NameCensus.

UK surname

Scully

An Irish occupational surname referring to a scholar or schoolmaster, derived from Ó Scolaidhe meaning "descendant of the scholar."

In the 1881 census there were 915 people recorded with the Scully surname, ranking it #4,192 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,625, ranked #2,540, up from #4,192 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale, St. Helens and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Scully is 2,775 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 186.9%.

1881 census count

915

Ranked #4,192

Modern count

2,625

2016, ranked #2,540

Peak year

2000

2,775 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Scully had 915 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,192 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,625 in 2016, ranked #2,540.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,156 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Scully surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Scully surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Scully 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 335 #6,984
1861 historical 488 #5,352
1881 historical 915 #4,192
1891 historical 951 #4,353
1901 historical 1,156 #4,221
1911 historical 1,016 #4,485
1997 modern 2,672 #2,387
1998 modern 2,710 #2,447
1999 modern 2,747 #2,431
2000 modern 2,775 #2,398
2001 modern 2,683 #2,420
2002 modern 2,712 #2,445
2003 modern 2,655 #2,445
2004 modern 2,645 #2,450
2005 modern 2,585 #2,465
2006 modern 2,572 #2,477
2007 modern 2,613 #2,469
2008 modern 2,639 #2,460
2009 modern 2,704 #2,461
2010 modern 2,769 #2,465
2011 modern 2,717 #2,479
2012 modern 2,621 #2,520
2013 modern 2,659 #2,528
2014 modern 2,679 #2,526
2015 modern 2,663 #2,522
2016 modern 2,625 #2,540

Geography

Back to top

Where Scullys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale, St. Helens, Bradford, Hart and Rochdale. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 005 Calderdale
2 St. Helens 003 St. Helens
3 Bradford 059 Bradford
4 Hart 002 Hart
5 Rochdale 022 Rochdale

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Scully

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Scully

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Scully 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

Scully 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

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

Meaning and origin of Scully

The surname Scully originated in Ireland, with its roots tracing back to the Irish Gaelic name Ó Scolaidhe, meaning "descendant of the scholar." This name was prominent in County Westmeath, and it is believed to have emerged as a hereditary surname around the 10th or 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Scully can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention several individuals with the surname Scully, including Maoileachlainn Ó Scolaidhe, who was the chief of the Uí Laoghaire sept in County Westmeath in the 14th century.

The Scully surname also appears in various historical records and manuscripts from the medieval period, such as the Pipe Rolls of the 13th century and the Fiants of the 16th century. These records often refer to individuals with the name Scully or its variant spellings, such as Sculley, Scullie, or O'Scully.

One notable figure in Irish history with the surname Scully was Sir John Scully (1592-1646), a member of the Irish Parliament and a prominent landowner in County Dublin. Another prominent individual was Denis Scully (1773-1856), an Irish lawyer and politician who served as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland.

Other notable individuals with the Scully surname include:

1. Vincent Scully (1920-2017), an American architect, writer, and educator who was considered one of the most influential architectural historians of the 20th century.

2. Vin Scully (1927-2022), an American sportscaster who was best known for his 67-season tenure broadcasting for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball.

3. Dana Scully, the fictional character played by Gillian Anderson in the popular television series "The X-Files."

4. John Scully (1744-1805), an Irish-born American clergyman who served as the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Charleston, South Carolina.

5. John Scully (1740-1818), an Irish-born American merchant and politician who served as the second Governor of Pennsylvania from 1808 to 1817.

While the Scully surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to Irish emigration, particularly during the 19th century. Today, the name is found not only in Ireland but also in other countries with significant Irish diaspora populations, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Scully families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Scully 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 274 Scullys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.56x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 274 2.56x
Middlesex 162 1.80x
Yorkshire 101 1.13x
Surrey 68 1.55x
Durham 42 1.57x
Lanarkshire 36 1.24x
Gloucestershire 35 1.98x
Cheshire 28 1.41x
Staffordshire 28 0.92x
Perthshire 21 5.19x
Glamorgan 20 1.27x
Stirlingshire 15 4.51x
Hampshire 12 0.65x
Monmouthshire 10 1.53x
Essex 8 0.45x
Kent 7 0.23x
Lincolnshire 7 0.49x
Sussex 7 0.46x
Channel Islands 5 1.87x
Northumberland 5 0.37x
Warwickshire 5 0.22x
Renfrewshire 4 0.57x
Royal Navy 4 3.72x
Berkshire 3 0.44x
Midlothian 3 0.25x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.83x
Norfolk 2 0.14x
Somerset 2 0.14x
West Lothian 2 1.47x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.18x
Cumberland 1 0.13x
Devon 1 0.05x
Dorset 1 0.17x
Fife 1 0.19x
Worcestershire 1 0.09x

