NameCensus.

UK surname

Strahan

An Irish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "stream" or "river."

In the 1881 census there were 146 people recorded with the Strahan surname, ranking it #15,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 182, ranked #20,890, down from #15,752 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and St George the Martyr. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blackburn with Darwen and Oxford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Strahan is 215 in 2003. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.7%.

1881 census count

146

Ranked #15,752

Modern count

182

2016, ranked #20,890

Peak year

2003

215 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Strahan had 146 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,752 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 182 in 2016, ranked #20,890.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 177 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Strahan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Strahan surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Strahan 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 125 #14,700
1861 historical 101 #20,955
1881 historical 146 #15,752
1891 historical 177 #16,330
1901 historical 173 #16,579
1911 historical 177 #16,129
1997 modern 205 #17,370
1998 modern 208 #17,693
1999 modern 211 #17,662
2000 modern 205 #17,940
2001 modern 199 #17,996
2002 modern 207 #17,911
2003 modern 215 #17,286
2004 modern 205 #17,935
2005 modern 190 #18,753
2006 modern 188 #19,023
2007 modern 187 #19,271
2008 modern 189 #19,315
2009 modern 186 #19,946
2010 modern 190 #20,087
2011 modern 192 #19,797
2012 modern 191 #19,802
2013 modern 199 #19,584
2014 modern 194 #20,097
2015 modern 189 #20,345
2016 modern 182 #20,890

Geography

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Where Strahans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, St George the Martyr and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blackburn with Darwen and Oxford. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 St George the Martyr London (South Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blackburn with Darwen 001 Blackburn with Darwen
2 Blackburn with Darwen 010 Blackburn with Darwen
3 Oxford 004 Oxford
4 Blackburn with Darwen 012 Blackburn with Darwen
5 Blackburn with Darwen 013 Blackburn with Darwen

Forenames

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First names often paired with Strahan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Strahan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Strahan, 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 Strahan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Strahan 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Strahan is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Strahan is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Strahan falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Strahan 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 Strahan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Strahan

The surname Strahan has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word 'Strath', meaning valley or glen, and 'àbhainn', meaning river or stream. This suggests that the name originated from a specific place, likely a valley or glen near a river or stream.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Here, the name appears as 'de Strathawan', indicating its Scottish roots.

In the 14th century, the name is mentioned in the records of the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, with various spellings such as 'Strathawan' and 'Strathawin'. This highlights the fluidity of surname spellings in early times.

The name Strahan is also linked to several place names in Scotland, such as Strathannan in Perthshire and Strathavon in Banffshire. These place names likely influenced the surname's evolution and regional variations.

Notable individuals bearing the Strahan surname include:

1. Sir George Strahan (1677-1748), a British Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London. 2. William Strahan (1715-1785), a Scottish printer and publisher who worked with renowned authors like Samuel Johnson and Benjamin Franklin. 3. Alexander Strahan (1833-1918), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament. 4. George Strahan (1854-1912), a Scottish-born Australian politician and member of the Australian Senate. 5. Michael Strahan (born 1971), a former American football defensive end who played for the New York Giants and is now a television personality.

While the Strahan surname has roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including England, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and the United States, due to migration and the expansion of the British Empire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Strahan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Strahan 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 35 Strahans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.09x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 35 2.09x
Surrey 34 4.93x
Middlesex 19 1.34x
Fife 12 14.33x
Essex 7 2.51x
Lanarkshire 7 1.53x
Midlothian 7 3.69x
Kent 6 1.24x
Ayrshire 4 3.78x
Oxfordshire 4 4.58x
West Lothian 2 9.39x
Yorkshire 2 0.14x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.76x
Angus 1 0.76x
Cheshire 1 0.32x
Gloucestershire 1 0.36x
Hertfordshire 1 1.03x
Sussex 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ballingry in Fife leads with 12 Strahans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2307.69x.

Place Total Index
Ballingry 12 2307.69x
Southwark St George Martyr 12 42.16x
Lambeth 10 8.11x
Kirkdale 9 31.88x
St Pancras London 8 7.03x
Kingston On Thames 7 42.30x
Everton 6 11.22x
Glasgow 6 7.39x
Manchester 6 7.95x
Witton 6 284.36x
Newington 5 9.57x
Alvescot 4 2222.22x
Kilmarnock 4 31.75x
Urmston 4 366.97x
Bromley London 3 9.64x
Deptford St Paul 3 8.06x
Paddington London 3 5.77x
South Leith 3 14.07x
West Derby 3 6.11x
Brentwood 2 117.65x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 2.62x
Leybourne 2 1538.46x
Linlithgow 2 73.26x
St Lawrence Jewry 2 5000.00x
West Ham 2 3.24x
Barony 1 0.86x
Brighton 1 2.08x
Cramond 1 69.44x
Harlow 1 83.33x
Harwich St Nicholas 1 46.30x
Heston 1 21.28x
Horsemonden 1 142.86x
Kirriemuir 1 30.96x
Lasswade 1 23.09x
Leeds 1 1.26x
Liscard 1 17.79x
Liverpool 1 0.98x
New Deer 1 42.19x
Prittlewell 1 25.84x
Shenley 1 156.25x
Tewkesbury 1 40.32x
Walkington 1 212.77x
Westminster St 1 19.19x
Westminster St James 1 6.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 5
Mary 5
Elizabeth 4
Jane 4
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Emma 3
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Alice 2
Ellen 2
Harriet 2
Margt. 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Cecilia 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Elizh. 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Euphemie 1
Florence 1
Lisbeth 1
Louisa 1
Marie 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Sussanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 4
Thomas 4
William 4
James 3
John 3
Richard 3
Benjamin 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Percy 2
Albert 1
Alexr. 1
Alfred 1
Archie 1
Augustus 1
Benjm. 1
Charles 1
David 1
Edward 1
Elizabeth 1
Francis 1
Herbert 1
Kenneth 1
Robert 1
Saml. 1
Samuel 1
Sir 1
Stephen 1
Stuart 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.G. 1

FAQ

Strahan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Strahan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 146 people were recorded with the Strahan surname. That placed it at #15,752 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Strahan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 182 in 2016. That gives Strahan a modern rank of #20,890.

What does the Strahan surname mean?

An Irish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "stream" or "river."

What does the Strahan map show?

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