NameCensus.

UK surname

Scanlan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Scannláin, meaning "descendant of Scannlán," a personal name meaning "contention" or "scandal."

In the 1881 census there were 677 people recorded with the Scanlan surname, ranking it #5,320 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,838, ranked #3,451, up from #5,320 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Preston, Cowlairs and Port Dundas and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Scanlan is 1,900 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 171.5%.

1881 census count

677

Ranked #5,320

Modern count

1,838

2016, ranked #3,451

Peak year

2010

1,900 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Scanlan had 677 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,320 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,838 in 2016, ranked #3,451.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 949 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Scanlan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Scanlan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Scanlan 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 324 #7,179
1861 historical 398 #6,441
1881 historical 677 #5,320
1891 historical 852 #4,801
1901 historical 949 #4,939
1911 historical 787 #5,536
1997 modern 1,723 #3,457
1998 modern 1,811 #3,434
1999 modern 1,844 #3,403
2000 modern 1,826 #3,421
2001 modern 1,761 #3,459
2002 modern 1,782 #3,493
2003 modern 1,753 #3,479
2004 modern 1,749 #3,484
2005 modern 1,768 #3,425
2006 modern 1,778 #3,411
2007 modern 1,789 #3,425
2008 modern 1,799 #3,437
2009 modern 1,847 #3,436
2010 modern 1,900 #3,418
2011 modern 1,849 #3,450
2012 modern 1,807 #3,467
2013 modern 1,851 #3,448
2014 modern 1,845 #3,484
2015 modern 1,844 #3,462
2016 modern 1,838 #3,451

Geography

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Where Scanlans are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Preston, Cowlairs and Port Dundas, Bolton and Swale. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Preston 009 Preston
2 Preston 014 Preston
3 Cowlairs and Port Dundas Glasgow City
4 Bolton 034 Bolton
5 Swale 001 Swale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Scanlan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Scanlan

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Scanlan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Scanlan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Scanlan 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

Scanlan 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

Scanlan 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 Scanlan 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 Scanlan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Scanlan

The surname Scanlan originates from Ireland, specifically the western province of Connacht. It is derived from the Gaelic word "Scannlán," which means "tall or thin person." The name is believed to have emerged in the 11th or 12th century.

Scanlan is an Anglicized version of the original Irish surname Ó Scannláin or Ó Scannlán. The prefix "Ó" signifies "descendant of" or "grandson of" in Irish. The name was initially associated with the area around County Sligo and County Mayo.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Scanlan can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. It mentions a notable figure named Giolla na Naomh Ó Scannláin, who was the Bishop of Raphoe in County Donegal in the early 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Scanlan name appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, a record of land transactions and taxes in the Diocese of Cloyne, County Cork. This suggests that the Scanlan family had established a presence in the southern part of Ireland by that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Scanlan throughout history include:

1. Michael Scanlan (1844-1914), an Irish-American journalist and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri. 2. Patrick Scanlan (1856-1939), an Irish-born prelate who served as the Bishop of Salt Lake City from 1915 to 1927. 3. John Scanlan (1869-1957), an Irish-born prelate who served as the Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska, from 1917 to 1931. 4. Lawrence Scanlan (1898-1969), an Irish-born prelate who served as the Bishop of Las Cruces, New Mexico, from 1958 to 1969. 5. Lawrence Scanlan (born 1944), a Canadian writer and journalist best known for his books on various aspects of Canadian culture and history.

The name Scanlan has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Scanlon's Gap, a mountain pass in County Sligo, and Scanlon's Bay, a coastal area in County Mayo. These place names likely derived from the presence of Scanlan families in those regions historically.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Scanlan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Scanlan 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. Lanarkshire leads with 132 Scanlans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.21x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 132 6.21x
Lancashire 130 1.67x
Yorkshire 84 1.29x
Middlesex 75 1.14x
Surrey 32 1.00x
Hampshire 24 1.78x
Kent 24 1.07x
Warwickshire 24 1.45x
Staffordshire 21 0.95x
Essex 17 1.31x
Durham 16 0.82x
Ayrshire 14 2.85x
Gloucestershire 13 1.01x
Renfrewshire 11 2.16x
Angus 9 1.48x
Cornwall 9 1.21x
Cheshire 7 0.48x
Hertfordshire 5 1.10x
Midlothian 5 0.57x
Northumberland 5 0.51x
Glamorgan 4 0.35x
Dunbartonshire 3 1.70x
Berkshire 2 0.41x
Leicestershire 2 0.27x
Lincolnshire 2 0.19x
Cumberland 1 0.18x
Denbighshire 1 0.40x
Devon 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 1.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 41 Scanlans recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.80x.

