NameCensus.

UK surname

Aiken

Derived from the Irish surname Aodhagáin, meaning "descendant of Aodhagán," a Gaelic personal name meaning "little fire."

In the 1881 census there were 486 people recorded with the Aiken surname, ranking it #6,925 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 884, ranked #6,377, up from #6,925 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Howe of Alford, Ythanside and Longside and Rattray.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Aiken is 915 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 81.9%.

1881 census count

486

Ranked #6,925

Modern count

884

2016, ranked #6,377

Peak year

2000

915 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Aiken had 486 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,925 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 884 in 2016, ranked #6,377.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 573 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Aiken surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Aiken surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Aiken 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 458 #5,402
1861 historical 526 #4,984
1881 historical 486 #6,925
1891 historical 496 #7,478
1901 historical 573 #7,321
1911 historical 282 #11,915
1997 modern 857 #6,203
1998 modern 888 #6,222
1999 modern 906 #6,169
2000 modern 915 #6,105
2001 modern 870 #6,219
2002 modern 903 #6,186
2003 modern 875 #6,208
2004 modern 864 #6,277
2005 modern 859 #6,259
2006 modern 857 #6,276
2007 modern 865 #6,293
2008 modern 871 #6,288
2009 modern 885 #6,347
2010 modern 897 #6,404
2011 modern 897 #6,335
2012 modern 878 #6,367
2013 modern 887 #6,400
2014 modern 875 #6,505
2015 modern 883 #6,401
2016 modern 884 #6,377

Geography

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Where Aikens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, London parishes, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Ellon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Howe of Alford, Ythanside, Longside and Rattray, South Norfolk and Peterhead Ugieside. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Ellon Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Howe of Alford Aberdeenshire
2 Ythanside Aberdeenshire
3 Longside and Rattray Aberdeenshire
4 South Norfolk 015 South Norfolk
5 Peterhead Ugieside Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Aiken

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Aiken

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Aiken surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Aiken household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Aiken 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

Aiken 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

Aiken 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 Aiken 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 Aiken, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Aiken

The surname Aiken originated in Scotland and is derived from the Gaelic words 'ac' meaning 'oak' and 'innis' meaning 'island' or 'meadow'. The name initially referred to a person who lived near an oak tree or in a meadow surrounded by oak trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aiken can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which date back to the 13th century. These rolls mention a person named John Aykin, who was a resident of the village of Aiken in Dumfriesshire, Scotland.

Another early reference to the name Aiken comes from the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of documents recording the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The Ragman Rolls include the name of a person named William Ayken.

In the 16th century, the name Aiken was also found in various Scottish records, such as the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, which mentions a person named Andrew Aiken in 1545.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Aiken was John Aiken (1652-1722), a Scottish philosopher and theologian who was a professor at the University of St. Andrews.

Another prominent figure with the name Aiken was William Aiken (1779-1831), an American politician and businessman who served as the 61st Governor of South Carolina from 1844 to 1846.

William Aiken's son, also named William Aiken (1806-1887), was a prominent Confederate politician and diplomat during the American Civil War.

In the field of literature, the name Aiken is associated with Conrad Aiken (1889-1973), an American novelist and poet who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1930 for his work "Selected Poems".

