha 1
Martin 1
Owen 1
Peter 1
Sam 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Haggerty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Haggerty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 556 people were recorded with the Haggerty surname. That placed it at #6,212 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Haggerty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,701 in 2016. That gives Haggerty a modern rank of #3,672.

What does the Haggerty surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from Ó hÉigeartuigh, meaning "descendant of Éigeartach," a personal name meaning "fierce" or "anxious."

What does the Haggerty map show?

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