NameCensus.

UK surname

Lannigan

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Longáin, meaning "descendant of Longán".

In the 1881 census there were 76 people recorded with the Lannigan surname, ranking it #22,745 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 330, ranked #13,765, up from #22,745 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Coltness, Netherton and Kirkhill and Wishaw East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lannigan is 340 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 334.2%.

1881 census count

76

Ranked #22,745

Modern count

330

2016, ranked #13,765

Peak year

2010

340 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lannigan had 76 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,745 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 330 in 2016, ranked #13,765.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 96 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Lannigan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lannigan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Lannigan 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 24 #29,038
1861 historical 22 #31,140
1881 historical 76 #22,745
1891 historical 96 #24,559
1901 historical 92 #23,800
1911 historical 43 #28,581
1997 modern 322 #12,914
1998 modern 323 #13,211
1999 modern 321 #13,362
2000 modern 314 #13,516
2001 modern 320 #13,143
2002 modern 309 #13,733
2003 modern 306 #13,641
2004 modern 314 #13,473
2005 modern 308 #13,590
2006 modern 306 #13,724
2007 modern 310 #13,730
2008 modern 325 #13,406
2009 modern 331 #13,483
2010 modern 340 #13,498
2011 modern 338 #13,435
2012 modern 329 #13,593
2013 modern 322 #14,037
2014 modern 329 #13,918
2015 modern 328 #13,840
2016 modern 330 #13,765

Geography

Back to top

Where Lannigans 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 Coltness, Netherton and Kirkhill, Wishaw East, Crossford, Braidwood and Yieldshields and North Warwickshire. 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 Coltness North Lanarkshire
2 Netherton and Kirkhill North Lanarkshire
3 Wishaw East North Lanarkshire
4 Crossford, Braidwood and Yieldshields South Lanarkshire
5 North Warwickshire 002 North Warwickshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Lannigan

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Lannigan

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

Lannigan is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lannigan 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 Lannigan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Lannigan

The surname Lannigan is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the Gaelic language of ancient Ireland. It is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.

One of the earliest known references to this name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a Lannigan family residing in County Longford during the 16th century.

The name Lannigan is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "lannán," which means "small scale" or "diminutive." This suggests that the name may have originally been used to describe someone of small stature or to differentiate between two individuals with the same name.

In some regions of Ireland, the name was also spelled as "Lanigan" or "Lanahyn," reflecting local variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions at the time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Lannigan was Seán Lannigan, a 16th-century poet and scholar from County Galway, known for his contributions to Irish literature.

Another notable figure was Terence Lannigan (1714-1795), a prominent merchant and landowner from County Tipperary, whose family played a significant role in the local economy and politics of the region during the 18th century.

In the 19th century, a man named John Lannigan (1812-1879) from County Sligo gained recognition as a historian and author, publishing several works on the history of Ireland and the Catholic Church.

During the same period, Mary Lannigan (1820-1905), born in County Limerick, was a renowned Irish-American philanthropist who dedicated her life to supporting education and social welfare initiatives in New York City.

Another notable figure was Thomas Lannigan (1875-1941), a Irish-American labor activist and politician from Massachusetts, who served in the United States House of Representatives in the early 20th century.

While the Lannigan surname originated in Ireland, it eventually spread to other parts of the world through immigration, particularly to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, where descendants of Irish immigrants can be found carrying this name today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Lannigan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lannigan 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 25 Lannigans recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.43x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 25 10.43x
Lancashire 23 2.62x
Durham 8 3.63x
Glamorgan 4 3.10x
Northumberland 4 3.63x
Yorkshire 4 0.54x
Dunbartonshire 3 15.06x
Renfrewshire 3 5.22x
Angus 1 1.46x
Selkirkshire 1 14.90x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cambusnethan in Lanarkshire leads with 8 Lannigans recorded in 1881 and an index of 150.38x.

Place Total Index
Cambusnethan 8 150.38x
Old Monkland 8 84.12x
Kirkdale 6 40.57x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 26.01x
Dalziel 5 193.80x
Huddersfield 4 37.38x
Ryhope 4 261.44x
Swansea Lower 4 606.06x
Bishopwearmouth 3 15.85x
Bonhill 3 93.75x
Liverpool 3 5.62x
Longbenton 3 64.24x
Barony 2 3.30x
East Greenock 2 36.90x
Glasgow 2 4.70x
Toxteth Park 2 6.72x
Worsley 2 36.90x
Abbey 1 11.42x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 14.33x
Dundee 1 3.90x
Elswick 1 11.36x
Heworth 1 23.04x
Little Bolton 1 8.84x
Manchester 1 2.53x
Melrose 1 59.17x
Walton On Hill 1 21.01x
Whittingham 1 256.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Margaret 4
Ann 2
Elizabeth 2
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Kate 1
Martha 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Michael 3
Thomas 2
William 2
Daniel 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Henry 1
Matthias 1

FAQ

Lannigan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lannigan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 76 people were recorded with the Lannigan surname. That placed it at #22,745 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lannigan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 330 in 2016. That gives Lannigan a modern rank of #13,765.

What does the Lannigan surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Longáin, meaning "descendant of Longán".

What does the Lannigan map show?

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