NameCensus.

UK surname

Naughton

An Irish surname derived from Ó Neachtain, meaning "descendant of Neachtain," a personal name of uncertain origin.

In the 1881 census there were 599 people recorded with the Naughton surname, ranking it #5,842 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,202, ranked #2,945, up from #5,842 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Halton and Burnley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Naughton is 2,280 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 267.6%.

1881 census count

599

Ranked #5,842

Modern count

2,202

2016, ranked #2,945

Peak year

2010

2,280 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Naughton had 599 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,842 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,202 in 2016, ranked #2,945.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 713 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Naughton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Naughton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Naughton 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 358 #6,604
1861 historical 461 #5,634
1881 historical 599 #5,842
1891 historical 605 #6,341
1901 historical 695 #6,324
1911 historical 713 #5,983
1997 modern 2,031 #3,020
1998 modern 2,122 #3,014
1999 modern 2,142 #3,010
2000 modern 2,094 #3,055
2001 modern 2,036 #3,071
2002 modern 2,138 #2,996
2003 modern 2,055 #3,050
2004 modern 2,057 #3,048
2005 modern 2,044 #3,022
2006 modern 2,062 #3,002
2007 modern 2,093 #2,989
2008 modern 2,125 #2,973
2009 modern 2,183 #2,970
2010 modern 2,280 #2,919
2011 modern 2,228 #2,946
2012 modern 2,173 #2,945
2013 modern 2,203 #2,961
2014 modern 2,220 #2,957
2015 modern 2,205 #2,939
2016 modern 2,202 #2,945

Geography

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Where Naughtons are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Halton and Burnley. 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 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Walsall Staffordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Halton 007 Halton
2 Halton 004 Halton
3 Halton 005 Halton
4 Burnley 014 Burnley
5 Halton 002 Halton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Naughton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Naughton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Naughton, 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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Naughton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Naughton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Naughton 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

Naughton 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

Naughton 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 Naughton 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Naughton

The surname Naughton originates from Ireland, tracing its roots back to the Irish Gaelic O'Nachtain, a patronymic name derived from the personal name Nachtan. This name is believed to have evolved from the Old Irish word "nocht," meaning "poor" or "naked," and was likely given as a descriptive nickname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Naughton can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a chieftain named O'Nachtain who ruled over a territory in County Roscommon during the 12th century.

The Naughton surname is predominantly associated with counties Roscommon, Galway, and Mayo in the western province of Connacht. Historical records indicate that the family held lands in these regions and played a significant role in local affairs throughout the Middle Ages.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, as English rule solidified in Ireland, many Irish surnames underwent anglicization. The Gaelic O'Nachtain was anglicized to various spellings, including Naughton, Naghten, and Noughton, with Naughton becoming the most common form.

One notable figure bearing the Naughton surname was Sir John Naughten (1611-1683), an Irish lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer. Another prominent individual was John Naughton (1793-1859), an Irish politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the County Mayo constituency.

In the 19th century, Anne Naughton (1815-1892), an Irish entrepreneur and philanthropist, gained recognition for her successful business ventures and charitable work in Dublin. She founded the Naughton Institute, a school for the education of poor children.

Across the Atlantic, John Naughton (1820-1898), an Irish-American politician, served as a U.S. Representative from Minnesota in the late 19th century.

More recently, the Naughton name has been carried by notable individuals such as John Naughton (born 1945), a British author and academic who has written extensively on the history and impact of the internet and digital technologies.

While the Naughton surname has its roots firmly planted in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Irish diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic personal name Nachtan and its associations with the western Irish counties of Roscommon, Galway, and Mayo.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Naughton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Naughton 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 233 Naughtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.36x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 233 3.36x
Yorkshire 64 1.11x
Lanarkshire 41 2.17x
Middlesex 27 0.46x
Warwickshire 27 1.83x
Cheshire 23 1.78x
Aberdeenshire 20 3.70x
Staffordshire 20 1.01x
Northumberland 13 1.50x
Angus 11 2.03x
Derbyshire 11 1.20x
Worcestershire 11 1.44x
Fife 10 2.89x
Ross-shire 10 6.23x
Hampshire 9 0.75x
Durham 8 0.46x
Shropshire 7 1.39x
Kent 6 0.30x
Perthshire 6 2.29x
Renfrewshire 6 1.33x
Surrey 6 0.21x
Ayrshire 4 0.91x
Monmouthshire 4 0.95x
Devon 3 0.25x
Midlothian 3 0.38x
Royal Navy 3 4.31x
Glamorgan 2 0.20x
Northamptonshire 2 0.36x
Suffolk 2 0.28x
Argyllshire 1 0.61x
Berkshire 1 0.23x
Cardiganshire 1 0.70x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.64x
Flintshire 1 0.64x
Lincolnshire 1 0.11x
Sussex 1 0.10x

