NameCensus.

UK surname

Hegarty

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó hÉigeartuigh," meaning "descendant of Éigeartach," a personal name of uncertain meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 263 people recorded with the Hegarty surname, ranking it #10,692 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,036, ranked #2,217, up from #10,692 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool, Paisley Central and South Bucks.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hegarty is 3,134 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1054.4%.

1881 census count

263

Ranked #10,692

Modern count

3,036

2016, ranked #2,217

Peak year

2010

3,134 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hegarty had 263 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,692 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,036 in 2016, ranked #2,217.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 483 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hegarty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hegarty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hegarty 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 144 #13,277
1861 historical 158 #14,644
1881 historical 263 #10,692
1891 historical 361 #9,589
1901 historical 479 #8,313
1911 historical 483 #8,043
1997 modern 2,726 #2,346
1998 modern 2,835 #2,357
1999 modern 2,911 #2,324
2000 modern 2,888 #2,332
2001 modern 2,824 #2,327
2002 modern 2,959 #2,272
2003 modern 2,861 #2,296
2004 modern 2,866 #2,299
2005 modern 2,805 #2,313
2006 modern 2,821 #2,305
2007 modern 2,877 #2,280
2008 modern 2,922 #2,251
2009 modern 3,026 #2,226
2010 modern 3,134 #2,203
2011 modern 3,120 #2,186
2012 modern 3,046 #2,194
2013 modern 3,097 #2,194
2014 modern 3,082 #2,219
2015 modern 3,053 #2,218
2016 modern 3,036 #2,217

Geography

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Where Hegartys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Hartlepool, Paisley Central, South Bucks, Rochdale and IZ13. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hartlepool 012 Hartlepool
2 Paisley Central Renfrewshire
3 South Bucks 005 South Bucks
4 Rochdale 012 Rochdale
5 IZ13 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hegarty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hegarty

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hegarty is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Hegarty 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hegarty

The surname Hegarty originates from Ireland and has its roots in the ancient Gaelic language. It is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó hEigeartagáin, which means "descendant of Eigeartagán." The name Eigeartagán itself is derived from the Gaelic words "eigear" meaning "contention" and "tog" meaning "to kindle or excite."

Hegarty is a relatively common surname found primarily in County Cork and County Kerry, located in the southwestern region of Ireland. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 16th century, although it is likely that the name existed in various spellings and forms before that time.

One of the earliest known references to the name Hegarty can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention several individuals with the surname, including Donal Hegarty, a prominent figure in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.

In the late 17th century, during the period of the Williamite War in Ireland, a notable bearer of the name was Donough Hegarty, a Catholic priest who served as a chaplain in the Jacobite army. He was captured and executed by the Williamite forces in 1691.

Another historically significant figure with the surname Hegarty was William Hegarty (1789-1857), an Irish Catholic priest and historian. He authored several works on Irish history and was a prominent figure in the Irish cultural revival movement of the 19th century.

In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Hegarty was Cornelius Hegarty (1909-1977), an Irish playwright and novelist. His works often explored themes of Irish identity and the struggles of the working class.

Additionally, John Hegarty (born 1944) is a well-known British advertising executive and co-founder of the advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH). He has been recognized for his innovative and influential work in the advertising industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hegarty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hegarty 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 69 Hegartys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.25x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 69 2.25x
Middlesex 45 1.74x
Lanarkshire 28 3.35x
Kent 17 1.93x
Midlothian 15 4.33x
Yorkshire 13 0.51x
Durham 8 1.04x
Cheshire 7 1.23x
Renfrewshire 7 3.49x
Sussex 7 1.61x
Hampshire 6 1.13x
Somerset 6 1.44x
Clackmannanshire 5 23.42x
Ayrshire 4 2.07x
Cumberland 4 1.80x
Essex 3 0.59x
Dorset 2 1.18x
Leicestershire 2 0.70x
Surrey 2 0.16x
Channel Islands 1 1.31x
Devon 1 0.19x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.44x
Glamorgan 1 0.22x
Monmouthshire 1 0.54x
Norfolk 1 0.25x
Northamptonshire 1 0.41x
Northumberland 1 0.26x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.29x
Orkney 1 3.52x
Royal Navy 1 3.25x
Staffordshire 1 0.11x
Suffolk 1 0.32x
Warwickshire 1 0.15x
Worcestershire 1 0.30x

