NameCensus.

UK surname

Oflanagan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Flannagáin meaning "descendant of Flannagán".

In the 1881 census there were 38 people recorded with the Oflanagan surname, ranking it #28,285 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 215, ranked #18,670, up from #28,285 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Warwickshire, Chichester and Tandridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oflanagan is 241 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 465.8%.

1881 census count

38

Ranked #28,285

Modern count

215

2016, ranked #18,670

Peak year

2010

241 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oflanagan had 38 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,285 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016, ranked #18,670.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 38 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Oflanagan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Oflanagan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Oflanagan 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 3 #32,890
1861 historical 4 #33,628
1881 historical 38 #28,285
1891 historical 32 #31,754
1901 historical 35 #30,194
1911 historical 37 #29,263
1997 modern 213 #16,948
1998 modern 230 #16,607
1999 modern 229 #16,744
2000 modern 238 #16,290
2001 modern 230 #16,415
2002 modern 235 #16,495
2003 modern 229 #16,601
2004 modern 226 #16,829
2005 modern 218 #17,170
2006 modern 214 #17,507
2007 modern 226 #17,103
2008 modern 223 #17,395
2009 modern 231 #17,331
2010 modern 241 #17,186
2011 modern 233 #17,426
2012 modern 221 #17,979
2013 modern 224 #18,080
2014 modern 218 #18,583
2015 modern 213 #18,769
2016 modern 215 #18,670

Geography

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Where Oflanagans 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 North Warwickshire, Chichester, Tandridge, North Hertfordshire and Lincoln. 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 North Warwickshire 007 North Warwickshire
2 Chichester 011 Chichester
3 Tandridge 004 Tandridge
4 North Hertfordshire 001 North Hertfordshire
5 Lincoln 009 Lincoln

Forenames

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First names often paired with Oflanagan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Oflanagan

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Oflanagan 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

Oflanagan 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

Oflanagan falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Oflanagan

The surname OFLANAGAN has its origins in Ireland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is a variant spelling of the Irish Gaelic name O'Flanagan or O Flanagain, which means "descendant of Flanagan." The prefix "O" signifies "grandson" or "descendant of" in Irish naming conventions.

The name Flanagan itself is derived from the Old Irish personal name Flannagan, which is a diminutive form of "Flann," meaning "red" or "ruddy." This suggests that the original bearer of the name may have had reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.

Historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries show various spellings of the name, such as O'Flanagane, O'Flanygane, and O'Flanaghan, which were commonly found in counties Roscommon, Sligo, and Mayo in the western province of Connacht.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Ruaidhri O'Flanagan, who was a prominent Irish physician and poet in the 16th century. He was known for his medical treatise written in the Irish language.

Another notable figure was Theophilus O'Flanagan (1785-1859), an Irish historian and writer who published several works on Irish history and antiquities. He was a member of the Royal Irish Academy and contributed to the preservation of Irish cultural heritage.

In the 19th century, Michael O'Flanagan (1834-1899) was an Irish-American Catholic priest and educator who served as the first president of Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Sir Theobald Butler O'Flanagan (1919-2001) was an Irish barrister and judge who served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ireland from 1973 to 1989.

More recently, Liam O'Flanagan (born 1942) is an Irish author and journalist who has written several books on Irish history and culture, including a biography of Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the surname OFLANAGAN, which has its roots in the rich cultural heritage of Ireland and has been carried by notable figures in various fields over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Oflanagan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oflanagan 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. Durham leads with 7 Oflanagans recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.20x.

County Total Index
Durham 7 14.20x
Middlesex 5 3.02x
Lanarkshire 2 3.73x
Warwickshire 2 4.79x
Lancashire 1 0.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Houghton Le Spring in Durham leads with 7 Oflanagans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2058.82x.

Place Total Index
Houghton Le Spring 7 2058.82x
All Hallows Barking 2 5000.00x
Coleshill 2 1538.46x
Lanark 2 465.12x
St Pancras London 2 15.00x
Pendleton In Salford 1 42.74x
Westminster St John 1 49.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Agnes 1
Dorothy 1
Eliza 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Mary 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 1
Jean 1
John 1
Laurence 1
Michael 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 Oflanagan households.

FAQ

Oflanagan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oflanagan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 38 people were recorded with the Oflanagan surname. That placed it at #28,285 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oflanagan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016. That gives Oflanagan a modern rank of #18,670.

What does the Oflanagan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Flannagáin meaning "descendant of Flannagán".

What does the Oflanagan map show?

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