NameCensus.

UK surname

Shean

Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Ó Séaghain meaning "descendant of Séaghan/John".

In the 1881 census there were 401 people recorded with the Shean surname, ranking it #7,959 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 215, ranked #18,670, down from #7,959 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Mary Whitechapel and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Colchester, North Dorset and Bristol.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shean is 436 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 46.4%.

1881 census count

401

Ranked #7,959

Modern count

215

2016, ranked #18,670

Peak year

1861

436 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shean had 401 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,959 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016, ranked #18,670.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 436 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Shean surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shean surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shean 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 299 #7,675
1861 historical 436 #5,907
1881 historical 401 #7,959
1891 historical 315 #10,669
1901 historical 381 #9,799
1911 historical 309 #11,203
1997 modern 233 #15,975
1998 modern 251 #15,631
1999 modern 249 #15,844
2000 modern 252 #15,659
2001 modern 242 #15,832
2002 modern 230 #16,730
2003 modern 232 #16,447
2004 modern 233 #16,471
2005 modern 229 #16,631
2006 modern 233 #16,560
2007 modern 238 #16,505
2008 modern 231 #16,973
2009 modern 237 #17,052
2010 modern 238 #17,323
2011 modern 233 #17,426
2012 modern 229 #17,537
2013 modern 236 #17,472
2014 modern 235 #17,619
2015 modern 220 #18,346
2016 modern 215 #18,670

Geography

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Where Sheans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Mary Whitechapel, St Pancras and St Giles-in-the-Fields. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Colchester, North Dorset and Bristol. 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 1
2 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St Giles-in-the-Fields London (Central Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Colchester 021 Colchester
2 North Dorset 002 North Dorset
3 North Dorset 001 North Dorset
4 Bristol 008 Bristol, City of
5 Bristol 003 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shean

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shean

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Shean surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Shean household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Shean is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shean is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shean falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shean is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Shean, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Shean

The surname SHEAN is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Síodhacháin, which translates to "descendant of Síodhachán," a personal name derived from the Gaelic word "sídheach," meaning "fairy-like" or "peaceful."

The earliest recorded instances of the SHEAN surname can be found in various historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable example is Sir Richard SHEAN, an Irish lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Irish House of Commons in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the SHEAN surname was associated with the region of County Cork in Ireland. Several SHEAN family members were landowners and prominent figures in the local community during this time period.

The SHEAN surname also has connections to the town of Ballyvourney, located in County Cork. Records from the 18th century mention a family of SHEANs who were influential landowners and involved in local politics.

Notable individuals with the SHEAN surname throughout history include:

1. Michael SHEAN (1824-1891), an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council of Victoria. 2. John SHEAN (1855-1922), an Irish-born American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the New York State Assembly. 3. William SHEAN (1865-1942), an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia. 4. Patrick SHEAN (1876-1961), an Irish-born American prelate who served as the Bishop of Wheeling from 1922 to 1961. 5. Edward SHEAN (1882-1938), an Irish-born American vaudeville performer and actor, known for his comedy duo with Ed Gallagher.

While the SHEAN surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Australia, the United States, and other English-speaking countries, as a result of immigration and migration patterns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shean families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shean 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. Middlesex leads with 135 Sheans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.43x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 135 3.43x
Glamorgan 54 7.89x
Lancashire 52 1.11x
Somerset 32 5.06x
Surrey 25 1.31x
Yorkshire 16 0.41x
Hampshire 15 1.86x
Essex 12 1.55x
Kent 12 0.89x
Gloucestershire 6 0.78x
Cumberland 5 1.48x
Herefordshire 4 2.48x
Staffordshire 4 0.30x
Buckinghamshire 3 1.26x
Cheshire 3 0.35x
Monmouthshire 3 1.06x
Royal Navy 3 6.40x
Sussex 3 0.45x
Brecknockshire 2 2.54x
Dorset 2 0.78x
Durham 2 0.17x
Hertfordshire 2 0.74x
Warwickshire 2 0.20x
Anglesey 1 1.44x
Berkshire 1 0.34x
Channel Islands 1 0.86x
Devon 1 0.12x
Leicestershire 1 0.23x
Midlothian 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Merthyr Tydfil in Glamorgan leads with 16 Sheans recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.32x.

