NameCensus.

UK surname

Scanlon

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

In the 1881 census there were 707 people recorded with the Scanlon surname, ranking it #5,139 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,826, ranked #2,389, up from #5,139 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Salford, Barrow-in-Furness and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Scanlon is 2,861 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 299.7%.

1881 census count

707

Ranked #5,139

Modern count

2,826

2016, ranked #2,389

Peak year

2010

2,861 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Scanlon had 707 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,139 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,826 in 2016, ranked #2,389.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 721 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Scanlon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Scanlon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Scanlon 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 172 #11,682
1861 historical 263 #9,423
1881 historical 707 #5,139
1891 historical 516 #7,234
1901 historical 721 #6,132
1911 historical 639 #6,529
1997 modern 2,577 #2,462
1998 modern 2,683 #2,464
1999 modern 2,719 #2,453
2000 modern 2,695 #2,464
2001 modern 2,630 #2,466
2002 modern 2,707 #2,450
2003 modern 2,678 #2,423
2004 modern 2,690 #2,420
2005 modern 2,648 #2,427
2006 modern 2,663 #2,419
2007 modern 2,720 #2,398
2008 modern 2,759 #2,393
2009 modern 2,830 #2,390
2010 modern 2,861 #2,409
2011 modern 2,835 #2,395
2012 modern 2,763 #2,416
2013 modern 2,834 #2,398
2014 modern 2,850 #2,393
2015 modern 2,833 #2,394
2016 modern 2,826 #2,389

Geography

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Where Scanlons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, London parishes, Gateshead, Manchester and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Salford, Barrow-in-Furness, Sefton, Rochdale and Kirklees. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Salford 001 Salford
2 Barrow-in-Furness 010 Barrow-in-Furness
3 Sefton 007 Sefton
4 Rochdale 010 Rochdale
5 Kirklees 018 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Scanlon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Scanlon

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

Scanlon 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

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

Meaning and origin of Scanlon

The surname Scanlon originates from Ireland and dates back to the 12th century. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name O'Scannlain, which means "descendant of Scannlan." The name Scannlan is derived from the Gaelic words "scann" meaning ancient or old and "lan" meaning warrior or chieftain.

The Scanlon name is most associated with counties in the northern part of Ireland, particularly in Ulster and Connacht. Early records show the name appearing in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written in the 17th century, where it is spelled as O'Scannlain.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the Scanlon name dates back to the 14th century, when a John O'Scannlain was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, a historical record of tax payments in County Cork. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Scanlon, Scanlan, and Scanlan.

Notable individuals bearing the Scanlon surname include Michael Scanlon (c. 1933-2012), an Irish playwright and author known for his works like "The Cavan Cattle Raid" and "The Body Guard." Another prominent figure was Reverend Martin J. Scanlon (1910-1998), a Catholic priest and civil rights activist who fought against racial segregation in the United States.

In the realm of sports, John Scanlon (1901-1957) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club in the 1920s. Additionally, Patrick Scanlon (1856-1927) was a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada.

Furthermore, the Scanlon name has been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Scanlonstwon in County Kilkenny and Scanlonstown in County Tipperary, which likely derive their names from early inhabitants with the Scanlon surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Scanlon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Scanlon 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 202 Scanlons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.46x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 202 2.46x
Yorkshire 119 1.73x
Middlesex 57 0.82x
Cheshire 51 3.34x
Durham 38 1.84x
Surrey 33 0.98x
Lanarkshire 32 1.43x
Northumberland 15 1.46x
Staffordshire 15 0.64x
Glamorgan 14 1.16x
Hampshire 14 0.99x
Devon 12 0.83x
Kent 12 0.51x
Monmouthshire 12 2.40x
Essex 11 0.80x
Warwickshire 11 0.63x
Hertfordshire 9 1.89x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.96x
Gloucestershire 7 0.52x
Brecknockshire 6 4.33x
Renfrewshire 6 1.12x
West Lothian 5 4.79x
Derbyshire 4 0.37x
Midlothian 4 0.43x
Royal Navy 3 3.64x
Cornwall 2 0.26x
Ayrshire 1 0.19x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.36x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.34x
Dorset 1 0.22x
Lincolnshire 1 0.09x
Wiltshire 1 0.16x
Worcestershire 1 0.11x

