NameCensus.

UK surname

Ireland

A geographical surname referring to someone from, or with ancestors from, the island nation of Ireland.

In the 1881 census there were 6,974 people recorded with the Ireland surname, ranking it #609 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,019, ranked #728, down from #609 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Logie and Blackness and Kelty West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ireland is 9,383 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.3%.

1881 census count

6,974

Ranked #609

Modern count

9,019

2016, ranked #728

Peak year

1999

9,383 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ireland had 6,974 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #609 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,019 in 2016, ranked #728.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,472 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ireland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ireland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ireland 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 4,843 #572
1861 historical 4,898 #575
1881 historical 6,974 #609
1891 historical 7,686 #584
1901 historical 8,472 #631
1911 historical 7,704 #675
1997 modern 9,045 #692
1998 modern 9,325 #704
1999 modern 9,383 #704
2000 modern 9,339 #701
2001 modern 9,064 #711
2002 modern 9,257 #714
2003 modern 8,998 #713
2004 modern 8,972 #717
2005 modern 8,838 #717
2006 modern 8,858 #715
2007 modern 8,880 #719
2008 modern 8,965 #715
2009 modern 9,187 #715
2010 modern 9,282 #725
2011 modern 9,125 #727
2012 modern 8,949 #728
2013 modern 9,075 #729
2014 modern 9,132 #730
2015 modern 9,049 #729
2016 modern 9,019 #728

Geography

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Where Irelands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Edinburgh 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 Ryedale, Logie and Blackness, Kelty West, Halton and Scarborough. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 004 Ryedale
2 Logie and Blackness Dundee City
3 Kelty West Fife
4 Halton 012 Halton
5 Scarborough 007 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ireland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ireland

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Ireland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ireland household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Ireland 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

Ireland is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ireland falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ireland is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Ireland

The surname Ireland originated as an English locational name derived from the Normandy placename Hirelant or Irelande. It was initially given to those who hailed from the region of Ireland in Normandy, France. The name is ultimately rooted in the Old Norse words 'ir' meaning 'Irish' and 'land' meaning 'land,' suggesting a connection to Irish settlers or immigrants in the area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled 'de Hirland.' This reference indicates that the name was already in use in England shortly after the Norman Conquest. Over time, various spellings emerged, including Irelonde, Yrlond, and Irelande, reflecting the name's evolution.

In the 13th century, the surname Ireland began to appear in English records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is listed as 'de Irland.' This suggests that individuals bearing this name had established themselves in England by this time.

One notable figure with the surname Ireland was John Ireland, a renowned English composer and organist born in 1879. He composed various works, including the popular piano piece "The Holy Boy," and served as the organist at St. Luke's Church in Chelsea, London.

Another prominent individual was Samuel Ireland, an English writer and engraver born in 1744. He is known for his controversial forgeries of Shakespearean manuscripts, which he claimed to have discovered but were later exposed as fraudulent works.

In the 17th century, William Ireland, born in 1636, was a notable English lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench from 1689 to 1692.

Moving forward, Alexander Ireland, born in 1810, was a Scottish Presbyterian minister and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects, including his work "The Life of John Reid, late Minister of the Presbyterian Church at Colmonel."

