NameCensus.

UK surname

Kavanagh

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Caomhánach," meaning a descendant of Caomhán, a personal name meaning "a gentle person."

In the 1881 census there were 1,142 people recorded with the Kavanagh surname, ranking it #3,505 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,749, ranked #854, up from #3,505 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Tandridge and Selby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kavanagh is 7,962 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 578.5%.

1881 census count

1,142

Ranked #3,505

Modern count

7,749

2016, ranked #854

Peak year

2010

7,962 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kavanagh had 1,142 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,505 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,749 in 2016, ranked #854.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,668 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Kavanagh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kavanagh surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kavanagh 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 250 #8,788
1861 historical 303 #8,365
1881 historical 1,142 #3,505
1891 historical 1,126 #3,770
1901 historical 1,503 #3,412
1911 historical 1,668 #2,928
1997 modern 7,014 #928
1998 modern 7,275 #932
1999 modern 7,338 #930
2000 modern 7,350 #919
2001 modern 7,176 #921
2002 modern 7,382 #911
2003 modern 7,289 #902
2004 modern 7,319 #893
2005 modern 7,293 #890
2006 modern 7,383 #880
2007 modern 7,459 #880
2008 modern 7,590 #870
2009 modern 7,763 #868
2010 modern 7,962 #862
2011 modern 7,820 #866
2012 modern 7,676 #862
2013 modern 7,874 #850
2014 modern 7,909 #855
2015 modern 7,852 #845
2016 modern 7,749 #854

Geography

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Where Kavanaghs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Liverpool and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Tandridge, Selby, Cheshire West and Chester and Barrow-in-Furness. 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 3
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 050 Liverpool
2 Tandridge 007 Tandridge
3 Selby 004 Selby
4 Cheshire West and Chester 011 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Barrow-in-Furness 001 Barrow-in-Furness

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kavanagh

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kavanagh

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

Kavanagh 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

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

Meaning and origin of Kavanagh

The surname Kavanagh is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic Ó Cavanaigh, meaning "descendant of Cavanagh." The name first emerged in County Leinster in the 12th century.

Kavanagh is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Cavanaigh, which means "descendant of Cavanagh." The name Cavanagh itself is derived from the Gaelic personal name Caomhánach, meaning "gentle" or "kind."

The Kavanaghs were an influential family in County Leinster, Ireland, particularly in the medieval period. They held significant power and land in the region, and their name appears frequently in historical records and manuscripts from that time.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Kavanagh is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention Domhnall Caomhánach, King of Leinster, who died in 1175.

Another notable figure with the surname Kavanagh was Art Kavanagh, who was elected as the 16th Chief of the Name in 1554. He played a significant role in the Leinster Rebellion against the English Crown in the late 16th century.

During the 17th century, several members of the Kavanagh family were prominent in the Irish Confederate Wars, including Morgan Kavanagh, who served as a colonel in the Confederate Catholic forces.

In the 18th century, Brian Kavanagh was a renowned Irish poet and songwriter, known for his compositions in the Irish language. He lived from 1690 to 1765.

In more recent history, Patrick Kavanagh (1904-1967) was a celebrated Irish poet and novelist, widely regarded as one of the foremost literary figures of the 20th century in Ireland.

