NameCensus.

UK surname

Kernaghan

A surname from an Irish placename, derived from coranach meaning "marsh dweller".

In the 1881 census there were 43 people recorded with the Kernaghan surname, ranking it #27,575 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 347, ranked #13,259, up from #27,575 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rothesay Town, Invergordon and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kernaghan is 359 in 2007. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 707.0%.

1881 census count

43

Ranked #27,575

Modern count

347

2016, ranked #13,259

Peak year

2007

359 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kernaghan had 43 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,575 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 347 in 2016, ranked #13,259.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 63 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Kernaghan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kernaghan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kernaghan 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 23 #29,205
1861 historical 18 #31,580
1881 historical 43 #27,575
1891 historical 53 #29,946
1901 historical 63 #27,134
1911 historical 22 #31,030
1997 modern 300 #13,530
1998 modern 337 #12,859
1999 modern 333 #13,049
2000 modern 332 #13,023
2001 modern 319 #13,168
2002 modern 341 #12,864
2003 modern 338 #12,735
2004 modern 332 #12,951
2005 modern 338 #12,698
2006 modern 343 #12,626
2007 modern 359 #12,356
2008 modern 349 #12,723
2009 modern 347 #13,044
2010 modern 342 #13,440
2011 modern 336 #13,498
2012 modern 334 #13,443
2013 modern 346 #13,291
2014 modern 354 #13,153
2015 modern 351 #13,135
2016 modern 347 #13,259

Geography

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Where Kernaghans 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 Rothesay Town, Invergordon, Rochdale, Valleyfield Culross and Torryburn and Stevenage. 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 Rothesay Town Argyll and Bute
2 Invergordon Highland
3 Rochdale 024 Rochdale
4 Valleyfield Culross and Torryburn Fife
5 Stevenage 009 Stevenage

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kernaghan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Kernaghan 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 Kernaghan

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Kernaghan is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kernaghan 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

Kernaghan falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kernaghan 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Kernaghan

The surname Kernaghan is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to County Armagh in Northern Ireland. It is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Cearnaghán," which means "descendant of Cearnachan." Cearnachan is an old Irish personal name derived from the word "cearnach," meaning "victorious" or "warlike."

The name first appeared in historical records in the 13th century. One of the earliest documented references is found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Giolla Criost Ó Cearnaghán in the year 1274. This suggests that the Kernaghan family had established itself in County Armagh by that time.

In the 16th century, the Kernaghan name was prominent in the Barony of Orior in County Armagh. The family held lands in the townlands of Derrylaughan and Derrymacash, and they were known for their involvement in local affairs and their support for the Irish language and culture.

One notable figure from this period was Séamus Ó Cearnaghán, a poet and scholar who lived in the late 16th century. He was renowned for his mastery of the Irish language and his contributions to the preservation of Irish literature and tradition.

During the 17th century, the Kernaghan name spread to other parts of Ireland, particularly to counties Donegal and Derry. This was likely due to the upheaval and displacement caused by the Plantation of Ulster, a colonization effort by the English and Scottish settlers in the early 1600s.

In the 18th century, the Kernaghan family produced several notable figures. Tomás Ó Cearnaghán (1705-1783) was a renowned Irish scholar and scribe who worked to preserve and transcribe ancient Irish manuscripts. His work played a crucial role in the preservation of Ireland's rich literary heritage.

Another prominent Kernaghan from this era was Séamus Ó Cearnaghán (1740-1815), a respected Irish poet and musician. He was known for his compositions in the traditional Irish style and his efforts to promote and maintain the Irish language and culture.

As the Kernaghan family spread throughout Ireland and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Kernahan, Kernahan, Kernohan, and Kearney. These variations reflect the challenges of transliterating Irish names into English and the influence of regional dialects and pronunciations.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the Kernaghan name continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as Patrick Kernaghan (1816-1888), a Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively on the history of Ireland and the Irish diaspora.

In more recent times, the name Kernaghan has gained international recognition through the achievements of individuals like Shawn Kernaghan (born 1951), a Canadian politician and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Brendan Kernaghan (born 1942), an Australian mathematician and computer scientist.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kernaghan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kernaghan 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. Lanarkshire leads with 12 Kernaghans recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.85x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 12 8.85x
Lancashire 7 1.41x
Renfrewshire 6 18.47x
Surrey 6 2.94x
Cheshire 4 4.32x
Hampshire 3 3.49x
Angus 2 5.15x
Ayrshire 2 6.38x
Devon 1 1.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 9 Kernaghans recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.84x.

Place Total Index
Govan 9 26.84x
Lambeth 6 16.42x
Middle Greenock 6 674.16x
Chester St Oswald 4 238.10x
Everton 4 25.24x
Portsea 3 17.81x
Toxteth Park 3 17.81x
Kilmarnock 2 53.62x
St Vigeans 2 95.24x
Barony 1 2.91x
Blantyre 1 70.92x
Glasgow 1 4.15x
Stoke Damerel 1 16.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Grace 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Emma 1
Jane 1
Leah 1
Margaret 1
Marie 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Thomas 2
Adam 1
Francis 1
Wim.T. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Kernaghan households.

FAQ

Kernaghan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kernaghan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 43 people were recorded with the Kernaghan surname. That placed it at #27,575 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kernaghan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 347 in 2016. That gives Kernaghan a modern rank of #13,259.

What does the Kernaghan surname mean?

A surname from an Irish placename, derived from coranach meaning "marsh dweller".

What does the Kernaghan map show?

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