NameCensus.

UK surname

Holohan

Believed to be a variant of the Irish surname Houlihan, meaning descendant of Ó hUallachain or descendant of the proud or boastful one.

In the 1881 census there were 36 people recorded with the Holohan surname, ranking it #28,559 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 343, ranked #13,368, up from #28,559 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet, Richmondshire and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Holohan is 383 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 852.8%.

1881 census count

36

Ranked #28,559

Modern count

343

2016, ranked #13,368

Peak year

1998

383 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Holohan had 36 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,559 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 343 in 2016, ranked #13,368.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 63 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Holohan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Holohan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Holohan 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 13 #30,970
1861 historical 9 #32,724
1881 historical 36 #28,559
1891 historical 37 #31,398
1901 historical 63 #27,134
1911 historical 49 #27,894
1997 modern 361 #11,892
1998 modern 383 #11,748
1999 modern 379 #11,922
2000 modern 369 #12,106
2001 modern 351 #12,349
2002 modern 366 #12,221
2003 modern 356 #12,258
2004 modern 352 #12,399
2005 modern 338 #12,698
2006 modern 335 #12,883
2007 modern 334 #13,036
2008 modern 337 #13,068
2009 modern 353 #12,894
2010 modern 369 #12,726
2011 modern 355 #12,963
2012 modern 331 #13,538
2013 modern 337 #13,537
2014 modern 339 #13,581
2015 modern 340 #13,455
2016 modern 343 #13,368

Geography

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Where Holohans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet, Richmondshire and Swansea. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 019 Barnet
2 Richmondshire 004 Richmondshire
3 Swansea 013 Swansea
4 Swansea 025 Swansea
5 Barnet 027 Barnet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Holohan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Holohan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Holohan, 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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Holohan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Holohan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Holohan 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

Holohan 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

Holohan falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Holohan 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Holohan

The surname Holohan is of Irish origin, arising in the medieval period. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic personal name Ó Locháin, meaning "descendant of Lochán." Lochán itself is a diminutive form of the name Lochaidh, meaning "bright" or "shining." The name was initially found in County Westmeath, located in the province of Leinster.

Early records of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with variations in spelling such as O'Loughan, O'Laughlin, and O'Loughlin. The Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, mentions several individuals with this surname during the 14th and 15th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Holohan name is found in the 1659 census of Ireland, where it appears as O'Loughan. In the 17th century, the name was also associated with the area of Ballymore, a parish in County Westmeath.

Notable individuals with the surname Holohan include John Holohan (1786-1861), an Irish Catholic bishop who served as the Bishop of Kerry from 1831 until his death. Another prominent figure was Patrick Holohan (1774-1853), an Irish politician and barrister who served as a Member of Parliament for County Wicklow in the early 19th century.

In the 18th century, the name Holohan was also found in County Kildare, with one notable individual being John Holohan (1724-1796), a landowner and tenant farmer in the parish of Clane.

The surname Holohan has also been associated with certain place names in Ireland, such as Holohanstown, a townland in County Westmeath, and Holohanbridge, a locality in County Cork.

Throughout its history, the Holohan surname has been carried by several notable individuals, including authors, scholars, and military figures. Some examples include Michael Holohan (1865-1945), an Irish writer and journalist, and John Holohan (1890-1975), an Irish historian and educationalist.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Holohan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Holohan 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. Northumberland leads with 12 Holohans recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.97x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 12 22.97x
Lancashire 9 2.16x
Angus 5 15.37x
Northamptonshire 5 15.14x
Middlesex 2 0.57x
Yorkshire 2 0.57x
Glamorgan 1 1.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wallsend in Northumberland leads with 11 Holohans recorded in 1881 and an index of 662.65x.

Place Total Index
Wallsend 11 662.65x
Widnes 7 232.56x
Cranford St John 5 10000.00x
Liff Benvie 5 101.21x
Liverpool 2 7.90x
Cardiff St John 1 50.00x
Coxlodge 1 250.00x
Hampton London 1 172.41x
Horton In Bradford 1 18.42x
Poplar London 1 15.08x
Thornaby 1 76.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Mary 3
Julia 2
Anastasia 1
Bridget 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Patrick 3
James 2
Martin 2
Michael 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Ambrs.Wheeler 1
Jeremiah 1
Richard 1

FAQ

Holohan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Holohan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 36 people were recorded with the Holohan surname. That placed it at #28,559 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Holohan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 343 in 2016. That gives Holohan a modern rank of #13,368.

What does the Holohan surname mean?

Believed to be a variant of the Irish surname Houlihan, meaning descendant of Ó hUallachain or descendant of the proud or boastful one.

What does the Holohan map show?

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