NameCensus.

UK surname

Mawn

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "mawmh" meaning servant or retainer.

In the 1881 census there were 44 people recorded with the Mawn surname, ranking it #27,447 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, down from #27,447 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lincoln St Michael on the Mount (including Bishop's Palace) and Poulton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Cardiff and Trafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mawn is 110 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 129.5%.

1881 census count

44

Ranked #27,447

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

2011

110 bearers

Map years

3

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mawn had 44 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,447 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 108 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Mawn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mawn surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mawn 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 33 #27,390
1861 historical 108 #19,856
1881 historical 44 #27,447
1891 historical 107 #22,967
1901 historical 44 #29,276
1911 historical 47 #28,110
1997 modern 91 #28,215
1998 modern 91 #28,806
1999 modern 90 #29,056
2000 modern 92 #28,832
2001 modern 91 #28,670
2002 modern 98 #28,243
2003 modern 93 #28,829
2004 modern 96 #28,605
2005 modern 98 #28,325
2006 modern 99 #28,453
2007 modern 93 #29,777
2008 modern 98 #29,355
2009 modern 108 #28,311
2010 modern 109 #28,831
2011 modern 110 #28,478
2012 modern 96 #30,949
2013 modern 104 #30,076
2014 modern 107 #29,827
2015 modern 104 #30,269
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

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Where Mawns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lincoln St Michael on the Mount (including Bishop's Palace), Poulton, Edinburgh and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Cardiff and Trafford. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Lincoln St Michael on the Mount (including Bishop's Palace) Lincolnshire
3 Poulton Lancashire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 035 Leeds
2 Leeds 040 Leeds
3 Leeds 102 Leeds
4 Cardiff 045 Cardiff
5 Trafford 011 Trafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mawn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mawn

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

Mawn 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mawn

The surname MAWN originates from the Gaelic word "mawn" meaning "a man" or "a champion." It is believed to have originated in Ireland, where it was first recorded in the 12th century. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it appears as "O'Mawne."

The name was particularly prevalent in County Mayo, where it was borne by a prominent family who held lands in the baronies of Carra and Erris. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Domhnall O'Mawne, who was listed as a landowner in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the reign of Henry VIII, in the year 1537.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the Petty Census of Ireland, a survey of Irish households conducted by Sir William Petty in 1659. This record lists several families with the surname MAWN residing in the parishes of Killala and Kilmore in County Mayo.

The name MAWN has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One example is John Mawn (1750-1832), an Irish-born author and poet who emigrated to the United States and published several works, including "The Georgianna" and "The Moss-Trooper." Another notable bearer of the name was Michael Mawn (1826-1901), a Catholic priest and educator who served as the president of St. John's College in Waterford, Ireland.

Other historical figures with the surname MAWN include Patrick Mawn (1815-1887), an Irish nationalist and member of the Young Ireland movement, and Thomas Mawn (1870-1945), a businessman and philanthropist who founded the Mawn School for the Deaf in Boston, Massachusetts.

One of the earliest recorded place names associated with the surname MAWN is Mawnee, a townland in County Mayo. This place name is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "mawn" and likely influenced the development of the surname in the region.

While the surname MAWN has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through Irish immigration and diaspora. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the Irish county of Mayo and the Gaelic language.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mawn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mawn 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 11 Mawns recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.16x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 11 2.16x
Staffordshire 7 4.83x
Yorkshire 6 1.41x
Durham 5 3.92x
Shropshire 4 10.79x
Kent 3 2.05x
Middlesex 3 0.70x
Surrey 2 0.96x
Sussex 2 2.76x
Glamorgan 1 1.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Thornton In Fylde in Lancashire leads with 7 Mawns recorded in 1881 and an index of 630.63x.

Place Total Index
Thornton In Fylde 7 630.63x
Ovenden 6 317.46x
Kingswinford 5 95.06x
Monkwearmouth 5 409.84x
Madeley 4 294.12x
Deptford St Paul 3 26.57x
St Pancras London 3 8.69x
Chorley 2 69.93x
Eastbourne 2 60.06x
North Meols 2 40.16x
Send Ripley 2 740.74x
Wednesbury 2 55.25x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 13.93x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mawn households.

FAQ

Mawn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mawn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 44 people were recorded with the Mawn surname. That placed it at #27,447 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mawn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Mawn a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Mawn surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "mawmh" meaning servant or retainer.

What does the Mawn map show?

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