NameCensus.

UK surname

Oshea

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Séaghdha, meaning "descendant of Séaghdha," a personal name meaning "hawk-like."

In the 1881 census there were 400 people recorded with the Oshea surname, ranking it #7,974 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,698, ranked #1,008, up from #7,974 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale, Rossendale and Knowsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oshea is 6,852 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1574.5%.

1881 census count

400

Ranked #7,974

Modern count

6,698

2016, ranked #1,008

Peak year

2010

6,852 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oshea had 400 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,974 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,698 in 2016, ranked #1,008.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,319 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Oshea surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Oshea surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Oshea 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 57 #23,092
1861 historical 121 #18,148
1881 historical 400 #7,974
1891 historical 521 #7,183
1901 historical 1,051 #4,569
1911 historical 1,319 #3,618
1997 modern 6,391 #1,025
1998 modern 6,665 #1,015
1999 modern 6,673 #1,027
2000 modern 6,605 #1,037
2001 modern 6,411 #1,042
2002 modern 6,564 #1,037
2003 modern 6,421 #1,040
2004 modern 6,455 #1,033
2005 modern 6,398 #1,021
2006 modern 6,359 #1,029
2007 modern 6,482 #1,016
2008 modern 6,564 #1,010
2009 modern 6,616 #1,025
2010 modern 6,852 #1,011
2011 modern 6,808 #1,003
2012 modern 6,650 #1,005
2013 modern 6,825 #1,001
2014 modern 6,803 #1,010
2015 modern 6,687 #1,016
2016 modern 6,698 #1,008

Geography

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Where Osheas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale, Rossendale, Knowsley, Powys and Camden. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 018 Calderdale
2 Rossendale 009 Rossendale
3 Knowsley 020 Knowsley
4 Powys 017 Powys
5 Camden 013 Camden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Oshea

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Oshea

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Oshea surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Oshea household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Oshea 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

Oshea 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

Oshea falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Oshea

The surname OSHEA originated in Ireland, with its earliest roots traced back to the 9th century. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name "Ó Séaghdha," which means "descendant of Séaghdha," a personal name derived from the old Irish word "séaghdha," meaning "hawk" or "falcon."

The OSHEA name is predominantly associated with County Kerry and neighboring regions in southwestern Ireland. It is believed to have originated among the Dál gCais, a powerful dynasty that ruled over the region during the medieval period. The name is closely linked to the ancient territory of Iveragh, situated in the Iveragh Peninsula of County Kerry.

One of the earliest recorded references to the OSHEA name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a medieval Irish chronicle dating back to the 12th century. The annals mention several members of the OSHEA family, including Diarmaid Ó Séaghdha, who was killed in a battle against the Normans in 1180.

In the 16th century, the OSHEA clan played a significant role in the Desmond Rebellions, a series of uprisings against English rule in Munster. One notable figure from this period was Domhnall Ó Séaghdha, who served as the chief of the OSHEA clan and led his forces in support of the rebel leader, Gerald Fitzgerald, the 16th Earl of Desmond.

Another prominent individual bearing the OSHEA surname was Seán Ó Séaghdha (1586-1667), a renowned Irish scholar and poet. He was a skilled genealogist and chronicler, contributing to the preservation of Irish history and literature during a turbulent period.

In the 18th century, Tadhg Ó Séaghdha (1717-1796) was a celebrated Irish-language poet and scribe from County Kerry. His works, which covered a wide range of subjects, including religious themes and praise poems for local patrons, are considered significant contributions to the Irish literary tradition.

Liam Ó Séaghdha (1828-1901) was a notable figure in the Irish cultural revival movement of the 19th century. He was a skilled stonemason and poet who helped preserve and promote the Irish language and cultural heritage through his works and advocacy.

