NameCensus.

UK surname

Aitken

A Scottish surname derived from a diminutive of Adam, meaning "son of Adam."

In the 1881 census there were 7,962 people recorded with the Aitken surname, ranking it #523 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,646, ranked #607, down from #523 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields, Tweeddale West Area and Linlithgow South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Aitken is 10,719 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.7%.

1881 census count

7,962

Ranked #523

Modern count

10,646

2016, ranked #607

Peak year

2010

10,719 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Aitken had 7,962 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #523 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,646 in 2016, ranked #607.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,045 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Aitken surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Aitken surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Aitken 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 5,204 #529
1861 historical 5,586 #492
1881 historical 7,962 #523
1891 historical 8,586 #512
1901 historical 10,045 #520
1911 historical 1,856 #2,664
1997 modern 10,138 #607
1998 modern 10,431 #615
1999 modern 10,539 #612
2000 modern 10,615 #604
2001 modern 10,281 #611
2002 modern 10,510 #612
2003 modern 10,281 #609
2004 modern 10,331 #607
2005 modern 10,327 #602
2006 modern 10,208 #611
2007 modern 10,300 #614
2008 modern 10,386 #610
2009 modern 10,544 #618
2010 modern 10,719 #618
2011 modern 10,526 #622
2012 modern 10,375 #616
2013 modern 10,530 #617
2014 modern 10,645 #615
2015 modern 10,614 #612
2016 modern 10,646 #607

Geography

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Where Aitkens are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields, Tweeddale West Area, Linlithgow South, Laurieston and Westquarter and City Centre East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields South Ayrshire
2 Tweeddale West Area Scottish Borders
3 Linlithgow South West Lothian
4 Laurieston and Westquarter Falkirk
5 City Centre East Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Aitken

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Aitken

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Aitken surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Aitken household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Aitken 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

Aitken is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Aitken falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Aitken is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Aitken

The surname Aitken is of Scottish origin, derived from the name Adam. It originated as a patronymic surname, meaning "son of Adam." The name can be traced back to the early medieval period in Scotland, particularly in areas such as Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aitken is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented homages paid to Edward I of England. The entry "Aylmer Aitken de Dargawill" is listed, suggesting the name's existence in the late 13th century.

The surname Aitken has several variations in spelling, including Aitkine, Aitken, Aitkin, and Atkin. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during the medieval and early modern periods.

Historically, the name Aitken has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded was John Aitken (c. 1492-1555), a Scottish clergyman and theologian who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.

In the 17th century, William Aitken (1613-1677) was a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as a magistrate in Edinburgh. He was instrumental in the development of the city's infrastructure and trade.

Another prominent figure was Robert Aitken (1734-1802), an American printer and publisher. He is known for printing the first English-language Bible published in America, commonly referred to as the "Aitken Bible."

Sir William Edmond Aitken (1825-1892) was a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman. He served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and played a crucial role in the development of the coal mining industry in Australia.

In the 20th century, Robert Grant Aitken (1864-1951) was a renowned American astronomer. He made significant contributions to the study of double stars and was the founder of the Aitken Double Star Catalogue.

The surname Aitken has also been associated with various place names, such as Aitken's Hill in New South Wales, Australia, and Aitken Creek in British Columbia, Canada, reflecting the geographical spread and influence of individuals bearing this surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Aitken families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Aitken 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. Lanarkshire leads with 2,042 Aitkens recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.24x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 2,042 8.24x
Midlothian 930 9.06x
Fife 551 12.14x
Ayrshire 506 8.82x
Renfrewshire 411 6.92x
Stirlingshire 401 14.18x
Aberdeenshire 282 3.97x
Dunbartonshire 228 11.07x
West Lothian 227 19.66x
Angus 224 3.15x
Lancashire 187 0.21x
East Lothian 165 16.25x
Perthshire 115 3.34x
Middlesex 113 0.15x
Roxburghshire 112 8.07x
Kirkcudbrightshire 89 8.02x
Peeblesshire 85 23.58x
Durham 79 0.35x
Warwickshire 78 0.40x
Shetland 76 9.71x
Dumfriesshire 74 4.37x
Clackmannanshire 65 10.27x
Yorkshire 63 0.08x
Wigtownshire 62 6.09x
Surrey 54 0.14x
Selkirkshire 52 7.50x
Kincardineshire 49 5.25x
Northumberland 49 0.43x
Lincolnshire 47 0.38x
Cheshire 44 0.26x
Orkney 44 5.22x
Berwickshire 41 4.42x
Cumberland 39 0.59x
Inverness-shire 32 1.40x
Derbyshire 23 0.19x
Kent 20 0.08x
Gloucestershire 18 0.12x
Hampshire 18 0.11x
Essex 15 0.10x
Buckinghamshire 13 0.28x
Morayshire 13 1.09x
Worcestershire 12 0.12x
Banffshire 11 0.69x
Cornwall 11 0.13x
Devon 9 0.06x
Glamorgan 9 0.07x
Argyllshire 8 0.37x
Westmorland 8 0.47x
Caithness 7 0.67x
Bedfordshire 5 0.13x
Hertfordshire 4 0.08x
Isle of Man 4 0.28x
Leicestershire 4 0.05x
Buteshire 3 0.65x
Norfolk 3 0.03x
Northamptonshire 3 0.04x
Suffolk 3 0.03x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.06x
Oxfordshire 2 0.04x
Ross-shire 2 0.10x
Royal Navy 2 0.22x
Anglesey 1 0.07x
Berkshire 1 0.02x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.02x
Dorset 1 0.02x
Flintshire 1 0.05x
Nairnshire 1 0.43x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.01x
Somerset 1 0.01x
Staffordshire 1 0.00x
Sutherland 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 526 Aitkens recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.38x.

