NameCensus.

UK surname

Chirnside

In the 1881 census there were 195 people recorded with the Chirnside surname, ranking it #13,054 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 228, ranked #17,936, down from #13,054 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Coldingham, Edinburgh and Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Tyneside and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chirnside is 242 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.9%.

1881 census count

195

Ranked #13,054

Modern count

228

2016, ranked #17,936

Peak year

2002

242 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chirnside had 195 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,054 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016, ranked #17,936.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 207 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Chirnside surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chirnside surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chirnside 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 129 #14,406
1861 historical 123 #17,914
1881 historical 195 #13,054
1891 historical 207 #14,546
1901 historical 207 #14,803
1911 historical 140 #18,657
1997 modern 188 #18,324
1998 modern 215 #17,306
1999 modern 223 #17,025
2000 modern 230 #16,644
2001 modern 233 #16,260
2002 modern 242 #16,186
2003 modern 224 #16,859
2004 modern 233 #16,471
2005 modern 230 #16,583
2006 modern 235 #16,439
2007 modern 227 #17,041
2008 modern 225 #17,282
2009 modern 232 #17,293
2010 modern 239 #17,280
2011 modern 239 #17,138
2012 modern 233 #17,339
2013 modern 230 #17,756
2014 modern 235 #17,619
2015 modern 229 #17,846
2016 modern 228 #17,936

Geography

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Where Chirnsides are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Coldingham, Edinburgh, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon), Gladsmuir and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Tyneside and Northumberland. 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 Coldingham Berwick
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
4 Gladsmuir Haddington
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Tyneside 023 North Tyneside
2 North Tyneside 027 North Tyneside
3 Northumberland 020 Northumberland
4 North Tyneside 017 North Tyneside
5 Northumberland 029 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chirnside

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chirnside

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Chirnside surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Chirnside household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Chirnside is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Chirnside is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Chirnside 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 Chirnside is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Chirnside families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chirnside 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. Northumberland leads with 60 Chirnsides recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.20x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 60 21.20x
Lancashire 28 1.24x
East Lothian 26 103.22x
Berwickshire 20 86.84x
Midlothian 13 5.10x
Durham 11 1.94x
Yorkshire 7 0.37x
Somerset 6 1.96x
West Lothian 5 17.46x
Herefordshire 4 5.13x
Roxburghshire 4 11.61x
Warwickshire 4 0.83x
Clackmannanshire 2 12.73x
Middlesex 2 0.11x
Argyllshire 1 1.89x
Lanarkshire 1 0.16x
Surrey 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gladsmuir in East Lothian leads with 13 Chirnsides recorded in 1881 and an index of 1160.71x.

Place Total Index
Gladsmuir 13 1160.71x
Bedlington 12 126.98x
Preston 11 18.21x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 9 8.78x
Byker 8 57.18x
Ladykirk 8 2758.62x
Ancroft 7 707.07x
Hindley 7 72.77x
Longhurst 7 1272.73x
Yester 7 1147.54x
Coldingham 6 289.86x
Tonge With Haulgh 6 136.67x
Walcot 6 36.79x
Kirkliston 5 299.40x
Middlesbrough 5 20.37x
Seaton Carew 5 438.60x
Fishwick 4 285.71x
Hereford St Owen 4 155.04x
Kelso 4 116.62x
Loan End 4 4000.00x
Lucker 4 2857.14x
Oldhamstocks 4 1081.08x
Rugby 4 61.63x
Tweedmouth 4 113.31x
Foulden 3 1153.85x
Howick 3 1500.00x
Newham In Belford 3 1875.00x
Aberlady 2 307.69x
Alloa 2 26.25x
Burton 2 2500.00x
East Chevington 2 212.77x
Edinburgh St Andrews 2 95.24x
Gateshead 2 4.72x
Grindon 2 909.09x
Mordington 2 833.33x
St Marylebone London 2 1.97x
Stranton 2 10.50x
Whitby 2 31.50x
Ardchattan Muckairn 1 76.34x
Barony 1 0.64x
Berwick Upon Tweed 1 16.67x
Coldstream 1 59.88x
Edinburgh Old 1 64.52x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 19.92x
Egham 1 17.57x
Ford 1 97.09x
Newstead 1 1111.11x
Rock 1 588.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 10
Jane 9
Mary 5
Alice 4
Annie 3
Isabella 3
Margaret 3
Amy 2
Ann 2
Eleanor 2
Sarah 2
Anna 1
Blance 1
Cecilica 1
Ellenor 1
Emma 1
Euphemia 1
Grace 1
Janet 1
Katie 1
Lillie 1
Lotta 1
Louisa 1
Margret 1
Margt.Ann 1
Marie 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Nettie 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Chirnside surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chirnside surname in 1881?

In 1881, 195 people were recorded with the Chirnside surname. That placed it at #13,054 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chirnside surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016. That gives Chirnside a modern rank of #17,936.

What does the Chirnside map show?

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