NameCensus.

UK surname

Nugent

Descendant of Tnúthgait, an Irish name meaning "descendant of the envoy."

In the 1881 census there were 1,568 people recorded with the Nugent surname, ranking it #2,701 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,832, ranked #1,401, up from #2,701 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carlisle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nugent is 5,034 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 208.2%.

1881 census count

1,568

Ranked #2,701

Modern count

4,832

2016, ranked #1,401

Peak year

2010

5,034 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nugent had 1,568 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,701 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,832 in 2016, ranked #1,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,995 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Nugent surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nugent surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nugent 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 770 #3,474
1861 historical 867 #3,199
1881 historical 1,568 #2,701
1891 historical 1,708 #2,649
1901 historical 1,995 #2,668
1911 historical 1,769 #2,776
1997 modern 4,545 #1,440
1998 modern 4,721 #1,443
1999 modern 4,757 #1,443
2000 modern 4,691 #1,452
2001 modern 4,646 #1,435
2002 modern 4,736 #1,441
2003 modern 4,624 #1,439
2004 modern 4,589 #1,446
2005 modern 4,561 #1,437
2006 modern 4,584 #1,428
2007 modern 4,595 #1,440
2008 modern 4,660 #1,421
2009 modern 4,854 #1,401
2010 modern 5,034 #1,385
2011 modern 4,892 #1,403
2012 modern 4,777 #1,408
2013 modern 4,913 #1,393
2014 modern 4,927 #1,392
2015 modern 4,866 #1,396
2016 modern 4,832 #1,401

Geography

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Where Nugents are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Carlisle. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carlisle 010 Carlisle
2 Carlisle 009 Carlisle
3 Carlisle 008 Carlisle
4 Carlisle 011 Carlisle
5 Carlisle 013 Carlisle

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nugent

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nugent

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Nugent surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Nugent household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Nugent 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

Nugent is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nugent 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 Nugent is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Nugent

The surname Nugent is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic Ó Nuadháin, which means "descendant of Nuadhán." Nuadhán was a personal name derived from the Old Irish word "nuadh," meaning "new." The name Nugent first appeared in County Westmeath, Ireland, in the 12th century.

The Nugent family played a significant role in the history of Ireland. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a Phillip Nugent who was killed in a battle in 1209.

In the 13th century, the Nugents were granted lands in County Westmeath by the Norman invaders. They established their seat at Delvin and became influential in the region. Sir Richard Nugent, who lived in the 14th century, was the first to anglicize the name to Nugent.

The Nugent family produced several notable figures throughout history. Sir Christopher Nugent (1544-1626) was an Irish soldier and politician who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland. George Nugent Grenville (1788-1850) was a British politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1763 to 1765.

Another prominent member of the family was Sir John Nugent (1820-1891), an Irish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland. Maria Nugent (1771-1849) was an Irish author and traveler who wrote several books about her travels.

The name Nugent has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Nugent's Grange and Nugent's Cross. The family's influence extended beyond Ireland, with Nugents settling in other parts of the British Isles and North America.

