NameCensus.

UK surname

Meaney

A variant of the Irish surname Ó Maonaigh, meaning "descendant of Maonach," a personal name derived from "maon," meaning "wealth."

In the 1881 census there were 87 people recorded with the Meaney surname, ranking it #21,334 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 981, ranked #5,890, up from #21,334 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, South Stoneham and Southampton St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Merthyr Tydfil, Corby and Trafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meaney is 1,017 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1027.6%.

1881 census count

87

Ranked #21,334

Modern count

981

2016, ranked #5,890

Peak year

2010

1,017 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meaney had 87 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,334 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 981 in 2016, ranked #5,890.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 155 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Meaney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meaney surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meaney 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 45 #28,296
1881 historical 87 #21,334
1891 historical 102 #23,719
1901 historical 128 #19,822
1911 historical 155 #17,485
1997 modern 925 #5,838
1998 modern 973 #5,806
1999 modern 983 #5,791
2000 modern 976 #5,809
2001 modern 960 #5,775
2002 modern 1,014 #5,626
2003 modern 963 #5,776
2004 modern 956 #5,817
2005 modern 948 #5,794
2006 modern 947 #5,807
2007 modern 952 #5,841
2008 modern 967 #5,798
2009 modern 976 #5,878
2010 modern 1,017 #5,805
2011 modern 998 #5,839
2012 modern 964 #5,906
2013 modern 989 #5,877
2014 modern 998 #5,867
2015 modern 990 #5,857
2016 modern 981 #5,890

Geography

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Where Meaneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, South Stoneham, Southampton St Mary, Liverpool and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Merthyr Tydfil, Corby, Trafford, Selby and Pembrokeshire. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 South Stoneham Hampshire
3 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Merthyr Tydfil 002 Merthyr Tydfil
2 Corby 003 Corby
3 Trafford 017 Trafford
4 Selby 001 Selby
5 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meaney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meaney

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

Meaney 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

Meaney 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 Meaney 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Meaney

The surname Meaney is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic name "Ó Máin" or "Ó Maidhne", which means "descendant of Máin". The name Máin is believed to be a pet form of the Irish personal name Mathghamhain, meaning "bear".

The name Meaney is thought to have originated in County Offaly, Ireland, where it is still most prevalent. The first recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, with a reference to a Gillys O'Mayn in the Annals of Lough Cé in 1233.

In the Fiants of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the name is recorded as "O'Meyny" in 1585. The Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, also mentions the name "O'Mayne" in the 16th century.

The Meaney surname is also found in early records from County Laois, where it is spelled "O'Meana" or "O'Meaney". A notable early bearer of the name was Donnchadh Ó Meanaidh, who was the Bishop of Clonmacnoise from 1480 to 1512.

During the Plantation of Offaly in the 16th and 17th centuries, many Meaney families were displaced from their ancestral lands, leading to the spread of the name throughout Ireland and beyond.

Some notable individuals with the surname Meaney throughout history include:

1. Jeremiah F. Meaney (1853-1924), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the United States House of Representatives.

2. John Meaney (born 1957), a British science fiction and fantasy author known for works such as "Paradox" and "Bone Song".

3. John Meaney (1916-1982), an American actor who appeared in films like "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".

4. Mary Meaney (1932-2008), an Irish stage and film actress who appeared in productions like "The Field" and "The Playboy of the Western World".

5. Thomas Meaney (1860-1935), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of San Jose, California, from 1899 to 1901.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Meaney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meaney 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 40 Meaneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.97x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 40 3.97x
Hampshire 13 7.47x
Middlesex 10 1.18x
Glamorgan 8 5.41x
Kent 8 2.76x
Yorkshire 4 0.48x
Durham 2 0.79x
Cheshire 1 0.53x
Sussex 1 0.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 11 Meaneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.06x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 11 41.06x
Liverpool 9 14.72x
Gillingham 8 134.00x
Michaelstone Super Avon 8 500.00x
Sutton 8 236.69x
South Stoneham 7 185.68x
Poplar London 5 31.21x
Portsmouth 4 99.75x
Mile End Old Town 3 22.39x
Aldershot 2 34.31x
Brightside Bierlow 2 12.13x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 12.50x
Gorton 2 21.12x
Bishopwearmouth Panns 1 2000.00x
Burwash 1 151.52x
Bury 1 8.70x
Dukinfield 1 11.55x
Ealing 1 13.19x
Ecclesfield 1 16.21x
Everton 1 3.12x
Garston 1 33.67x
Hulme 1 4.76x
Manchester 1 2.21x
Manningham 1 9.65x
Salford 1 3.38x
Skerton 1 120.48x
St Andrew Holborn 1 34.72x
Sunderland 1 22.42x
West Derby 1 3.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Catherine 6
Annie 3
Bridget 3
Elizabeth 3
Margaret 3
Ann 2
Ellen 2
Hannah 2
Matilda 2
Alice 1
Amy 1
Catherain 1
Debra 1
Esther 1
Fannie 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Honaria 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Letty 1
Lilley 1
Lydia 1
Martha 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
James 4
William 4
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Egbert 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Jame 1
Joseph 1
Maurice 1
Michael 1
Michl. 1
Patrick 1

FAQ

Meaney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meaney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 87 people were recorded with the Meaney surname. That placed it at #21,334 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meaney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 981 in 2016. That gives Meaney a modern rank of #5,890.

What does the Meaney surname mean?

A variant of the Irish surname Ó Maonaigh, meaning "descendant of Maonach," a personal name derived from "maon," meaning "wealth."

What does the Meaney map show?

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