NameCensus.

UK surname

Hennessey

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hAonghusa, meaning "descendant of Aonghus," derived from the Irish name meaning "one choice."

In the 1881 census there were 515 people recorded with the Hennessey surname, ranking it #6,619 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,787, ranked #3,525, up from #6,619 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Spelthorne, Isle of Anglesey and Warrington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hennessey is 1,908 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 247.0%.

1881 census count

515

Ranked #6,619

Modern count

1,787

2016, ranked #3,525

Peak year

2010

1,908 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hennessey had 515 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,619 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,787 in 2016, ranked #3,525.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 938 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hennessey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hennessey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hennessey 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 160 #12,347
1861 historical 241 #10,192
1881 historical 515 #6,619
1891 historical 660 #5,891
1901 historical 759 #5,884
1911 historical 938 #4,786
1997 modern 1,769 #3,380
1998 modern 1,831 #3,405
1999 modern 1,823 #3,434
2000 modern 1,786 #3,486
2001 modern 1,768 #3,441
2002 modern 1,795 #3,462
2003 modern 1,729 #3,527
2004 modern 1,779 #3,433
2005 modern 1,773 #3,416
2006 modern 1,754 #3,451
2007 modern 1,780 #3,443
2008 modern 1,783 #3,458
2009 modern 1,864 #3,405
2010 modern 1,908 #3,404
2011 modern 1,882 #3,407
2012 modern 1,838 #3,425
2013 modern 1,865 #3,429
2014 modern 1,869 #3,447
2015 modern 1,823 #3,489
2016 modern 1,787 #3,525

Geography

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Where Hennesseys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Manchester and St Giles-in-the-Fields. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Spelthorne, Isle of Anglesey, Warrington, Wrexham and Sunderland. 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 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St Giles-in-the-Fields London (Central Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Spelthorne 002 Spelthorne
2 Isle of Anglesey 005 Isle of Anglesey
3 Warrington 020 Warrington
4 Wrexham 020 Wrexham
5 Sunderland 009 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hennessey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hennessey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hennessey, 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 Hennessey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hennessey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hennessey is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Hennessey is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hennessey 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 Hennessey 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 - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hennessey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hennessey

The surname Hennessey originates from Ireland, where it emerged in the 16th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname Ó hAonghusa, derived from the personal name Aonghus, meaning "one choice" or "one strength."

This name is believed to have originated in County Cork, where the Ó hAonghusa clan was based. The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.

One notable early bearer of the name was Rory Hennessey, a 16th-century Irish chieftain who fought against English forces during the Tudor conquest of Ireland. Another historical figure was Bartholomew Hennessey, a 17th-century Catholic priest who was executed during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.

In the 18th century, the name Hennessey gained prominence with the success of the Hennessy Cognac brand, founded by Richard Hennessy, an Irish officer in the French army. The brand's popularity helped to spread the name throughout Europe and beyond.

Other notable individuals with the surname Hennessey include:

1. John Hennessey (1834-1912), an Irish-American entrepreneur and founder of the Hennessey & Ingalls advertising agency in Los Angeles. 2. John Francis Hennessey (1866-1939), an American politician who served as Governor of New Hampshire from 1917 to 1919. 3. Thomas Hennessey (1906-1979), an Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the 1920s and 1930s. 4. Neil Hennessy (born 1952), an Irish-American businessman and founder of the Hennessy Funds investment firm. 5. John Hennessey (born 1964), an American automotive engineer and founder of Hennessey Performance Engineering, a company specializing in modifying high-performance vehicles.

The surname Hennessey has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Hennessy, Henesey, and Hennesy. Some of these variations reflect regional pronunciations or attempts to Anglicize the name further.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hennessey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hennessey 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 130 Hennesseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.15x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 130 2.15x
Middlesex 104 2.04x
Surrey 49 1.97x
Essex 29 2.88x
Kent 25 1.44x
Staffordshire 20 1.16x
Glamorgan 19 2.14x
Yorkshire 19 0.38x
Durham 16 1.05x
Cheshire 14 1.24x
Devon 13 1.22x
Gloucestershire 12 1.20x
Norfolk 9 1.15x
Warwickshire 9 0.70x
Hampshire 7 0.67x
Lanarkshire 7 0.42x
Northumberland 7 0.92x
Somerset 6 0.73x
Anglesey 5 5.53x
Royal Navy 5 8.23x
Channel Islands 3 1.98x
Denbighshire 3 1.56x
Sussex 3 0.35x
Cornwall 2 0.35x
Midlothian 2 0.29x
Monmouthshire 2 0.54x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.29x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.48x

