NameCensus.

UK surname

Twohig

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name "Ó Tuathchaigh" meaning "descendant of Tuathchach".

In the 1881 census there were 40 people recorded with the Twohig surname, ranking it #28,011 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 215, ranked #18,670, up from #28,011 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Kesteven, Welwyn Hatfield and South Hams.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Twohig is 216 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 437.5%.

1881 census count

40

Ranked #28,011

Modern count

215

2016, ranked #18,670

Peak year

2014

216 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Twohig had 40 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,011 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 64 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Twohig surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Twohig surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Twohig 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 15 #30,614
1861 historical 10 #32,589
1881 historical 40 #28,011
1891 historical 52 #30,061
1901 historical 49 #28,696
1911 historical 64 #26,435
1997 modern 212 #16,996
1998 modern 212 #17,479
1999 modern 210 #17,712
2000 modern 208 #17,772
2001 modern 196 #18,146
2002 modern 199 #18,350
2003 modern 188 #18,810
2004 modern 192 #18,678
2005 modern 188 #18,866
2006 modern 199 #18,357
2007 modern 192 #18,975
2008 modern 190 #19,246
2009 modern 200 #19,028
2010 modern 207 #19,007
2011 modern 201 #19,213
2012 modern 209 #18,659
2013 modern 215 #18,598
2014 modern 216 #18,705
2015 modern 211 #18,906
2016 modern 215 #18,670

Geography

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Where Twohigs 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 North Kesteven, Welwyn Hatfield, South Hams, Salford and Blaenau Gwent. 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 North Kesteven 010 North Kesteven
2 Welwyn Hatfield 012 Welwyn Hatfield
3 South Hams 008 South Hams
4 Salford 002 Salford
5 Blaenau Gwent 007 Blaenau Gwent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Twohig

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Twohig

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

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Twohig surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Twohig household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s 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, Twohig 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

Twohig 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

Twohig 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 Twohig 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Twohig

The surname Twohig originates from Ireland, specifically County Cork, and dates back to the 16th century. It is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Tuathaigh," which means "descendant of Tuathalach," a personal name derived from the word "tuath," meaning "territory" or "people."

The earliest known recorded instance of the name Twohig can be found in the "Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns," a collection of official documents from the Tudor period in Ireland. In these records, the name appears as "O'Toohie" and "O'Toohy" in the late 16th century.

The Twohig surname is closely associated with the Muskerry region of County Cork, where the family held lands and positions of prominence. Some historical references suggest that the Twohigs were among the leading families in the area, with their ancestral home located near the town of Macroom.

In the 17th century, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, many Twohig families were dispossessed of their lands and forced to relocate. This led to the widespread dispersal of the name throughout Ireland and, later, to other parts of the world through emigration.

One notable figure from the Twohig family was Patrick Twohig (1823-1895), a prominent Irish nationalist and member of the Irish Parliamentary Party. He served as a Member of Parliament for County Cork from 1880 to 1885.

Another individual of note was Michael Twohig (1884-1957), an Irish politician and member of the Sinn Féin party. He was elected to the Parliament of Northern Ireland in 1925 and served as a Member of Parliament for South Armagh until 1949.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Twohig surname can be found in the 1820 census, where a family by that name was living in New York City.

John Twohig (1872-1942) was an American politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1903 to 1907 and as a member of the Massachusetts State Senate from 1907 to 1911.

Variations of the name include Twohy, Tohig, Toohey, and Toohig, reflecting the different ways in which the Irish Gaelic name was anglicized over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Twohig families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Twohig 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. Monmouthshire leads with 16 Twohigs recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.76x.

County Total Index
Monmouthshire 16 56.76x
Middlesex 11 2.82x
Lancashire 4 0.86x
Surrey 4 2.10x
Glamorgan 2 2.95x
Anglesey 1 14.47x
Cheshire 1 1.16x
Northamptonshire 1 2.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Trevethin in Monmouthshire leads with 10 Twohigs recorded in 1881 and an index of 375.94x.

Place Total Index
Trevethin 10 375.94x
Spitalfields London 7 238.91x
St Woollos 6 190.48x
Bromley London 4 46.62x
Rotherhithe 4 82.99x
Kirkdale 3 38.51x
Birkenhead 1 14.58x
Cardiff St Mary 1 26.74x
Holyhead 1 77.52x
Liverpool 1 3.56x
Llanwonno 1 40.98x
Weedon Beck 1 384.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Catherine 3
Margaret 3
Ellen 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
M. 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Dennis 2
Edward 2
James 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Daniel 1
Jeremiah 1
Joseph 1
Michael 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 Twohig households.

FAQ

Twohig surname: questions and answers

How common was the Twohig surname in 1881?

In 1881, 40 people were recorded with the Twohig surname. That placed it at #28,011 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Twohig surname today?

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

What does the Twohig surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name "Ó Tuathchaigh" meaning "descendant of Tuathchach".

What does the Twohig map show?

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