NameCensus.

UK surname

Adkinson

Derived from a patronymic form of the given name Adam, meaning "son of Adam."

In the 1881 census there were 166 people recorded with the Adkinson surname, ranking it #14,496 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 79, ranked #33,100, down from #14,496 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Stockport and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaby, Plymouth and Havering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Adkinson is 229 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 52.4%.

1881 census count

166

Ranked #14,496

Modern count

79

2016, ranked #33,100

Peak year

1851

229 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 1998

Key insights

  • Adkinson had 166 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,496 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 79 in 2016, ranked #33,100.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 229 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Adkinson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Adkinson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Adkinson 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 229 #9,390
1861 historical 222 #10,993
1881 historical 166 #14,496
1891 historical 164 #17,205
1901 historical 142 #18,633
1911 historical 173 #16,361
1997 modern 104 #26,351
1998 modern 100 #27,619
1999 modern 103 #27,305
2000 modern 98 #27,988
2001 modern 101 #27,252
2002 modern 97 #28,383
2003 modern 91 #29,121
2004 modern 96 #28,605
2005 modern 93 #29,133
2006 modern 87 #30,292
2007 modern 86 #30,808
2008 modern 89 #30,713
2009 modern 90 #31,094
2010 modern 88 #31,875
2011 modern 84 #32,237
2012 modern 82 #32,701
2013 modern 81 #32,996
2014 modern 82 #32,992
2015 modern 79 #33,127
2016 modern 79 #33,100

Geography

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Where Adkinsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Stockport, London parishes, Battersea and Kibworth Beauchamp. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaby, Plymouth, Havering, Fylde and Wyre. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Battersea London (South Districts)
5 Kibworth Beauchamp Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaby 002 Blaby
2 Plymouth 021 Plymouth
3 Havering 022 Havering
4 Fylde 007 Fylde
5 Wyre 013 Wyre

Forenames

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First names often paired with Adkinson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Adkinson

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Adkinson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Adkinson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Adkinson is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Adkinson is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Adkinson falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Adkinson

The surname Adkinson originated in England, likely in the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be a patronymic name, derived from the given name "Adkin," which was a diminutive form of the name Adam. The suffix "-son" was commonly added to denote "son of," indicating that the original bearer was the son of someone named Adkin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where a Richard Adkinson is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century in the Yorkshire region of England.

The name may also have derived from the place name "Adkinston" or "Adkingston," which was a small village located in the county of Northumberland. The village name itself is likely a combination of the personal name "Adkin" and the Old English word "tun," meaning an enclosure or settlement.

In the 16th century, there are records of an Adkinson family residing in the parish of Darrington, near Pontefract in West Yorkshire. This includes a Richard Adkinson, born around 1560, who was a landowner and yeoman farmer in the area.

One notable figure with the Adkinson surname was Robert Adkinson (1639-1703), an English author and clergyman who served as the Rector of Leigh in Lancashire. He published several religious works, including a book titled "The Christian's Spiritual Wealth" in 1691.

Another notable Adkinson was Thomas Adkinson (1683-1760), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Liverpool. He was involved in the slave trade and owned several plantations in the West Indies.

In the 18th century, the Adkinson name can be found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland, suggesting that the name had spread from its original region.

William Adkinson (1775-1855) was a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and participated in several notable battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

John Adkinson (1820-1892) was a prominent businessman and industrialist from Manchester, England. He established a successful cotton mill and was involved in the development of the city's textile industry.

While the Adkinson surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as a result of migration and settlement patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Adkinson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Adkinson 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. Leicestershire leads with 35 Adkinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.49x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 35 19.49x
Cheshire 29 8.11x
Lancashire 21 1.09x
Yorkshire 18 1.12x
Middlesex 15 0.93x
Derbyshire 9 3.55x
Lincolnshire 8 3.09x
Nottinghamshire 8 3.67x
Essex 4 1.25x
Surrey 4 0.51x
Worcestershire 4 1.89x
Staffordshire 3 0.55x
Warwickshire 3 0.73x
Northamptonshire 2 1.31x
Channel Islands 1 2.08x
Durham 1 0.21x
Somerset 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kibworth Harcourt in Leicestershire leads with 17 Adkinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6800.00x.

Place Total Index
Kibworth Harcourt 17 6800.00x
Bethnal Green London 12 17.06x
Leicester St Mary 9 62.03x
Litchurch 9 88.24x
Scrooby 8 7272.73x
Chadderton 7 74.55x
Marple 6 244.90x
Cheetham 5 34.89x
Kippax 5 354.61x
Liscard 5 77.64x
Manthorpe Cum Little 5 252.53x
Battersea 4 6.71x
Liverpool 4 3.43x
Sheffield 4 7.83x
Stockport 4 21.74x
Ainderby Quernhow 3 5000.00x
Boxted 3 652.17x
Bramhall 3 202.70x
Kibworth Beauchamp 3 483.87x
Leicester St Margaret 3 6.85x
Macclesfield 3 18.88x
Sculcoates 3 11.79x
Bredbury 2 96.62x
Coventry St Michael 2 15.24x
Dudley 2 7.78x
Holy Trinity 2 5.18x
Leek Lowe 2 27.51x
Leicester St Martin 2 165.29x
Manby 2 2000.00x
Ribbesford 2 113.64x
Runcorn 2 24.27x
Sutton In Macclesfield 2 53.91x
Westminster St John 2 10.14x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 2.38x
Bottesford 1 135.14x
Grantham 1 29.67x
Hulme 1 2.49x
Hurdsfield 1 45.45x
Islington London 1 0.64x
Lexden 1 78.13x
Marton 1 78.13x
Mobberley 1 121.95x
Naseby 1 294.12x
Northampton St Giles 1 17.24x
Pensford St Thomas 1 666.67x
Rowley 1 285.71x
St Helier 1 6.40x
Stockton On Tees 1 4.31x
Stoneleigh 1 147.06x
Tamworth 1 34.25x
West Derby 1 1.78x
Wigan 1 3.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Elizabeth 10
Sarah 8
Emily 5
Jane 5
Alice 3
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Harriet 3
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Ada 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Constance 1
Edith 1
Effie 1
Elizath. 1
Florance 1
Gertrude 1
Jame. 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Luisa 1
Polley 1
Ruth 1
Susannah 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
Charles 6
William 6
Robert 5
James 4
Thomas 4
Henry 3
Richard 3
Arthur 2
David 2
Herbert 2
Job 2
Thos. 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Clement 1
Edward 1
Enos 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Fredk.Laundon 1
George 1
Harry 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Kevin 1
Matthew 1
Perry 1
Rodney 1
Sam 1
Sam.W.G. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Adkinson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Adkinson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 166 people were recorded with the Adkinson surname. That placed it at #14,496 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Adkinson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 79 in 2016. That gives Adkinson a modern rank of #33,100.

What does the Adkinson surname mean?

Derived from a patronymic form of the given name Adam, meaning "son of Adam."

What does the Adkinson map show?

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