NameCensus.

UK surname

Karran

A variant spelling of the surname Karen, of Armenian origin meaning "little one".

In the 1881 census there were 47 people recorded with the Karran surname, ranking it #27,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 140, ranked #24,865, up from #27,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sefton, Dunfermline Abbeyview South and The Vale of Glamorgan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Karran is 160 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 197.9%.

1881 census count

47

Ranked #27,019

Modern count

140

2016, ranked #24,865

Peak year

2010

160 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Karran had 47 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016, ranked #24,865.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 70 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Karran surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Karran surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Karran 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 25 #28,853
1861 historical 17 #31,714
1881 historical 47 #27,019
1891 historical 42 #31,018
1901 historical 47 #28,929
1911 historical 70 #25,853
1997 modern 126 #23,461
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 134 #23,378
2000 modern 139 #22,855
2001 modern 142 #22,234
2002 modern 153 #21,609
2003 modern 153 #21,406
2004 modern 157 #21,168
2005 modern 153 #21,490
2006 modern 145 #22,420
2007 modern 147 #22,510
2008 modern 147 #22,720
2009 modern 154 #22,536
2010 modern 160 #22,487
2011 modern 158 #22,473
2012 modern 151 #23,166
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 145 #24,395
2015 modern 144 #24,369
2016 modern 140 #24,865

Geography

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Where Karrans 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 Sefton, Dunfermline Abbeyview South, The Vale of Glamorgan, Dunfermline Abbeyview North and Newcastle upon Tyne. 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 Sefton 026 Sefton
2 Dunfermline Abbeyview South Fife
3 The Vale of Glamorgan 006 Vale of Glamorgan
4 Dunfermline Abbeyview North Fife
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 026 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Karran

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Karran

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Karran 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

Karran is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Karran falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Karran

The surname Karran has its origins in the Punjab region of northern India and Pakistan. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Karuna," which means compassion or mercy. The name likely originated among Hindu or Sikh communities in this region before being adopted by Muslims as well.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Karran can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document compiled during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The text mentions a village called "Karrana" located in the present-day state of Haryana in India.

In the 18th century, the Karran surname began to appear in British colonial records as people from the Punjab region migrated to other parts of the subcontinent. One notable figure from this time was Karran Singh (1724-1789), a Sikh warrior who fought against the Afghan Durrani Empire in the Battle of Wandhama in 1748.

As the British Empire expanded, the Karran name spread to other parts of the world, particularly with the migration of Sikh and Punjabi communities to East Africa, Southeast Asia, and eventually to the United Kingdom and other parts of the Commonwealth. Notable individuals with this surname include:

1. Sohan Singh Karran (1857-1942), a Sikh philosopher and scholar from Kenya who wrote extensively on Sikh theology and history. 2. Munir Karran (1922-2002), a Guyanese politician and lawyer who served as the Attorney General of Guyana from 1964 to 1969. 3. Jagdish Karran (born 1945), a Guyanese cricketer who played Test cricket for the West Indies in the 1970s. 4. Harbhajan Singh Karran (1879-1957), a Sikh revolutionary and activist from India who fought against British colonial rule. 5. Mohinder Karran (born 1962), a British businessman and entrepreneur of Punjabi descent, best known for founding the successful mobile phone company, Phones 4U.

While the name Karran has its roots in South Asia, it has since spread across the globe, carried by waves of migration and diaspora communities. The name continues to hold significance within Sikh and Punjabi communities, reflecting a rich cultural heritage and history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Karran families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Karran 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. Isle of Man leads with 101 Karrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 376.73x.

County Total Index
Isle of Man 101 376.73x
Lancashire 32 1.87x
Cheshire 11 3.45x
Hertfordshire 3 3.02x
Yorkshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rushen in Isle of Man leads with 45 Karrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2486.19x.

Place Total Index
Rushen 45 2486.19x
Onchan 30 388.60x
Malew 15 641.03x
Liscard 9 156.79x
Bootle Cum Linacre 7 51.47x
Barrow In Furness 6 25.75x
Braddan 6 410.96x
Walton On Hill 6 64.66x
Everton 3 5.50x
Hatfield 3 148.51x
Liverpool 3 2.88x
Blackburn 2 4.39x
Cheetham 2 15.65x
Chester St Oswald 2 34.66x
Litherland 2 55.87x
Marown 2 408.16x
St Anne 2 689.66x
Lockwood 1 19.42x
Maughold 1 48.31x
Thornton In Fylde 1 26.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 7
Eleanor 6
Emily 6
Mary 6
Jane 5
Annie 3
Bridget 3
Eliza 3
Isabella 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Katherine 2
Louisa 2
Ada 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Charlott. 1
Clara 1
Eliz. 1
Emma 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Jemima 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
Margt. 1
Minnie 1
Ruth 1
Tresea 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
Thomas 14
William 11
James 7
Henry 5
Robert 3
Walter 3
Edward 2
Richd. 2
Samuel 2
Alfred 1
Edwd. 1
Fred 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Ke... 1
Leo 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Thos.Edwd. 1

FAQ

Karran surname: questions and answers

How common was the Karran surname in 1881?

In 1881, 47 people were recorded with the Karran surname. That placed it at #27,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Karran surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016. That gives Karran a modern rank of #24,865.

What does the Karran surname mean?

A variant spelling of the surname Karen, of Armenian origin meaning "little one".

What does the Karran map show?

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