Place Total Index
Govan 41 7.80x
Barony 34 6.32x
Glasgow 30 7.95x
Preston 25 11.98x
Lambeth 16 2.79x
Poplar London 16 12.89x
Atherstone 15 177.10x
West Ham 15 5.24x
Auckinleck 14 91.92x
St Marylebone London 14 3.99x
St Pancras London 14 2.65x
Saddleworth 13 25.87x
Maryhill 12 28.83x
Sheffield 12 5.79x
West Derby 12 5.26x
Woolwich 12 14.48x
Broughton In Salford 11 15.42x
Liverpool 11 2.32x
Newcastle Under Lyme 10 25.46x
Old Monkland 10 11.85x
Oldham 10 3.97x
Wombwell 10 52.63x
Alverstoke 9 18.45x
Birmingham 9 1.63x
Dodworth 9 132.94x
Liff Benvie 9 9.73x
Neilston 9 35.18x
Rotherhithe 9 11.08x
Wigan 9 8.26x
Heckmondwike 7 33.41x
Manchester 7 2.00x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 4.94x
Everton 6 2.41x
Handsworth 6 10.97x
Kirkdale 6 4.57x
St Gluvias Penryn 6 100.67x
Cheshunt 5 31.57x
Dewsbury 5 7.48x
Holdenhurst 5 14.14x
Holy Trinity 5 3.19x
Houghton Le Spring 5 36.98x
Kimberworth 5 13.83x
Westminster St 5 20.63x
Bishopwearmouth 4 2.38x
Blatchinworth 4 22.52x
Brightside Bierlow 4 3.13x
Deptford St Paul 4 2.31x
Habergham Eaves 4 5.61x
Kensington London 4 1.09x
Paddington London 4 1.65x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 1.70x
Wallsend 4 12.89x
Bristol St Augustine 3 14.42x
Camborne 3 9.78x
Clifton 3 4.60x
Dover St James 3 30.52x
Droylsden 3 11.79x
Gorbals 3 23.77x
Knutsford Nether 3 34.21x
Leeds 3 0.82x
Newchurch 3 4.70x
Ormskirk 3 20.09x
Portsea 3 1.14x
Portsmouth 3 9.67x
Row 3 13.12x
Aldershot 2 4.43x
Altrincham 2 7.89x
Ardwick 2 2.84x
Barton Upon Irwell 2 3.41x
Bexley 2 10.09x
Bishop Auckland 2 7.62x
Camberwell 2 0.48x
Clerkenwell London 2 1.29x
Edinburgh Old Church 2 28.29x
Farnborough 2 14.13x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 2.36x
Leicester St Margaret 2 1.13x
Middlesbrough 2 2.36x
St Gilesin Fields 2 52.22x
Stockton On Tees 2 2.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 44
Ellen 19
Margaret 19
Catherine 14
Jane 14
Elizabeth 12
Ann 9
Bridget 7
Sarah 7
Eliza 6
Anne 4
Emily 4
Emma 4
Annie 3
Bridgett 3
Esther 3
Hannah 3
Harriet 3
Isabella 3
Johanna 3
Kate 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Grace 2
Martha 2
Maryann 2
Rose 2
Selina 2
Winifred 2
Ada 1
Amy 1
Blanche 1
Daniel 1
Edith 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Honorick 1
Jesse 1
Josephine 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Margery 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 45
James 30
William 18
Thomas 17
Patrick 16
Michael 15
Charles 12
Edward 8
George 6
Joseph 5
Robert 5
Peter 4
Alfred 3
Edmund 3
Ernest 3
Jeremiah 3
Richard 3
Andrew 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Luke 2
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Matthew 2
Morris 2
Nicholas 2
Owen 2
Wm. 2
Wymes 2
Bartould 1
Bernard 1
Charley 1
Dennis 1
E.B. 1
Fitzgerald 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Mathias 1
Mills 1
Oliver 1
Pathrick 1
Roger 1

FAQ

Scanlan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Scanlan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 677 people were recorded with the Scanlan surname. That placed it at #5,320 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Scanlan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,838 in 2016. That gives Scanlan a modern rank of #3,451.

What does the Scanlan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Scannláin, meaning "descendant of Scannlán," a personal name meaning "contention" or "scandal."

What does the Scanlan map show?

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