NameCensus.

UK surname

Hegan

An Irish anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó hAdhgáin meaning "descendant of Adhgán".

In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Hegan surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 105, ranked #30,114, down from #19,877 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Toxteth Park, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Hampshire, North Somerset and Winchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hegan is 194 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.1%.

1881 census count

99

Ranked #19,877

Modern count

105

2016, ranked #30,114

Peak year

1861

194 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hegan had 99 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,877 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016, ranked #30,114.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 194 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Hegan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hegan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hegan 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 97 #17,484
1861 historical 194 #12,310
1881 historical 99 #19,877
1891 historical 98 #24,313
1901 historical 129 #19,735
1911 historical 76 #25,221
1997 modern 99 #27,039
1998 modern 101 #27,479
1999 modern 102 #27,468
2000 modern 95 #28,441
2001 modern 97 #27,823
2002 modern 98 #28,243
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 93 #29,065
2005 modern 85 #30,219
2006 modern 88 #30,160
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 93 #30,123
2009 modern 98 #29,906
2010 modern 107 #29,153
2011 modern 117 #27,334
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 111 #28,856
2014 modern 109 #29,452
2015 modern 109 #29,327
2016 modern 105 #30,114

Geography

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Where Hegans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Toxteth Park, Manchester, Liverpool, West Derby and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Hampshire, North Somerset, Winchester, Warwick and Poole. 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 Toxteth Park Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Hampshire 014 East Hampshire
2 North Somerset 004 North Somerset
3 Winchester 010 Winchester
4 Warwick 003 Warwick
5 Poole 001 Poole

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hegan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hegan

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Hegan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Hegan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Hegan is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hegan 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

Hegan falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hegan 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 Hegan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hegan

The surname HEGAN is believed to have originated in Ireland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "éigean," which means "necessity" or "urgency." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who was particularly determined or driven in their pursuits.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HEGAN can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth I, a collection of official documents from the late 16th century. These records mention a Richard Hegan from County Kildare, who was granted lands in 1589. Around the same time, the name also appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.

During the 17th century, the HEGAN surname was concentrated primarily in the counties of Kildare and Offaly, with some instances also found in neighboring counties like Laois and Tipperary. The name was often associated with the Irish-speaking farming communities of these regions.

In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the HEGAN surname was Patrick Hegan, a Catholic priest and scholar who lived from 1700 to 1778. He was known for his writings on Irish history and literature, and his work helped preserve many ancient Irish manuscripts.

Another notable bearer of the HEGAN name was John Hegan, an Irish lawyer and judge who lived from 1768 to 1825. He served as a judge of the Court of King's Bench in Ireland and was widely respected for his legal acumen and integrity.

In the 19th century, the HEGAN surname continued to be concentrated in the Midlands region of Ireland, with some bearers also found in the larger cities of Dublin and Cork. One notable individual from this era was Thomas Hegan, a Irish-Australian businessman and politician who lived from 1829 to 1896. He immigrated to Australia in the mid-19th century and became a successful merchant and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

As the centuries progressed, the HEGAN surname spread throughout Ireland and beyond, with many bearers of the name emigrating to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia in search of new opportunities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hegan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hegan 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 47 Hegans recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.41x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 47 4.41x
Middlesex 15 1.67x
Warwickshire 10 4.42x
Lanarkshire 4 1.38x
Durham 3 1.12x
Gloucestershire 3 1.70x
Hampshire 3 1.63x
Cheshire 2 1.01x
Hertfordshire 2 3.23x
Kent 1 0.33x
Pembrokeshire 1 3.51x
Royal Navy 1 9.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Derby in Lancashire leads with 17 Hegans recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.56x.

Place Total Index
West Derby 17 54.56x
Islington London 11 12.65x
Toxteth Park 11 30.50x
Coventry Holy Trinity 10 147.93x
Heap 4 70.80x
Openshaw 4 80.16x
Barrow In Furness 3 20.72x
Bristol St Stephen 3 652.17x
Glasgow 3 5.82x
Liverpool 3 4.64x
Ardwick 2 20.81x
Gateshead 2 10.01x
Portsea 2 5.55x
St Albans St Stephen 2 370.37x
Alverstoke 1 15.02x
Birkenhead 1 6.33x
Cheadle 1 26.46x
Hornsey 1 8.81x
Kensington London 1 2.00x
Mile End Old Town London 1 5.24x
Newton 1 12.18x
Pembroke St Mary 1 27.25x
Royal Navy 1 10.94x
Shettleston 1 38.46x
St Marylebone London 1 2.09x
Stockton On Tees 1 7.77x
Wigan 1 6.72x
Withington 1 29.15x
Woolwich 1 8.84x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 11
John 6
Henry 4
William 4
Hugh 3
Joseph 2
Patrick 2
Thomas 2
Thos. 2
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Geo.V. 1
George 1
Michael 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Hegan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hegan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Hegan surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hegan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016. That gives Hegan a modern rank of #30,114.

What does the Hegan surname mean?

An Irish anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó hAdhgáin meaning "descendant of Adhgán".

What does the Hegan map show?

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