NameCensus.

UK surname

Orourke

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Ruarc," derived from the Gaelic elements "ruadh" (red) and "carc" (hound).

In the 1881 census there were 535 people recorded with the Orourke surname, ranking it #6,427 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,970, ranked #1,130, up from #6,427 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include The Glens, Douglas West and Westburn and Newton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Orourke is 6,041 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1015.9%.

1881 census count

535

Ranked #6,427

Modern count

5,970

2016, ranked #1,130

Peak year

2014

6,041 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Orourke had 535 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,427 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,970 in 2016, ranked #1,130.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 997 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Orourke surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Orourke surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Orourke 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 75 #20,268
1861 historical 130 #17,164
1881 historical 535 #6,427
1891 historical 639 #6,066
1901 historical 997 #4,776
1911 historical 718 #5,952
1997 modern 5,215 #1,251
1998 modern 5,600 #1,210
1999 modern 5,598 #1,224
2000 modern 5,560 #1,227
2001 modern 5,514 #1,207
2002 modern 5,698 #1,188
2003 modern 5,532 #1,195
2004 modern 5,509 #1,197
2005 modern 5,461 #1,183
2006 modern 5,423 #1,194
2007 modern 5,520 #1,182
2008 modern 5,696 #1,153
2009 modern 5,830 #1,152
2010 modern 5,989 #1,151
2011 modern 5,919 #1,151
2012 modern 5,814 #1,144
2013 modern 5,919 #1,143
2014 modern 6,041 #1,134
2015 modern 5,966 #1,138
2016 modern 5,970 #1,130

Geography

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Where Orourkes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Old Monkland and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to The Glens, Douglas West, Westburn and Newton, Forgewood and Earlston and Hurlford Rural. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Old Monkland Lanark
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 The Glens Dundee City
2 Douglas West Dundee City
3 Westburn and Newton South Lanarkshire
4 Forgewood North Lanarkshire
5 Earlston and Hurlford Rural East Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Orourke

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Orourke

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Orourke surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Orourke household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Orourke 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

Orourke 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

Orourke 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 Orourke is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Orourke

The surname OROURKE is of Irish origin, with its roots traceable back to the 16th century. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Ó Ruairc," which literally translates to "descendant of Ruarc." The name Ruarc is derived from the Old Irish word "ruadh," meaning red or reddish-brown, suggesting that the original bearer of this name may have had red or reddish hair.

The OROURKE surname is particularly associated with County Leitrim in the province of Connacht, Ireland, where the Ó Ruairc clan held significant power and influence during the medieval period. The clan was one of the most prominent families in the region, and their territory stretched across parts of Counties Leitrim, Roscommon, and Sligo.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention several members of the Ó Ruairc clan, including Fergal Ó Ruairc, who was the King of Conmaicne (a territory in present-day County Leitrim) in the late 12th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the OROURKE surname appears in various historical records and manuscripts, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Irish Patent Rolls. One notable figure from this time period was Sir Teige O'Rourke, who was knighted by King James I of England in 1609.

Among the notable individuals bearing the OROURKE surname throughout history are:

1. Sir Brian na Samhthach Ó Ruairc (c. 1285 - c. 1360), a prominent Irish prince and military leader who fought against the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland.

2. Patrick O'Rourke (c. 1640 - c. 1720), an Irish writer and historian who authored several works on Irish history and genealogy.

3. Edmund O'Rourke (1835 - 1879), an Irish-American Catholic priest and missionary who worked among Native American tribes in the western United States.

4. John O'Rourke (1856 - 1946), an Irish-American labor leader and politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly.

5. Brendan O'Rourke (1853 - 1938), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the O'Rourke Construction Company in New York City.

