NameCensus.

UK surname

Neligan

An Irish surname possibly derived from place names or related to the name Halligan.

In the 1881 census there were 22 people recorded with the Neligan surname, ranking it #30,464 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 120, ranked #27,563, up from #30,464 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Croydon and Wandsworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Neligan is 134 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 445.5%.

1881 census count

22

Ranked #30,464

Modern count

120

2016, ranked #27,563

Peak year

1999

134 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Neligan had 22 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,464 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016, ranked #27,563.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 59 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Neligan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Neligan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Neligan 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 10 #31,497
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 22 #30,464
1891 historical 38 #31,330
1901 historical 59 #27,609
1911 historical 53 #27,508
1997 modern 118 #24,423
1998 modern 121 #24,677
1999 modern 134 #23,378
2000 modern 131 #23,672
2001 modern 127 #23,781
2002 modern 128 #24,150
2003 modern 122 #24,628
2004 modern 115 #25,740
2005 modern 113 #25,974
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 121 #25,469
2008 modern 116 #26,510
2009 modern 117 #26,927
2010 modern 128 #26,036
2011 modern 129 #25,673
2012 modern 114 #27,868
2013 modern 120 #27,406
2014 modern 124 #27,049
2015 modern 122 #27,245
2016 modern 120 #27,563

Geography

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Where Neligans 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 Liverpool, Croydon, Wandsworth, Forest of Dean and Kingston upon Thames. 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 Liverpool 003 Liverpool
2 Croydon 013 Croydon
3 Wandsworth 010 Wandsworth
4 Forest of Dean 005 Forest of Dean
5 Kingston upon Thames 014 Kingston upon Thames

Forenames

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First names often paired with Neligan

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Neligan

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Neligan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Neligan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Neligan is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Neligan 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

Neligan falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Neligan

The surname Neligan originates from Ireland, specifically the counties of Cork and Kerry, where it first appeared in the 16th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Niallacháin," which means "descendant of Niallachán," a personal name that combines the elements "niall" (champion) and a diminutive suffix.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Neligan can be found in the Fiants of the 16th century, which were administrative records of the English government in Ireland. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Neligan, who was mentioned in these records in 1586.

In the 17th century, the Neligan family held lands in the baronies of Muskerry and Duhallow in County Cork. During this time, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Nilligan, Nialligan, and Nelligan, reflecting the phonetic variations common in Irish names.

Notable individuals with the surname Neligan include:

1. John Moore Neligan (1815-1863), an Irish poet and novelist born in Cork. He wrote several works, including "The Wilderness, or Braddock's Times" and "The Red Hand of Ulster."

2. John Neligan (1836-1888), an Irish physician and medical writer from Cork. He authored several medical texts, including "Diseases of the Stomach and Bowels of Children" and "Medicines, Their Uses and Mode of Administration."

3. Thomas Neligan (1821-1892), an Irish physician and chemist from Cork. He was a professor of materia medica and pharmacy at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

4. William Neligan (1808-1883), an Irish barrister and judge born in Cork. He served as a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench in Ireland from 1864 to 1883.

5. Maurice Neligan (1936-2012), an Irish obstetrician and gynecologist from County Cork. He made significant contributions to the field of fetal medicine and was a pioneer in prenatal diagnosis.

The surname Neligan has deep roots in Irish history and can be traced back to the 16th century, particularly in the counties of Cork and Kerry. Its origins are closely tied to the Irish Gaelic language and the personal name Niallachán.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Neligan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Neligan 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 9 Neligans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.54x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 9 3.54x
Surrey 7 6.70x
Devon 3 6.72x
Middlesex 2 0.93x
Berkshire 1 6.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Southwark St Saviour in Surrey leads with 6 Neligans recorded in 1881 and an index of 545.45x.

Place Total Index
Southwark St Saviour 6 545.45x
Everton 5 61.65x
Tavistock 3 588.24x
Walton On Hill 3 217.39x
Islington London 2 9.62x
Aighton Bailey 1 833.33x
Croydon 1 17.24x
Reading St Giles 1 63.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Henry 2
Maurice 2
Charles 1
John 1
Patrick 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 Neligan households.

FAQ

Neligan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Neligan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 22 people were recorded with the Neligan surname. That placed it at #30,464 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Neligan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016. That gives Neligan a modern rank of #27,563.

What does the Neligan surname mean?

An Irish surname possibly derived from place names or related to the name Halligan.

What does the Neligan map show?

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