NameCensus.

UK surname

Calpin

A Scottish locational surname derived from a former place name referring to a hut or small dwelling.

In the 1881 census there were 90 people recorded with the Calpin surname, ranking it #20,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 279, ranked #15,534, up from #20,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Denis in Walmgate, St George, Bingley and Auckland St Andrew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Derbyshire, York and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Calpin is 288 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 210.0%.

1881 census count

90

Ranked #20,965

Modern count

279

2016, ranked #15,534

Peak year

1998

288 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Calpin had 90 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 279 in 2016, ranked #15,534.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 136 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Calpin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Calpin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Calpin 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 37 #26,673
1861 historical 89 #22,419
1881 historical 90 #20,965
1891 historical 98 #24,313
1901 historical 134 #19,288
1911 historical 136 #18,962
1997 modern 281 #14,110
1998 modern 288 #14,249
1999 modern 286 #14,412
2000 modern 279 #14,636
2001 modern 276 #14,507
2002 modern 265 #15,197
2003 modern 276 #14,604
2004 modern 271 #14,883
2005 modern 266 #15,007
2006 modern 245 #15,956
2007 modern 247 #16,042
2008 modern 245 #16,295
2009 modern 266 #15,711
2010 modern 275 #15,673
2011 modern 273 #15,606
2012 modern 270 #15,667
2013 modern 279 #15,574
2014 modern 284 #15,455
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 279 #15,534

Geography

Back to top

Where Calpins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Denis in Walmgate, St George, Bingley, Auckland St Andrew, Eccles and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Derbyshire, York and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Denis in Walmgate, St George Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Bingley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Auckland St Andrew Durham
4 Eccles Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Derbyshire 001 North East Derbyshire
2 York 015 York
3 York 018 York
4 York 012 York
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 009 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Calpin

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Calpin

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

Calpin 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

Calpin falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Calpin

The surname Calpin has its origins in the Scottish Lowlands, tracing back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old English word "caluyn," which means "bald" or "bare-headed." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone who was bald or had a shaved head.

The earliest recorded mention of the Calpin surname can be found in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland from the year 1545, where a certain John Calpin is listed as a resident of Lanarkshire. It is believed that the name originated in this region and later spread to other parts of Scotland and beyond.

During the 17th century, the Calpin name appeared in various parish records and court documents across the Scottish Lowlands. One notable example is the testament of Robert Calpin, a merchant from Edinburgh, which was recorded in 1632. This document sheds light on the family's involvement in trade and commerce during that era.

In the 18th century, the Calpin surname gained further prominence with the birth of James Calpin (1740-1824), a renowned Scottish painter and engraver. His works, including portraits and landscapes, are held in high regard and can be found in various art collections across the United Kingdom.

Another notable figure with the Calpin surname is Sir William Calpin (1784-1862), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was known for his charitable contributions, particularly towards the establishment of educational institutions in his home city of Glasgow.

The 19th century saw the Calpin name spread beyond Scotland, with many individuals bearing this surname immigrating to other parts of the British Empire and the United States. One such individual was John Calpin (1820-1892), a successful farmer and landowner who settled in Ontario, Canada, and played a significant role in the development of the local agricultural community.

In the realm of literature, the Calpin surname is associated with the Scottish writer and poet, Robert Calpin (1856-1925). His works, which often explored themes of Scottish culture and tradition, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and continue to be studied and appreciated by scholars and literary enthusiasts alike.

Throughout its history, the Calpin surname has been linked to various place names and locations within Scotland, such as Calpin Fell in the Scottish Borders and Calpin's Burn near Dumfries. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the Calpin surname who resided or owned land in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Calpin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Calpin 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. Yorkshire leads with 56 Calpins recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.44x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 56 6.44x
Lancashire 21 2.02x
Cheshire 7 3.61x
Lincolnshire 4 2.85x
Durham 1 0.38x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.85x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. York St George in Yorkshire leads with 38 Calpins recorded in 1881 and an index of 5507.25x.

Place Total Index
York St George 38 5507.25x
Worsley 9 140.19x
York Minster Yard W 7 3500.00x
Bingley 6 108.30x
Hyde 6 104.90x
Liverpool 5 7.90x
Great Grimsby 4 44.89x
Preston 3 10.76x
Selby 3 164.84x
Spotland 3 25.91x
Askham Bryan 1 1111.11x
Averham 1 2000.00x
Bowdon 1 129.87x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 6.04x
Doncaster 1 15.72x
Whitburn 1 163.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Bridget 7
Ellen 5
Margaret 4
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Catherine 2
Anne 1
Annie 1
Emma 1
Flora 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Rosealinn 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 12
Martin 5
Patrick 5
John 4
Thomas 4
Joseph 3
William 3
Anthony 2
Daniel 2
Edward 2
Michael 2
Farroll 1
Jonathon 1
Owen 1
Richard 1
Tarance 1
Thos. 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 Calpin households.

FAQ

Calpin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Calpin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 90 people were recorded with the Calpin surname. That placed it at #20,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Calpin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 279 in 2016. That gives Calpin a modern rank of #15,534.

What does the Calpin surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from a former place name referring to a hut or small dwelling.

What does the Calpin map show?

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