Another notable individual with the surname Aiken was Joan Aiken (1924-2004), an English writer best known for her children's books, including the "Wolves of Willoughby Chase" series.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Aiken families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Aiken 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 188 Aikens recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.08x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 188 43.08x
Lancashire 38 0.68x
Lanarkshire 29 1.90x
Midlothian 27 4.28x
Durham 24 1.71x
Middlesex 23 0.49x
Angus 22 5.04x
Kent 16 1.00x
Yorkshire 15 0.32x
Ayrshire 11 3.12x
Banffshire 10 10.23x
Staffordshire 10 0.63x
Northumberland 9 1.28x
Essex 8 0.86x
Dunbartonshire 7 5.53x
Cumberland 5 1.23x
Gloucestershire 5 0.54x
Surrey 5 0.22x
Kincardineshire 4 6.97x
Derbyshire 3 0.41x
Hampshire 3 0.31x
Peeblesshire 3 13.54x
Stirlingshire 3 1.73x
West Lothian 3 4.23x
Perthshire 2 0.95x
Royal Navy 2 3.56x
Argyllshire 1 0.76x
Cheshire 1 0.10x
Cornwall 1 0.19x
Fife 1 0.36x
Hertfordshire 1 0.31x
Monmouthshire 1 0.29x
Morayshire 1 1.37x
Warwickshire 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. Aberdeen Old Machar in Aberdeenshire leads with 42 Aikens recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.10x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen Old Machar 42 46.10x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 27 33.07x
Peterhead 19 82.36x
Monkwearmouth Shore 15 54.82x
Cruden 14 249.11x
Ellon 14 233.33x
Liff Benvie 13 19.62x
Kemnay 12 454.55x
Salford 12 7.30x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 4.33x
Edinburgh Old Church 9 177.51x
Stoke Upon Trent 9 5.34x
Banff 8 94.23x
Chapel Of Garioch 8 258.06x
Deptford St Paul 8 6.45x
Kintore 8 211.08x
Barking 7 25.73x
Finchley 7 38.76x
Arbroath 6 41.47x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 6 13.79x
Bridewell Precinct London 6 1333.33x
Cardross 6 39.47x
Manchester 6 2.39x
Newcastle On Tyne St 6 16.51x
Stranton 6 12.71x
Tarves 6 145.28x
Dalziel 5 30.51x
Dewsbury 5 10.44x
Govan 5 1.33x
Lancaster 5 15.03x
New Deer 5 63.29x
New Monkland 5 11.10x
Wavertree 5 27.93x
Camberwell 4 1.33x
Fyvie 4 56.18x
Glasgow 4 1.48x
Liberton 4 41.07x
Liverpool 4 1.18x
St George In East London 4 9.03x
St Lawrence 4 36.20x
Straiton 4 200.00x
Turriff 4 56.82x
Westbury On Trym 4 12.78x
Barlborough 3 109.89x
Carnwath 3 31.85x
Dundee 3 1.84x
Everton 3 1.68x
Foveran 3 90.91x
Hulme 3 2.57x
Innerleithen 3 51.02x
Islington London 3 0.66x
Kilmarnock 3 7.15x
Maryculter 3 173.41x
Meldrum 3 81.52x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 7.17x
Old Deer 3 36.28x
Sculcoates 3 4.05x
Stirling 3 13.69x
Sunderland 3 12.12x
Bathgate 2 12.99x
Boyndie 2 61.73x
Christchurch 2 9.55x
Dalston 2 63.69x
Keithhall 2 139.86x
Lanark 2 16.31x
Methlick 2 57.31x
North Leith 2 6.85x
Plumstead 2 3.73x
Rickergate 2 23.31x
Royal Navy 2 4.17x
Strichen 2 52.77x
Ayr 1 6.01x
Cambusnethan 1 2.96x
Cluny 1 47.62x
Dull 1 23.58x
Fettercairn 1 40.98x
Great Amwell 1 30.67x
Lonmay 1 25.25x
Newburgh 1 28.25x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.05x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
John 9
George 7
James 7
Robert 5
Thomas 5
Frederick 3
Henry 3
Wm. 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
David 2
Joseph 2
Walter 2
Andrew 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Gerard 1
Harold 1
No. 1
Percival 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Aiken surname: questions and answers

How common was the Aiken surname in 1881?

In 1881, 486 people were recorded with the Aiken surname. That placed it at #6,925 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Aiken surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 884 in 2016. That gives Aiken a modern rank of #6,377.

What does the Aiken surname mean?

Derived from the Irish surname Aodhagáin, meaning "descendant of Aodhagán," a Gaelic personal name meaning "little fire."

What does the Aiken map show?

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