NameCensus.

UK surname

Riordan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Ríoghbhardáin, meaning "descendant of Ríoghbhardán" (royal poet or bard).

In the 1881 census there were 162 people recorded with the Riordan surname, ranking it #14,746 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,347, ranked #4,475, up from #14,746 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and St George in the East. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Westminster, Swansea and Maidstone.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Riordan is 1,410 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 731.5%.

1881 census count

162

Ranked #14,746

Modern count

1,347

2016, ranked #4,475

Peak year

1999

1,410 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Riordan had 162 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,746 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,347 in 2016, ranked #4,475.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 362 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Riordan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Riordan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Riordan 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 240 #9,068
1861 historical 102 #20,797
1881 historical 162 #14,746
1891 historical 210 #14,412
1901 historical 288 #11,973
1911 historical 362 #10,020
1997 modern 1,370 #4,206
1998 modern 1,403 #4,271
1999 modern 1,410 #4,277
2000 modern 1,403 #4,277
2001 modern 1,364 #4,293
2002 modern 1,405 #4,283
2003 modern 1,354 #4,339
2004 modern 1,370 #4,305
2005 modern 1,338 #4,334
2006 modern 1,332 #4,366
2007 modern 1,338 #4,385
2008 modern 1,328 #4,428
2009 modern 1,344 #4,479
2010 modern 1,391 #4,424
2011 modern 1,355 #4,479
2012 modern 1,345 #4,436
2013 modern 1,371 #4,445
2014 modern 1,370 #4,473
2015 modern 1,347 #4,494
2016 modern 1,347 #4,475

Geography

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Where Riordans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St George in the East, St Mary Whitechapel and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Westminster, Swansea, Maidstone, Flintshire and Wellingborough. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 St George in the East London (East Districts)
4 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Westminster 006 Westminster
2 Swansea 030 Swansea
3 Maidstone 019 Maidstone
4 Flintshire 003 Flintshire
5 Wellingborough 010 Wellingborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Riordan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Riordan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Riordan, 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 Riordan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Riordan 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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Riordan is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Riordan 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

Riordan falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Riordan

The surname Riordan is of Irish origin, having derived from the Gaelic name "Ó Riórdáin," which means "descendant of Riórdán." The name Riórdán itself is a diminutive form of the old Irish personal name Riórd, composed of the elements "rí" meaning "king" and "ard" meaning "high" or "noble."

Historically, the Riordan family hailed from County Cork in the province of Munster, Ireland. They were a prominent sept (branch of a clan) of the O'Callaghan family, who were lords of the territory known as Úibh Rathach, located near the town of Kilbrin. The earliest known record of the name Riordan appears in the Annals of Innisfallen, an Irish chronicle compiled in the 13th century, where a chieftain named Donogh O'Riordan is mentioned as having died in the year 1237.

In the 16th century, the Riordans are recorded as having held lands in the baronies of Muskerry and Duhallow in County Cork. One notable figure from this period is Donell Riordan, who was a wealthy landowner and chieftain of the Riordan sept in the late 1500s.

During the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s, several members of the Riordan family fought alongside the Catholic Confederates against the English Parliamentarian forces. One such individual was Dermot Riordan, who served as a captain in the Confederate army and was killed in battle in 1646.

In the late 17th century, after the Williamite War in Ireland, many Riordans were dispossessed of their lands and forced into exile or reduced to tenant farmers. One notable figure from this time was Edmond Riordan (1670-1740), a wealthy landowner and poet who wrote extensively in the Irish language.

Other notable individuals bearing the Riordan surname include:

1. Michael Riordan (1774-1858), an Irish-American soldier who fought in the War of 1812 and later became a prominent businessman in New York City.

2. Patrick Riordan (1841-1914), an Irish-born American prelate who served as the Archbishop of San Francisco from 1884 until his death.

3. Roger Riordan (1922-2006), an American chemist and pioneer in the field of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

4. Tomás Riordan (1914-1998), an Irish Gaelic poet and writer who was a prominent figure in the Irish literary revival of the 20th century.

5. Micheal Riordan (born 1952), an Irish-American physicist and science writer, best known for his biographies of renowned scientists such as Enrico Fermi and Richard Feynman.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Riordan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Riordan 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 40 Riordans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.49x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 40 2.49x
Surrey 23 2.93x
Glamorgan 21 7.49x
Lancashire 19 0.99x
Kent 13 2.37x
Somerset 7 2.70x
Renfrewshire 6 4.81x
Essex 5 1.57x
Warwickshire 5 1.23x
Buckinghamshire 4 4.11x
Derbyshire 4 1.59x
Gloucestershire 4 1.27x
Northumberland 3 1.25x
Royal Navy 3 15.64x
Yorkshire 2 0.13x
Devon 1 0.30x
Hampshire 1 0.30x
Lanarkshire 1 0.19x
Leicestershire 1 0.56x
Midlothian 1 0.46x
Suffolk 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. Bermondsey in Surrey leads with 10 Riordans recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.87x.

Place Total Index
Bermondsey 10 20.87x
Llancarvan 10 3225.81x
Shoreditch London 9 12.90x
Preston 8 15.66x
Bedminster 7 28.76x
St Marylebone London 7 8.15x
St Pancras London 7 5.40x
Camberwell 6 5.84x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 22.28x
Birmingham 5 3.70x
Rotherhithe 5 25.15x
Salford 5 8.90x
West Greenock 5 22.33x
West Ham 5 7.13x
Brill 4 563.38x
Everton 4 6.57x
Litchurch 4 39.45x
Mile End Old Town 4 15.75x
Ratcliffe London 4 44.99x
Roath 4 31.42x
Bristol St James In 3 64.66x
Milton In Gravesend 3 36.45x
Poplar London 3 9.88x
Royal Navy 3 18.30x
Westgate 3 20.23x
Deptford St Nicholas 2 45.87x
Deptford St Paul 2 4.72x
Greenwich 2 7.81x
Aldershot 1 9.05x
Barony 1 0.76x
Beddington 1 33.00x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 17.45x
Cheriton 1 44.64x
Chiswick 1 11.38x
Clase 1 9.60x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.15x
Erith 1 18.48x
Exeter Heavitree 1 40.00x
Gloucester St Mary Crypt 1 208.33x
Greenock Oldor West 1 294.12x
Hackney London 1 1.11x
Isleworth 1 13.97x
Lancaster 1 8.80x
Leeds 1 1.11x
Leicester St Mary 1 6.93x
Lewisham 1 3.42x
Lowestoft 1 10.80x
Richmond 1 40.16x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 3.09x
Spitalfields London 1 8.26x
St Botolph Aldgate 1 45.45x
St Giles In Fields 1 18.02x
West Derby 1 1.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Ellen 7
Jane 6
Margaret 5
Alice 3
Catherine 3
Elizabeth 3
Ann 2
Annie 2
Clarisse 2
Hannah 2
Julia 2
Rebecca 2
Rhoda 2
Angelina 1
Catharine 1
Cathe.Mary 1
Daisy 1
E. 1
Eliza 1
Fanny 1
Hanna 1
Helena 1
Honora 1
Josephine 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Riordan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Riordan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 162 people were recorded with the Riordan surname. That placed it at #14,746 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Riordan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,347 in 2016. That gives Riordan a modern rank of #4,475.

What does the Riordan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Ríoghbhardáin, meaning "descendant of Ríoghbhardán" (royal poet or bard).

What does the Riordan map show?

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