NameCensus.

UK surname

Hanlon

Anglicized form of Irish Ó hAnluain, meaning "descendant of Anluan," a personal name derived from the elements "an" (noble) and "luan" (warrior).

In the 1881 census there were 1,377 people recorded with the Hanlon surname, ranking it #2,990 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,332, ranked #1,574, up from #2,990 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Darlington, Copeland and Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hanlon is 4,355 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 214.6%.

1881 census count

1,377

Ranked #2,990

Modern count

4,332

2016, ranked #1,574

Peak year

2014

4,355 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hanlon had 1,377 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,990 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,332 in 2016, ranked #1,574.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,836 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hanlon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hanlon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hanlon 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 469 #5,291
1861 historical 479 #5,449
1881 historical 1,377 #2,990
1891 historical 1,330 #3,272
1901 historical 1,836 #2,863
1911 historical 1,382 #3,489
1997 modern 4,002 #1,618
1998 modern 4,194 #1,608
1999 modern 4,224 #1,611
2000 modern 4,160 #1,629
2001 modern 4,083 #1,616
2002 modern 4,196 #1,597
2003 modern 4,090 #1,609
2004 modern 4,066 #1,614
2005 modern 4,023 #1,616
2006 modern 4,068 #1,599
2007 modern 4,096 #1,603
2008 modern 4,117 #1,608
2009 modern 4,205 #1,614
2010 modern 4,320 #1,609
2011 modern 4,273 #1,606
2012 modern 4,241 #1,580
2013 modern 4,325 #1,586
2014 modern 4,355 #1,587
2015 modern 4,338 #1,572
2016 modern 4,332 #1,574

Geography

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Where Hanlons are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Darlington, Copeland, Hartlepool, Ruchill and Leeds. 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 Gateshead Durham
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Darlington 006 Darlington
2 Copeland 005 Copeland
3 Hartlepool 010 Hartlepool
4 Ruchill Glasgow City
5 Leeds 041 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hanlon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hanlon

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Hanlon 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

Hanlon 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hanlon

The surname Hanlon has its roots in Ireland, originating from the Irish Gaelic "Ó hAnluain" or "Ó hAnluaine," meaning "descendant of Anluain." The prefix "Ó" signifies "grandson" or "descendant." The name Anluain is derived from the Gaelic elements "an" (the) and "luan" (warrior).

The earliest recorded instance of the name Hanlon can be traced back to the 13th century in County Roscommon, Ireland. The Hanlons were a prominent family in this region and held significant lands and power. In medieval Irish records, the name appeared in various spellings, such as O'Hanlone, O'Hanloun, and O'Hanlon.

One notable historical reference to the Hanlon name is found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a Donnchadh Ó hAnluain who was killed in 1253 during a conflict between rival Irish clans.

In the 16th century, the Hanlons were among the families who lost their lands during the Plantation of Ulster, a organized colonization of Ulster by English and Scottish settlers. Despite this, the name persisted, and some Hanlons remained in Ireland, while others migrated to other parts of the world.

Notable individuals with the surname Hanlon include:

1. Patrick Hanlon (c. 1640 - c. 1710), an Irish Catholic priest and author who wrote about the Penal Laws against Catholics in Ireland. 2. Michael Hanlon (1766 - 1847), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and co-founder of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky. 3. Joseph Hanlon (1825 - 1892), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Indiana. 4. Alfred Thomas Hanlon (1857 - 1935), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons. 5. Edwin Hanlon (1892 - 1973), an American professional baseball player who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Braves.

The Hanlon surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Hanlon's Lough in County Roscommon, which was named after the prominent Hanlon family who once owned lands in the area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hanlon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hanlon 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 472 Hanlons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.95x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 472 2.95x
Lanarkshire 167 3.83x
Durham 127 3.16x
Middlesex 96 0.71x
Yorkshire 93 0.70x
Surrey 63 0.96x
Cheshire 55 1.85x
Renfrewshire 38 3.63x
Cumberland 24 2.07x
Wigtownshire 22 12.28x
Kent 21 0.46x
Northumberland 21 1.05x
Staffordshire 19 0.42x
Glamorgan 16 0.68x
Derbyshire 15 0.71x
Midlothian 15 0.83x
Buckinghamshire 14 1.72x
Warwickshire 12 0.35x
Ayrshire 9 0.89x
Cornwall 8 0.52x
Dumfriesshire 8 2.68x
Hampshire 7 0.25x
Kirkcudbrightshire 7 3.58x
Royal Navy 6 3.73x
Essex 5 0.19x
Gloucestershire 5 0.19x
Norfolk 5 0.24x
Devon 4 0.14x
Perthshire 4 0.66x
Lincolnshire 3 0.14x
Monmouthshire 3 0.31x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.17x
Angus 2 0.16x
Dorset 2 0.23x
Leicestershire 2 0.13x
Westmorland 2 0.67x
Berkshire 1 0.10x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.18x
Northamptonshire 1 0.08x
Selkirkshire 1 0.82x
Shropshire 1 0.09x
Somerset 1 0.05x
Stirlingshire 1 0.20x
West Lothian 1 0.49x

