NameCensus.

UK surname

Meegan

An Anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Miadhaigh meaning "descendant of Miadhach".

In the 1881 census there were 85 people recorded with the Meegan surname, ranking it #21,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 235, ranked #17,530, up from #21,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Middlesborough and Tywardreth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Cheshire West and Chester and Ryedale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meegan is 254 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 176.5%.

1881 census count

85

Ranked #21,573

Modern count

235

2016, ranked #17,530

Peak year

2008

254 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meegan had 85 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 235 in 2016, ranked #17,530.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 106 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Meegan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meegan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meegan 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 20 #29,743
1861 historical 40 #28,970
1881 historical 85 #21,573
1891 historical 63 #28,881
1901 historical 104 #22,310
1911 historical 106 #21,948
1997 modern 202 #17,514
1998 modern 210 #17,600
1999 modern 214 #17,494
2000 modern 220 #17,138
2001 modern 213 #17,267
2002 modern 220 #17,249
2003 modern 214 #17,343
2004 modern 219 #17,180
2005 modern 229 #16,631
2006 modern 235 #16,439
2007 modern 238 #16,505
2008 modern 254 #15,903
2009 modern 245 #16,646
2010 modern 249 #16,837
2011 modern 245 #16,874
2012 modern 243 #16,839
2013 modern 246 #16,979
2014 modern 244 #17,189
2015 modern 238 #17,378
2016 modern 235 #17,530

Geography

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Where Meegans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Middlesborough, Tywardreth, Liverpool and Keighley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Cheshire West and Chester, Ryedale and Walsall. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Middlesborough Durham
3 Tywardreth Cornwall
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 012 Bradford
2 Bradford 004 Bradford
3 Cheshire West and Chester 024 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Ryedale 004 Ryedale
5 Walsall 022 Walsall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meegan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meegan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Meegan, 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 Meegan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Meegan 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Meegan is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Meegan 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

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

Meaning and origin of Meegan

The surname Meegan has its origins in Ireland, and it is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic name "Ui Miadhachain," which means "descendant of Miadhach."

Miadhach was a personal name that may have its roots in the Old Irish word "miadh," meaning "honor" or "respect." The name was likely bestowed upon an individual who was held in high esteem within their community or clan.

The earliest known records of the Meegan surname can be traced back to County Mayo in the western province of Connacht, Ireland. It is believed that the name was particularly prevalent in the baronies of Erris and Gallen, which were strongholds of the Ui Miadhachain clan.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a Meegan chieftain named Maolmuire Ua Miadhachain, who was involved in a conflict with the O'Conors in the year 1233.

Another notable figure in history bearing the Meegan surname was Richard Meegan, a Catholic priest who lived during the 16th century. He was born in Connaught, Ireland, and served as a missionary in England during the turbulent times of the Reformation.

In the 17th century, a man named Edmundus Meegan was recorded as a landowner in County Mayo. This entry can be found in the Books of Survey and Distribution, which documented the redistribution of land in Ireland following the Cromwellian conquest.

A more recent historical figure with the Meegan surname was Michael Meegan, an Irish nationalist and member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. He was born in 1840 and played a role in the Fenian Rising of 1867, a rebellion against British rule in Ireland.

Another notable Meegan was James Meegan, an Irish-American artist who lived from 1824 to 1904. He was known for his landscape paintings and was associated with the Hudson River School of art.

Over time, the Meegan surname has spread beyond its original Irish roots, with descendants bearing the name found in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries with significant Irish diaspora communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Meegan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meegan 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. Yorkshire leads with 51 Meegans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.36x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 51 6.36x
Durham 17 7.06x
Lancashire 9 0.94x
Surrey 5 1.27x
Staffordshire 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 36 Meegans recorded in 1881 and an index of 79.47x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 36 79.47x
Liverpool 8 13.71x
Keighley 6 70.18x
Lambeth 5 7.08x
Normanby In 5 233.64x
Crook Billy Row 4 129.87x
Escomb 4 360.36x
Hunslet 3 23.98x
Ford 2 277.78x
Stockton On Tees 2 17.23x
Stranton 2 24.66x
Bishopwearmouth 1 4.84x
Conside Knitsley 1 53.48x
Crossgate 1 95.24x
Linthorpe 1 20.88x
Livesey 1 59.17x
Wolverhampton 1 4.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Jane 5
Ann 2
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Margaret 2
Margt. 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Bridget 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Frances 1
Kate 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
James 7
Michael 4
Peter 4
Thomas 4
Patrick 3
Edward 2
Owen 2
Bernard 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Pat 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
William 1

FAQ

Meegan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meegan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 85 people were recorded with the Meegan surname. That placed it at #21,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meegan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 235 in 2016. That gives Meegan a modern rank of #17,530.

What does the Meegan surname mean?

An Anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Miadhaigh meaning "descendant of Miadhach".

What does the Meegan map show?

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