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 27 Hennesseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.34x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 27 7.34x
Salford 22 12.36x
West Ham 19 8.55x
St Giles In Fields London 18 71.91x
Greenwich 14 17.24x
Manchester 14 5.14x
Cardiff St Mary 13 26.57x
Leeds 12 4.20x
Tanfield 12 66.48x
Tamworth 10 108.58x
Hulme 9 7.12x
Newington 9 4.78x
Paston 9 2045.45x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 8.77x
Southwark St John 9 57.69x
Camberwell 8 2.45x
Everton 8 4.15x
Openshaw 8 28.22x
Birkenhead 7 7.80x
Plymouth St Andrew 7 8.56x
St Martin In Fields 7 22.92x
Stockport 7 12.08x
Ulgham 7 555.56x
Whitechapel London 7 13.92x
Bexley 6 38.99x
East Ham 6 32.10x
Feltham 6 117.88x
Fulham London 6 8.11x
Govan 6 1.47x
Hornsey 6 9.30x
Mile End Old Town London 6 5.53x
St Botolph Aldgate London 6 57.09x
Whiston 6 127.12x
Coventry Holy Trinity 5 13.01x
Fulwood 5 76.45x
Great Bolton 5 6.24x
Newcastle Under Lyme 5 16.41x
Preston 5 3.09x
Royal Navy 5 9.62x
St Marylebone London 5 1.84x
Stapleton 5 26.34x
Beaumaris 4 120.12x
Bermondsey 4 2.63x
Birmingham 4 0.93x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 4.16x
Edmonton 4 9.73x
Heaton Norris 4 11.61x
Shoreditch London 4 1.81x
St Pancras London 4 0.97x
Barking 3 10.18x
Battersea 3 1.60x
Bristol St James In 3 20.39x
Chelsea London 3 1.95x
Clayton Le Moors 3 25.53x
Farnborough 3 27.32x
Lambeth 3 0.67x
Marksbury 3 750.00x
Monk Hesleden 3 70.92x
Poplar London 3 3.12x
Richmond 3 37.97x
Rottingdean 3 102.04x
Ruabon 3 11.32x
St George Hanover Square 3 3.34x
Stoke Damerel 3 4.04x
Westminster St James 3 5.72x
Wolstanton Oldcott 3 48.08x
Aberavon 2 24.48x
Bedwellty 2 3.07x
Bristol St Michael 2 23.31x
Cwmdu 2 18.48x
Edinburgh Tolbooth 2 50.25x
Hammersmith London 2 1.59x
Ilfracombe 2 18.30x
Rotherhithe 2 3.17x
Sculcoates 2 2.50x
Sedgley 2 3.13x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 2 27.70x
St Helier 2 4.06x
Toxteth Park 2 0.98x
Westminster St John 2 3.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 59
Margaret 24
Elizabeth 16
Ellen 15
Catherine 12
Ann 11
Jane 9
Bridget 6
Eliza 6
Sarah 6
Emma 5
Hannah 5
Johanna 5
Maria 5
Annie 4
Julia 4
Kate 4
Alice 3
Anne 3
Harriet 3
Johannah 3
Louisa 3
Briget 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Martha 2
Maud 2
Augusta 1
Cathe.Mary 1
Catherin 1
Christina 1
Constance 1
Dina 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Georgena 1
Gertrude 1
Hepzibah 1
Isabella 1
J. 1
Josephine 1
Keturah 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
M.A. 1
Margret 1
Marie 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Hennessey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hennessey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 515 people were recorded with the Hennessey surname. That placed it at #6,619 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hennessey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,787 in 2016. That gives Hennessey a modern rank of #3,525.

What does the Hennessey surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hAonghusa, meaning "descendant of Aonghus," derived from the Irish name meaning "one choice."

What does the Hennessey map show?

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