NameCensus.

UK surname

Hourihan

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hUairín, derived from the word uair meaning "hour", likely referring to a timekeeping occupation.

In the 1881 census there were 8 people recorded with the Hourihan surname, ranking it #32,581 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 209, ranked #19,009, up from #32,581 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tamworth, Horsham and Brent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hourihan is 236 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 2512.5%.

1881 census count

8

Ranked #32,581

Modern count

209

2016, ranked #19,009

Peak year

1998

236 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hourihan had 8 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,581 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 209 in 2016, ranked #19,009.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 36 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Hourihan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hourihan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hourihan 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
1861 historical 2 #34,135
1881 historical 8 #32,581
1891 historical 18 #32,706
1901 historical 26 #31,152
1911 historical 36 #29,370
1997 modern 229 #16,168
1998 modern 236 #16,304
1999 modern 233 #16,554
2000 modern 235 #16,423
2001 modern 223 #16,765
2002 modern 230 #16,730
2003 modern 222 #16,942
2004 modern 220 #17,129
2005 modern 222 #16,983
2006 modern 217 #17,349
2007 modern 209 #17,951
2008 modern 209 #18,114
2009 modern 214 #18,220
2010 modern 215 #18,551
2011 modern 219 #18,145
2012 modern 212 #18,481
2013 modern 209 #18,984
2014 modern 216 #18,705
2015 modern 209 #19,018
2016 modern 209 #19,009

Geography

Back to top

Where Hourihans 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 Tamworth, Horsham, Brent, Havering and Central Bedfordshire. 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 Tamworth 004 Tamworth
2 Horsham 012 Horsham
3 Brent 011 Brent
4 Havering 015 Havering
5 Central Bedfordshire 009 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hourihan

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hourihan

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Hourihan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Hourihan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Hourihan 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

Hourihan 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

Hourihan falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hourihan 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 Hourihan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hourihan

The surname Hourihan is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic Ó hOraghain, meaning "descendant of Oraghan". The earliest records of this name date back to the 16th century in County Cork, Ireland.

The name is believed to have originated in the Barony of Muskerry, located in the northwest of County Cork. The Hourihans were a family of significance in this area, with some historians suggesting they may have been descendants of the ancient Uí Echach Muman clan.

In the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the early 17th century, there are references to several individuals bearing the Hourihan name. One notable entry mentions Donnchadh Ó hOraghain, who was recorded as having been killed in a battle near Mallow in 1598.

The earliest known written record of the Hourihan name appears in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth I, which were legal documents issued by the English Crown in Ireland during the 16th century. In these records, the name is spelled as "Horrigan" and "Hourihane".

One of the most prominent historical figures with the Hourihan surname was Donogh Hourihan, a Catholic priest and writer who was born in County Cork in the late 17th century. He is best known for his work "A Modest Defence of the Clergy and Religious in Ireland", published in 1724.

Another notable Hourihan was Patrick Hourihan, a Irish revolutionary and member of the Society of United Irishmen, who was born in County Cork in 1776. He played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and was later imprisoned for his involvement.

In the 19th century, Daniel Hourihan, born in 1823, was a prominent Irish-American businessman and politician. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was instrumental in the construction of the Erie Canal.

The Hourihan name can also be found in historical records related to land ownership and tenancy in County Cork. For instance, in the Landed Estates Court Rentals of 1881, there are several entries listing Hourihan families as tenants on various estates in the region.

While the Hourihan surname is most commonly associated with County Cork, it has also been recorded in other parts of Ireland, such as County Limerick and County Kerry, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hourihan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hourihan 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 4 Hourihans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.85x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 4 3.85x
Monmouthshire 4 63.09x
Royal Navy 1 96.15x

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 4 Hourihans recorded in 1881 and an index of 63.29x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 4 63.29x
Newport 4 1333.33x
Royal Navy 1 112.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Harriet 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 2
John 2
Jeremiah 1
Tim 1

FAQ

Hourihan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hourihan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8 people were recorded with the Hourihan surname. That placed it at #32,581 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hourihan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 209 in 2016. That gives Hourihan a modern rank of #19,009.

What does the Hourihan surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hUairín, derived from the word uair meaning "hour", likely referring to a timekeeping occupation.

What does the Hourihan map show?

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