NameCensus.

UK surname

Leahey

Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'Laochaidh", meaning "descendant of the hero".

In the 1881 census there were 32 people recorded with the Leahey surname, ranking it #29,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 127, ranked #26,566, up from #29,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Knowsley and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leahey is 134 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 296.9%.

1881 census count

32

Ranked #29,082

Modern count

127

2016, ranked #26,566

Peak year

2010

134 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leahey had 32 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016, ranked #26,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 70 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Leahey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leahey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leahey 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 19 #29,904
1861 historical 51 #27,498
1881 historical 32 #29,082
1891 historical 55 #29,744
1901 historical 70 #26,383
1911 historical 62 #26,622
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 116 #25,332
1999 modern 126 #24,239
2000 modern 124 #24,469
2001 modern 120 #24,615
2002 modern 130 #23,903
2003 modern 127 #24,019
2004 modern 129 #24,019
2005 modern 126 #24,287
2006 modern 125 #24,611
2007 modern 125 #24,987
2008 modern 126 #25,131
2009 modern 128 #25,427
2010 modern 134 #25,263
2011 modern 124 #26,367
2012 modern 117 #27,394
2013 modern 125 #26,695
2014 modern 125 #26,896
2015 modern 128 #26,356
2016 modern 127 #26,566

Geography

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Where Leaheys 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 Knowsley and Liverpool. 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 Knowsley 001 Knowsley
2 Liverpool 006 Liverpool
3 Liverpool 001 Liverpool
4 Knowsley 016 Knowsley
5 Knowsley 014 Knowsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leahey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leahey

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Leahey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Leahey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Leahey 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

Leahey 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

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

Meaning and origin of Leahey

The surname Leahey has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Liatháin, which means "descendant of Liathán." Liathán was a personal name derived from the word "liath," meaning "grey" or "grey-haired."

The name Leahey is believed to have originated in County Sligo, located in the northwestern part of Ireland. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various medieval manuscripts and records.

One notable historical reference to the Leahey name is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of Irish history compiled by Franciscan monks in the 17th century. The annals mention several members of the Ó Liatháin clan, indicating their involvement in local politics and conflicts.

In the 16th century, the anglicized spelling "Leahey" began to appear more frequently in official records. This was likely due to the increasing influence of the English language in Ireland during that period.

Among the earliest known bearers of the Leahey surname was Seán Ó Liatháin, who lived in the late 16th century and was a prominent landowner in County Sligo. Another notable figure was Tadhg Ó Liatháin, a 17th-century poet and scholar who wrote extensively in the Irish language.

Other notable individuals with the Leahey surname include:

1. James Leahey (1775-1849), an Irish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. 2. Patrick Leahey (1828-1904), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Parliament of Canada. 3. Margaret Leahey (1888-1965), an American writer and journalist known for her works on Irish culture and history. 4. Michael Leahey (1901-1987), an Australian rules football player and coach who played for the Carlton Football Club. 5. John Leahey (1920-2005), an American military officer who served in World War II and received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions during the Battle of the Bulge.

While the Leahey surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other English-speaking countries, reflecting the migration patterns of Irish emigrants over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Leahey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leahey 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 14 Leaheys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.78x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 14 3.78x
Middlesex 10 3.20x
Surrey 4 2.63x
Cumberland 1 3.72x
Devon 1 1.54x
Glamorgan 1 1.84x
Lincolnshire 1 2.00x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Castleton in Lancashire leads with 9 Leaheys recorded in 1881 and an index of 243.24x.

Place Total Index
Castleton 9 243.24x
St Pancras London 5 19.91x
Bermondsey 3 32.29x
Ratcliffe London 3 174.42x
Liverpool 2 8.89x
St George In East London 2 68.26x
Toxteth Park 2 15.95x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 19.16x
Rickergate 1 175.44x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 15.92x
Stoke Damerel 1 21.98x
Thurlby Obthorpe 1 1428.57x
Withington 1 84.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Ann 1
Augusta 1
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Hannora 1
Kate 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Patrick 4
John 3
Daniel 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Creswell 1
Denis 1
Dennis 1
Michael 1
Robert 1
William 1

FAQ

Leahey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leahey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 32 people were recorded with the Leahey surname. That placed it at #29,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leahey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016. That gives Leahey a modern rank of #26,566.

What does the Leahey surname mean?

Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'Laochaidh", meaning "descendant of the hero".

What does the Leahey map show?

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