NameCensus.

UK surname

Caithness

In the 1881 census there were 229 people recorded with the Caithness surname, ranking it #11,784 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 265, ranked #16,130, down from #11,784 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lochlee, Kirkwall and St.Ola and Chapel of Garioch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Angus Glens, Broughty Ferry West and Bishopton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Caithness is 269 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.7%.

1881 census count

229

Ranked #11,784

Modern count

265

2016, ranked #16,130

Peak year

2015

269 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Caithness had 229 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,784 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016, ranked #16,130.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 259 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Caithness surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Caithness surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Caithness 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 192 #10,756
1861 historical 201 #11,949
1881 historical 229 #11,784
1891 historical 256 #12,522
1901 historical 259 #12,848
1911 historical 53 #27,508
1997 modern 236 #15,852
1998 modern 250 #15,675
1999 modern 257 #15,506
2000 modern 241 #16,146
2001 modern 229 #16,467
2002 modern 229 #16,771
2003 modern 235 #16,291
2004 modern 239 #16,193
2005 modern 240 #16,092
2006 modern 248 #15,820
2007 modern 256 #15,647
2008 modern 253 #15,941
2009 modern 257 #16,099
2010 modern 255 #16,563
2011 modern 252 #16,543
2012 modern 255 #16,296
2013 modern 264 #16,191
2014 modern 268 #16,111
2015 modern 269 #15,955
2016 modern 265 #16,130

Geography

Back to top

Where Caithness' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lochlee, Kirkwall and St.Ola, Chapel of Garioch, Arbroath and St. Vigeans and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Angus Glens, Broughty Ferry West, Bishopton, Flintshire and Stratford-on-Avon. 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 Lochlee Forfar
2 Kirkwall and St.Ola Orkney
3 Chapel of Garioch Aberdeen
4 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Angus Glens Angus
2 Broughty Ferry West Dundee City
3 Bishopton Renfrewshire
4 Flintshire 002 Flintshire
5 Stratford-on-Avon 009 Stratford-on-Avon

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Caithness

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Caithness

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Caithness, 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 Caithness surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Caithness 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, Caithness 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

Caithness 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

Caithness 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 Caithness 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 - British

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Caithness families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Caithness 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. Angus leads with 89 Caithness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.20x.

County Total Index
Angus 89 43.20x
Orkney 40 163.47x
Aberdeenshire 18 8.74x
Stirlingshire 14 17.07x
Durham 12 1.81x
Lanarkshire 11 1.53x
Yorkshire 10 0.45x
Kincardineshire 6 22.16x
Midlothian 6 2.01x
Dunbartonshire 5 8.37x
Fife 5 3.80x
Kent 3 0.40x
Middlesex 3 0.13x
Ayrshire 1 0.60x
Cheshire 1 0.20x
Denbighshire 1 1.19x
Hampshire 1 0.22x
Lancashire 1 0.04x
Renfrewshire 1 0.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 36 Caithness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.80x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 36 46.80x
Stronsay Eday 33 2062.50x
Lochlee 11 4074.07x
Liff Benvie 10 31.97x
Aberdeen Old Machar 9 20.93x
Slamannan 8 178.17x
Edzell 7 1111.11x
Kirkwall St Ola 7 191.26x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 5.01x
Panbride 6 560.75x
Bishopwearmouth 5 8.80x
Dunipace 5 347.22x
Glasgow 5 3.91x
Govan 5 2.81x
Middlesbrough 5 17.42x
Montrose 5 40.03x
St Vigeans 5 44.96x
Chapel Of Garioch 4 272.11x
Ferry Port On Craig 4 184.33x
Gateshead 4 8.07x
Kemnay 4 320.00x
Kirkintilloch 4 49.26x
Marykirk 4 357.14x
Barry 3 121.46x
Nether Hallam 3 10.06x
Arbroath 2 29.28x
Brightside Bierlow 2 4.63x
Islington London 2 0.93x
Westoe 2 5.33x
Woolwich 2 7.14x
Barony 1 0.55x
Birkenhead 1 2.55x
Cathcart 1 10.72x
Cumbernauld 1 30.49x
Denbigh 1 29.67x
Eling 1 21.65x
Fettercairn 1 86.96x
Fetteresso 1 23.58x
Forgan 1 39.68x
Gillingham 1 6.39x
Hampstead London 1 2.89x
Kilmarnock 1 5.05x
Maryton 1 333.33x
Menmuir 1 172.41x
Monifieth 1 13.74x
Monkwearmouth Shore 1 7.74x
Pitsligo 1 50.76x
St Ninians 1 12.30x
Stracathro 1 270.27x
Warrington 1 3.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Robert 3
James 2
John 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Edwd. 1
George 1
Willm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Caithness households.

FAQ

Caithness surname: questions and answers

How common was the Caithness surname in 1881?

In 1881, 229 people were recorded with the Caithness surname. That placed it at #11,784 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Caithness surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016. That gives Caithness a modern rank of #16,130.

What does the Caithness map show?

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