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 37 Scanlons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.41x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 37 7.41x
Macclesfield 25 36.79x
Manchester 25 6.76x
Lambeth 21 3.48x
Ripon 20 125.63x
Bradford 18 10.83x
Barony 13 2.29x
Bradford 13 33.79x
Royton 13 51.71x
Sheffield 13 5.95x
Portsea 12 4.31x
Shoreditch London 12 4.00x
Dukinfield 11 15.57x
Govan 11 1.99x
Castleton 10 12.18x
Toxteth Park 10 3.59x
West Ham 10 3.31x
Westminster St James 10 14.04x
Atherstone 9 100.90x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 9 10.09x
Nottingham St Mary 9 3.73x
Salford 9 3.72x
Shenley 9 285.71x
Wigan 9 7.84x
Linthorpe 8 19.53x
St Marylebone London 8 2.16x
Bedwellty 7 7.92x
Cheltenham 7 6.68x
Escomb 7 73.92x
Farnworth 7 14.22x
Gateshead 7 4.54x
Glasgow 7 1.76x
Selby 7 48.81x
St Pancras London 7 1.26x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 9.19x
Byker 6 11.78x
Llanelly 6 36.21x
Plawsworth 6 269.06x
Spotland 6 6.57x
Tipton 6 8.38x
Wolverhampton 6 3.34x
Blackburn 5 2.29x
Boness 5 34.77x
Cardiff St John 5 12.69x
Greenwich 5 4.53x
Higher Bebington 5 51.07x
Holy Trinity 5 3.03x
Huddersfield 5 5.00x
Hulme 5 2.91x
Hunslet 5 4.67x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 8.12x
Preston 5 2.27x
Wakefield 5 9.49x
Beswick 4 19.03x
Camberwell 4 0.90x
Colinton 4 38.65x
Deptford St Nicholas 4 21.33x
Derby St Werburgh 4 6.39x
East Stonehouse 4 14.08x
Fulwood 4 45.05x
Islington London 4 0.60x
Leeds 4 1.03x
Llantrisant 4 13.16x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 3.60x
Rotherham 4 10.34x
Skipton 4 18.52x
Wardleworth 4 8.52x
Whitby 4 17.29x
York St Denis In 4 132.89x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 2.30x
Clifford Cum Boston 3 48.62x
Droylsden 3 11.19x
Houghton Le Spring 3 21.07x
Monkwearmouth Shore 3 7.46x
Poplar London 3 2.30x
Royal Navy 3 4.25x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 2.15x
St Woollos 3 5.37x
Stockport 3 3.81x
West Greenock 3 3.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 70
Margaret 27
Ann 21
Ellen 19
Bridget 18
Catherine 18
Elizabeth 16
Kate 10
Sarah 9
Eliza 7
Jane 6
Agnes 4
Esther 4
Alice 3
Annie 3
Julia 3
Maria 3
Rebecca 3
... 2
Cathrine 2
Elenor 2
Elizbath 2
Hannah 2
Johanna 2
Maggie 2
Martha 2
Selina 2
Susan 2
Aevelin 1
Amey 1
Angelia 1
Bella 1
Bellinda 1
Bridgett 1
Cathe. 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Eugenie 1
Eva 1
Helen 1
Honora 1
Jessie 1
Joanna 1
Johanah 1
Johannah 1
Lilean 1
Livinia 1
Louisa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 59
James 36
Thomas 31
Michael 29
Patrick 29
Edward 15
William 15
Joseph 11
Charles 8
Henry 8
Martin 6
Jeremiah 5
Daniel 4
David 4
Dennis 4
Matthew 4
Peter 4
Stephen 4
Bernard 3
Cornelius 3
Edmond 3
Frederick 3
George 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
Nicholas 2
Owen 2
P. 2
Pat 2
Thos. 2
Timothy 2
Arthur 1
Christiphor 1
Danl. 1
Denis 1
Desmond 1
Felix 1
Frederic 1
J. 1
Mark 1
Mathew 1
Maurice 1
Michal 1
Morgan 1

FAQ

Scanlon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Scanlon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 707 people were recorded with the Scanlon surname. That placed it at #5,139 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Scanlon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,826 in 2016. That gives Scanlon a modern rank of #2,389.

What does the Scanlon surname mean?

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

What does the Scanlon map show?

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