NameCensus.

UK surname

Hanrahan

Derived from the Irish Ó hAnnracháin, meaning "descendant of Annrachán," a personal name of unknown meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 179 people recorded with the Hanrahan surname, ranking it #13,787 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,307, ranked #4,583, up from #13,787 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Barking and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derby, Lincoln and Harlow.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hanrahan is 1,348 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 630.2%.

1881 census count

179

Ranked #13,787

Modern count

1,307

2016, ranked #4,583

Peak year

2010

1,348 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hanrahan had 179 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,787 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,307 in 2016, ranked #4,583.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 302 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hanrahan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hanrahan surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hanrahan 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 51 #24,096
1861 historical 47 #28,023
1881 historical 179 #13,787
1891 historical 132 #19,976
1901 historical 218 #14,332
1911 historical 302 #11,394
1997 modern 1,202 #4,700
1998 modern 1,293 #4,593
1999 modern 1,319 #4,546
2000 modern 1,298 #4,581
2001 modern 1,277 #4,555
2002 modern 1,299 #4,575
2003 modern 1,276 #4,550
2004 modern 1,271 #4,577
2005 modern 1,242 #4,623
2006 modern 1,243 #4,633
2007 modern 1,265 #4,591
2008 modern 1,283 #4,562
2009 modern 1,304 #4,596
2010 modern 1,348 #4,544
2011 modern 1,307 #4,619
2012 modern 1,287 #4,614
2013 modern 1,326 #4,568
2014 modern 1,326 #4,599
2015 modern 1,309 #4,600
2016 modern 1,307 #4,583

Geography

Back to top

Where Hanrahans are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Derby, Lincoln, Harlow, Middlesbrough and Bradford. 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 1
2 Barking Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Eccles Lancashire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derby 011 Derby
2 Lincoln 003 Lincoln
3 Harlow 009 Harlow
4 Middlesbrough 004 Middlesbrough
5 Bradford 039 Bradford

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hanrahan

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hanrahan

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Hanrahan is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hanrahan 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hanrahan

The surname Hanrahan originated in Ireland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "O'hAnradhain," which means "descendant of Anradhan." Anradhan was a personal name composed of two elements: the Irish word "an," meaning vigor or strength, and "radh," meaning speech or utterance.

The name was particularly prevalent in the southern regions of Ireland, especially in counties Cork and Kerry. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written between the 11th and 13th centuries.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Hanrahan name appeared in various Irish manuscripts and records, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Irish Patent Rolls. These documents often mentioned individuals with the surname in connection with land grants, legal disputes, and other official matters.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing the Hanrahan surname was Donnchadh O'Hanrahan, a renowned Irish poet and scholar who lived in the late 14th century. He was a member of the renowned Bardic family of poets and historians from County Sligo.

Another notable figure was Captain James Hanrahan, an Irish soldier who served in the Spanish Army of Flanders during the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648). He fought alongside the famous Irish commander, Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, in the Battle of Nieuport in 1600.

In the 18th century, John Hanrahan (1737-1801) was a prominent Catholic priest and scholar from County Cork. He played a significant role in preserving Irish language and culture during a time of oppression against Catholics in Ireland.

Mary Hanrahan (1833-1905) was a renowned Irish language scholar and writer from County Limerick. She published several works, including a collection of Irish folklore and legends, and contributed to the preservation of the Irish language.

Michael Hanrahan (1870-1944) was a prominent Irish republican and politician from County Clare. He was a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party and served as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the British House of Commons from 1917 to 1922.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hanrahan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hanrahan 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 57 Hanrahans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.74x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 57 2.74x
Middlesex 53 3.02x
Surrey 18 2.10x
Hampshire 13 3.61x
Kent 9 1.50x
Cheshire 8 2.06x
Sussex 7 2.36x
Gloucestershire 6 1.74x
Buckinghamshire 2 1.88x
Dorset 1 0.87x
Glamorgan 1 0.33x
Northumberland 1 0.38x
Renfrewshire 1 0.74x
Royal Navy 1 4.78x
Wiltshire 1 0.64x
Yorkshire 1 0.06x

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 25 Hanrahans recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.76x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 25 19.76x
Salford 13 21.22x
Aldershot 11 91.21x
Pendleton In Salford 8 32.23x
Bethnal Green London 7 9.18x
Hove 7 53.89x
St Luke London 7 24.86x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 18.51x
Deptford St Paul 6 12.99x
Fulham London 6 23.57x
Richmond 6 50.04x
St Marylebone London 6 6.40x
Brinnington 5 138.12x
Feltham 5 285.71x
Kensington London 5 5.12x
Newington 5 7.71x
St Gilesin Fields London 5 335.57x
Bermondsey 4 7.65x
Billinge Chapel End 4 341.88x
Chelsea London 3 5.67x
Islington London 3 1.76x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 3 67.26x
Tottenham 3 10.73x
Canterbury St Paul 2 185.19x
Farnborough 2 52.91x
Haslingden 2 23.18x
Stoke Poges 2 155.04x
Broughton In Salford 1 5.25x
Camberwell 1 0.89x
Cliffe 1 74.07x
Great Crosby 1 17.61x
Holy Trinity 1 2.39x
Kirkdale 1 2.85x
Lambeth 1 0.65x
Litherland 1 22.94x
Newcastle Higher 1 48.08x
Poplar London 1 3.02x
Portland 1 16.13x
Renfrew 1 22.27x
Royal Navy 1 5.59x
Salisbury St Martin 1 61.73x
St Clement Danes London 1 27.55x
St Pancras London 1 0.71x
Wandsworth 1 5.92x
West Tarset 1 1666.67x
Wigan 1 3.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Ellen 10
Catherine 6
Bridget 5
Margaret 4
Sarah 4
Agnes 3
Anne 3
Nora 3
Elizabeth 2
Harriet 2
Hester 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Elsie 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Helen 1
Julia 1
Madeline 1
Margt.Elizth. 1
Maria 1
Prudence 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Hanrahan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hanrahan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 179 people were recorded with the Hanrahan surname. That placed it at #13,787 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hanrahan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,307 in 2016. That gives Hanrahan a modern rank of #4,583.

What does the Hanrahan surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Ó hAnnracháin, meaning "descendant of Annrachán," a personal name of unknown meaning.

What does the Hanrahan map show?

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