Overall, the surname Nugent has a rich history deeply rooted in Irish culture and tradition. Its origins can be traced back to the 12th century, and the family played a significant role in the political and social landscape of Ireland for centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nugent families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nugent 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 360 Nugents recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.96x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 360 1.96x
Lanarkshire 196 3.91x
Middlesex 188 1.21x
Surrey 107 1.42x
Durham 69 1.50x
Northumberland 69 3.00x
Cheshire 67 1.96x
Yorkshire 61 0.40x
Kent 55 1.04x
Renfrewshire 47 3.92x
Devon 40 1.24x
Hampshire 33 1.04x
Cumberland 29 2.18x
Midlothian 28 1.35x
Angus 21 1.46x
Glamorgan 21 0.78x
Ayrshire 19 1.64x
Essex 17 0.56x
Isle of Man 15 5.22x
Sussex 13 0.50x
Worcestershire 13 0.64x
Warwickshire 12 0.31x
Staffordshire 11 0.21x
Dunbartonshire 10 2.40x
Leicestershire 10 0.58x
Gloucestershire 7 0.23x
Cornwall 6 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.24x
Pembrokeshire 5 1.02x
Somerset 5 0.20x
Derbyshire 4 0.17x
Dorset 4 0.39x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.32x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.88x
Hertfordshire 3 0.28x
Monmouthshire 3 0.27x
Oxfordshire 3 0.31x
Perthshire 3 0.43x
Royal Navy 3 1.63x
West Lothian 3 1.29x
Wiltshire 3 0.22x
Berkshire 2 0.17x
Channel Islands 2 0.44x
Flintshire 2 0.48x
Argyllshire 1 0.23x
Cardiganshire 1 0.26x
Fife 1 0.11x
Norfolk 1 0.04x
Shropshire 1 0.07x
Stirlingshire 1 0.18x
Suffolk 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 109 Nugents recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.77x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 109 9.77x
Birkenhead 56 20.56x
Govan 53 4.28x
Barony 49 3.87x
Manchester 40 4.84x
Glasgow 34 3.82x
Salford 28 5.18x
Deptford St Paul 26 6.38x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 25 18.17x
Camberwell 22 2.22x
Poplar London 21 7.19x
East Greenock 19 16.77x
West Derby 19 3.54x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 17 2.04x
Lambeth 17 1.26x
Shotts 17 28.38x
Bothwell 16 11.78x
Chorlton On Medlock 16 5.48x
West Greenock 16 7.43x
Bromley London 15 4.40x
Islington London 15 1.00x
St Marylebone London 15 1.81x
Battersea 14 2.46x
Plymouth St Andrew 14 5.64x
St Andrew Holborn 14 26.68x
Toxteth Park 14 2.25x
Gateshead 13 3.77x
Wigan 13 5.06x
Hulme 12 3.13x
Bermondsey 11 2.39x
Darlington 11 6.19x
Everton 11 1.88x
Limehouse London 11 6.47x
Newcastle On Tyne St 11 9.21x
St Pancras London 11 0.88x
Stockton On Tees 11 4.96x
Caldewgate 10 13.69x
Clapham 10 5.17x
Crosscanonby 10 22.69x
Great Crosby 10 19.97x
Leicester St Margaret 10 2.39x
Oldbury 10 10.05x
St George Bloomsbury 10 11.26x
Arbroath 9 18.94x
Benwell 9 35.74x
Leeds 9 1.04x
Linthorpe 9 9.83x
Pendleton In Salford 9 4.11x
Preston 9 1.83x
St George Hanover 9 4.45x
Barking 8 8.95x
Broughton In Salford 8 4.76x
Cambuslang 8 15.85x
Dalmellington 8 23.48x
Kilbirnie 8 28.76x
Kirkdale 8 2.59x
Marown 8 152.38x
Oldham 8 1.35x
Stonehouse East 8 48.93x
Tynemouth 8 6.49x
Wimbledon 8 9.45x
Bonhill 7 10.48x
Conside Knitsley 7 19.55x
Crook Billy Row 7 11.87x
Duddingston 7 16.81x
Esh 7 20.88x
Fareham 7 18.36x
Gorbals 7 23.55x
Horton In Bradford 7 2.92x
Lesmahagow 7 13.22x
Llandow 7 1029.41x
Margate St John Baptist 7 7.24x
Renfrew 7 17.67x
Sherborne St John 7 205.28x
Stayley 7 17.92x
Tamworth 7 25.05x
Tottenham 7 2.84x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 7 13.24x
Paddington London 6 1.05x
St Bartholomew Great 6 42.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 117
Elizabeth 40
Margaret 33
Catherine 30
Ann 26
Sarah 26
Jane 24
Ellen 23
Alice 17
Bridget 17
Annie 14
Eliza 14
Caroline 13
Florence 10
Emma 8
Louisa 8
Maria 8
Ada 7
Charlotte 7
Emily 6
Susan 6
Amelia 4
Anne 4
Kate 4
Rose 4
Agnes 3
Betsy 3
Clara 3
Eleanor 3
Elizth. 3
Hannah 3
Harriett 3
Isabella 3
Lily 3
Lizzie 3
Martha 3
Matilda 3
Anna 2
Barbara 2
Edith 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Evelyn 2
Joanna 2
Johanna 2
Lissie 2
Lucy 2
M.A. 2
Margt. 2
Marian 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 91
James 63
William 54
Thomas 42
Patrick 37
George 30
Michael 25
Charles 23
Robert 21
Edward 19
Richard 16
Henry 14
Albert 12
Francis 12
Joseph 11
Alfred 9
Wm. 9
Arthur 5
Bernard 5
Christopher 5
Dennis 5
Matthew 5
Peter 5
Ernest 4
Walter 4
Andrew 3
Daniel 3
Edmund 3
Edwin 3
Herbert 3
Martin 3
Nicholas 3
Samuel 3
Thos. 3
Timothy 3
David 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Fredk. 2
Harry 2
Jas. 2
Jno. 2
Lawrence 2
Michel 2
Owen 2
Ralph 2
Stephen 2
Sydney 2
Edwd. 1
Elizabeth 1

FAQ

Nugent surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nugent surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,568 people were recorded with the Nugent surname. That placed it at #2,701 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nugent surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,832 in 2016. That gives Nugent a modern rank of #1,401.

What does the Nugent surname mean?

Descendant of Tnúthgait, an Irish name meaning "descendant of the envoy."

What does the Nugent map show?

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