NameCensus.

UK surname

Chinn

A toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller at the ravine or chasm" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 1,023 people recorded with the Chinn surname, ranking it #3,836 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,147, ranked #5,141, down from #3,836 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Phillack, Kings Norton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth and South Holland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chinn is 1,494 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.1%.

1881 census count

1,023

Ranked #3,836

Modern count

1,147

2016, ranked #5,141

Peak year

1911

1,494 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chinn had 1,023 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,836 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,147 in 2016, ranked #5,141.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,494 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Chinn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chinn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chinn 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 599 #4,279
1861 historical 578 #4,564
1881 historical 1,023 #3,836
1891 historical 1,088 #3,884
1901 historical 1,389 #3,619
1911 historical 1,494 #3,231
1997 modern 1,251 #4,553
1998 modern 1,264 #4,682
1999 modern 1,255 #4,740
2000 modern 1,270 #4,671
2001 modern 1,259 #4,623
2002 modern 1,284 #4,621
2003 modern 1,241 #4,669
2004 modern 1,210 #4,785
2005 modern 1,204 #4,745
2006 modern 1,174 #4,866
2007 modern 1,167 #4,928
2008 modern 1,169 #4,941
2009 modern 1,204 #4,929
2010 modern 1,236 #4,916
2011 modern 1,220 #4,907
2012 modern 1,153 #5,077
2013 modern 1,187 #5,038
2014 modern 1,186 #5,076
2015 modern 1,161 #5,113
2016 modern 1,147 #5,141

Geography

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Where Chinns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Phillack, Kings Norton, London parishes, Middlezoy, Weston Zoyland, Woolavington and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, South Holland, Birmingham and Cornwall. 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 Phillack Cornwall
2 Kings Norton Worcestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Middlezoy, Weston Zoyland, Woolavington Somerset
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 023 Herefordshire, County of
2 Nuneaton and Bedworth 010 Nuneaton and Bedworth
3 South Holland 001 South Holland
4 Birmingham 029 Birmingham
5 Cornwall 053 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chinn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chinn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Chinn, 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 Chinn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Chinn 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

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Chinn is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Chinn is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Chinn falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Chinn

The surname Chinn is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from the Old English word "ċinn," which means "chin" or "jaw." It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone with a prominent chin or jawline.

The earliest recorded instance of the Chinn surname dates back to the late 12th century in the county of Sussex, England. The Chinn family can be traced to the village of Chynhult, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Chynne, Chynholt, and Chinnok, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that period. The Chinn family later spread to other parts of England, including Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Chinn was Ralph Chynn, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1268. Another notable bearer of the name was John Chinn, a wealthy merchant from London, who lived in the late 14th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Chinn surname became more widespread, and several members of the family achieved prominence. Sir Henry Chinn (1562-1627) was a successful merchant and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1624. Thomas Chinn (1605-1677) was a Puritan minister and author who published several religious works.

Another notable figure was Sir John Chinn (1709-1790), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He was knighted for his service in 1779.

In the 19th century, Edward Chinn (1803-1879) was a prominent British industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Chinn Mineral Water Company in Harborne, Birmingham. His son, William Chinn (1846-1926), continued the family business and became a successful philanthropist.

While the Chinn surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, carried by immigrants and their descendants.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chinn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chinn 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. Warwickshire leads with 295 Chinns recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.78x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 295 11.78x
Cornwall 199 17.70x
Middlesex 96 0.97x
Worcestershire 73 5.63x
Surrey 49 1.01x
Dorset 43 6.60x
Somerset 42 2.63x
Lancashire 36 0.31x
Staffordshire 31 0.92x
Glamorgan 24 1.39x
Yorkshire 18 0.18x
Kent 17 0.50x
Devon 13 0.63x
Cheshire 11 0.50x
Hampshire 9 0.44x
Wiltshire 8 0.91x
Bedfordshire 6 1.17x
Derbyshire 6 0.39x
Durham 6 0.20x
Herefordshire 6 1.47x
Gloucestershire 5 0.26x
Norfolk 5 0.33x
Leicestershire 4 0.36x
Sussex 4 0.24x
Cumberland 3 0.35x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.22x
Essex 2 0.10x
Berkshire 1 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.16x
Monmouthshire 1 0.14x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 115 Chinns recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.68x.

