NameCensus.

UK surname

Nelligan

A surname of Irish origin referring to a small, dark person or someone with dark complexion.

In the 1881 census there were 12 people recorded with the Nelligan surname, ranking it #31,914 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 108, ranked #29,578, up from #31,914 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stratford-on-Avon, Wyre and Northampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nelligan is 122 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 800.0%.

1881 census count

12

Ranked #31,914

Modern count

108

2016, ranked #29,578

Peak year

2010

122 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nelligan had 12 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,914 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016, ranked #29,578.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 19 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Nelligan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nelligan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nelligan 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 8 #31,867
1861 historical 12 #32,329
1881 historical 12 #31,914
1891 historical 16 #32,868
1901 historical 14 #32,506
1911 historical 19 #31,416
1997 modern 95 #27,638
1998 modern 102 #27,314
1999 modern 104 #27,164
2000 modern 99 #27,845
2001 modern 105 #26,620
2002 modern 115 #25,749
2003 modern 106 #26,775
2004 modern 109 #26,607
2005 modern 107 #26,875
2006 modern 95 #29,113
2007 modern 104 #28,020
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 117 #26,927
2010 modern 122 #26,876
2011 modern 109 #28,653
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 112 #28,675
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 108 #29,578

Geography

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Where Nelligans 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 Stratford-on-Avon, Wyre, Northampton and Bromley. 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 Stratford-on-Avon 008 Stratford-on-Avon
2 Wyre 014 Wyre
3 Wyre 013 Wyre
4 Northampton 005 Northampton
5 Bromley 007 Bromley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nelligan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nelligan

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Nelligan is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Nelligan 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

Nelligan falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Nelligan

The surname Nelligan has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 17th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Niallagáin," which means "descendant of Niallagán," a diminutive form of the personal name Niall.

Nelligan is primarily concentrated in County Cork, Ireland, where it is thought to have originated. The name is also found in neighboring counties such as Kerry and Limerick. In early records, the name was often spelled as Niallagán or Niallagane before being Anglicized to its current form.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Nelligan surname dates back to the 1659 Census of Ireland, where a family bearing the name was listed in the parish of Kilmaloda, County Limerick. The name also appears in the Petty Census of 1659, suggesting that the Nelligans were well-established in the region by that time.

In the 19th century, the Nelligan name gained prominence with the birth of Emile Nelligan, a renowned Canadian poet born in Montreal in 1879. Considered one of the pioneers of modern French-Canadian poetry, Nelligan's work was heavily influenced by the Symbolist movement and explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.

Another notable figure with the Nelligan surname was John Nelligan, an Irish politician and member of the Irish Parliamentary Party. Born in 1851 in County Cork, Nelligan served as a Member of Parliament for the College Green constituency in Dublin from 1885 to 1900.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Nelligan name can be found in the 1860 United States Federal Census, where a family bearing the surname was listed as residing in New York City. This suggests that the Nelligans were among the many Irish immigrants who fled to America during the Great Famine of the 1840s.

Other notable individuals with the Nelligan surname include Michael Nelligan, an Irish-American labor leader and union organizer born in 1845, and James Nelligan, an American baseball player who played for the Chicago White Stockings in the late 19th century.

While the Nelligan name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with families bearing the surname found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nelligan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nelligan 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. Surrey leads with 9 Nelligans recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.81x.

County Total Index
Surrey 9 15.81x
Lanarkshire 1 2.65x
Lancashire 1 0.72x
Middlesex 1 0.86x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bermondsey in Surrey leads with 8 Nelligans recorded in 1881 and an index of 229.89x.

Place Total Index
Bermondsey 8 229.89x
Barony 1 10.46x
Clerkenwell London 1 36.23x
Croydon 1 31.65x
Toxteth Park 1 21.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Susan 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Norah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Joseph 1
Richard 1
Thomas 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 Nelligan households.

FAQ

Nelligan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nelligan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12 people were recorded with the Nelligan surname. That placed it at #31,914 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nelligan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016. That gives Nelligan a modern rank of #29,578.

What does the Nelligan surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin referring to a small, dark person or someone with dark complexion.

What does the Nelligan map show?

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