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 163 Hanlons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.77x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 163 16.77x
Manchester 66 9.17x
Barony 45 4.08x
Old Monkland 38 21.95x
Glasgow 34 4.39x
Toxteth Park 34 6.27x
Everton 31 6.08x
Bootle Cum Linacre 28 22.02x
Govan 25 2.32x
Kirkdale 25 9.28x
Birkenhead 24 10.11x
Bishopwearmouth 23 6.68x
Leeds 19 2.52x
West Derby 19 4.06x
Bradford 17 5.25x
Kensington London 16 2.13x
Salford 16 3.40x
Cardiff St Mary 15 11.59x
Kilbarchan 15 47.23x
Warrington 15 7.90x
Newton Longville 14 642.20x
Chelsea London 13 3.20x
Croydon 13 3.56x
Wigtown 13 127.20x
Darlington 12 7.74x
Heworth 12 15.17x
Westoe 12 5.27x
Preston Quarter 11 33.79x
Southwark St Saviour 11 15.87x
Camberwell 10 1.16x
Codnor Loscoe 10 59.77x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 10 5.75x
Port Glasgow 10 19.79x
Battersea 9 1.81x
Altarnun 8 150.66x
Auckinleck 8 25.60x
Barnsley 8 5.80x
Cadder 8 24.83x
Conside Knitsley 8 25.63x
Eston 8 27.47x
St Marylebone London 8 1.11x
Witton Le Wear 8 70.30x
Abbey 7 4.39x
Accrington 7 4.81x
Bermondsey 7 1.74x
Bolton In Bradford 7 81.68x
Bosden 7 76.59x
Halifax 7 3.57x
Islington London 7 0.54x
Lancaster 7 7.35x
Normanby In 7 19.59x
Preston 7 1.63x
Westminster St James 7 5.05x
Birmingham 6 0.53x
Dearham 6 39.16x
Linthorpe 6 7.52x
Maryhill 6 7.02x
Newchurch 6 4.58x
Royal Navy 6 4.37x
Trimdon 6 42.28x
Troqueer 6 23.42x
Colinton 5 24.81x
Dumfries 5 17.01x
Gravesend 5 12.83x
Great Bolton 5 2.36x
Great Yarmouth 5 2.91x
Hampstead London 5 2.38x
Morpeth 5 21.19x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 5 18.95x
Penninghame 5 27.37x
Shotts 5 9.58x
Stafford St Mary 5 7.76x
Stoke Upon Trent 5 1.04x
Tanfield 5 10.48x
Urswick 5 84.18x
West Ham 5 0.85x
Woolwich 5 2.94x
Altrincham 4 7.69x
Longbenton 4 4.70x
Wednesbury 4 3.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 121
Margaret 42
Catherine 39
Elizabeth 35
Sarah 27
Ann 23
Ellen 19
Bridget 16
Jane 15
Eliza 12
Kate 11
Annie 10
Alice 9
Hannah 8
Agnes 7
Harriet 7
Emma 6
Maria 6
Rose 6
Anne 5
Frances 5
Emily 4
Isabella 4
Martha 4
Julia 3
Selina 3
Caroline 2
Cecilia 2
Clara 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Harriett 2
Helen 2
Johanna 2
Margt. 2
Norah 2
Susan 2
Susannah 2
Amn 1
Anney 1
Asyabah 1
Deborah 1
Dinah 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Elizzia 1
Helena 1
Henreiatta 1
Honora 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 89
James 82
Patrick 41
Thomas 32
William 31
Michael 25
Peter 25
Edward 22
Joseph 17
Richard 12
Francis 10
George 9
Henry 9
Charles 8
Hugh 8
Daniel 6
David 6
Martin 6
Robert 6
Timothy 5
Arthur 4
Bernard 4
Walter 4
Alfred 3
Felix 3
Frederick 3
Pat 3
Thos. 3
Albert 2
Alexander 2
Andrew 2
Cornelius 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Hy. 2
Jeremiah 2
Jno. 2
Laurence 2
Matthew 2
Micheal 2
Michel 2
Millar 2
Owen 2
Stephen 2
Austin 1
Barnard 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Elijah 1

FAQ

Hanlon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hanlon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,377 people were recorded with the Hanlon surname. That placed it at #2,990 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hanlon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,332 in 2016. That gives Hanlon a modern rank of #1,574.

What does the Hanlon surname mean?

Anglicized form of Irish Ó hAnluain, meaning "descendant of Anluan," a personal name derived from the elements "an" (noble) and "luan" (warrior).

What does the Hanlon map show?

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