NameCensus.

UK surname

Sugrue

An anglicized Irish surname likely derived from the Gaelic Ó Súgradhaigh meaning "one from the musical family".

In the 1881 census there were 17 people recorded with the Sugrue surname, ranking it #31,170 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 388, ranked #12,133, up from #31,170 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Nuneaton and Bedworth and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sugrue is 429 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 2182.4%.

1881 census count

17

Ranked #31,170

Modern count

388

2016, ranked #12,133

Peak year

2000

429 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sugrue had 17 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,170 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 388 in 2016, ranked #12,133.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 38 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Sugrue surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sugrue surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sugrue 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 32 #27,570
1861 historical 14 #32,072
1881 historical 17 #31,170
1891 historical 32 #31,754
1901 historical 36 #30,099
1911 historical 38 #29,147
1997 modern 391 #11,196
1998 modern 418 #11,009
1999 modern 412 #11,203
2000 modern 429 #10,834
2001 modern 419 #10,835
2002 modern 426 #10,918
2003 modern 413 #11,006
2004 modern 411 #11,053
2005 modern 416 #10,855
2006 modern 418 #10,861
2007 modern 418 #10,976
2008 modern 410 #11,245
2009 modern 413 #11,436
2010 modern 417 #11,606
2011 modern 407 #11,709
2012 modern 393 #11,874
2013 modern 394 #12,064
2014 modern 404 #11,906
2015 modern 400 #11,909
2016 modern 388 #12,133

Geography

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Where Sugrues are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Nuneaton and Bedworth, West Dorset and Waltham Forest. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 054 Cornwall
2 Nuneaton and Bedworth 016 Nuneaton and Bedworth
3 Cornwall 073 Cornwall
4 West Dorset 002 West Dorset
5 Waltham Forest 003 Waltham Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sugrue

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sugrue

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Sugrue surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Sugrue household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Sugrue is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sugrue 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

Sugrue falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sugrue

The surname Sugrue is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic name "Ó Suagáin". It is believed to have first emerged in the 12th century in County Kerry, Ireland. The name is derived from the Irish word "suagán", meaning "little hawk" or "little valorous one".

The earliest recorded instance of the Sugrue name can be traced back to the Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland, where a chieftain named Muiris Ó Suagáin was mentioned in the year 1187. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 12th century.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Sugrue clan played a significant role in the history of County Kerry. They were among the prominent families that controlled large tracts of land in the region. The Sugrues were known for their involvement in local politics and their allegiance to the powerful McCarthy dynasty.

In the 16th century, the Sugrue name appeared in the Fiants of the Tudors, a collection of official documents from the Tudor period. Specifically, a man named Donnell Sugrue was granted land in County Kerry in 1595, indicating the family's continued prominence in the area.

One notable figure with the Sugrue surname was Seán Ó Suagáin, a 17th-century Irish poet and historian. He was born in County Kerry around 1620 and is renowned for his work "Leabhar na nGenealach" (The Book of Genealogies), which chronicled the histories of various Irish families.

Another prominent individual was Sir Richard Sugrue (1799-1876), an Irish-born lawyer and politician who served as a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Ireland. He was knighted in 1858 for his distinguished legal career.

In the 19th century, the Sugrue name appeared in several historical records, including the Griffith's Valuation of Ireland, which documented land ownership in the mid-1800s. Several Sugrue families were listed as landowners in County Kerry during this period.

A notable figure from this era was Thomas Sugrue (1836-1914), an Irish-American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts from 1899 to 1901.

The Sugrue surname has also been associated with various place names in County Kerry, such as Sugrue's Cross, a townland located near Tralee.

Overall, the history of the Sugrue surname is deeply rooted in the Irish county of Kerry, where it has been a prominent name for centuries, with connections to local chieftains, poets, lawyers, and politicians.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sugrue families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sugrue 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 10 Sugrues recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.04x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 10 6.04x
Devon 4 11.60x
Kent 2 3.54x
Lancashire 1 0.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth Charles The in Devon leads with 4 Sugrues recorded in 1881 and an index of 263.16x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth Charles The 4 263.16x
St Giles Cripplegate 4 1818.18x
Mile End Old Town 2 76.63x
St Stephen Coleman 2 5000.00x
Greenwich 1 37.88x
Kensington London 1 10.86x
Limehouse London 1 54.95x
Liverpool 1 8.38x
St Peters 1 384.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Jane 1
John 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 2
John 2
Bartholomew 1
Michael 1
Timothy 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sugrue households.

FAQ

Sugrue surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sugrue surname in 1881?

In 1881, 17 people were recorded with the Sugrue surname. That placed it at #31,170 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sugrue surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 388 in 2016. That gives Sugrue a modern rank of #12,133.

What does the Sugrue surname mean?

An anglicized Irish surname likely derived from the Gaelic Ó Súgradhaigh meaning "one from the musical family".

What does the Sugrue map show?

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