As the OSHEA name spread beyond Ireland, it gained recognition in various parts of the world. One notable example is John O'Shea (1944-2001), an Australian actor and director who had a successful career in television and film, appearing in popular shows like "A Country Practice" and "The Sullivans."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Oshea families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oshea 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. Middlesex leads with 55 Osheas recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.67x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 55 2.67x
Surrey 39 3.89x
Lancashire 36 1.47x
Glamorgan 13 3.63x
Kent 12 1.71x
Leicestershire 8 3.51x
Warwickshire 7 1.35x
Cornwall 6 2.58x
Hampshire 6 1.42x
Yorkshire 6 0.29x
Worcestershire 5 1.86x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 13.43x
Lanarkshire 3 0.45x
Fife 2 1.64x
Bedfordshire 1 0.94x
Cheshire 1 0.22x
Flintshire 1 1.81x
Gloucestershire 1 0.25x
Monmouthshire 1 0.67x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.36x
Royal Navy 1 4.08x
Staffordshire 1 0.14x
Sussex 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 14 Osheas recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.75x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 14 12.75x
Merthyr Tydfil 13 37.75x
Westminster St James 10 47.26x
Rotherhithe 9 35.39x
St Andrew Holborn 9 128.94x
Ashford 7 102.34x
Birmingham 7 4.05x
Lambeth 7 3.90x
Moss Side 7 54.47x
New Brentford 7 648.15x
St Marylebone London 7 6.37x
Aylestone 6 333.33x
Battersea 6 7.92x
Bermondsey 6 9.79x
St Keverne 6 468.75x
Wigan 5 14.65x
Claines 4 54.20x
Deptford St Paul 4 7.39x
Fulham London 4 13.40x
Liverpool 4 2.70x
Southwark St Saviour 4 37.81x
St Giles In Fields 4 56.34x
St Luke London 4 12.12x
Troqueer 4 102.30x
Gomersal 3 31.51x
Hound 3 104.90x
Belgrave 2 38.84x
Camberwell 2 1.52x
Crondall 2 88.11x
Dunfermline 2 10.68x
Govan 2 1.21x
Middlesbrough 2 7.53x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 4.83x
St Anne Soho London 2 17.02x
Toxteth Park 2 2.42x
Brighton 1 1.43x
Bromley London 1 2.21x
Chelsea London 1 1.61x
Cheltenham 1 3.21x
Chertsey 1 15.43x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 2.41x
Everton 1 1.28x
Farnborough 1 22.57x
Fulwood 1 37.88x
Gillingham 1 6.91x
Kensington London 1 0.87x
Kirkdale 1 2.43x
Litherland 1 19.57x
Newcastle Under Lyme 1 8.14x
Newington 1 1.32x
Northfield 1 19.61x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.39x
Old Monkland 1 3.79x
Old Warden 1 285.71x
Richmond 1 7.12x
Royal Navy 1 4.77x
St Bartholomew Great 1 53.48x
St George Bloomsbury 1 8.47x
St George Hanover 1 3.72x
St Pancras London 1 0.60x
St Woollos 1 6.02x
Tranmere 1 5.99x
Westminster St 1 13.18x
Whitford 1 34.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Catherine 10
Elizabeth 7
Margaret 6
Annie 5
Julia 5
Alice 4
Ellen 4
Eliza 3
Johanna 3
Margt. 3
Bridget 2
Emily 2
Georgina 2
Norah 2
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Clara 1
Cornel 1
E. 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Honorah 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Margarett 1
Margret 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Phoebe 1
Sara 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 13
John 10
Michael 10
Daniel 7
Patrick 7
Thomas 5
Timothy 5
Joseph 4
Henry 3
William 3
Cornelius 2
Edward 2
George 2
Jeremiah 2
Richard 2
Rodney 2
Albert 1
Augustine 1
Benedict 1
Charles 1
Connor 1
Denis 1
Dennis 1
Francis 1
Jerimiah 1
Jerrymiah 1
Lucius 1
Matthew 1
Mortimer 1
Patk. 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
Thos.John 1
Ths. 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Oshea surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oshea surname in 1881?

In 1881, 400 people were recorded with the Oshea surname. That placed it at #7,974 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oshea surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,698 in 2016. That gives Oshea a modern rank of #1,008.

What does the Oshea surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Séaghdha, meaning "descendant of Séaghdha," a personal name meaning "hawk-like."

What does the Oshea map show?

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