NameCensus.

UK surname

Carn

A habitational surname referring to someone residing near a rocky outcrop or cairn.

In the 1881 census there were 244 people recorded with the Carn surname, ranking it #11,258 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 220, ranked #18,376, down from #11,258 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bury (incl. Westburton), Kingston-on-Thames and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stratford-on-Avon, Stafford and South Hams.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carn is 482 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.8%.

1881 census count

244

Ranked #11,258

Modern count

220

2016, ranked #18,376

Peak year

1861

482 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carn had 244 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,258 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016, ranked #18,376.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 482 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Carn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carn 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 300 #7,650
1861 historical 482 #5,418
1881 historical 244 #11,258
1891 historical 418 #8,561
1901 historical 300 #11,647
1911 historical 267 #12,360
1997 modern 200 #17,618
1998 modern 215 #17,306
1999 modern 219 #17,203
2000 modern 215 #17,388
2001 modern 214 #17,211
2002 modern 208 #17,848
2003 modern 201 #18,089
2004 modern 204 #17,992
2005 modern 201 #18,080
2006 modern 193 #18,675
2007 modern 198 #18,600
2008 modern 201 #18,584
2009 modern 214 #18,220
2010 modern 215 #18,551
2011 modern 214 #18,436
2012 modern 219 #18,087
2013 modern 223 #18,135
2014 modern 222 #18,355
2015 modern 221 #18,289
2016 modern 220 #18,376

Geography

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Where Carns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bury (incl. Westburton), Kingston-on-Thames, London parishes, St Pancras and Petworth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stratford-on-Avon, Stafford, South Hams, Maidstone and Chichester. 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 Bury (incl. Westburton) Sussex
2 Kingston-on-Thames Surrey
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Petworth Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stratford-on-Avon 012 Stratford-on-Avon
2 Stafford 015 Stafford
3 South Hams 009 South Hams
4 Maidstone 012 Maidstone
5 Chichester 001 Chichester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carn

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Carn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Carn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Carn is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Carn is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Carn falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Carn

The surname Carn originates from the Celtic languages of Ireland and Scotland, where it was derived from the Gaelic word "carn" meaning "rocky hill" or "heap of stones." This name is thought to have originated in the early Middle Ages, around the 6th to 10th centuries.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Carn can be found in ancient Irish and Scottish manuscripts and records from the 11th and 12th centuries. One notable reference is in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where the name Carn appears in an entry dated 1169.

In England, the name Carn is believed to have been introduced by Irish and Scottish settlers who migrated to various parts of the country during the medieval period. The earliest known bearer of the name in England was William Carn, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1199.

The name Carn is also associated with various place names in Scotland and Ireland, such as Carnmore and Carnlough, which may have influenced the surname's origins. Additionally, the name may have been derived from or related to the Cornish word "carn," meaning "rock" or "cairn."

Notable historical figures with the surname Carn include:

1. Robert Carn (c. 1510-1560), a Scottish Protestant reformer and member of the clergy. 2. John Carn (1572-1654), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Bristol. 3. Nathaniel Carn (1685-1756), a British soldier and military engineer who served in the Royal Engineers. 4. Thomas Carn (1749-1813), an English painter and engraver known for his landscapes and architectural drawings. 5. Mary Carn (1810-1892), a Scottish poet and author known for her works on Scottish history and folklore.

While the surname Carn has Celtic origins, it has spread and been adopted by various cultures and communities throughout history, reflecting the diverse and rich tapestry of human migration and settlement patterns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carn 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. Sussex leads with 91 Carns recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.77x.

County Total Index
Sussex 91 22.77x
Middlesex 33 1.39x
Surrey 26 2.25x
Cornwall 24 8.94x
Yorkshire 15 0.64x
Lancashire 12 0.43x
Glamorgan 11 2.67x
Devon 10 2.03x
Anglesey 4 9.52x
West Lothian 3 8.40x
Worcestershire 3 0.97x
Fife 2 1.43x
Huntingdonshire 2 4.25x
Montgomeryshire 2 3.68x
Warwickshire 2 0.33x
Bedfordshire 1 0.81x
Kent 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 3.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Findon in Sussex leads with 10 Carns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1724.14x.

Place Total Index
Findon 10 1724.14x
Hove 10 57.01x
Cold Waltham 9 2812.50x
Fittleworth 9 1607.14x
Petworth 9 376.57x
Kingston On Thames 8 28.83x
Lambeth 8 3.87x
North Chapel 8 1250.00x
St Pancras London 8 4.19x
Spitalfields London 7 39.26x
Arundel 6 267.86x
St Germans 6 320.86x
Amberley 5 847.46x
Ash Normandy 5 318.47x
Brighton 5 6.20x
Mirfield 5 38.76x
Slindon 5 1219.51x
St Marylebone London 5 3.95x
Stoke Damerel 5 14.48x
Sutton 5 1923.08x
Brightside Bierlow 4 8.68x
Cardiff St John 4 29.67x
Everton 4 4.46x
Fowey 4 325.20x
Godalming 4 55.02x
Holyhead 4 51.09x
Liverpool 4 2.34x
Penarth 4 99.26x
Perranarworthal 4 444.44x
St Just In Penwith 4 76.78x
Cardiff St Mary 3 13.20x
Clerkenwell London 3 5.36x
Easington In Clitheroe 3 1250.00x
Whitburn 3 58.14x
Yardley 3 37.88x
Auchterderran 2 56.66x
Bethnal Green London 2 1.94x
Birmingham 2 1.00x
Chichester St Pancras 2 168.07x
Coates 2 5000.00x
Donnington 2 740.74x
Duncton 2 909.09x
Fletton 2 133.33x
Kirkdale 2 4.23x
Menheniot 2 180.18x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 5.26x
St Giles In Fields London 2 17.20x
Wolborough 2 32.05x
Breage 1 40.82x
Broughton In Salford 1 3.89x
Falmouth 1 10.53x
Hammersmith London 1 1.71x
Kirdford 1 71.94x
Liskeard 1 22.27x
Llanwnog 1 87.72x
Middlesbrough 1 3.27x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.98x
Newtown 1 28.82x
Over Darwen 1 4.45x
Oving 1 74.07x
Paddington London 1 1.15x
Plympton St Mary 1 35.09x
Royal Navy 1 4.14x
Scilly Islands 1 208.33x
Shoreditch London 1 0.97x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.39x
St Lawrence 1 17.99x
Tilbrook 1 312.50x
Tooting Graveney 1 31.15x
Tottenham 1 2.65x
Whitley Upper 1 294.12x
Wilton In Guisbrough 1 95.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 25
Thomas 12
Charles 5
James 5
John 5
Richard 5
Edwin 4
George 4
Edward 3
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Alfred 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Tom 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Ann 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Dicy 1
Edgar 1
Edwd. 1
Felix 1
Fred 1
Gilbert 1
Harry 1
Jabez 1
Jacob 1
Lewis 1
Luke 1
Martin 1
Mich. 1
Patt 1
Percy 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Thos.R. 1

FAQ

Carn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 244 people were recorded with the Carn surname. That placed it at #11,258 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016. That gives Carn a modern rank of #18,376.

What does the Carn surname mean?

A habitational surname referring to someone residing near a rocky outcrop or cairn.

What does the Carn map show?

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