Place Total Index
Barony 526 8.38x
Govan 436 7.11x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 364 8.81x
Glasgow 300 6.82x
New Monkland 168 22.93x
South Leith 116 10.04x
Falkirk 115 17.38x
Abbey 112 12.36x
Rutherglen 105 28.87x
Dundee 103 3.89x
Kilmarnock 94 13.77x
Kirkintilloch 91 32.52x
Bothwell 88 13.09x
Dunfermline 71 10.18x
Aberdeen Old Machar 67 4.52x
Linlithgow 67 45.26x
West Greenock 67 6.28x
Cupar 66 33.44x
Dunrossness 57 55.30x
Kenilworth 56 51.39x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 52 21.41x
Old Monkland 52 5.29x
Cambusnethan 48 8.72x
Carnwath 48 31.31x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 46 3.46x
Larbert 46 27.22x
St Ninians 46 16.42x
St Andrews 45 21.79x
Ardrossan 44 22.16x
Bathgate 44 17.56x
Cumbernauld 41 36.32x
Torphichen 41 101.99x
Liff Benvie 40 3.71x
Innerleithen 37 38.67x
Dunbar 36 25.29x
Maryhill 36 7.42x
Dalry 34 12.59x
Dysart 32 10.47x
Newton On Ayr 31 18.04x
Paisley Low Church 31 16.48x
Carluke 30 13.33x
Cockpen 30 25.00x
Kelso 30 21.68x
Neilston 30 10.06x
Paisley Middle Church 30 8.67x
St Monance 30 55.37x
Dumbarton 29 10.11x
Inveresk 29 10.43x
Kilbarchan 29 16.07x
Newburgh 29 50.30x
Edinburgh St Stephens 28 13.85x
Tillicoultry 28 19.88x
Lanark 27 13.54x
West Calder 27 13.34x
Alloa 26 8.47x
East Greenock 26 4.63x
Kilmaurs 26 26.64x
Kilsyth 26 14.42x
Kinghorn 26 26.99x
Mearns 26 24.99x
Hamilton 25 3.62x
Bothkennar 24 28.44x
Abbotshall 23 13.56x
Colvend 23 68.33x
Duddingston 23 11.16x
Ellon 22 22.53x
Irvine 22 13.81x
Liberton 22 13.88x
North Leith 22 4.63x
Uphall 22 17.33x
Beith 21 12.27x
Carstairs 21 40.90x
St Marylebone London 21 0.51x
Westoe 21 1.62x
Dalkeith 20 9.87x
Kirkcaldy 20 8.89x
Largs 20 14.80x
Prestonpans 20 29.37x
Selkirk 20 10.24x
Stevenston 20 13.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 61
William 60
James 54
Robert 42
Thomas 31
George 25
David 21
Joseph 13
Alexander 11
Charles 11
Henry 11
Andrew 10
Arthur 6
Frederick 6
Herbert 6
Peter 6
Alfred 5
Richard 5
Walter 5
Adam 3
Archibald 3
Edward 3
Francis 3
Samuel 3
Basil 2
Benjamin 2
Fred 2
Harold 2
Hugh 2
Jas. 2
Leonard 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Robt. 2
Thos. 2
Wallace 2
Alexdr. 1
Alexr. 1
Augustus 1
D.M. 1
Daniel 1
Edw. 1
Eli 1
Enoch 1
Frances 1
Jas.Hy.Sutherland 1
Jonathan 1
Louis 1
Malcolm 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Aitken surname: questions and answers

How common was the Aitken surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,962 people were recorded with the Aitken surname. That placed it at #523 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Aitken surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,646 in 2016. That gives Aitken a modern rank of #607.

What does the Aitken surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a diminutive of Adam, meaning "son of Adam."

What does the Aitken map show?

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