NameCensus.

UK surname

Walsh

An Irish surname derived from Breathnach, indicating Welsh or British origin or settlement.

In the 1881 census there were 15,864 people recorded with the Walsh surname, ranking it #249 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 39,217, ranked #126, up from #249 in 1881.

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

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Walsh is 40,767 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 147.2%.

1881 census count

15,864

Ranked #249

Modern count

39,217

2016, ranked #126

Peak year

2010

40,767 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Walsh had 15,864 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #249 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 39,217 in 2016, ranked #126.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 20,887 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Walsh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Walsh surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Walsh 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 8,436 #317
1861 historical 10,487 #243
1881 historical 15,864 #249
1891 historical 17,008 #238
1901 historical 19,729 #247
1911 historical 20,887 #211
1997 modern 37,573 #127
1998 modern 38,898 #128
1999 modern 39,178 #127
2000 modern 38,851 #128
2001 modern 38,071 #127
2002 modern 39,043 #129
2003 modern 38,289 #126
2004 modern 38,141 #128
2005 modern 37,706 #128
2006 modern 37,807 #125
2007 modern 38,266 #125
2008 modern 38,594 #124
2009 modern 39,674 #123
2010 modern 40,767 #122
2011 modern 39,879 #123
2012 modern 38,672 #127
2013 modern 39,692 #125
2014 modern 39,873 #125
2015 modern 39,386 #126
2016 modern 39,217 #126

Geography

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Where Walshs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool and Blackburn. 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. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blackburn with Darwen 017 Blackburn with Darwen
2 Blackburn with Darwen 015 Blackburn with Darwen
3 Blackburn with Darwen 009 Blackburn with Darwen
4 Blackburn with Darwen 008 Blackburn with Darwen
5 Blackburn with Darwen 014 Blackburn with Darwen

Forenames

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First names often paired with Walsh

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Walsh

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

Walsh 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

Walsh 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 Walsh is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Walsh

The surname WALSH is of Anglo-Irish origin, deriving from the Old English word "walsh" meaning "foreigner" or "stranger". It is believed to have originated in the 12th century, when Anglo-Norman settlers arrived in Ireland and established themselves as rulers over the native Irish population.

The name was initially given as a nickname or descriptive term to distinguish these newcomers from the local inhabitants. Over time, it became a hereditary surname, passing down through generations of families.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the WALSH surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in England, dating back to 1182. This document mentions a "Walter le Waleys", which is an early variant spelling of the name.

In Ireland, the WALSH surname is particularly associated with the counties of Kilkenny, Tipperary, and Waterford, where many prominent WALSH families established their power and influence during the Middle Ages.

One notable figure was Sir John WALSH (c. 1510-1582), a wealthy landowner and politician from Waterford who served as Mayor of the city. Another was Patrick WALSH (1597-1629), a Franciscan friar and Archbishop of Cashel, who played a significant role in the Counter-Reformation in Ireland.

In the 17th century, during the Confederate Wars and Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, several WALSH families were prominent leaders in the Irish Catholic Confederacy, including Walter WALSH (c. 1595-1659), a member of the Supreme Council of the Confederacy.

The WALSH surname also has a strong presence in other parts of the world, including the United States and Australia, where many Irish immigrants settled in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Some other notable individuals with the WALSH surname throughout history include:

1. William WALSH (1663-1708), an English poet and critic. 2. Robert WALSH (1772-1852), an American author and diplomat. 3. Michael WALSH (1810-1859), an Irish-American journalist and politician. 4. Joseph WALSH (1835-1869), an Irish-Australian explorer and naturalist. 5. William WALSH (1861-1921), an American Roman Catholic bishop.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Walsh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Walsh 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 8,416 Walshs recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.56x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 8,416 4.56x
Yorkshire 2,095 1.36x
Middlesex 1,171 0.75x
Surrey 520 0.69x
Cheshire 511 1.49x
Kent 290 0.55x
Durham 236 0.51x
Staffordshire 212 0.40x
Hampshire 199 0.62x
Glamorgan 180 0.66x
Lanarkshire 172 0.34x
Warwickshire 168 0.43x
Derbyshire 145 0.60x
Essex 125 0.41x
Monmouthshire 123 1.09x
Devon 119 0.37x
Gloucestershire 113 0.37x
Cumberland 71 0.53x
Sussex 71 0.27x
Northumberland 69 0.30x
Worcestershire 65 0.32x
Royal Navy 62 3.35x
Nottinghamshire 55 0.26x
Renfrewshire 47 0.39x
Shropshire 46 0.34x
Angus 45 0.31x
Lincolnshire 41 0.16x
Oxfordshire 40 0.42x
Midlothian 39 0.19x
Perthshire 33 0.47x
Berkshire 31 0.27x
Hertfordshire 28 0.26x
Ayrshire 26 0.22x
Leicestershire 24 0.14x
Channel Islands 23 0.50x
Somerset 23 0.09x
Dorset 21 0.21x
Wiltshire 21 0.15x
Flintshire 19 0.45x
Caernarfonshire 17 0.27x
Cornwall 17 0.10x
Northamptonshire 16 0.11x
Stirlingshire 16 0.28x
Wigtownshire 16 0.77x
Bedfordshire 14 0.17x
Cambridgeshire 13 0.13x
Denbighshire 13 0.22x
Inverness-shire 12 0.26x
Norfolk 12 0.05x
Suffolk 11 0.06x
Isle of Man 10 0.35x
Dunbartonshire 9 0.22x
Pembrokeshire 9 0.18x
Roxburghshire 9 0.32x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.09x
East Lothian 6 0.29x
Fife 6 0.07x
Aberdeenshire 5 0.03x
Rutland 5 0.44x
Brecknockshire 4 0.13x
Herefordshire 3 0.05x
Orkney 3 0.18x
Anglesey 2 0.07x
Peeblesshire 2 0.27x
Ross-shire 2 0.05x
Westmorland 2 0.06x
Cardiganshire 1 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.03x
Radnorshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 814 Walshs recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.26x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 814 7.26x
Blackburn 762 15.52x
Over Darwen 518 35.14x
Manchester 275 3.31x
Wigan 272 10.55x
Oldham 270 4.53x
Accrington 224 13.35x
Preston 219 4.44x
Leeds 217 2.49x
Toxteth Park 184 2.94x
Great Bolton 183 7.49x
Salford 176 3.24x
Everton 167 2.84x
Little Bolton 149 6.28x
Bradford 132 3.54x
Newchurch 130 8.61x
Halifax 117 5.17x
Tottington Lower End 116 13.23x
Oswaldtwistle 115 17.64x
St Pancras London 115 0.92x
Farnworth 112 10.13x
Warrington 112 5.12x
Keighley 109 6.64x
West Derby 99 1.83x
Livesey 95 29.33x
Bermondsey 92 1.99x
Chorlton On Medlock 80 2.73x
Sheffield 80 1.63x
Kensington London 79 0.91x
Burnley 78 5.02x
Church 78 29.93x
Hulme 77 2.00x
Kirkdale 76 2.45x
Chelsea London 75 1.60x
Habergham Eaves 75 4.45x
Lambeth 75 0.55x
Bootle Cum Linacre 74 5.05x
Glossop Dale 74 6.49x
Haslingden 74 9.68x
Pendleton In Salford 73 3.32x
Spotland 73 3.56x
St Marylebone London 70 0.84x
Aston 69 0.64x
Chester St John Baptist 68 11.02x
Ashton Under Lyne 67 1.66x
Newington 67 1.17x
Birmingham 64 0.49x
Portsea 64 1.02x
Islington London 63 0.42x
Halliwell 62 9.23x
Bury 61 2.89x
Northowram 61 5.64x
Heap 59 6.03x
Witton 58 24.98x
Pemberton 57 7.75x
Westminster St John 57 3.01x
Deptford St Paul 56 1.37x
Dukinfield 55 3.47x
Glasgow 55 0.62x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 55 2.74x
Heaton Norris 54 5.14x
Manningham 54 2.84x
Ormskirk 54 15.29x
Chorley 53 5.12x
Ince In Makerfield 52 6.06x
Birkenhead 51 1.86x
Camberwell 51 0.51x
Castleton 51 2.77x
Royal Navy 51 3.22x
Widnes 51 3.83x
Macclesfield 50 3.28x
Southwark St George Martyr 50 1.60x
St George Hanover 49 2.41x
West Ham 49 0.72x
St Woollos 47 3.75x
Layton With Warbreck 46 6.79x
Paddington London 46 0.80x
Stockport 46 2.60x
Wakefield 45 3.80x
Holy Trinity 44 1.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,583
Elizabeth 448
Margaret 448
Ellen 409
Sarah 381
Ann 375
Catherine 331
Alice 266
Bridget 242
Jane 232
Annie 181
Emma 130
Eliza 128
Martha 113
Hannah 112
Kate 101
Maria 79
Emily 78
Agnes 73
Julia 64
Anne 63
Nancy 57
Harriet 51
Clara 50
Louisa 50
Isabella 46
Margt. 44
Rose 44
Charlotte 41
Betty 39
Esther 39
Betsy 38
Elizth. 36
Fanny 35
Caroline 34
Ada 31
Frances 31
Edith 30
Susannah 30
Florence 28
Amelia 25
Lucy 24
Susan 24
Catharine 22
Eleanor 22
Maggie 22
Margret 22
Winifred 20
Grace 19
Sophia 18

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1,310
James 815
Thomas 775
William 667
Patrick 391
Michael 295
Joseph 232
Edward 191
George 187
Richard 164
Robert 161
Henry 142
Martin 106
Charles 94
Peter 94
Arthur 71
Walter 67
David 57
Thos. 57
Samuel 55
Alfred 52
Francis 50
Frederick 49
Daniel 46
Albert 42
Wm. 41
Herbert 39
Andrew 36
Harry 30
Lawrence 28
Luke 28
Benjamin 27
Maurice 27
Mark 26
Nicholas 25
Frank 24
Stephen 23
Anthony 22
Ernest 22
Matthew 22
Christopher 20
Fred 18
Jas. 17
Edwin 15
Mathew 15
Jonathan 14
Micheal 14
Timothy 14
Edmund 13
Jno. 13

FAQ

Walsh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Walsh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15,864 people were recorded with the Walsh surname. That placed it at #249 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Walsh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 39,217 in 2016. That gives Walsh a modern rank of #126.

What does the Walsh surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from Breathnach, indicating Welsh or British origin or settlement.

What does the Walsh map show?

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