The OROURKE surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Lough Rourke (a lake in County Leitrim) and Castlerourke (a townland in County Roscommon), further reflecting the historical presence and influence of the Ó Ruairc clan in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Orourke families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Orourke 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 113 Orourkes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.00x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 113 3.00x
Lanarkshire 74 7.22x
Yorkshire 24 0.76x
Midlothian 21 4.94x
Angus 16 5.45x
Middlesex 15 0.47x
Gloucestershire 11 1.77x
Durham 8 0.85x
Renfrewshire 8 3.26x
Isle of Man 6 10.19x
Monmouthshire 5 2.18x
Dunbartonshire 4 4.70x
Cheshire 3 0.43x
Glamorgan 3 0.54x
Hampshire 3 0.46x
Dumfriesshire 2 2.86x
Ayrshire 1 0.42x
Essex 1 0.16x
Herefordshire 1 0.77x
Hertfordshire 1 0.46x
Kent 1 0.09x
Leicestershire 1 0.28x
Perthshire 1 0.70x
Surrey 1 0.06x
Sussex 1 0.19x

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 29 Orourkes recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.69x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 29 12.69x
Toxteth Park 18 14.13x
Dundee 16 14.59x
Barony 14 5.40x
Govan 13 5.13x
Rutherglen 12 79.79x
West Derby 12 10.90x
West Calder 11 131.42x
Bristol St George 10 34.77x
Hamilton 10 34.97x
Accrington 9 26.32x
Kirkdale 8 12.64x
Blantyre 7 65.60x
Salford 7 6.33x
Bothwell 6 21.58x
Bowling 6 19.28x
Glasgow 6 3.30x
Northowram 6 27.24x
Onchan 6 35.38x
Spotland 6 14.35x
Halifax 5 10.84x
Manchester 5 2.96x
Sheffield 5 5.00x
South Leith 5 10.46x
St Anne Soho London 5 27.62x
St Woollos 5 19.55x
Westleigh 5 58.55x
Conside Knitsley 4 54.57x
East Greenock 4 17.24x
Heworth 4 21.52x
Old Monkland 4 9.83x
Row 4 36.30x
Edinburgh Greenside 3 53.48x
Alverstoke 2 8.50x
Annan 2 33.22x
Clitheroe 2 18.07x
Everton 2 1.67x
Liberton 2 30.49x
Middle Greenock 2 29.85x
Ratcliffe London 2 11.42x
Roath 2 7.98x
Shettleston 2 21.79x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 2 44.54x
Ackworth 1 41.49x
Ayr 1 8.93x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.73x
Bilbrough 1 454.55x
Birkdale 1 10.50x
Blackburn 1 1.00x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 3.35x
Bristol St John Baptist 1 172.41x
Broadwater 1 8.16x
Bromley London 1 1.43x
Bury 1 2.33x
Canterbury St Mary 1 13.77x
Cardiff St Mary 1 3.29x
Cheetham 1 3.56x
Chester St Oswald 1 7.89x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.67x
Colchester St Botolph 1 18.80x
Eaglesham 1 66.23x
Eastham 1 106.38x
Feltham 1 31.55x
Kensington London 1 0.57x
Kilmalcolm 1 34.01x
Leicester St Mary 1 3.52x
Leominster 1 18.59x
Much Woolton 1 19.61x
Openshaw 1 5.68x
Portsea 1 0.79x
Poulton Le Fylde 1 75.19x
Radcliffe 1 5.52x
Rattray 1 30.21x
Shoreditch London 1 0.73x
Southwark St John 1 10.31x
St Pancras London 1 0.39x
Standon 1 44.44x
Tranmere 1 3.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Catherine 9
Elizabeth 7
Margaret 7
Bridget 5
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Ellen 3
Kate 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Helena 2
Jane 2
M. 2
Maria 2
Rose 2
Anne 1
Cathrine 1
Celia 1
Dora 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Julia 1
Lousia 1
Sieseley 1
Susan 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 19
James 15
Patrick 11
Michael 9
Francis 4
Peter 4
Thomas 4
Joseph 3
William 3
Christopher 2
Edward 2
Henry 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Bryan 1
Charles 1
Danl. 1
David 1
Denis 1
Felix 1
Frans. 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Michal 1
Nicholas 1
Patk. 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Orourke surname: questions and answers

How common was the Orourke surname in 1881?

In 1881, 535 people were recorded with the Orourke surname. That placed it at #6,427 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Orourke surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,970 in 2016. That gives Orourke a modern rank of #1,130.

What does the Orourke surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Ruarc," derived from the Gaelic elements "ruadh" (red) and "carc" (hound).

What does the Orourke map show?

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