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 35 Hegartys recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.79x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 35 18.79x
Govan 14 6.77x
Glasgow 12 8.08x
St Botolph Aldgate London 12 225.56x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 7.90x
Kirkdale 11 21.32x
Stockton On Tees 8 21.58x
Eastbourne 6 29.93x
Middle Greenock 6 109.69x
Stockport 6 20.44x
Twerton 6 139.86x
Woolwich 6 18.42x
Alloa 5 48.31x
Bromley London 5 8.79x
Hackney London 5 3.45x
Kensington London 5 3.48x
Minster In Sheppey 5 34.22x
Toxteth Park 5 4.81x
Wavertree 5 50.92x
Caldewgate 4 32.81x
Edinburgh Old Church 4 143.88x
Holbeck 4 23.57x
St Mary Extra 4 93.90x
Stevenston 4 79.37x
Hoyland Nether 3 47.77x
Huddersfield 3 8.04x
Lewisham 3 6.38x
St Clement Danes London 3 56.07x
St George In East London 3 12.34x
West Ham 3 2.66x
Westminster St James 3 11.29x
Windle 3 17.38x
Aldershot 2 11.27x
Barony 2 0.95x
Chatham 2 8.24x
Everton 2 2.05x
Great Crosby 2 23.92x
Hammersmith London 2 3.14x
Mile End Old Town London 2 3.64x
Sheepshed 2 50.89x
West Derby 2 2.23x
Westminster St John 2 6.35x
Aberystruth 1 6.07x
Birmingham 1 0.46x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 1 16.92x
Devonport 1 16.18x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 1 72.99x
Dorking 1 11.82x
Dumbarton 1 10.34x
Great Yarmouth 1 3.04x
Halifax 1 2.66x
Hallow 1 60.61x
Harborne 1 3.58x
Heaton Norris 1 5.73x
Heckmondwike 1 12.14x
Hove 1 5.23x
Kirkwall St Ola 1 23.47x
Llandaff 1 6.68x
Maidstone 1 3.81x
Neilston 1 9.94x
New Brentford 1 73.53x
Newark Upon Trent 1 7.99x
Northampton Priory St 1 6.85x
Offerton 1 322.58x
Penistone 1 50.00x
Portland 1 10.96x
Royal Navy 1 3.80x
Salford 1 1.11x
Shoreditch London 1 0.89x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.92x
St Helier 1 4.01x
St Pancras London 1 0.48x
Walton On Hill 1 6.02x
Widnes 1 4.52x
Wooler 1 74.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 18
Thomas 13
Patrick 11
James 9
William 7
Edward 5
Michael 4
Jeremiah 3
Richard 3
Arthur 2
Daniel 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Jerome 2
Joseph 2
Timothy 2
Wm. 2
Alfred 1
Batt 1
Chas. 1
D. 1
Dan 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Edmond 1
George 1
Hugh 1
Jermie 1
Kathlaune 1
Laurence 1
Micheal 1
Peter 1
Samuel 1
Shepherd 1
Tommy 1
Wm.F.K. 1

FAQ

Hegarty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hegarty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 263 people were recorded with the Hegarty surname. That placed it at #10,692 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hegarty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,036 in 2016. That gives Hegarty a modern rank of #2,217.

What does the Hegarty surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó hÉigeartuigh," meaning "descendant of Éigeartach," a personal name of uncertain meaning.

What does the Hegarty map show?

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