Place Total Index
Merthyr Tydfil 16 24.32x
Liverpool 15 5.29x
St Pancras London 15 4.74x
Middlesbrough 11 21.68x
Swansea Town 11 19.60x
Hammersmith London 10 10.33x
St Marylebone London 10 4.76x
Chelsea London 9 7.60x
Heaton Norris 9 33.90x
Sparkford 9 2647.06x
Gorton 8 18.24x
Islington London 8 2.10x
Kensington London 8 3.66x
Portsea 8 5.07x
West Ham 8 4.67x
Charlton Horethorne 7 1093.75x
Hackney London 7 3.18x
Bow London 6 11.99x
Gelligaer 6 38.39x
Rotherhithe 6 12.35x
St Sepulchre London 6 104.17x
Wellington 6 69.93x
Clerkenwell London 5 5.39x
Greenwich 5 7.99x
Lambeth 5 1.46x
St Andrew Holborn 5 37.51x
St George In East 5 18.70x
St John Near Swansea 5 59.10x
Toxteth Park 5 3.17x
Wigan 5 7.67x
Bermondsey 4 3.42x
Clase 4 15.72x
Gloucester St John Baptist 4 80.32x
Kings Pyon 4 655.74x
Lamyatt 4 1176.47x
Llanwonno 4 16.27x
Poplar London 4 5.39x
Shoreditch London 4 2.35x
Calverton 3 405.41x
Camberwell 3 1.19x
Crosscanonby 3 26.81x
Deptford St Nicholas 3 28.20x
East Ham 3 20.83x
Mile End New Town 3 55.87x
Neath 3 21.54x
Ratcliffe London 3 13.82x
Shadwell London 3 27.27x
St Giles In Fields 3 22.12x
Whitechapel London 3 7.74x
Wolverhampton 3 2.94x
Bromley London 2 2.31x
Caldewgate 2 10.79x
Everton 2 1.35x
Fulham London 2 3.51x
Great Bolton 2 3.24x
Hove 2 6.88x
Limehouse London 2 4.64x
Newington 2 1.38x
Norwood 2 22.25x
Putney 2 11.16x
Royal Navy 2 5.00x
Southampton All Sts 2 14.47x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 2 35.97x
St Maurice Winchester 2 59.70x
Standon 2 71.68x
Wortley In Bramley 2 6.48x
York Holy Trinity 2 59.35x
Axminster 1 26.04x
Bedwellty 1 1.99x
Bristol St James In 1 8.82x
Bristol St Nicholas 1 71.94x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 7.15x
Coyty Lower 1 22.52x
East Woodhay 1 48.54x
Hinckley 1 9.67x
Salford 1 0.73x
St Clement Danes 1 15.72x
Stoke Newington London 1 3.27x
Wells St Cuthbert 1 23.15x
Withington 1 6.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 47
Ellen 14
Bridget 11
Elizabeth 11
Margaret 9
Ann 8
Catherine 7
Johanna 6
Annie 5
Alice 4
Caroline 4
Julia 4
Sarah 4
Anne 3
Eliza 3
Amy 2
Cathrine 2
Esther 2
Jane 2
Katherine 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Charity 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Flora 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Gwenllian 1
Gwenny 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
Honorah 1
Isabella 1
Jenny 1
Jonnah 1
Judith 1
Kate 1
Keturah 1
Margot 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Matilda 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 47
William 23
Thomas 13
Daniel 11
James 11
Michael 8
Jeremiah 6
Patrick 6
Arthur 4
George 4
Timothy 4
Edward 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Charles 2
Denis 2
Dennis 2
Fredrick 2
Herbert 2
Joshua 2
Maurice 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Andrew 1
Archibald 1
Charlie 1
Cornelius 1
D. 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Johanna 1
Josiah 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Mick 1
Mickal 1
Noah 1
Patrk. 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1

FAQ

Shean surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shean surname in 1881?

In 1881, 401 people were recorded with the Shean surname. That placed it at #7,959 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shean surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016. That gives Shean a modern rank of #18,670.

What does the Shean surname mean?

Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Ó Séaghain meaning "descendant of Séaghan/John".

What does the Shean map show?

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