NameCensus.

UK surname

Lehan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "leamhan" meaning "elm tree."

In the 1881 census there were 53 people recorded with the Lehan surname, ranking it #26,134 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 169, ranked #21,884, up from #26,134 in 1881.

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

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lehan is 172 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 218.9%.

1881 census count

53

Ranked #26,134

Modern count

169

2016, ranked #21,884

Peak year

2015

172 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lehan had 53 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,134 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016, ranked #21,884.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 73 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Lehan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lehan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Lehan 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 31 #27,734
1861 historical 17 #31,714
1881 historical 53 #26,134
1891 historical 71 #27,934
1901 historical 72 #26,162
1911 historical 73 #25,541
1997 modern 148 #21,295
1998 modern 146 #22,031
1999 modern 154 #21,455
2000 modern 154 #21,415
2001 modern 150 #21,482
2002 modern 143 #22,595
2003 modern 150 #21,669
2004 modern 151 #21,720
2005 modern 155 #21,318
2006 modern 158 #21,229
2007 modern 152 #22,022
2008 modern 155 #21,956
2009 modern 158 #22,168
2010 modern 165 #22,026
2011 modern 168 #21,563
2012 modern 166 #21,683
2013 modern 164 #22,236
2014 modern 167 #22,180
2015 modern 172 #21,649
2016 modern 169 #21,884

Geography

Back to top

Where Lehans 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 Thanet and Leeds. 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 Thanet 013 Thanet
2 Thanet 017 Thanet
3 Thanet 005 Thanet
4 Leeds 038 Leeds
5 Leeds 110 Leeds

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Lehan

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Lehan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lehan, 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 Lehan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Lehan 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Lehan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lehan 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

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

Meaning and origin of Lehan

The surname Lehan is believed to have originated in Ireland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic "O'Leathain," which means "descendant of Leathan," with Leathan being a personal name. The name is thought to have originated in County Galway, where it was particularly prevalent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lehan can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, the name is spelled "O'Leathain," and it appears in entries dating back to the 13th century.

In the 16th century, the name Lehan appears in various legal documents and records from County Galway. For instance, a land grant from 1587 mentions a John O'Leathain, whose name was anglicized to John Lehan.

The Lehan surname has also been associated with several notable historical figures. One such figure was Patrick Lehan (1720-1794), an Irish Catholic priest and writer who was a vocal advocate for the rights of Catholics in Ireland during the Penal Laws.

Another prominent individual with the surname Lehan was Michael Lehan (1801-1888), an Irish politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament for Galway Borough from 1857 to 1865.

In the 19th century, the name Lehan was also found among Irish immigrants who settled in various parts of the United States and Canada. One notable example is John Lehan (1855-1919), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Chicago from 1897 to 1905.

The Lehan surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Lehanagh in County Galway, which likely derives from the Irish "Leath-anamha," meaning "half-marsh."

Overall, the surname Lehan has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Ireland, particularly in County Galway. While the spelling and pronunciation may have evolved over time, the name continues to be a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Irish people.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Lehan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lehan 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. Surrey leads with 31 Lehans recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.31x.

County Total Index
Surrey 31 12.31x
Kent 7 3.97x
Lanarkshire 4 2.39x
Monmouthshire 4 10.71x
Lancashire 3 0.49x
Middlesex 2 0.39x
Cheshire 1 0.88x
Glamorgan 1 1.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bermondsey in Surrey leads with 26 Lehans recorded in 1881 and an index of 168.94x.

Place Total Index
Bermondsey 26 168.94x
Deptford St Nicholas 7 500.00x
Govan 4 9.68x
Everton 3 15.35x
Trevethin 3 84.99x
Battersea 2 10.52x
Hackney London 2 6.90x
Southwark St John 2 126.58x
Aberystruth 1 30.40x
Llandaff 1 33.44x
Rotherhithe 1 15.65x
Stockport 1 17.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 3
Ada 2
Ann 2
Catherine 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Minnie 2
Annie 1
Elizabeth 1
Francis 1
Harriet 1
Mary 1
Nora 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Thomas 4
William 3
Daniel 2
Edward 2
Henry 2
Stephen 2
Albert 1
Colman 1
Con 1
Patrick 1

FAQ

Lehan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lehan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 53 people were recorded with the Lehan surname. That placed it at #26,134 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lehan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016. That gives Lehan a modern rank of #21,884.

What does the Lehan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "leamhan" meaning "elm tree."

What does the Lehan map show?

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