NameCensus.

UK surname

Lunney

An Irish surname derived from the Irish name Ó Loiní meaning "descendant of the mischievous one".

In the 1881 census there were 71 people recorded with the Lunney surname, ranking it #23,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 370, ranked #12,591, up from #23,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Toxteth Park and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pendle, Nuneaton and Bedworth and Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lunney is 396 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 421.1%.

1881 census count

71

Ranked #23,517

Modern count

370

2016, ranked #12,591

Peak year

1999

396 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lunney had 71 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 370 in 2016, ranked #12,591.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 128 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Lunney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lunney surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lunney 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 54 #23,577
1861 historical 89 #22,419
1881 historical 71 #23,517
1891 historical 128 #20,393
1901 historical 123 #20,248
1911 historical 81 #24,719
1997 modern 343 #12,349
1998 modern 377 #11,894
1999 modern 396 #11,527
2000 modern 379 #11,855
2001 modern 360 #12,127
2002 modern 366 #12,221
2003 modern 349 #12,435
2004 modern 340 #12,707
2005 modern 343 #12,546
2006 modern 355 #12,316
2007 modern 353 #12,521
2008 modern 345 #12,839
2009 modern 355 #12,832
2010 modern 363 #12,878
2011 modern 353 #13,004
2012 modern 348 #13,020
2013 modern 354 #13,079
2014 modern 362 #12,955
2015 modern 369 #12,627
2016 modern 370 #12,591

Geography

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Where Lunneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Toxteth Park, Preston, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pendle, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington, Doncaster and South Staffordshire. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pendle 003 Pendle
2 Nuneaton and Bedworth 002 Nuneaton and Bedworth
3 Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington Renfrewshire
4 Doncaster 003 Doncaster
5 South Staffordshire 003 South Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lunney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lunney

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

Spacious Rural Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Lunney is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lunney 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

Lunney 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 Lunney 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Lunney

The surname Lunney originates from Ireland and has its roots in the Gaelic language. It is believed to have emerged in the late 12th century, derived from the Irish word 'lon', meaning a blackbird. The name likely referred to a person with a dark complexion or someone who lived in an area associated with blackbirds.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lunney surname can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this manuscript, a reference is made to a man named Mael Patraic Ua Lunnéni, who lived in the early 13th century and was a member of the clergy in County Fermanagh.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Lunney name was prevalent in counties Fermanagh and Monaghan, particularly in the townlands of Derrynoose and Clontibret. The surname is also associated with the place name Lunney's Corner, a village in County Monaghan.

Notable individuals with the Lunney surname include John Lunney (1818-1892), an Irish nationalist and Member of Parliament for Fermanagh from 1868 to 1892. Kathleen Lunney (1891-1965) was an Irish novelist and short story writer, born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh.

In more recent history, Robert Lunney (1923-2005) was an American actor and television personality, best known for his portrayal of 'Big Jeff' on the children's television series "Salty Sam's Funtime Shack" in the 1960s.

Another prominent figure was Mary Lunney (1942-2016), an Irish academic and educator who served as the President of St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra, from 1998 to 2007.

Lastly, Patrick Lunney (born 1952) is a British businessman and the former Chief Executive Officer of Derrylin-based Quinn Industrial Holdings, a company founded by his distant relative, Sean Quinn.

While the Lunney surname may not be as widely known as some others, it has a rich history deeply rooted in Irish heritage and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lunney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lunney 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 28 Lunneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.31x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 28 3.31x
Lanarkshire 25 10.86x
Middlesex 4 0.56x
Yorkshire 4 0.57x
Renfrewshire 3 5.44x
Durham 2 0.94x
Hampshire 2 1.37x
Royal Navy 2 23.58x
Berkshire 1 1.87x
Fife 1 2.37x
Norfolk 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. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 17 Lunneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.59x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 17 41.59x
Toxteth Park 9 31.46x
Govan 8 14.05x
Preston 7 30.97x
Pendleton In Salford 6 59.64x
Chelsea London 4 18.65x
Nether Hallam 4 41.93x
Abbey 3 35.63x
Gateshead 2 12.61x
Liverpool 2 3.90x
Portsea 2 6.99x
Royal Navy 2 27.59x
West Derby 2 8.09x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 15.72x
Burnley 1 14.06x
Ferry Port On Craig 1 144.93x
Reading St Giles 1 19.08x
Walsoken 1 151.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Catherine 3
Jane 2
Jessie 2
Mary 2
Rose 2
Ann 1
Bridget 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Frances 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Nancy 1
Norah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 3
William 3
Frederick 2
Martin 2
Patrick 2
Barthomw. 1
Francis 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Michael 1
Phillip 1
Thomas 1
W.J. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Lunney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lunney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 71 people were recorded with the Lunney surname. That placed it at #23,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lunney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 370 in 2016. That gives Lunney a modern rank of #12,591.

What does the Lunney surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Irish name Ó Loiní meaning "descendant of the mischievous one".

What does the Lunney map show?

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