NameCensus.

UK surname

Horan

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic Ó hOdhárain, meaning "descendant of Odhárán" (a personal name meaning "pale little green one").

In the 1881 census there were 875 people recorded with the Horan surname, ranking it #4,336 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,382, ranked #2,757, up from #4,336 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Rochdale and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Horan is 2,442 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 172.2%.

1881 census count

875

Ranked #4,336

Modern count

2,382

2016, ranked #2,757

Peak year

2010

2,442 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Horan had 875 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,336 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,382 in 2016, ranked #2,757.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,237 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Horan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Horan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Horan 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 328 #7,098
1861 historical 515 #5,083
1881 historical 875 #4,336
1891 historical 1,002 #4,139
1901 historical 1,193 #4,122
1911 historical 1,237 #3,823
1997 modern 2,341 #2,666
1998 modern 2,392 #2,711
1999 modern 2,425 #2,701
2000 modern 2,392 #2,717
2001 modern 2,326 #2,730
2002 modern 2,398 #2,715
2003 modern 2,273 #2,781
2004 modern 2,300 #2,750
2005 modern 2,253 #2,768
2006 modern 2,300 #2,722
2007 modern 2,290 #2,754
2008 modern 2,315 #2,752
2009 modern 2,384 #2,749
2010 modern 2,442 #2,745
2011 modern 2,406 #2,751
2012 modern 2,300 #2,809
2013 modern 2,357 #2,791
2014 modern 2,389 #2,780
2015 modern 2,373 #2,768
2016 modern 2,382 #2,757

Geography

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Where Horans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Rochdale, Manchester, Sefton and Dudley. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 059 County Durham
2 Rochdale 018 Rochdale
3 Manchester 001 Manchester
4 Sefton 008 Sefton
5 Dudley 033 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Horan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Horan

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Horan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Horan 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

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

Meaning and origin of Horan

The surname Horan has its origins in Ireland, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be an anglicized version of the Gaelic name Ó hÓráin, which means "descendant of Órán." Órán is thought to be a personal name derived from the Old Irish word "ór," meaning "pale" or "golden."

The Horan name is most commonly associated with County Mayo in the west of Ireland, where many bearers of the name lived in the baronies of Erris and Gallen. Some early records of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Horan surname is in the Pipe Roll of Cloyne from 1276, which mentions a "David O'Horan." This document, related to the Diocese of Cloyne in County Cork, suggests the name's presence in other parts of Ireland as well.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Horan name appeared in various records, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Irish Monastic Register. Notable individuals from this time period include Dermot O'Horan, a 16th-century Bishop of Kilmacduagh, and Edmond O'Horan, a 17th-century Franciscan friar and historian.

In the 19th century, several prominent figures bore the Horan surname. James Horan (1798-1876) was an Irish Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Kingston in Canada. James Horan (1845-1923) was a Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, representing the constituency of Tipperary from 1885 to 1900.

Other notable individuals with the Horan surname include John P. Horan (1826-1900), an American Civil War general and politician from Missouri, and Seán Horan (1901-1988), an Irish Republican Army officer and politician who served as a Teachta Dála (Member of Parliament) in the 1920s.

