NameCensus.

UK surname

Hennessy

Derived from the Irish Ó hAonghusa, meaning "descendant of Aonghus," a personal name composed of Celtic elements meaning "one" and "choice."

In the 1881 census there were 577 people recorded with the Hennessy surname, ranking it #6,036 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,144, ranked #2,156, up from #6,036 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, Melton and Merthyr Tydfil.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hennessy is 3,237 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 444.9%.

1881 census count

577

Ranked #6,036

Modern count

3,144

2016, ranked #2,156

Peak year

2010

3,237 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hennessy had 577 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,036 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,144 in 2016, ranked #2,156.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 875 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hennessy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hennessy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hennessy 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 182 #11,209
1861 historical 183 #12,903
1881 historical 577 #6,036
1891 historical 572 #6,649
1901 historical 845 #5,387
1911 historical 875 #5,082
1997 modern 3,078 #2,082
1998 modern 3,187 #2,108
1999 modern 3,195 #2,116
2000 modern 3,198 #2,099
2001 modern 3,103 #2,114
2002 modern 3,180 #2,113
2003 modern 3,104 #2,113
2004 modern 3,084 #2,132
2005 modern 3,071 #2,107
2006 modern 3,026 #2,148
2007 modern 3,093 #2,116
2008 modern 3,089 #2,135
2009 modern 3,154 #2,141
2010 modern 3,237 #2,132
2011 modern 3,184 #2,140
2012 modern 3,083 #2,169
2013 modern 3,181 #2,151
2014 modern 3,220 #2,144
2015 modern 3,169 #2,150
2016 modern 3,144 #2,156

Geography

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Where Hennessys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, Melton, Merthyr Tydfil, Sefton and Huntingdonshire. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 027 Carmarthenshire
2 Melton 001 Melton
3 Merthyr Tydfil 002 Merthyr Tydfil
4 Sefton 009 Sefton
5 Huntingdonshire 014 Huntingdonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hennessy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hennessy

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Hennessy is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hennessy 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

Hennessy falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hennessy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Hennessy

The surname Hennessy originated in Ireland. It is an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó hAonghusa, which means "descendant of Aonghus." The name Aonghus is derived from the old Irish word "oan," meaning "one," and the word "gus," meaning "choice" or "excellent."

The earliest recorded instances of the Hennessy surname date back to the 13th century in County Cork, Ireland. It is believed that the name originated in the Gaelic-speaking region of West Munster, particularly in the baronies of Muskerry and Duhallow.

In the Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, a historical chronicle written in the 17th century, there are several references to the Hennessy family and their involvement in various conflicts and battles during the medieval period.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Hennessy was Phillip Hennessy, who was born in County Cork around 1480. He was a prominent landowner and chieftain of the Hennessy clan in the region.

In the 16th century, the Hennessy family played a significant role in the Desmond Rebellions, which were a series of uprisings against English rule in Ireland. Sir John Hennessy (c. 1530-1598) was a notable figure during this period, leading the Hennessy clan in support of the rebel forces.

Another prominent individual from this era was Richard Hennessy (c. 1590-1650), who was a member of the Irish Parliament and a staunch supporter of Catholic rights during the Irish Confederate Wars.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many members of the Hennessy family were forced to leave Ireland due to the Penal Laws and the suppression of Catholic landowners. Some settled in other parts of Europe, such as France, where they established the famous Hennessy cognac brand.

Notable individuals with the Hennessy surname include:

1. Richard Hennessy (1724-1800), the founder of the Hennessy cognac distillery in France. 2. John Pope Hennessy (1834-1891), an English writer and biographer. 3. James Hennessy (1837-1916), an Irish businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament. 4. Brendan Hennessy (1905-1959), an Irish playwright and novelist. 5. John Hennessy (born 1952), an American computer scientist and the 10th President of Stanford University.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hennessy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hennessy 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. Middlesex leads with 150 Hennessys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.61x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 150 2.61x
Lancashire 101 1.48x
Yorkshire 34 0.60x
Glamorgan 31 3.09x
Surrey 31 1.11x
Northumberland 27 3.15x
Kent 24 1.22x
Angus 22 4.13x
Gloucestershire 21 1.86x
Hampshire 18 1.53x
Staffordshire 16 0.82x
Devon 15 1.25x
Cheshire 13 1.02x
Durham 13 0.76x
Lanarkshire 13 0.70x
Monmouthshire 9 2.16x
Worcestershire 8 1.06x
Channel Islands 7 4.10x
Essex 7 0.62x
Midlothian 6 0.78x
Royal Navy 6 8.75x
Warwickshire 6 0.41x
Sussex 3 0.31x
Derbyshire 2 0.22x
Ayrshire 1 0.23x
Herefordshire 1 0.42x
Norfolk 1 0.11x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.13x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.55x
Shropshire 1 0.20x
Somerset 1 0.11x

