NameCensus.

UK surname

Neenan

A surname of Irish origin meaning "small" or "little".

In the 1881 census there were 59 people recorded with the Neenan surname, ranking it #25,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 212, ranked #18,843, up from #25,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Medway, Sandwell and West Oxfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Neenan is 247 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 259.3%.

1881 census count

59

Ranked #25,281

Modern count

212

2016, ranked #18,843

Peak year

2002

247 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Neenan had 59 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016, ranked #18,843.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 71 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Neenan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Neenan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Neenan 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 26 #28,667
1861 historical 36 #29,463
1881 historical 59 #25,281
1891 historical 20 #32,579
1901 historical 51 #28,492
1911 historical 71 #25,742
1997 modern 225 #16,352
1998 modern 241 #16,065
1999 modern 239 #16,268
2000 modern 240 #16,186
2001 modern 235 #16,147
2002 modern 247 #15,941
2003 modern 230 #16,549
2004 modern 239 #16,193
2005 modern 228 #16,683
2006 modern 229 #16,748
2007 modern 235 #16,668
2008 modern 224 #17,337
2009 modern 233 #17,241
2010 modern 244 #17,056
2011 modern 244 #16,922
2012 modern 222 #17,921
2013 modern 213 #18,743
2014 modern 220 #18,471
2015 modern 218 #18,478
2016 modern 212 #18,843

Geography

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Where Neenans 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 Medway, Sandwell, West Oxfordshire, Adur and Coventry. 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 Medway 034 Medway
2 Sandwell 032 Sandwell
3 West Oxfordshire 015 West Oxfordshire
4 Adur 004 Adur
5 Coventry 020 Coventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Neenan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Neenan

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Neenan 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

Neenan 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

Neenan falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Neenan 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 Neenan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Neenan

The surname Neenan originated in Ireland and is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Ó Niadháin," which means "descendant of Niadhán." Niadhán is thought to be a personal name derived from the word "niadh," meaning "warrior" or "champion." The name is associated with County Galway and County Mayo in the western part of Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it mentions a certain "Niadan" in the year 1081. The name also appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, another important source of Irish history, in the 13th century.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Dermot Neenan was a member of the Irish Parliament and served as the Chief Justice of Connacht, a province in the west of Ireland. He played a significant role in the political and legal affairs of the region during that time.

The name Neenan has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history, including:

1. Patrick Neenan (1853-1924), an Irish-American labor leader and politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. 2. Thomas Neenan (1819-1884), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and educator who served as the second president of the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts. 3. Edward Neenan (1871-1946), an Irish-born Australian Labor Party politician who served as a member of the Australian Senate. 4. Michael Neenan (1847-1927), an Irish-born Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada. 5. John Neenan (1834-1906), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and educator who served as the second bishop of the Diocese of Marquette in Michigan.

The name has also been associated with various place names, such as Neenane, a townland in County Galway, Ireland, and Neenan, a small community in Alberta, Canada, which was likely named after an early settler with the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Neenan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Neenan 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. Staffordshire leads with 34 Neenans recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.50x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 34 17.50x
Middlesex 17 2.95x
Worcestershire 4 5.32x
Lanarkshire 1 0.54x
Lancashire 1 0.15x
Renfrewshire 1 2.24x
Yorkshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Bromwich in Staffordshire leads with 21 Neenans recorded in 1881 and an index of 188.85x.

Place Total Index
West Bromwich 21 188.85x
Hammerwich 9 3214.29x
St Marylebone London 6 19.52x
Willesden 6 110.70x
Oldbury 4 108.11x
Stafford St Mary 4 145.45x
Kensington London 2 6.25x
Chelsea London 1 5.77x
Huddersfield 1 12.03x
Inverkip 1 95.24x
Islington London 1 1.79x
Lanark 1 66.67x
Litherland 1 69.93x
St Andrew Holborn 1 51.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 5
Patrick 4
James 2
Jeremiah 2
Michael 2
Thomas 2
Cornelius 1
Dan 1
Henry 1
Josh. 1
Luke 1
Mark 1
Martin 1
Timothy 1
William 1
Willm. 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 Neenan households.

FAQ

Neenan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Neenan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 59 people were recorded with the Neenan surname. That placed it at #25,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Neenan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016. That gives Neenan a modern rank of #18,843.

What does the Neenan surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "small" or "little".

What does the Neenan map show?

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