NameCensus.

UK surname

Moylan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Maoileáin, meaning "descendant of a bald or tonsured man."

In the 1881 census there were 125 people recorded with the Moylan surname, ranking it #17,335 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 634, ranked #8,340, up from #17,335 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Sefton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Manchester, Derby and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moylan is 705 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 407.2%.

1881 census count

125

Ranked #17,335

Modern count

634

2016, ranked #8,340

Peak year

2010

705 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moylan had 125 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,335 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 634 in 2016, ranked #8,340.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 242 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Moylan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moylan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moylan 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 45 #25,168
1861 historical 48 #27,896
1881 historical 125 #17,335
1891 historical 167 #17,006
1901 historical 218 #14,332
1911 historical 242 #13,193
1997 modern 624 #7,925
1998 modern 643 #7,969
1999 modern 648 #7,966
2000 modern 650 #7,936
2001 modern 634 #7,925
2002 modern 647 #7,980
2003 modern 652 #7,816
2004 modern 639 #7,931
2005 modern 624 #8,029
2006 modern 638 #7,917
2007 modern 638 #7,984
2008 modern 645 #7,959
2009 modern 658 #7,997
2010 modern 705 #7,739
2011 modern 683 #7,840
2012 modern 635 #8,220
2013 modern 645 #8,264
2014 modern 660 #8,149
2015 modern 654 #8,154
2016 modern 634 #8,340

Geography

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Where Moylans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Sefton and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Manchester, Derby, Calderdale, Redcar and Cleveland and Rhins North. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Sefton Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Manchester 053 Manchester
2 Derby 026 Derby
3 Calderdale 019 Calderdale
4 Redcar and Cleveland 002 Redcar and Cleveland
5 Rhins North Dumfries and Galloway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moylan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moylan

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Moylan is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Moylan 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

Moylan 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 Moylan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Moylan

The surname Moylan is of Irish origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic word "Maoilín," which means "little bald one" or "little tonsured one." This name was commonly given to men who had taken monastic vows or had shaved heads.

The Moylan family is believed to have originated in County Cork, Ireland, where they were prominent landowners and chieftains. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of Irish history written in the late 12th century, which mentions a "Maolán" who was the Bishop of Cork in the year 1092.

In the 14th century, the Moylan name appeared in the Pipe Rolls of County Cork, which were medieval tax records. These rolls listed several individuals with variations of the name, such as Moylan, Moylane, and Meylan, indicating the surname's evolution over time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Moylan family played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars and the Williamite War in Ireland. One notable figure was Stephen Moylan (1737-1811), an Irish-born officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He served as a Muster-Master General and Aide-de-Camp to General George Washington.

Another prominent individual with the Moylan surname was Martin Moylan (1718-1799), an Irish merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1786. He was also a member of the Irish Parliament and a prominent supporter of Catholic Emancipation.

In the 19th century, the Moylan name gained further recognition with John Moylan (1828-1892), an Irish-born Catholic prelate who served as the second Bishop of Erie, Pennsylvania, from 1868 until his death.

Other notable figures with the Moylan surname include Richard Moylan (1856-1905), an Irish-American architect who designed several prominent buildings in New York City, and Michael Moylan (1855-1922), an Irish-American labor leader and politician who served as the President of the International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers.

While the Moylan name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to Irish immigration over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moylan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moylan 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 30 Moylans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.04x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 30 2.04x
Middlesex 30 2.42x
Surrey 16 2.65x
Staffordshire 10 2.39x
Yorkshire 9 0.73x
Worcestershire 8 4.95x
Sussex 5 2.39x
Kent 4 0.95x
Cumberland 3 2.81x
Monmouthshire 2 2.23x
Warwickshire 2 0.64x
Anglesey 1 4.56x
Channel Islands 1 2.72x
Cheshire 1 0.37x
Denbighshire 1 2.14x
Devon 1 0.39x
Dorset 1 1.23x
Essex 1 0.41x
Royal Navy 1 6.78x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Fulham London in Middlesex leads with 12 Moylans recorded in 1881 and an index of 66.82x.

Place Total Index
Fulham London 12 66.82x
Walsall Foreign 10 46.30x
Barnes 8 313.73x
Camberwell 8 10.11x
Dudley 8 40.69x
Everton 5 10.67x
Pemberton 5 85.32x
Rustington 5 3333.33x
Sheffield 5 12.79x
Shoreditch London 5 9.31x
Chelsea London 4 10.72x
Huddersfield 4 22.37x
Radcliffe 4 56.42x
Hornsey 3 19.16x
Islington London 3 2.50x
Liverpool 3 3.36x
Manchester 3 4.54x
Millom 3 91.74x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 17.14x
Bury 2 11.91x
Deptford St Nicholas 2 59.70x
Hulme 2 6.52x
Kirkdale 2 8.09x
Solihull 2 88.89x
St Woollos 2 20.02x
Westminster St James 2 15.71x
Aighton Bailey 1 140.85x
Cheetham 1 9.12x
Devonport 1 33.78x
Holyhead 1 24.45x
Kensington London 1 1.45x
Llanrhydd 1 270.27x
Maidstone 1 7.94x
Portland 1 22.88x
Royal Navy 1 7.92x
St Helier 1 8.37x
Wallasey 1 107.53x
Walthamstow 1 11.36x
Woolwich 1 6.41x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Moylan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moylan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 125 people were recorded with the Moylan surname. That placed it at #17,335 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moylan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 634 in 2016. That gives Moylan a modern rank of #8,340.

What does the Moylan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Maoileáin, meaning "descendant of a bald or tonsured man."

What does the Moylan map show?

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