While the Horan name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the Irish tradition and culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Horan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Horan 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 365 Horans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.59x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 365 3.59x
Middlesex 108 1.26x
Yorkshire 88 1.04x
Cheshire 67 3.54x
Surrey 41 0.98x
Durham 39 1.53x
Kent 23 0.79x
Lanarkshire 23 0.83x
Warwickshire 20 0.93x
Sussex 14 0.97x
Staffordshire 11 0.38x
Midlothian 9 0.78x
Essex 8 0.47x
Glamorgan 7 0.47x
Renfrewshire 7 1.05x
Cumberland 6 0.81x
Pembrokeshire 6 2.20x
Hampshire 5 0.28x
Derbyshire 4 0.30x
Ayrshire 3 0.47x
Devon 3 0.17x
Royal Navy 3 2.94x
Worcestershire 3 0.27x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.58x
Gloucestershire 2 0.12x
Northumberland 2 0.16x
Angus 1 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.18x
Dorset 1 0.18x
Lincolnshire 1 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.09x
Oxfordshire 1 0.19x
Suffolk 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 63 Horans recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.78x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 63 13.78x
Liverpool 60 9.72x
Birkenhead 27 17.92x
Lambeth 22 2.95x
Wigan 21 14.79x
Toxteth Park 18 5.23x
Bishopwearmouth 17 7.77x
Congleton 17 52.04x
Kirkdale 16 9.36x
Sheffield 16 5.92x
St Sepulchre London 15 119.62x
Preston 14 5.15x
Middlesbrough 12 10.86x
North Meols 12 12.06x
Donnington 11 1111.11x
Everton 11 3.40x
Islington London 11 1.33x
Little Bolton 11 8.42x
Birmingham 10 1.39x
Newcastle Under Lyme 10 19.55x
Avondale 9 55.59x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 5.57x
Cockpen 9 67.11x
Kenilworth 9 73.89x
Leeds 9 1.88x
Ratcliffe London 9 19.03x
Salford 9 3.01x
Shoreditch London 9 2.42x
Warrington 9 7.47x
Westminster St John 9 8.63x
Barnard Castle 8 63.54x
Pennington In Leigh 8 41.03x
Bury 7 6.03x
Govan 7 1.02x
Heaton Norris 7 12.10x
Much Woolton 7 50.76x
Spotland 7 6.20x
St Marylebone London 7 1.53x
Swansea Town 7 5.73x
Bromley London 6 3.18x
Burnley 6 7.01x
Eastwood 6 14.68x
Hubberston 6 150.38x
Parr 6 16.50x
Plumstead 6 6.16x
Winlaton 6 24.55x
Barony 5 0.71x
Barton Upon Irwell 5 6.54x
Batley 5 6.20x
Broughton In Salford 5 5.38x
Caldewgate 5 12.38x
Canterbury St Mildred 5 72.15x
Chester St John Baptist 5 14.71x
Doncaster 5 8.06x
Great Bolton 5 3.71x
Holy Trinity 5 2.45x
Ormskirk 5 25.71x
Poplar London 5 3.09x
Selby 5 28.18x
St Clement Danes London 5 28.20x
Tranmere 5 7.20x
Westleigh 5 21.66x
Weston In Runcorn 5 101.83x
Camberwell 4 0.73x
Cheadle 4 11.08x
Hampstead London 4 3.00x
Heckmondwike 4 14.65x
Horton In Bradford 4 3.02x
Keighley 4 4.42x
Oldham 4 1.22x
Shildon 4 19.54x
Southwark St John 4 15.27x
St Andrew Holborn London 4 10.79x
Streatham 4 6.30x
West Derby 4 1.35x
West Ham 4 1.07x
Whitstable 4 27.91x
Dudley 3 2.21x
Prittlewell 3 12.80x
St Giles In Fields London 3 7.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 107
Bridget 31
Ellen 27
Catherine 24
Margaret 24
Ann 21
Elizabeth 17
Annie 16
Sarah 16
Kate 10
Jane 8
Julia 7
Maria 6
Frances 5
Agnes 4
Alice 4
Emily 4
Hannah 4
Margt. 4
Edith 3
Elizth. 3
Louisa 3
Rose 3
Ada 2
Anne 2
Cathrine 2
Charlotte 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Johanna 2
Lucy 2
Maggie 2
Susannah 2
Catharine 1
Catherin 1
Cathern 1
Constance 1
Elen 1
Esther 1
Eugenie 1
Henora 1
Honor 1
Joanna 1
Josephine 1
Julianna 1
Katherine 1
Kathleen 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 78
Thomas 48
James 40
Michael 38
Patrick 29
William 28
Edward 21
Joseph 9
Martin 7
Peter 7
George 6
Henry 6
Maurice 6
Bernard 5
David 4
Micheal 4
Timothy 4
Alfred 3
Andrew 3
Charles 3
Matthew 3
Owen 3
Arthur 2
Daniel 2
Frank 2
Fredrick 2
Herbert 2
Jno. 2
Lawrence 2
Michl. 2
Nicholas 2
Richard 2
Thos. 2
Cecil 1
Dennis 1
Dinnis 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Jas.E. 1
Manuel 1
Mark 1
Michal 1
Morris 1
Patsy 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Horan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Horan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 875 people were recorded with the Horan surname. That placed it at #4,336 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Horan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,382 in 2016. That gives Horan a modern rank of #2,757.

What does the Horan surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic Ó hOdhárain, meaning "descendant of Odhárán" (a personal name meaning "pale little green one").

What does the Horan map show?

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