NameCensus.

UK surname

Shaughnessy

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Seachnasaigh, meaning "descendant of Seachnasach," derived from "seachnach," meaning "to avoid."

In the 1881 census there were 352 people recorded with the Shaughnessy surname, ranking it #8,718 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 817, ranked #6,789, up from #8,718 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Trafford, Tewkesbury and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shaughnessy is 841 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 132.1%.

1881 census count

352

Ranked #8,718

Modern count

817

2016, ranked #6,789

Peak year

2010

841 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shaughnessy had 352 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,718 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 817 in 2016, ranked #6,789.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 470 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Shaughnessy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shaughnessy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shaughnessy 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 97 #17,484
1861 historical 146 #15,628
1881 historical 352 #8,718
1891 historical 361 #9,589
1901 historical 470 #8,432
1911 historical 396 #9,354
1997 modern 731 #7,000
1998 modern 806 #6,713
1999 modern 826 #6,633
2000 modern 807 #6,721
2001 modern 780 #6,776
2002 modern 808 #6,722
2003 modern 791 #6,710
2004 modern 800 #6,673
2005 modern 785 #6,704
2006 modern 774 #6,813
2007 modern 779 #6,839
2008 modern 793 #6,802
2009 modern 822 #6,726
2010 modern 841 #6,751
2011 modern 801 #6,944
2012 modern 777 #7,026
2013 modern 831 #6,743
2014 modern 841 #6,714
2015 modern 828 #6,735
2016 modern 817 #6,789

Geography

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Where Shaughnessys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Trafford, Tewkesbury, Caerphilly, Bolton 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 London parishes London 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Trafford 009 Trafford
2 Tewkesbury 007 Tewkesbury
3 Caerphilly 019 Caerphilly
4 Bolton 032 Bolton
5 Rochdale 023 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shaughnessy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shaughnessy

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

Shaughnessy is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Shaughnessy

The surname Shaughnessy is of Irish origin, originating in County Mayo and County Galway. It is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Seachnasaigh, which means "descendant of Seachnasach." Seachnasach is derived from the Old Irish word "seachnasach," meaning "prosperous" or "plentiful."

The name can be traced back to the 12th century in Ireland. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Domhnall Ó Seachnasaigh in the year 1220.

In the 16th century, the Shaughnessy family held lands in the baronies of Carra and Erris in County Mayo. During this period, the name was also spelled as Shaughnessy, Shaughnesy, and Shaughnesie.

One of the earliest known Shaughnessy individuals was Conor Shaughnessy, who lived in County Mayo in the late 16th century. He was a prominent member of the clan and is mentioned in various historical records from that time.

In the 17th century, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, many members of the Shaughnessy family were displaced from their lands. Some fled to other parts of Ireland, while others emigrated to countries like France and Spain.

A notable figure from this period was Roderick Shaughnessy (c. 1630-1695), who served as a colonel in the Irish Brigade of the French Army under King Louis XIV. He fought in several battles during the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession.

In the 18th century, the Shaughnessy family began to spread more widely throughout Ireland and beyond. One prominent individual was Patrick Shaughnessy (1742-1826), an Irish-born Catholic priest who served as the first Bishop of Killaloe, County Clare.

