NameCensus.

UK surname

Askins

Derived from the Middle English word "askin," meaning "ask," referring to an inquisitive or persuasive person.

In the 1881 census there were 91 people recorded with the Askins surname, ranking it #20,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 294, ranked #14,953, up from #20,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Pancras, Gateshead and Penrith. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eden, Dudley and North Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Askins is 413 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 223.1%.

1881 census count

91

Ranked #20,843

Modern count

294

2016, ranked #14,953

Peak year

1861

413 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Askins had 91 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 294 in 2016, ranked #14,953.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 413 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Askins surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Askins surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Askins 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 222 #9,597
1861 historical 413 #6,216
1881 historical 91 #20,843
1891 historical 278 #11,746
1901 historical 138 #18,955
1911 historical 197 #15,101
1997 modern 278 #14,210
1998 modern 294 #14,060
1999 modern 300 #13,958
2000 modern 297 #14,008
2001 modern 296 #13,842
2002 modern 301 #13,962
2003 modern 283 #14,368
2004 modern 281 #14,489
2005 modern 269 #14,869
2006 modern 275 #14,732
2007 modern 262 #15,399
2008 modern 264 #15,468
2009 modern 277 #15,260
2010 modern 291 #15,050
2011 modern 285 #15,140
2012 modern 283 #15,115
2013 modern 290 #15,107
2014 modern 290 #15,203
2015 modern 292 #15,046
2016 modern 294 #14,953

Geography

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Where Askins' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Pancras, Gateshead, Penrith, Whalley and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eden, Dudley and North Kesteven. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Penrith Cumberland
4 Whalley Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eden 003 Eden
2 Dudley 025 Dudley
3 Eden 004 Eden
4 North Kesteven 010 North Kesteven
5 Dudley 016 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Askins

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Askins

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Askins, 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 Askins surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Askins 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, Askins 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

Askins is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Askins falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Askins

The surname Askins has its roots in England, originating in the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "aesc" meaning ash tree and "kin" referring to a small settlement or homestead, suggesting that the name initially referred to someone who lived near an ash tree or in a place with an abundance of ash trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Askins can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record from 1279, which mentions a Robert de Askyn. This spelling variation, "Askyn," is believed to be an early form of the surname Askins.

Another early reference to the name comes from the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which lists a John Askyn, indicating the name's presence in different parts of England during the medieval period.

In the late 16th century, the surname appeared in the Parish Registers of Ellesmere, Shropshire, with the birth of William Askins recorded in 1595. This is one of the earliest recorded instances of the modern spelling of the surname.

Over the centuries, the Askins surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was John Askins (c. 1680-1744), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the early 18th century and played a role in the Battle of Cape Passaro in 1718.

Another notable bearer of the Askins name was Thomas Askins (1764-1846), an English architect and surveyor who designed several buildings in London, including the original Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Askins was Richard Askins (c. 1640-1694), an English immigrant who settled in Virginia in the late 17th century and became a prominent landowner and businessman in the colony.

Thomas Askins (1804-1893), an American lawyer and politician from North Carolina, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1849 to 1853.

More recently, James Askins (1937-2018) was an American artist and sculptor known for his large-scale metal sculptures, many of which can be found in public spaces across the United States.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Askins families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Askins 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. Middlesex leads with 25 Askins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.82x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 25 2.82x
Cumberland 15 19.63x
Gloucestershire 10 5.74x
Norfolk 6 4.40x
Lancashire 5 0.47x
Westmorland 5 25.63x
Yorkshire 5 0.57x
Leicestershire 4 4.07x
Staffordshire 4 1.34x
Somerset 2 1.40x
Worcestershire 2 1.73x
Angus 1 1.22x
Bedfordshire 1 2.18x
Devon 1 0.54x
Hampshire 1 0.55x
Kent 1 0.33x
Northamptonshire 1 1.20x
Surrey 1 0.23x
Sussex 1 0.67x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Penrith in Cumberland leads with 12 Askins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 425.53x.

Place Total Index
Penrith 12 425.53x
Berkeley 8 824.74x
Hammersmith London 7 32.02x
Weasenham St Peter 6 7500.00x
Hampstead London 5 36.18x
Kendal 5 140.06x
Shipley 5 109.65x
St Martin In Fields 5 94.16x
Asfordby 3 1875.00x
Cockermouth 3 186.34x
Kensington London 3 6.08x
Kirkdale 2 11.29x
Lancaster 2 31.90x
North Petherton 2 173.91x
Aldershot 1 16.42x
Bedford St Paul 1 31.75x
Bristol St Thomas 1 500.00x
Bromley London 1 5.12x
Cadbury 1 1250.00x
Dundee 1 3.26x
Egham 1 37.74x
Ewell Lydden 1 416.67x
Fulham London 1 7.77x
Helmdon 1 625.00x
Leicester St Mary 1 12.58x
Lichfield St Michael 1 106.38x
Little Dean 1 400.00x
Northfield 1 45.45x
Slinfold 1 434.78x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 26.04x
St George In East London 1 11.98x
St Pancras London 1 1.40x
Toxteth Park 1 2.80x
Walsall Foreign 1 6.46x
Wednesfield 1 22.68x
West Bromwich 1 5.83x
Yardley 1 33.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 5
Catherine 3
Elizabeth 3
Mary 3
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
A. 1
Adelphine 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Isabella 1
Jean 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lillie 1
Margaret 1
Rhoda 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
John 5
Thomas 4
James 3
Robert 3
Samuel 3
Edwin 2
Fred 2
George 2
Henry 2
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Daniel 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Joseph 1
Moses 1
Robt. 1

FAQ

Askins surname: questions and answers

How common was the Askins surname in 1881?

In 1881, 91 people were recorded with the Askins surname. That placed it at #20,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Askins surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 294 in 2016. That gives Askins a modern rank of #14,953.

What does the Askins surname mean?

Derived from the Middle English word "askin," meaning "ask," referring to an inquisitive or persuasive person.

What does the Askins map show?

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