Most Common Catholic Surnames in Ireland in 1901

List of the most common Catholic surnames in Ireland in 1901. Each surname is followed by the number of people recorded with this religion and surname in the census.

Note: It was common for people to have the first letter of their surname entered into the census in place of their surname, if for example they were residents in a workhouse or a military base. For this reason, single letters may appear in the rankings.

1 MURPHY 53,911
2 KELLY 43,477
3 WALSH 34,058
4 RYAN 30,264
5 SULLIVAN 29,643
6 BYRNE 27,716
7 OBRIEN 22,265
8 DOYLE 20,072
9 MACCARTHY 18,864
10 REILLY 18,797
11 GALLAGHER 18,714
12 LYNCH 17,531
13 DOHERTY 16,712
14 MURRAY 15,704
15 ONEILL 15,692
16 QUINN 14,730
17 OCONNOR 14,409
18 BRENNAN 14,152
19 KENNEDY 14,134
20 BURKE 13,898
21 DALY 13,761
22 CONNOR 13,508
23 CARROLL 13,405
24 FLYNN 13,285
25 ODONNELL 12,999
26 FITZGERALD 12,445
27 COLLINS 12,222
28 FARRELL 12,082
29 DUFFY 11,694
30 DUNNE 11,665
31 NOLAN 11,529
32 CONNOLLY 11,034
33 MACGRATH 10,934
34 POWER 10,731
35 MORAN 10,495
36 HEALY 10,330
37 BRADY 10,089
38 SMYTH 10,077
39 BOYLE 9,864
40 HUGHES 9,814
41 FITZPATRICK 9,718
42 SMITH 9,517
43 CASEY 9,192
44 BARRY 9,128
45 DONOVAN 9,052
46 MACMAHON 9,035
47 FOLEY 8,974
48 MAGUIRE 8,943
49 KEANE 8,891
50 HAYES 8,738
51 MACKENNA 8,709
52 CLARKE 8,682
53 MACDONNELL 8,674
54 SWEENEY 8,490
55 WARD 8,366
56 KENNY 8,350
57 SHEA 8,272
58 DONNELLY 8,252
59 KAVANAGH 8,245
60 CONNELL 8,046
61 BRIEN 8,035
62 WHELAN 8,018
63 MAHONY 7,961
64 MARTIN 7,958
65 MAHER 7,540
66 MOORE 7,509
67 OSULLIVAN 7,319
68 HOGAN 7,303
69 CALLAGHAN 7,274
70 MACNAMARA 7,244
71 GRIFFIN 7,224
72 HIGGINS 7,200
73 C 7,131
74 EGAN 7,069
75 MACDERMOTT 7,042
76 MACLOUGHLIN 6,990
77 CULLEN 6,923
78 CUNNINGHAM 6,921
79 ROCHE 6,906
80 SHEEHAN 6,827
81 LYONS 6,741
82 CAMPBELL 6,720
83 CURRAN 6,624
84 CRONIN 6,521
85 FLANAGAN 6,514
86 CONWAY 6,485
87 BUCKLEY 6,415
88 M 6,383
89 DWYER 6,371
90 MACLAUGHLIN 6,359
91 WHITE 6,307
92 MACCANN 6,305
93 MACHUGH 6,214
94 MACDONALD 6,188
95 REGAN 6,115
96 MACCABE 6,084
97 OCONNELL 6,073
98 KING 5,971
99 CAHILL 5,867
100 JOYCE 5,831