Lastly, Robert Ireland, born in 1920, was a British actor known for his roles in various television series, including "The Saint," "The Avengers," and "Danger Man." He had a prolific career spanning several decades in the entertainment industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ireland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ireland 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 1,421 Irelands recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.77x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,421 1.77x
Yorkshire 541 0.81x
Middlesex 509 0.75x
Gloucestershire 328 2.47x
Fife 327 8.15x
Angus 312 4.97x
Devon 302 2.14x
Surrey 282 0.85x
Hampshire 210 1.51x
Warwickshire 191 1.12x
Sussex 173 1.51x
Midlothian 149 1.64x
Lanarkshire 148 0.67x
Cheshire 127 0.85x
Somerset 113 1.04x
Lincolnshire 110 1.01x
Northamptonshire 109 1.71x
Leicestershire 105 1.40x
Norfolk 99 0.95x
Kent 97 0.42x
Durham 84 0.42x
Northumberland 75 0.74x
Essex 72 0.54x
Kirkcudbrightshire 68 6.93x
Ayrshire 66 1.30x
Cumberland 56 0.96x
Staffordshire 53 0.23x
Bedfordshire 49 1.40x
Wiltshire 44 0.73x
Worcestershire 44 0.50x
Glamorgan 43 0.36x
Renfrewshire 43 0.82x
Perthshire 42 1.38x
Herefordshire 39 1.40x
Dorset 32 0.72x
Peeblesshire 30 9.41x
Berkshire 29 0.57x
Derbyshire 29 0.27x
Nottinghamshire 29 0.32x
Monmouthshire 24 0.49x
Westmorland 24 1.61x
Dunbartonshire 22 1.21x
Selkirkshire 19 3.10x
Rutland 18 3.61x
Kincardineshire 17 2.06x
Dumfriesshire 16 1.07x
Huntingdonshire 16 1.19x
Kinross-shire 16 9.33x
Oxfordshire 16 0.38x
Shropshire 16 0.27x
Suffolk 16 0.19x
Cornwall 15 0.20x
Roxburghshire 14 1.14x
Isle of Man 13 1.03x
Aberdeenshire 12 0.19x
Cambridgeshire 12 0.28x
Caithness 11 1.18x
Stirlingshire 11 0.44x
Buckinghamshire 10 0.24x
Royal Navy 9 1.11x
Channel Islands 8 0.40x
Inverness-shire 5 0.25x
Morayshire 5 0.47x
Wigtownshire 5 0.56x
Berwickshire 4 0.49x
Hertfordshire 4 0.09x
Orkney 3 0.40x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.14x
Brecknockshire 2 0.15x
Denbighshire 2 0.08x
West Lothian 2 0.20x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.18x
Flintshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 158 Irelands recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.74x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 158 6.74x
Toxteth Park 81 2.97x
Lambeth 78 1.32x
Aston 72 1.53x
Garston 72 30.32x
Salford 57 2.41x
Govan 53 0.98x
Preston 53 2.46x
Widnes 52 8.96x
Islington London 51 0.78x
West Derby 51 2.17x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 50 1.37x
St Pancras London 50 0.92x
Southampton St Mary 47 5.38x
Liff Benvie 44 4.61x
Ulverston 44 18.77x
Blackburn 43 2.01x
Painswick 43 45.72x
Leicester St Margaret 42 2.29x
Stroud 42 16.23x
Barony 41 0.74x
Birmingham 41 0.72x
Scarborough 40 6.55x
Bethnal Green London 37 1.26x
Kirkdale 35 2.59x
Brighton 34 1.47x
Lancaster 34 7.10x
Oldham 34 1.31x
Camberwell 33 0.76x
Liverpool 33 0.68x
Everton 29 1.13x
South Leith 29 2.84x
Holy Trinity 28 1.73x
St Andrews 28 15.33x
Birkenhead 27 2.26x
Bristol St George 27 4.39x
Hulme 26 1.55x
Kilconquhar 26 54.43x
Padiham 26 13.37x
St Monance 26 54.23x
Ottery St Mary 25 27.00x
Coventry Holy Trinity 23 4.50x
Cupar 23 13.17x
Forfar 23 6.76x
Bashall Eaves 22 360.07x
Bermondsey 22 1.09x
Slaugham 22 59.52x
West Ham 22 0.74x
Bow London 21 2.43x
Brechin 21 8.51x
Cheltenham 21 2.05x
Marholm 21 545.45x
Newton 21 3.39x
Over Darwen 21 3.27x
Balcombe 20 98.04x
Battersea 20 0.80x
Hackney London 20 0.53x
Portsea 20 0.73x
Ribchester 20 65.77x
Tormoham 20 3.35x
Worsley 20 4.03x
Bisley 19 15.76x
Lea Ashton Ingol 19 35.57x
Manchester 19 0.53x
Mile End Old Town London 19 1.32x
Scoonie 19 21.85x
St Marylebone London 19 0.52x
Swindon 19 4.08x
Bishopwearmouth 18 1.04x
Handsworth 18 3.19x
Heigham 18 3.22x
Lower Booths 18 12.48x
Shoreditch London 18 0.61x
Upton St Leonards 18 53.29x
Walthamstow 18 3.74x
Galston 17 12.25x
Huyton With Roby 17 18.03x
Rudgwick 17 65.16x
Southampton All Sts 17 7.13x
Wemyss 17 10.01x

FAQ

Ireland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ireland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,974 people were recorded with the Ireland surname. That placed it at #609 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ireland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,019 in 2016. That gives Ireland a modern rank of #728.

What does the Ireland surname mean?

A geographical surname referring to someone from, or with ancestors from, the island nation of Ireland.

What does the Ireland map show?

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