Another notable Shaughnessy was Thomas Shaughnessy (1853-1923), a Canadian railway administrator who served as the president of the Canadian Pacific Railway from 1899 to 1918. He was instrumental in the development of Canada's transcontinental railway system.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, many Shaughnessys emigrated from Ireland to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, where the name continues to be found today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shaughnessy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shaughnessy 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 152 Shaughnessys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.70x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 152 3.70x
Staffordshire 34 2.91x
Middlesex 31 0.90x
Cheshire 20 2.62x
Lanarkshire 19 1.70x
Yorkshire 18 0.52x
Surrey 14 0.83x
Durham 11 1.07x
Angus 10 3.12x
Warwickshire 10 1.15x
Cumberland 8 2.68x
Kent 8 0.68x
Gloucestershire 6 0.88x
Devon 3 0.42x
Royal Navy 3 7.27x
Selkirkshire 3 9.58x
Inverness-shire 2 1.93x
Derbyshire 1 0.18x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.07x
Roxburghshire 1 1.59x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 20 Shaughnessys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.82x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 20 10.82x
Liverpool 19 7.61x
Oldham 16 12.06x
Bootle Cum Linacre 12 36.78x
Newington 12 9.38x
Everton 11 8.40x
Dundee 10 8.35x
Newcastle Under Lyme 10 48.36x
Barony 9 3.18x
Coventry Holy Trinity 8 30.67x
Gorton 8 20.71x
Leftwich 8 235.99x
Wolverhampton 8 8.90x
Woolwich 8 18.33x
Bury 7 14.91x
Hulme 7 8.16x
St Cuthbert W O 7 48.18x
St George Hanover 7 15.49x
Sunderland 7 38.48x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 7 59.17x
Bristol St James In 6 60.06x
Droylsden 6 44.74x
Eston 6 80.32x
Handsworth 6 66.15x
Warrington 6 12.32x
Golborne 5 93.28x
St Marylebone London 5 2.70x
Wednesbury 5 17.12x
Willenhall 5 22.84x
Worsley 5 19.74x
Chelsea London 4 3.83x
Glasgow 4 2.01x
Newchurch 4 11.90x
Shadwell London 4 41.28x
Altrincham 3 22.46x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 4.60x
Framwellgate 3 49.18x
Islington London 3 0.89x
Melrose 3 38.02x
Parr 3 20.41x
Royal Navy 3 8.50x
Rutherglen 3 18.26x
Stockport 3 7.63x
Barton Upon Irwell 2 6.47x
Birkenhead 2 3.28x
Birmingham 2 0.69x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.45x
Exeter St Mary Major 2 45.98x
Hamilton 2 6.40x
Hampstead London 2 3.71x
Heap 2 9.18x
Kilmonivaig 2 86.96x
Preston 2 1.82x
Saddleworth 2 7.56x
St Luke London 2 3.60x
Stafford St Mary 2 12.08x
Burnley 1 2.89x
Cheetham 1 3.26x
Chester St John Baptist 1 7.28x
Crumpsall 1 10.33x
Farnham 1 7.62x
Glossop Dale 1 3.94x
Harborne 1 2.67x
Hawick 1 7.12x
Kirkintilloch 1 7.91x
Little Lever 1 19.05x
Northwich 1 81.97x
Preston 1 52.63x
Rickergate 1 15.85x
Sheffield 1 0.92x
Wakefield 1 3.80x
Wallerscoat 1 10000.00x
West Bromwich 1 1.49x
West Derby 1 0.83x
Westminster St 1 7.83x
Whittingham 1 55.25x
Winnington 1 117.65x
Withington 1 7.55x
Witton Gilbert 1 24.57x
Wolstanton 1 2.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 45
Ellen 9
Bridget 8
Catherine 8
Margaret 8
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 6
Eliza 5
Ann 4
Hannah 4
Kate 4
Annie 3
Maria 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Emily 2
Catharine 1
Edwina 1
Elizh. 1
Hanna 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Katie 1
Maggie 1
Margeret 1
Margret. 1
Margrett 1
Margt 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
May 1
Rachel 1
Selina 1
Teresa 1
Winefred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 40
James 20
Patrick 18
Michael 15
Thomas 14
Edward 7
William 7
Peter 6
Martin 5
Joseph 3
Wm. 3
Daniel 2
Hugh 2
Jas. 2
Bernard 1
Brien 1
Catherine 1
Charles 1
Derby 1
Edwd. 1
Fergus 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Hiram 1
J. 1
Jno. 1
Laurence 1
Lawrence 1
Malachia 1
Mart. 1
Matt 1
Matthew 1
Mike 1
Pat 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
W. 1
Walter 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Shaughnessy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shaughnessy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 352 people were recorded with the Shaughnessy surname. That placed it at #8,718 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shaughnessy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 817 in 2016. That gives Shaughnessy a modern rank of #6,789.

What does the Shaughnessy surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Seachnasaigh, meaning "descendant of Seachnasach," derived from "seachnach," meaning "to avoid."

What does the Shaughnessy map show?

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