NameCensus.

UK surname

Hennigan

Anglicized form of Irish Ó hÉanacháin, meaning "descendant of Éanachán," a personal name derived from a diminutive of éan, meaning "bird."

In the 1881 census there were 100 people recorded with the Hennigan surname, ranking it #19,750 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 463, ranked #10,586, up from #19,750 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Rochdale and Winwick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, Leeds and Craven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hennigan is 486 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 363.0%.

1881 census count

100

Ranked #19,750

Modern count

463

2016, ranked #10,586

Peak year

2002

486 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hennigan had 100 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,750 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 463 in 2016, ranked #10,586.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 131 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hennigan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hennigan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hennigan 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 15 #30,614
1861 historical 19 #31,470
1881 historical 100 #19,750
1891 historical 79 #26,897
1901 historical 131 #19,552
1911 historical 122 #20,245
1997 modern 453 #10,015
1998 modern 472 #10,032
1999 modern 485 #9,900
2000 modern 472 #10,063
2001 modern 470 #9,906
2002 modern 486 #9,833
2003 modern 477 #9,815
2004 modern 452 #10,270
2005 modern 443 #10,331
2006 modern 437 #10,487
2007 modern 431 #10,703
2008 modern 447 #10,481
2009 modern 463 #10,428
2010 modern 475 #10,445
2011 modern 467 #10,474
2012 modern 447 #10,720
2013 modern 467 #10,544
2014 modern 467 #10,596
2015 modern 445 #10,921
2016 modern 463 #10,586

Geography

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Where Hennigans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Rochdale, Winwick, Edinburgh and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, Leeds, Craven, Blackburn with Darwen and Banchory-Devenick and Findon. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Rochdale Lancashire
3 Winwick Lancashire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 013 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Leeds 035 Leeds
3 Craven 005 Craven
4 Blackburn with Darwen 005 Blackburn with Darwen
5 Banchory-Devenick and Findon Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hennigan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hennigan

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Hennigan is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hennigan 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hennigan

The surname Hennigan is of Irish origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Ó hEanacháin, which means "descendant of Eanachán." The name Eanachán is a diminutive form of the name Eanach, meaning "bird-like" or "birdlike."

The Hennigan surname is believed to have originated in County Sligo, Ireland, where the family was initially based. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written in the 17th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Hennigan surname was Tomaltach Ó hEanacháin, who was mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters under the year 1328. He was described as the chief poet of the Ó Ruairc family, who were lords of West Breifne (modern-day County Leitrim and parts of County Cavan).

Another notable figure from medieval times was Giolla na Naomh Ó hEanacháin, who lived in the 15th century and was a renowned poet and scholar. His works are preserved in the Book of Ballymote, a valuable manuscript compiled in the late 14th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Hennigan surname was particularly prominent in County Sligo, where they held lands around the baronies of Carbury and Leyny. One notable member of the family was Donnchadh Ó hEanacháin, who was a prominent landowner and chieftain in the area during the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, the name Hennigan began to spread beyond County Sligo, with members of the family settling in other parts of Ireland, as well as in England and North America. One famous bearer of the name was Michael Hennigan (1776-1841), an Irish-born soldier who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later settled in Canada.

Other notable individuals with the Hennigan surname include Bridget Hennigan (1832-1899), an Irish-American philanthropist and founder of the Hennigan School in Boston, and John Hennigan (1861-1917), an Irish-American labor leader and politician who served as the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hennigan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hennigan 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 37 Hennigans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.20x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 37 3.20x
Midlothian 16 12.24x
Northumberland 15 10.34x
Surrey 9 1.89x
Yorkshire 8 0.83x
Middlesex 6 0.62x
Stirlingshire 5 13.90x
Lanarkshire 2 0.63x
Dunbartonshire 1 3.82x
Warwickshire 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spotland in Lancashire leads with 12 Hennigans recorded in 1881 and an index of 93.24x.

Place Total Index
Spotland 12 93.24x
Bermondsey 9 30.99x
North Shields 8 275.86x
Wallbottle 7 2258.06x
Edinburgh Canongate 6 180.18x
Lancaster 6 87.08x
Preston 6 19.37x
Campsie 5 253.81x
Edinburgh St Johns 5 609.76x
Edinburgh Tron Church 5 819.67x
Haslingden 5 104.38x
Bickerstaffe 4 526.32x
Edmonton 4 50.89x
York St Maurice 4 219.78x
Hoyland Nether 3 126.58x
Liverpool 3 4.27x
Govan 2 2.56x
Paddington London 2 5.58x
Birmingham 1 1.22x
Kirkintilloch 1 28.09x
Selby 1 49.51x
Widnes 1 11.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Margaret 5
Bridget 3
Hannah 3
Ann 2
Catherine 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Celia 1
Dorothy 1
Eleonor 1
Eliza 1
Margt. 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
Anthony 4
Edward 3
James 3
Michael 3
Patrick 3
Thomas 2
Antony 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Joseph 1
Martin 1
Moses 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
William 1

FAQ

Hennigan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hennigan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 100 people were recorded with the Hennigan surname. That placed it at #19,750 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hennigan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 463 in 2016. That gives Hennigan a modern rank of #10,586.

What does the Hennigan surname mean?

Anglicized form of Irish Ó hÉanacháin, meaning "descendant of Éanachán," a personal name derived from a diminutive of éan, meaning "bird."

What does the Hennigan map show?

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