UK surname
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hEidhnigh, meaning "descendant of Eidhnigh."
In the 1881 census there were 41 people recorded with the Henesey surname, ranking it #27,870 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 34, ranked #35,768, down from #27,870 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, Toxteth Park and Battersea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Henesey is 114 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 17.1%.
1881 census count
41
Ranked #27,870
Modern count
34
2016, ranked #35,768
Peak year
1861
114 bearers
Map years
2
1851 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Henesey surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Henesey surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 105 | #16,618 |
| 1861 | historical | 114 | #19,011 |
| 1881 | historical | 41 | #27,870 |
| 1891 | historical | 41 | #31,095 |
| 1901 | historical | 41 | #29,602 |
| 1911 | historical | 15 | #31,938 |
| 1997 | modern | 33 | #34,377 |
| 1998 | modern | 32 | #34,633 |
| 1999 | modern | 31 | #34,821 |
| 2000 | modern | 32 | #34,705 |
| 2001 | modern | 30 | #34,753 |
| 2002 | modern | 32 | #34,790 |
| 2003 | modern | 31 | #34,957 |
| 2004 | modern | 31 | #35,105 |
| 2005 | modern | 32 | #35,191 |
| 2006 | modern | 28 | #35,665 |
| 2007 | modern | 29 | #35,725 |
| 2008 | modern | 32 | #35,610 |
| 2009 | modern | 35 | #35,545 |
| 2010 | modern | 33 | #35,794 |
| 2011 | modern | 38 | #35,501 |
| 2012 | modern | 37 | #35,531 |
| 2013 | modern | 36 | #35,643 |
| 2014 | modern | 35 | #35,722 |
| 2015 | modern | 34 | #35,756 |
| 2016 | modern | 34 | #35,768 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, Toxteth Park, Battersea, St Giles-in-the-Fields and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Leonard Shoreditch | London (East Districts) |
| 2 | Toxteth Park | Lancashire |
| 3 | Battersea | London (South Districts) |
| 4 | St Giles-in-the-Fields | London (Central Districts) |
| 5 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Henesey surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Henesey, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Henesey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Henesey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Henesey is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Henesey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Henesey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Henesey is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name O'hÉinnsidhe. It is believed to have originated in County Clare, Ireland, in the late 12th century.
The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words "éan" meaning "bird" and "sidhe" meaning "fairy mound" or "fairy hill." This suggests that the name may have been associated with people who lived near or worked in areas associated with fairy mounds or hills.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Henesey can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The Annals mention a member of the Henesey family, Diarmaid O'Hennessy, who was killed in a battle in County Clare in 1317.
In the 16th century, there are records of the Henesey family owning lands in County Clare, particularly in the baronies of Tulla and Bunratty. The name was also found in other parts of Ireland, including County Limerick and County Tipperary, possibly due to members of the family migrating to these areas.
Notable individuals with the surname Henesey include:
1. Patrick Henesey (c. 1600-1680), an Irish Catholic priest and historian who wrote about the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. 2. Dermot Henesey (c. 1650-1720), a member of the Irish Jacobite Parliament during the Williamite War in Ireland. 3. John Henesey (1795-1870), an Irish-born Australian politician and landowner in New South Wales. 4. Dermot Henesey (1865-1941), an Irish scholar and professor of Celtic languages at the National University of Ireland. 5. Maureen Henesey (1918-2007), an Irish-American author and journalist who wrote extensively about Irish culture and history.
The name Henesey has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Hennessy's Castle in County Clare, which was once owned by a branch of the Henesey family.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Henesey surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 16 Heneseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.91x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 16 | 3.91x |
| Yorkshire | 7 | 1.72x |
| Glamorgan | 6 | 8.41x |
| Lancashire | 4 | 0.82x |
| Suffolk | 2 | 4.01x |
| Sussex | 2 | 2.90x |
| Caernarfonshire | 1 | 6.04x |
| Devon | 1 | 1.17x |
| Durham | 1 | 0.82x |
| Herefordshire | 1 | 5.96x |
| Royal Navy | 1 | 20.49x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 11 Heneseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.91x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hackney London | 11 | 47.91x |
| Gelligaer | 6 | 368.10x |
| Northowram | 6 | 210.53x |
| Liverpool | 3 | 10.16x |
| Brighton | 2 | 14.36x |
| Bury St Edmunds St James | 2 | 150.38x |
| Framwellgate | 1 | 138.89x |
| Gorton | 1 | 21.88x |
| Hereford All Sts | 1 | 129.87x |
| Leeds | 1 | 4.36x |
| Llanbeblig | 1 | 59.52x |
| Morthoe | 1 | 1666.67x |
| Paddington London | 1 | 6.64x |
| Royal Navy | 1 | 23.98x |
| St Anne Soho London | 1 | 42.74x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 3.03x |
| Sunbury | 1 | 204.08x |
| Uxbridge | 1 | 212.77x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Henesey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Henesey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
FAQ
In 1881, 41 people were recorded with the Henesey surname. That placed it at #27,870 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 34 in 2016. That gives Henesey a modern rank of #35,768.
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hEidhnigh, meaning "descendant of Eidhnigh."
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Henesey bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.