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 52 Scullys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.01x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 52 8.01x
Everton 28 8.21x
St Luke London 22 15.22x
Horton In Bradford 19 13.62x
Shoreditch London 19 4.86x
Bristol St Paul In 17 36.10x
Leeds 17 3.37x
Wigan 17 11.37x
Bradford 16 7.40x
Camberwell 15 2.61x
Manchester 15 3.12x
Castleton 14 13.11x
Droylsden 13 37.26x
Barony 12 1.63x
Lambeth 12 1.53x
Merthyr Tydfil 12 7.95x
Mile End Old Town 12 8.43x
Shipley 12 25.89x
Bowling 10 11.30x
Manningham 10 9.09x
St Marylebone London 10 2.08x
Whitechapel London 10 11.26x
Bethnal Green London 9 2.30x
Birkenhead 9 5.67x
Newcastle Under Lyme 9 16.72x
Openshaw 9 17.97x
Perth Middle Church 9 59.17x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 4.96x
St George In East 9 14.68x
Warrington 9 7.10x
Westleigh 9 37.05x
Blackburn 8 2.81x
Chelsea London 8 2.95x
Glasgow 8 1.55x
Great Bolton 8 5.65x
Islington London 8 0.92x
St Ninians 8 24.28x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 2.48x
Tranmere 8 10.94x
Broughton In Salford 7 7.16x
Gateshead 7 3.49x
Salford 7 2.23x
Somerby In Grantham 7 190.74x
Southwark St Olave 7 101.74x
Stockton On Tees 7 5.42x
Bradshaw 6 257.51x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 3.60x
Govan 6 0.83x
Houghton Le Spring 6 32.36x
Kyo 6 47.54x
Little Bolton 6 4.36x
Logie 6 41.35x
Richmond 6 9.75x
Sherburn 6 73.53x
Southwark St Saviour 6 12.95x
St George Hanover 6 5.10x
Stirling 6 14.32x
Wandsworth 6 6.92x
Westminster St John 6 5.47x
Ardwick 5 5.18x
Aston 5 0.80x
Bedwellty 5 4.35x
Bristol St Augustine 5 17.53x
Bury 5 4.09x
Carnwath 5 27.75x
Crieff 5 33.24x
Kirkdale 5 2.78x
Oldham 5 1.45x
Ratcliffe London 5 10.04x
Romford 5 17.77x
St Giles In Fields 5 16.08x
St Helier 5 5.75x
Stockport 5 4.88x
Toxteth Park 5 1.38x
Walsall Foreign 5 3.18x
West Drayton 5 160.77x
Middlesbrough 4 3.44x
St Clement Danes 4 27.42x
Walsall Borough 4 16.93x
West Derby 4 1.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 80
Margaret 35
Catherine 31
Ellen 26
Elizabeth 24
Ann 21
Sarah 17
Bridget 11
Annie 9
Eliza 9
Jane 9
Emily 8
Emma 7
Julia 7
Kate 7
Alice 6
Hannah 6
Agnes 5
Maria 5
Frances 4
Johanna 4
Clara 3
Edith 3
Elizth. 3
Lydia 3
Margt. 3
Rosa 3
Amy 2
Anne 2
Cathrine 2
Flora 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Katherine 2
Louisa 2
Maggie 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Anastasia 1
Bessy 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Cath. 1
Esther 1
Eva 1
Honoria 1
Johannah 1
Juliette 1
Kale 1
Winfred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 87
James 43
Thomas 36
William 34
Michael 28
Patrick 25
Edward 12
Henry 11
Daniel 9
Joseph 9
Charles 7
Martin 7
Timothy 6
George 5
Peter 5
Arthur 4
Richard 4
Thos. 4
Christopher 3
Fredk. 3
Jeremiah 3
Michl. 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Benjamin 2
Edwd. 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Gorge 2
Herbert 2
Jno. 2
Maurice 2
Owen 2
Wm. 2
Archibald 1
Carin 1
Chas. 1
Cornelius 1
Edwin 1
Edwrd 1
Ernest 1
F. 1
Geo. 1
Jerry 1
Jno.Wm. 1
Jos. 1
Louisa 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1

FAQ

Scully surname: questions and answers

How common was the Scully surname in 1881?

In 1881, 915 people were recorded with the Scully surname. That placed it at #4,192 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Scully surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,625 in 2016. That gives Scully a modern rank of #2,540.

What does the Scully surname mean?

An Irish occupational surname referring to a scholar or schoolmaster, derived from Ó Scolaidhe meaning "descendant of the scholar."

What does the Scully map show?

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