NameCensus.

UK surname

Meenan

An Irish topographic surname derived from the word "meadhon" meaning middle or center.

In the 1881 census there were 51 people recorded with the Meenan surname, ranking it #26,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 292, ranked #15,022, up from #26,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Campbeltown, Cardonald North and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meenan is 292 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 472.5%.

1881 census count

51

Ranked #26,428

Modern count

292

2016, ranked #15,022

Peak year

2016

292 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meenan had 51 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 292 in 2016, ranked #15,022.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 99 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Meenan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meenan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meenan 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 13 #30,970
1861 historical 33 #29,814
1881 historical 51 #26,428
1891 historical 44 #30,838
1901 historical 99 #22,999
1911 historical 22 #31,030
1997 modern 258 #14,949
1998 modern 271 #14,883
1999 modern 278 #14,705
2000 modern 283 #14,488
2001 modern 267 #14,839
2002 modern 270 #15,010
2003 modern 267 #14,950
2004 modern 261 #15,274
2005 modern 266 #15,007
2006 modern 265 #15,126
2007 modern 264 #15,344
2008 modern 274 #15,063
2009 modern 284 #14,986
2010 modern 284 #15,312
2011 modern 278 #15,390
2012 modern 271 #15,628
2013 modern 279 #15,574
2014 modern 286 #15,378
2015 modern 288 #15,190
2016 modern 292 #15,022

Geography

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Where Meenans 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 Campbeltown, Cardonald North, Birmingham, Portobello and IZ11. 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 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute
2 Cardonald North Glasgow City
3 Birmingham 069 Birmingham
4 Portobello City of Edinburgh
5 IZ11 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meenan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meenan

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Meenan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Meenan 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

Meenan falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Meenan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Meenan

The surname Meenan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name Muadhán or Muadhagán, which is a diminutive form of the name Muadh. The name Muadh is thought to be derived from the Old Irish "mó" meaning "great" or "large." The name Meenan is found primarily in County Monaghan and surrounding areas of Ulster.

Records show the name appearing as early as the 16th century, with variations in spelling such as Meenagh, Meenane, and Meenawn. It is believed that the Meenan family were among the Gaelic clans that resisted the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan monks in the 17th century. The annals mention a Muadhagán Ó Ceallaigh, who was slain in battle in 1336.

In the 17th century, a prominent member of the Meenan family was Brian Meenan, a landowner and chieftain in County Monaghan. His son, Fergus Meenan, was a supporter of the Irish Confederation during the Confederate Wars of the 1640s.

Another notable figure was Pádraig Meenan (1722-1789), a Catholic priest and historian from County Monaghan. He is known for his work "History of the County of Monaghan," which remains an important source on the region's history.

In the 19th century, Jeremiah Meenan (1819-1899) was a prominent Irish nationalist and journalist. He edited several nationalist newspapers and was active in the Young Ireland movement.

More recently, Kathleen Meenan (1902-1987) was a renowned Irish actress and playwright. She was a member of the Abbey Theatre company and wrote several plays, including "The Man with the Bride" and "The Sash Window."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Meenan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meenan 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. Lanarkshire leads with 10 Meenans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.22x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 10 6.22x
Selkirkshire 10 222.22x
Argyllshire 7 50.58x
Nottinghamshire 7 10.44x
West Lothian 6 80.11x
Durham 4 2.70x
Cheshire 1 0.91x
East Lothian 1 15.17x
Lancashire 1 0.17x
Middlesex 1 0.20x
Midlothian 1 1.50x
Northumberland 1 1.35x
Yorkshire 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 8 Meenans recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.66x.

Place Total Index
Barony 8 19.66x
Campbeltown 7 419.16x
Nottingham St Mary 7 40.39x
Dalmeny 6 2068.97x
Galashiels 6 361.45x
Melrose 4 353.98x
Stockton On Tees 3 42.08x
Barrow In Furness 1 12.47x
Chelsea London 1 6.68x
Conside Knitsley 1 86.96x
Govan 1 2.51x
Haddington 1 103.09x
Keighley 1 19.05x
Macclesfield 1 20.49x
Maryhill 1 31.75x
Ratho 1 322.58x
Wallsend 1 42.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Ann 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
Henry 1
Lawrence 1
Owen 1
Patrick 1
Thomas 1

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 Meenan households.

FAQ

Meenan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meenan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 51 people were recorded with the Meenan surname. That placed it at #26,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meenan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 292 in 2016. That gives Meenan a modern rank of #15,022.

What does the Meenan surname mean?

An Irish topographic surname derived from the word "meadhon" meaning middle or center.

What does the Meenan map show?

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