NameCensus.

UK surname

Shane

An Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Seachnasaigh, meaning "descendant of Seachnasach," a personal name meaning "wary" or "vigilant."

In the 1881 census there were 278 people recorded with the Shane surname, ranking it #10,259 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 434, ranked #11,102, down from #10,259 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Newcastle All Saints and St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Northampton and Bexley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shane is 434 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.1%.

1881 census count

278

Ranked #10,259

Modern count

434

2016, ranked #11,102

Peak year

2016

434 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shane had 278 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,259 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 434 in 2016, ranked #11,102.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 411 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Shane surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shane surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shane 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 198 #10,483
1861 historical 411 #6,248
1881 historical 278 #10,259
1891 historical 307 #10,914
1901 historical 224 #14,091
1911 historical 324 #10,814
1997 modern 329 #12,734
1998 modern 338 #12,829
1999 modern 338 #12,922
2000 modern 335 #12,953
2001 modern 332 #12,841
2002 modern 349 #12,652
2003 modern 352 #12,365
2004 modern 358 #12,252
2005 modern 357 #12,194
2006 modern 364 #12,106
2007 modern 365 #12,205
2008 modern 372 #12,123
2009 modern 397 #11,793
2010 modern 431 #11,285
2011 modern 406 #11,730
2012 modern 405 #11,627
2013 modern 422 #11,436
2014 modern 429 #11,347
2015 modern 430 #11,226
2016 modern 434 #11,102

Geography

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Where Shanes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Newcastle All Saints, St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace, Hawarden and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Northampton, Bexley and Northumberland. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
3 St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace London (West Districts)
4 Hawarden Cheshire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 010 Bolsover
2 Northampton 009 Northampton
3 Bexley 008 Bexley
4 Northumberland 038 Northumberland
5 Northampton 021 Northampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shane

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shane

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Shane is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shane 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

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

Meaning and origin of Shane

The surname Shane has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Irish personal name Seán, which is itself a form of the ancient name John. The name Shane is an Anglicized spelling of this Irish name.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Shane dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. One notable early bearer of the name was Shane O'Neill, also known as Shane the Proud, who lived from around 1530 to 1567 and was an Irish chieftain of the O'Neill dynasty in Ulster.

In the 16th century, the name Shane was found in various parts of Ireland, particularly in counties such as Antrim, Down, and Tyrone. It was often associated with the Irish clans and families of O'Neill, O'Shane, and McShane.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Shane began to spread more widely throughout Ireland and beyond. One notable figure from this period was John Shane, an Irish-born author and educator who lived from 1753 to 1834 and wrote several books on mathematics and philosophy.

In the 19th century, the surname Shane was carried by Irish immigrants to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. One prominent individual with this name was Joseph Shane, an American politician and lawyer who lived from 1835 to 1901 and served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Other notable individuals with the surname Shane include Walter Shane, an Irish-born American actor who lived from 1901 to 1970 and appeared in numerous films and television shows, and William Shane, an American author and journalist who lived from 1919 to 1994 and wrote several books on various subjects, including crime and politics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shane families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shane 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 53 Shanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.62x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 53 1.62x
Middlesex 41 1.49x
Bedfordshire 28 19.66x
Cumberland 18 7.60x
Yorkshire 15 0.55x
Dorset 12 6.65x
Durham 12 1.47x
Cheshire 11 1.81x
Hampshire 11 1.95x
Lanarkshire 10 1.12x
Surrey 9 0.67x
Suffolk 8 2.39x
Aberdeenshire 5 1.96x
Northumberland 5 1.22x
Nottinghamshire 5 1.35x
Sussex 5 1.08x
Channel Islands 4 4.91x
Kent 4 0.43x
Monmouthshire 4 2.01x
Staffordshire 4 0.43x
Berkshire 3 1.45x
Denbighshire 2 1.92x
Devon 2 0.35x
Essex 2 0.37x
Warwickshire 2 0.29x
Derbyshire 1 0.23x
Gloucestershire 1 0.19x
Hertfordshire 1 0.53x
Leicestershire 1 0.33x
Oxfordshire 1 0.59x
Wiltshire 1 0.41x
Worcestershire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Luton in Bedfordshire leads with 28 Shanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 113.54x.