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 Hennessys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.44x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 35 8.44x
Leeds 18 5.59x
Merthyr Tydfil 17 17.65x
Ratcliffe London 17 53.49x
Dundee 15 7.54x
Shoreditch London 14 5.61x
Clerkenwell London 13 9.57x
St Pancras London 13 2.81x
Hammersmith London 12 8.46x
East Denton 11 564.10x
Everton 11 5.05x
Toxteth Park 11 4.76x
Dover St Mary Virgin 10 52.60x
Lambeth 10 1.99x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 9.75x
Berwick Upon Tweed 8 44.10x
Manchester 8 2.60x
Spitalfields London 8 18.48x
Stourbridge 8 41.37x
Aberavon 7 75.92x
Kensington London 7 2.19x
Kirkdale 7 6.09x
Liff Benvie 7 8.65x
Little Bolton 7 7.97x
Portsea 7 3.03x
St Helier 7 12.61x
Walsall Borough 7 46.42x
Wolstanton Oldcott 7 99.43x
Aldershot 6 15.18x
Barony 6 1.27x
Battersea 6 2.83x
Birkenhead 6 5.92x
Bristol St Augustine 6 32.93x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 5.65x
Dalton In Furness 6 22.76x
Limehouse London 6 9.50x
Mile End Old Town London 6 4.90x
Paddington London 6 2.84x
St Anne Soho London 6 18.25x
Stockport 6 9.18x
Bedwellty 5 6.81x
Bishopwearmouth 5 3.40x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 4.61x
Cranston 5 253.81x
Deptford St Nicholas 5 32.09x
Govan 5 1.09x
Horton In Bradford 5 5.61x
Poplar London 5 4.60x
Royal Navy 5 8.53x
Wallbottle 5 274.73x
Aston 4 1.00x
Deptford St Paul 4 2.64x
Huddersfield 4 4.81x
Monk Hesleden 4 83.86x
Newcastle Higher 4 58.82x
Salford 4 1.99x
St Martin In Fields 4 11.61x
Bradford 3 2.17x
Bristol St James In 3 18.07x
Clifton 3 5.26x
Croydon 3 1.93x
Farnborough 3 24.21x
Hampstead London 3 3.35x
Hulme 3 2.10x
Ilfracombe 3 24.33x
Pagham 3 175.44x
Rotherhithe 3 4.22x
St Clement Danes London 3 25.19x
St George In East London 3 5.54x
Stockton On Tees 3 3.63x
Tottenham 3 3.27x
Wapping London 3 68.18x
Birmingham 2 0.41x
Chelsea London 2 1.15x
Rainham 2 80.97x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 1.73x
St Giles In Fields London 2 7.08x
Wandsworth 2 3.61x
Westminster St John 2 2.85x
Wolverhampton 2 1.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 63
Catherine 23
Ellen 22
Margaret 15
Elizabeth 12
Annie 11
Julia 9
Ann 7
Eliza 7
Bridget 6
Anne 5
Emma 4
Honoria 4
Emily 3
Frances 3
Honora 3
Jane 3
Johanna 3
Kate 3
Rose 3
Sarah 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Eleanor 2
Hannah 2
Johannah 2
Louisa 2
Abigail 1
Adelina 1
Affabilitie 1
Anna 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth. 1
Emmiline 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Francis 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Hilda 1
Isabelle 1
Lila 1
Lilian 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 58
James 30
William 23
Patrick 20
Thomas 19
Joseph 13
Michael 12
Edward 9
George 9
Charles 6
Daniel 6
David 5
Maurice 5
Richard 4
Henry 3
Matthew 3
Philip 3
Alfred 2
Bryan 2
Denis 2
Dennis 2
Peter 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Bartholemew 1
Bernard 1
Cornelius 1
Danuel 1
Denniss 1
Ernest 1
Humphrey 1
Ignatius 1
Infant 1
J. 1
Jas. 1
Jeremiah 1
Jno. 1
Laurence 1
Leon 1
Martin 1
Mathew 1
Miche. 1
Morris 1
Owen 1
P.G. 1
Pat 1
Patk. 1
R. 1
Ralph 1
Theodore 1

FAQ

Hennessy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hennessy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 577 people were recorded with the Hennessy surname. That placed it at #6,036 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hennessy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,144 in 2016. That gives Hennessy a modern rank of #2,156.

What does the Hennessy surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Ó hAonghusa, meaning "descendant of Aonghus," a personal name composed of Celtic elements meaning "one" and "choice."

What does the Hennessy map show?

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