The surname Kavanagh is still relatively common in Ireland, particularly in the Leinster region, reflecting the family's historical roots and influence in that area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kavanagh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kavanagh 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 431 Kavanaghs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.22x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 431 3.22x
Middlesex 105 0.93x
Cumberland 85 8.75x
Yorkshire 81 0.72x
Surrey 47 0.85x
Cheshire 46 1.85x
Kent 46 1.19x
Warwickshire 41 1.44x
Durham 37 1.10x
Lanarkshire 34 0.93x
Hampshire 28 1.21x
Midlothian 25 1.65x
Northumberland 15 0.89x
Staffordshire 15 0.39x
Devon 12 0.51x
Roxburghshire 12 5.87x
Nottinghamshire 10 0.66x
Essex 9 0.40x
Perthshire 9 1.78x
Royal Navy 8 5.95x
Carmarthenshire 7 1.47x
Channel Islands 7 2.09x
Suffolk 7 0.51x
East Lothian 6 4.01x
Norfolk 5 0.29x
Bedfordshire 3 0.51x
Flintshire 3 0.99x
Lincolnshire 3 0.17x
Monmouthshire 3 0.37x
Renfrewshire 3 0.34x
Glamorgan 2 0.10x
Gloucestershire 2 0.09x
Cornwall 1 0.08x
Derbyshire 1 0.06x
Dorset 1 0.14x
Herefordshire 1 0.22x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.45x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.28x
Somerset 1 0.06x
Sussex 1 0.05x
Westmorland 1 0.40x
Worcestershire 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. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 87 Kavanaghs recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.70x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 87 10.70x
Cleator 53 131.03x
Toxteth Park 51 11.25x
West Derby 42 10.72x
Everton 38 8.90x
Little Hulton 26 117.22x
Birmingham 24 2.53x
Birkenhead 20 10.07x
Bootle Cum Linacre 19 17.86x
Manchester 16 2.66x
Hunslet 15 8.60x
Deptford St Paul 14 4.71x
Glasgow 13 2.01x
South Leith 13 7.64x
Bermondsey 12 3.57x
Wilton 12 53.50x
Lambeth 11 1.12x
Sheffield 11 3.09x
Whitehaven 11 21.24x
Caldewgate 10 18.78x
Habergham Eaves 10 8.17x
Islington London 10 0.91x
Kirkdale 10 4.44x
Millom 10 33.58x
Eccleston In Prescot 9 13.39x
Gateshead 9 3.58x
Hapton 9 107.53x
Meriden 9 278.64x
Perth St Pauls 9 76.73x
St Mary Islington London 9 10000.00x
Barkstone Ash 8 601.50x
Colchester St Giles 8 36.35x
Dover St James 8 47.39x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 1.32x
Ince In Makerfield 8 12.84x
Royal Navy 8 6.96x
Clerkenwell London 7 2.63x
Ecclesall Bierlow 7 3.08x
Freshwater 7 66.23x
Govan 7 0.78x
Hornsey 7 4.90x
Liscard 7 15.59x
Llanelly 7 6.53x
Middleton In Oldham 7 17.43x
Shotts 7 16.03x
Spotland 7 4.70x
St Michaelinthe Vale 7 58.63x
Thornley 7 57.61x
Tynemouth 7 7.78x
Wombwell 7 21.47x
Athelstaneford 6 203.39x
Barony 6 0.65x
Brandon Byshottles 6 14.27x
Ipswich St Margaret 6 12.86x
Long Ditton 6 66.82x
Milton In Gravesend 6 10.39x
Oswaldtwistle 6 12.68x
Shoreditch London 6 1.23x
Wavertree 6 14.00x
Aston 5 0.64x
Bow London 5 3.48x
Broughton In Salford 5 4.08x
Castle Eden 5 147.06x
Cheadle 5 10.51x
Clapham 5 3.54x
Cornsay 5 55.31x
Farnborough 5 20.58x
Gravesend 5 15.34x
Hampstead London 5 2.84x
Kensington London 5 0.80x
Lenton 5 13.95x
Little Bolton 5 2.90x
Paddington London 5 1.20x
Parr 5 10.44x
Plymouth Charles The 5 4.83x
Sculcoates 5 2.82x
St Pancras London 5 0.55x
Wednesbury 5 5.25x
Streatham 4 4.78x
Tottington Lower End 4 6.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 103
Margaret 40
Elizabeth 35
Catherine 29
Annie 22
Ellen 22
Kate 20
Sarah 18
Ann 15
Jane 15
Bridget 14
Eliza 11
Julia 10
Alice 9
Emma 8
Martha 7
Hannah 6
Maria 6
Emily 5
Helen 5
Isabella 5
Ada 4
Anne 4
Lucy 4
Rose 4
Amy 3
Caroline 3
Catharine 3
Charlotte 3
Esther 3
Anna 2
Carolina 2
Clara 2
Dora 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Ester 2
Florence 2
Friderica 2
Georgina 2
Grace 2
Honora 2
Jessie 2
Lizzie 2
Louisa 2
Margret 2
May 2
Rachel 2
Rebecca 2
Rosanna 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 89
James 47
Thomas 42
William 34
Patrick 33
Edward 25
Michael 22
Joseph 14
Arthur 12
Daniel 12
Martin 10
Peter 10
George 8
Henry 8
Albert 7
Philip 7
Charles 6
Lawrence 6
David 4
Eugene 4
Francis 4
Herbert 4
Matthew 4
Richard 4
Robert 4
Andrew 3
Christopher 3
Owen 3
Walter 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Bryan 2
D. 2
Denis 2
E. 2
Edwin 2
Harry 2
Jeremiah 2
Jno. 2
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Miles 2
Nicholas 2
Samuel 2
Terence 2
Thos. 2
Edn. 1
Ernest 1
Felix 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Kavanagh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kavanagh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,142 people were recorded with the Kavanagh surname. That placed it at #3,505 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kavanagh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,749 in 2016. That gives Kavanagh a modern rank of #854.

What does the Kavanagh surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Caomhánach," meaning a descendant of Caomhán, a personal name meaning "a gentle person."

What does the Kavanagh map show?

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