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 30 Naughtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.18x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 30 9.18x
Burnley 16 27.40x
Newchurch 14 24.68x
Birmingham 13 2.65x
Cambusnethan 11 26.21x
Chorlton On Medlock 11 9.99x
Kidderminster Borough 11 24.63x
Liverpool 11 2.61x
Pennington In Leigh 11 82.71x
Wigan 11 11.35x
Barony 10 2.09x
Govan 10 2.14x
Preston 10 5.39x
Stornoway 10 47.80x
Walsall Foreign 10 9.82x
Auchindoir Kearn 9 296.05x
Bradford 9 27.74x
Bothwell 8 15.61x
Ferry Port On Craig 8 140.60x
Manchester 8 2.57x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 8 15.41x
Paddington London 8 3.72x
Toxteth Park 8 3.41x
Arbroath 7 39.02x
Aston 7 1.73x
Bedford 7 48.28x
Everton 7 3.17x
Heap 7 19.04x
Much Woolton 7 74.39x
Brinnington 6 49.79x
Chorley 6 15.42x
Golborne 6 66.37x
Newton 6 11.23x
Parr 6 24.18x
Westleigh 6 38.12x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 3.30x
Byker 5 11.63x
Catterall 5 406.50x
Cheetham 5 9.67x
Halifax 5 5.88x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 6.64x
Middle Greenock 5 40.45x
Monks Coppenhall 5 10.27x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 5 25.05x
Warrington 5 6.08x
Wolverhampton 5 3.30x
Aberystruth 4 10.74x
Barton Upon Irwell 4 7.66x
Beswick 4 22.56x
Denton 4 26.04x
Eassie Nevay 4 357.14x
Fraserburgh 4 26.26x
Keighley 4 6.48x
Lambeth 4 0.79x
Portsea 4 1.70x
Shifnal 4 29.20x
Stockport 4 6.03x
York Minster Yard W 4 298.51x
Ardwick 3 4.80x
Auchtergaven 3 68.18x
Ayr 3 14.53x
Brightside Bierlow 3 2.64x
Ecclesfield 3 7.07x
Eckington 3 13.50x
Farnworth 3 7.22x
Greenwich 3 3.23x
Ilkestonderbypart 3 111.94x
Oldham 3 1.34x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 3 20.23x
Radcliffe 3 8.98x
Ryde 3 11.66x
St Andrew Holborn 3 15.14x
St Pancras London 3 0.64x
Tonge With Haulgh 3 22.22x
Warwick St Mary 3 23.46x
Wednesbury 3 6.09x
Westminster St John 3 4.22x
Normanby In 2 12.92x
Sheffield 2 1.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 66
Margaret 18
Ellen 13
Sarah 13
Ann 12
Bridget 11
Annie 9
Catherine 9
Elizabeth 9
Anne 6
Jane 5
Kate 5
Agnes 4
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Hannah 3
Harriet 3
Margt. 3
Maria 3
Rose 3
Emily 2
Honora 2
Julia 2
Lucy 2
Winnifred 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Anna 1
Bella 1
Bridgett 1
Briget 1
Catharine 1
Charlotte 1
Fanny 1
Honor 1
Lavinia 1
Liddia 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Matilda 1
Nancy 1
Nora 1
Norah 1
Ruth 1
Sabina 1
Salome 1
Susannah 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 48
Patrick 30
Michael 25
Thomas 24
James 22
William 16
Edward 8
Peter 6
George 4
Henry 4
Charles 3
Daniel 3
Dennis 3
Martin 3
Thos. 3
Walter 3
Andrew 2
Bernard 2
Denis 2
Frank 2
Hugh 2
Joseph 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Stephen 2
Timothy 2
Alfred 1
Alphones 1
Bartly 1
Brian 1
Bryan 1
Bryon 1
Chas.A. 1
Dominick 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Harry 1
J. 1
Jamie 1
Mathew 1
Maurice 1
Micheal 1
Nicholas 1
Patick 1
Patk. 1
Pierce 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
W.H. 1

FAQ

Naughton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Naughton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 599 people were recorded with the Naughton surname. That placed it at #5,842 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Naughton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,202 in 2016. That gives Naughton a modern rank of #2,945.

What does the Naughton surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from Ó Neachtain, meaning "descendant of Neachtain," a personal name of uncertain origin.

What does the Naughton map show?

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