Place Total Index
Aston 115 16.68x
Phillack 64 441.08x
Birmingham 56 6.71x
Coventry St Michael 33 41.02x
Bromsgrove 29 66.44x
Kings Norton 29 24.94x
Coventry Holy Trinity 27 36.11x
Kensington London 23 4.17x
Penarth 20 118.34x
Hinton St Mary 19 1881.19x
Camborne 18 38.86x
Weston Zoyland 16 704.85x
Liverpool 14 1.96x
Battersea 13 3.56x
Crowan 11 123.46x
Edgbaston 11 14.17x
Hackney London 11 1.98x
Huddersfield 11 7.67x
Islington London 11 1.14x
Wendron 11 70.47x
Yardley 11 33.15x
Bermondsey 10 3.38x
Manaccan 10 819.67x
St Marylebone London 10 1.89x
Camberwell 9 1.42x
Chelsea London 9 3.01x
Falmouth 9 22.62x
Mawnan 9 508.47x
St Martin In Meneage 9 666.67x
St Pancras London 9 1.13x
West Bromwich 9 4.69x
Birkenhead 8 4.58x
Canford Magna 8 212.77x
Chilvers Coton 8 77.67x
Constantine 8 122.32x
Greenwich 8 5.06x
Knowle 8 155.34x
North Petherton 8 62.06x
Haughton 7 40.72x
Helston 7 59.88x
Ipsley 7 152.51x
Sedgley 7 5.62x
St Cleer 7 71.79x
Atherstone 6 46.91x
Auckland St Helen 6 192.93x
Bedminster 6 3.99x
Bickenhill 6 346.82x
Ecclesall Bierlow 6 3.00x
Horningsham 6 217.39x
Madron Penzance 6 14.68x
Manchester 6 1.13x
Portsea 6 1.50x
Potton 6 87.85x
St Hilary 6 183.49x
Stoke 6 121.70x
Barnes 5 24.44x
Budock 5 59.10x
Eltham 5 25.19x
Handsworth 5 6.05x
Seighford 5 187.27x
St Anthony In Meneage 5 675.68x
St Clement 5 42.63x
Stoke Damerel 5 3.46x
Weeting With Broomhill 5 442.48x
Derby St Werburgh 4 4.46x
Fiddington 4 481.93x
Hammersmith London 4 1.64x
Lambeth 4 0.46x
Lea Upper 4 1142.86x
Leicester St Mary 4 4.50x
Shapwick 4 266.67x
Stoke Newington London 4 5.17x
Willesden 4 4.27x
Feckenham 3 20.22x
Hulme 3 1.22x
Llandaff 3 5.22x
Mancetter 3 41.67x
Newington 3 0.82x
St Agnes 3 19.05x
St George Hanover Square 3 1.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 67
Elizabeth 40
Sarah 27
Jane 25
Emily 24
Eliza 17
Ellen 17
Ann 16
Annie 15
Louisa 12
Alice 11
Caroline 10
Maria 10
Catherine 9
Emma 9
Ada 8
Hannah 8
Susan 8
Clara 7
Harriet 7
Kate 7
Bessie 6
Charlotte 6
Jessie 6
Julia 6
Margaret 6
Fanny 5
Florence 5
Selina 5
Anne 4
Edith 4
Laura 4
Lilly 4
Lydia 4
Gertrude 3
Grace 3
Harriett 3
Lucy 3
Mabel 3
Martha 3
Matilda 3
Susanah 3
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Helen 2
Isabella 2
Lizzie 2
Marina 2
Minie 2
Minnie 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 62
John 51
Thomas 42
George 29
Henry 22
Joseph 21
James 20
Charles 15
Richard 14
Herbert 13
Albert 11
Alfred 11
Edward 11
Frederick 11
Harry 11
Samuel 10
Arthur 8
Robert 8
Walter 8
Frank 5
Ernest 4
Phillip 4
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Fredrick 3
Louis 3
Sidney 3
Benjamin 2
Earnest 2
Edwd. 2
Enoch 2
Fred 2
Jas. 2
Job 2
Michael 2
Philip 2
Tom 2
Willm. 2
Zacharias 2
Alfonzo 1
Alred 1
Alybuirton 1
Baron 1
Cecil 1
Charlie 1
Edwd.Thos.Henry 1
Elliott 1
Emanuel 1
Emmanuel 1
Isaac 1

FAQ

Chinn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chinn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,023 people were recorded with the Chinn surname. That placed it at #3,836 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chinn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,147 in 2016. That gives Chinn a modern rank of #5,141.

What does the Chinn surname mean?

A toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller at the ravine or chasm" in Old English.

What does the Chinn map show?

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