NameCensus.

UK surname

Kneafsey

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cnáimhsighe meaning "descendant of the bony or scrawny person".

In the 1881 census there were 7 people recorded with the Kneafsey surname, ranking it #32,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 144, ranked #24,390, up from #32,765 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale, Wakefield and York.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kneafsey is 154 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1957.1%.

1881 census count

7

Ranked #32,765

Modern count

144

2016, ranked #24,390

Peak year

1998

154 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kneafsey had 7 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,765 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 144 in 2016, ranked #24,390.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 25 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Kneafsey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kneafsey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kneafsey 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 10 #32,589
1881 historical 7 #32,765
1891 historical 11 #33,268
1901 historical 11 #32,907
1911 historical 25 #30,654
1997 modern 138 #22,227
1998 modern 154 #21,316
1999 modern 149 #21,924
2000 modern 144 #22,357
2001 modern 149 #21,568
2002 modern 148 #22,087
2003 modern 152 #21,486
2004 modern 144 #22,379
2005 modern 145 #22,253
2006 modern 139 #23,044
2007 modern 143 #22,924
2008 modern 141 #23,383
2009 modern 136 #24,485
2010 modern 149 #23,598
2011 modern 154 #22,886
2012 modern 141 #24,258
2013 modern 150 #23,653
2014 modern 149 #23,969
2015 modern 147 #24,036
2016 modern 144 #24,390

Geography

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Where Kneafseys 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 Calderdale, Wakefield, York, Kirklees and Vale of White Horse. 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 Calderdale 009 Calderdale
2 Wakefield 012 Wakefield
3 York 001 York
4 Kirklees 036 Kirklees
5 Vale of White Horse 014 Vale of White Horse

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kneafsey

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

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kneafsey 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

Kneafsey is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Kneafsey

The surname Kneafsey is of Irish origin, originating in County Mayo in the western part of Ireland. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "cnodhbhach" meaning fruitful or fertile, and "muine" meaning thicket or shrubbery, essentially translating to "fertile thicket" or "fruitful shrubbery".

This surname is closely associated with the Gaelic-Irish clan Ó Cnaimbhsighe, which ruled over the baronies of Carra and Erris in County Mayo during the medieval period. The earliest documented reference to this surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.

In the 16th century, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, the surname Kneafsey is recorded in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the Irish government. This suggests that some members of the Ó Cnaimbhsighe clan had adopted the anglicized version of their name.

Notable historical figures with the surname Kneafsey include Tadhg Ó Cnaimbhsighe (1550-1618), a renowned Irish poet and historian from County Mayo. Another prominent individual was Seán Ó Cnaimbhsighe (1670-1745), a Catholic priest who served as the Archbishop of Tuam during the Penal Laws era.

In the 19th century, James Kneafsey (1818-1892) was a successful Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Philadelphia from 1873 to 1876. Another notable figure was Mary Kneafsey (1855-1932), a pioneering Irish-American educator and advocate for women's rights.

During the 20th century, Thomas Kneafsey (1912-1998) was a highly decorated World War II veteran who received the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery in the Battle of the Bulge. More recently, Siobhan Kneafsey (1968-present) is a respected Irish academic and author, known for her work on environmental sustainability.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kneafsey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kneafsey 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. Yorkshire leads with 7 Kneafseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.38x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 7 10.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 7 Kneafseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 183.73x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 7 183.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Bernard 2
John 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 Kneafsey households.

FAQ

Kneafsey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kneafsey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7 people were recorded with the Kneafsey surname. That placed it at #32,765 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kneafsey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 144 in 2016. That gives Kneafsey a modern rank of #24,390.

What does the Kneafsey surname mean?

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cnáimhsighe meaning "descendant of the bony or scrawny person".

What does the Kneafsey map show?

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