NameCensus.

UK surname

Meighan

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Miadhachain, meaning "descendant of Miadhach", a personal name of uncertain meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 166 people recorded with the Meighan surname, ranking it #14,496 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 512, ranked #9,823, up from #14,496 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkintilloch, Rutherglen and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Bridge of Weir and Montrose North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meighan is 518 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 208.4%.

1881 census count

166

Ranked #14,496

Modern count

512

2016, ranked #9,823

Peak year

2010

518 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meighan had 166 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,496 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 512 in 2016, ranked #9,823.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 192 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Meighan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meighan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meighan 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 79 #19,712
1861 historical 110 #19,562
1881 historical 166 #14,496
1891 historical 187 #15,679
1901 historical 192 #15,518
1911 historical 38 #29,147
1997 modern 467 #9,788
1998 modern 498 #9,622
1999 modern 492 #9,784
2000 modern 499 #9,653
2001 modern 490 #9,619
2002 modern 517 #9,418
2003 modern 497 #9,526
2004 modern 484 #9,729
2005 modern 476 #9,783
2006 modern 471 #9,907
2007 modern 466 #10,070
2008 modern 469 #10,119
2009 modern 502 #9,818
2010 modern 518 #9,778
2011 modern 500 #9,952
2012 modern 496 #9,921
2013 modern 505 #9,949
2014 modern 513 #9,899
2015 modern 499 #10,021
2016 modern 512 #9,823

Geography

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Where Meighans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkintilloch, Rutherglen, Govan Combination, Gateshead and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Bridge of Weir, Montrose North and Dalry East and Rural. 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 Kirkintilloch Dunbarton
2 Rutherglen Lanark
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 053 County Durham
2 Bridge of Weir Renfrewshire
3 Montrose North Angus
4 Dalry East and Rural North Ayrshire
5 County Durham 064 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meighan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meighan

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

Meighan is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Meighan 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 Meighan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Meighan

The surname Meighan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "O'Meaghair" or "O'Meadhair," meaning "hospitable" or "a good host." The name is believed to have originated in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, in the 12th century.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Meighan can be found in the "Annals of the Four Masters," a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. This document references a family named "O'Meadhair" from the Tyrone area in the 13th century.

Over time, the spelling of the name evolved and variations such as Meehan, Meehen, and Meighan emerged. These variations were often influenced by the local dialects and pronunciation of the name in different regions of Ireland.

One notable bearer of the name Meighan was Sir Ralph Meighan (1550-1622), an Irish soldier and landowner from County Tyrone. He served as a captain in the English army during the Nine Years' War in Ireland and was granted lands in Tyrone for his service.

Another prominent figure was Rev. William Meighan (1776-1846), an Irish Presbyterian minister and author from County Tyrone. He wrote several theological works and served as the minister of the Congregation of Cahans, County Monaghan.

In the United States, the name Meighan gained recognition through the actor Thomas Meighan (1879-1936), a leading man in silent films during the 1920s. He starred in numerous movies, including "The Miracle Man" (1919) and "Manslaughter" (1922).

Sir Joseph Meighan (1850-1928) was a Canadian businessman and politician from Ontario. He served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and was involved in the construction industry, contributing to the development of various infrastructure projects.

Additionally, the surname Meighan is associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Meighan's Fort and Meighan's Lough in County Tyrone, reflecting the historical presence of the family in those regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Meighan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meighan 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 116 Meighans recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.42x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 116 22.42x
Midlothian 11 5.13x
Yorkshire 11 0.69x
Ayrshire 7 5.85x
Lancashire 7 0.37x
Northumberland 3 1.26x
Renfrewshire 3 2.42x
Durham 2 0.42x
Dunbartonshire 1 2.33x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.97x
Shropshire 1 0.72x
Surrey 1 0.13x

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 44 Meighans recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.60x.

Place Total Index
Barony 44 33.60x
Glasgow 37 40.27x
Ormesby 9 211.27x
Rutherglen 9 118.58x
Old Monkland 8 38.97x
Cadder 7 183.25x
Maryhill 6 59.23x
Edinburgh New 5 301.20x
Hulme 4 10.09x
Ardrossan 3 72.46x
Newcastle On Tyne St 3 24.31x
West Greenock 3 13.48x
Blackburn 2 3.96x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 2.32x
Hamilton 2 13.86x
Inveresk 2 34.48x
Largs 2 70.92x
Maybole 2 54.79x
South Leith 2 8.29x
Blantyre 1 18.55x
Bothwell 1 7.13x
Byers Green 1 74.63x
Croydon 1 2.31x
Govan 1 0.78x
Kirkdale 1 3.13x
New Kilpatrick 1 24.45x
Pembroke St Mary 1 15.27x
Penistone 1 80.65x
Pudsey 1 11.81x
Shrewsbury St Chad 1 20.62x
Whickham 1 22.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Bridget 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Emma 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
James 2
Owen 2
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Joseph 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
William 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 Meighan households.

FAQ

Meighan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meighan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 166 people were recorded with the Meighan surname. That placed it at #14,496 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meighan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 512 in 2016. That gives Meighan a modern rank of #9,823.

What does the Meighan surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Miadhachain, meaning "descendant of Miadhach", a personal name of uncertain meaning.

What does the Meighan map show?

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