NameCensus.

UK surname

Lanagan

An Irish Gaelic surname derived from the personal name Lonagán.

In the 1881 census there were 143 people recorded with the Lanagan surname, ranking it #15,955 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 98, ranked #31,470, down from #15,955 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, Govan Combination and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland, City Centre West and Havering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lanagan is 143 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 31.5%.

1881 census count

143

Ranked #15,955

Modern count

98

2016, ranked #31,470

Peak year

1881

143 bearers

Map years

1

1881 to 1881

Key insights

  • Lanagan had 143 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,955 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016, ranked #31,470.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 143 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Lanagan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lanagan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lanagan 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 65 #21,747
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 143 #15,955
1891 historical 92 #25,109
1901 historical 70 #26,383
1911 historical 66 #26,249
1997 modern 90 #28,360
1998 modern 99 #27,785
1999 modern 98 #28,050
2000 modern 93 #28,701
2001 modern 91 #28,670
2002 modern 89 #29,428
2003 modern 94 #28,686
2004 modern 94 #28,896
2005 modern 87 #29,966
2006 modern 92 #29,576
2007 modern 91 #30,061
2008 modern 93 #30,123
2009 modern 97 #30,076
2010 modern 104 #29,618
2011 modern 97 #30,552
2012 modern 99 #30,442
2013 modern 103 #30,235
2014 modern 105 #30,204
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 98 #31,470

Geography

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Where Lanagans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, Govan Combination, Manchester, Bedwelty and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland, City Centre West, Havering, Trafford and Bexley. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Bedwelty Monmouthshire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 033 Sunderland
2 City Centre West Glasgow City
3 Havering 017 Havering
4 Trafford 012 Trafford
5 Bexley 025 Bexley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lanagan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lanagan

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Lanagan is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lanagan is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lanagan falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Lanagan

The surname Lanagan has its origins in the Irish Gaelic language, where it is believed to have derived from the word "lann" meaning "enclosure" or "church." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a church or monastery. The name can be traced back to the early medieval period in Ireland, around the 7th or 8th century AD.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Lanagan name is found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, a person named Lanagan is referenced in an entry from the year 1160, indicating the name's existence at that time. The spelling variations in these early records include Lannagan, Lanegan, and Lannigan.

The Lanagan surname was particularly prominent in the counties of Galway and Mayo in the western part of Ireland. Some historical figures with this surname include Dermot Lanagan, a 14th-century Lord of Hy-Many in Galway, and Teige Lanagan, a 16th-century Irish chieftain from Mayo.

In the 17th century, the Lanagan name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of public records from the reign of the Tudor monarchs in England and Ireland. This suggests that some members of the Lanagan family may have held positions of importance during this period.

Notable individuals with the Lanagan surname include:

1. George Lanagan (1845-1886), an Irish-American sculptor known for his works in New York City. 2. John Lanagan (1758-1824), an Irish-born American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from New York. 3. Michael Lanagan (1892-1964), an Irish hurler who played for the Galway senior hurling team. 4. Patrick Lanagan (1822-1886), an Irish immigrant to the United States who became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in Chicago. 5. William Lanagan (1805-1880), an Irish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as Mayor of Toronto.

Throughout its history, the Lanagan surname has maintained its strong ties to Ireland, particularly in the western regions of Galway and Mayo. While the name has spread to other parts of the world through immigration, its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period in Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lanagan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lanagan 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 58 Lanagans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.43x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 58 3.43x
Lanarkshire 17 3.69x
Surrey 13 1.87x
Yorkshire 12 0.85x
Cumberland 10 8.16x
Middlesex 10 0.70x
Durham 6 1.42x
Hampshire 6 2.06x
Cheshire 5 1.59x
Channel Islands 3 7.11x
Northumberland 3 1.42x
Essex 2 0.71x
Renfrewshire 1 0.91x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 14 Lanagans recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.42x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 14 18.42x
Liverpool 12 11.69x
Cleator 9 176.47x
Old Monkland 9 49.23x
Salford 8 16.10x
Hulme 7 19.84x
Freshwater 6 451.13x
Rawmarsh 6 120.24x
Govan 5 4.39x
Great Boughton 5 462.96x
Bermondsey 4 9.43x
Holy Trinity 4 11.78x
Lambeth 4 3.22x
Spitalfields London 4 37.35x
Hackney London 3 3.76x
Kirkdale 3 10.55x
Spotland 3 15.97x
St Peter Port 3 38.41x
Toxteth Park 3 5.24x
Wigan 3 12.70x
Woking 3 71.77x
Barony 2 1.72x
Bishopwearmouth 2 5.50x
Heworth 2 23.95x
Latton 2 1818.18x
Tynemouth 2 17.62x
Wandsworth 2 14.59x
West Derby 2 4.05x
York St Denis In 2 322.58x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 2.71x
Blantyre 1 20.83x
Crumpsall 1 25.13x
Gateshead 1 3.15x
Islington London 1 0.72x
Longbenton 1 11.15x
Paisley High Church 1 11.38x
St Marylebone London 1 1.32x
St Pancras London 1 0.87x
Stockton On Tees 1 4.90x
Stretford 1 10.75x
Workington 1 14.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Margaret 8
Ellen 7
Ann 4
Catherine 4
Bridget 3
Sarah 3
Agnes 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Maria 2
Alice 1
Anastasea 1
Barbara 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Eleanor 1
Elizabeth 1
Florence 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Lilian 1
Sally 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
Thomas 12
James 8
William 5
Patrick 4
Archibald 2
Francis 2
Joseph 2
Andrew 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Danl. 1
David 1
Edward 1
George 1
Henry 1
Luke 1
Martin 1
Mathew 1
Michael 1
Michl. 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Lanagan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lanagan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 143 people were recorded with the Lanagan surname. That placed it at #15,955 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lanagan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016. That gives Lanagan a modern rank of #31,470.

What does the Lanagan surname mean?

An Irish Gaelic surname derived from the personal name Lonagán.

What does the Lanagan map show?

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