Place Total Index
Luton 28 113.54x
Bootle Cum Linacre 14 54.01x
St George Hanover 11 30.63x
Caldewgate 10 77.04x
Glasgow 8 5.06x
Morley 8 56.46x
Buerton In Chester 7 11666.67x
Preston 7 8.02x
West Derby 7 7.33x
Eling 6 105.08x
Leeds 6 3.90x
Rougham 6 779.22x
Shoreditch London 6 5.03x
St Cuthbert W O 6 51.99x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 5 10.49x
Charterhouse London 5 384.62x
Kirkdale 5 9.11x
Lambeth 5 2.08x
New Fishbourne 5 1666.67x
Oldham 5 4.75x
Tarrant Keynston 5 1923.08x
Whitchurch 5 279.33x
Hackney London 4 2.59x
Hetton Le Hole 4 38.57x
Hulme 4 5.87x
Newport 4 42.15x
Nottingham St Mary 4 4.17x
Ponteland 4 952.38x
Toxteth Park 4 3.62x
Great Faringdon 3 101.01x
Liverpool 3 1.51x
Lytchett Matravers 3 461.54x
Sedgley 3 8.70x
St Pancras London 3 1.35x
Wingate 3 53.48x
Bermondsey 2 2.44x
Birkenhead 2 4.13x
Birmingham 2 0.87x
Brandon Byshottles 2 19.51x
Colchester St Giles 2 37.24x
Eltham 2 36.36x
Fulham London 2 5.01x
Greenwich 2 4.57x
Hampstead London 2 4.67x
Islington London 2 0.75x
Kinson 2 56.66x
Llangollen Bache 2 169.49x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 2 28.65x
St Andrew Holborn 2 21.44x
St Peter Port 2 13.26x
Stonehouse East 2 68.97x
Stradishall 2 555.56x
Whitehaven 2 15.85x
Barnoldswick 1 26.25x
Blackburn 1 1.15x
Bothwell 1 4.14x
Bulwell 1 12.41x
Byker 1 4.94x
Crook Billy Row 1 9.54x
Derby St Werburgh 1 4.02x
Govan 1 0.45x
Great Cheverell 1 263.16x
Kidderminster Borough 1 4.76x
Leicester St Margaret 1 1.34x
Newington 1 0.98x
Painswick 1 26.18x
Poole St James 1 14.75x
Simonstone 1 250.00x
Spitalfields London 1 4.83x
St Helier 1 3.77x
St Marylebone London 1 0.68x
St Saviour 1 22.17x
Stockton On Tees 1 2.53x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.02x
Tarbock 1 169.49x
Watford 1 6.80x
Westminster St James 1 3.54x
Whickham 1 13.28x
Wimborne Minster 1 34.25x
Woking 1 12.38x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 16
George 10
John 10
Charles 9
James 8
Frederick 5
Henry 5
Robert 5
Samuel 5
Thomas 5
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Edward 3
Albert 2
Edwd. 2
Michael 2
Peter 2
Wm. 2
Austin 1
Auther 1
Bertie 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Emanuel 1
Fred 1
Gordon 1
Harry 1
Heny. 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
Jeremiah 1
Jonathon 1
Joseph 1
Mark 1
Master 1
Morton 1
Peater 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1
Willm.Dyke 1

FAQ

Shane surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shane surname in 1881?

In 1881, 278 people were recorded with the Shane surname. That placed it at #10,259 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shane surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 434 in 2016. That gives Shane a modern rank of #11,102.

What does the Shane surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Seachnasaigh, meaning "descendant of Seachnasach," a personal name meaning "wary" or "vigilant."

What does the Shane map show?

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