NameCensus.

UK surname

Commins

An English surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the Welsh word "cymuned" meaning community.

In the 1881 census there were 300 people recorded with the Commins surname, ranking it #9,724 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 425, ranked #11,300, down from #9,724 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Stockport and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Flintshire, Newark and Sherwood and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Commins is 458 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.7%.

1881 census count

300

Ranked #9,724

Modern count

425

2016, ranked #11,300

Peak year

1998

458 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Commins had 300 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,724 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 425 in 2016, ranked #11,300.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 336 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Commins surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Commins surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Commins 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 237 #9,152
1861 historical 281 #8,921
1881 historical 300 #9,724
1891 historical 336 #10,158
1901 historical 225 #14,047
1911 historical 303 #11,372
1997 modern 437 #10,299
1998 modern 458 #10,267
1999 modern 449 #10,464
2000 modern 432 #10,771
2001 modern 424 #10,740
2002 modern 436 #10,712
2003 modern 414 #10,980
2004 modern 420 #10,889
2005 modern 410 #10,979
2006 modern 416 #10,912
2007 modern 425 #10,837
2008 modern 436 #10,710
2009 modern 443 #10,821
2010 modern 438 #11,140
2011 modern 435 #11,066
2012 modern 403 #11,662
2013 modern 401 #11,890
2014 modern 414 #11,708
2015 modern 423 #11,392
2016 modern 425 #11,300

Geography

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Where Commins' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Stockport, London parishes, St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Flintshire, Newark and Sherwood, Cornwall and Bury. 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 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone Devon
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Flintshire 004 Flintshire
2 Newark and Sherwood 001 Newark and Sherwood
3 Cornwall 003 Cornwall
4 Bury 014 Bury
5 Flintshire 005 Flintshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Commins

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Commins

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

Commins is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Commins falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Commins

The surname Commins originated in Ireland and is derived from the Gaelic personal name Comyn or O'Comyn, meaning "son of Comyn". It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century when many Norman families settled in Ireland.

The Commins surname is thought to be a variant spelling of the Norman name Comyn, which was introduced to Ireland by settlers from England and France. The Comyn family was prominent in Scotland, where they held lands and titles, and some members of the family likely migrated to Ireland during the Norman invasion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Commins can be found in the Annals of Loch Cé, a medieval Irish chronicle, where a mention is made of a "Comyn" in the year 1245. This suggests that the name was present in Ireland by the 13th century.

The surname Commins has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Comminswood in County Galway and Commins in County Mayo. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname Commins who once lived or held lands in those areas.

Notable historical figures with the surname Commins include:

1. Walter de Commins (c. 1200-1258), a Norman knight who participated in the Norman invasion of Ireland and was granted lands in County Kilkenny. 2. John Commins (c. 1450-1510), an Irish cleric and bishop of Kilmore in the late 15th century. 3. Maurice Commins (c. 1570-1630), an Irish landowner and member of the Irish Parliament from County Mayo. 4. Piers Commins (c. 1630-1705), an Irish Jacobite and supporter of King James II during the Williamite War in Ireland. 5. Mary Commins (c. 1725-1792), an Irish portrait painter and one of the first professional female artists in Ireland.

The Commins surname has a rich history dating back to the Norman invasion of Ireland and has been associated with various notable individuals throughout the centuries, reflecting the family's presence and influence in different parts of the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Commins families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Commins 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. Lancashire leads with 51 Commins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.47x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 51 1.47x
Devon 43 7.06x
Cornwall 36 10.87x
Cheshire 28 4.33x
Flintshire 21 26.70x
Middlesex 17 0.58x
Hampshire 15 2.50x
Berkshire 14 6.37x
Somerset 11 2.34x
Surrey 9 0.63x
Lincolnshire 7 1.50x
Monmouthshire 6 2.84x
Yorkshire 6 0.21x
Durham 5 0.57x
Kent 5 0.50x
Staffordshire 5 0.51x
Worcestershire 4 1.05x
Leicestershire 3 0.92x
Dorset 2 1.04x
Hertfordshire 2 0.99x
Warwickshire 2 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.57x
Essex 1 0.17x
Glamorgan 1 0.20x
Lanarkshire 1 0.11x
Northamptonshire 1 0.36x
Roxburghshire 1 1.89x
Shropshire 1 0.40x
Sussex 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Flint in Flintshire leads with 21 Commins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 469.80x.

Place Total Index
Flint 21 469.80x
Crux Easton 14 23333.33x
Norbury 10 666.67x
St Teath 10 500.00x
Castleton 9 25.95x
Huish Champflower 9 2432.43x
Plymouth Charles The 9 33.53x
Crowan 8 305.34x
Exeter St Sidwell 8 57.35x
Liverpool 8 3.79x
Battersea 7 6.50x
Reading St Giles 7 32.48x
Burnley 6 20.52x
Chieveley 6 512.82x
Hampstead London 6 13.16x
Llanover 6 82.99x
St Neot 6 458.02x
Wardleworth 6 30.24x
Exeter St Edmund 5 381.68x
Newcastle Under Lyme 5 28.60x
Runcorn 5 33.58x
Sale 5 63.13x
Stoodleigh 5 1136.36x
Stranton 5 17.06x
Everton 4 3.61x
Grantham 4 65.57x
Kenwyn 4 46.19x
Kings Norton 4 11.67x
Marple 4 90.29x
Newton In Makerfield 4 37.63x
St Ewe 4 400.00x
St George Bloomsbury 4 23.82x
St Pancras London 4 1.70x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 3.95x
Bradford 3 4.27x
Hythe St Leonard 3 84.99x
Ibstock 3 127.12x
Lyme Handley 3 1000.00x
West Derby 3 2.95x
Widnes 3 11.98x
Birmingham 2 0.81x
Chulmleigh 2 143.88x
Dover St James 2 45.66x
Great Grimsby 2 6.73x
Melcombe Regis 2 25.13x
Okehampton 2 86.96x
St Breock 2 111.73x
Stonehouse East 2 64.72x
Tavistock 2 28.82x
Walton On Hill 2 10.63x
Watford 2 12.79x
Ashmansworth 1 476.19x
Axminster 1 34.97x
Barony 1 0.42x
Camberwell 1 0.54x
Chagford 1 68.49x
Crediton 1 17.33x
East Harlsey 1 263.16x
Egloshayle 1 64.52x
Formby 1 25.45x
Hammersmith London 1 1.39x
Hove 1 4.62x
Huyton With Roby 1 24.57x
Kenton 1 52.08x
Lambeth 1 0.39x
Middlesbrough 1 2.65x
Oswaldtwistle 1 8.15x
Poynton 1 46.08x
Reading St Lawrence 1 21.28x
Shrewsbury St Julian 1 16.00x
Sithney 1 29.85x
South Molton 1 29.85x
St John Near Swansea 1 15.87x
St Marylebone London 1 0.64x
Taunton St Mary 1 11.56x
Tiverton 1 9.53x
Upton Cum Chalvey 1 14.18x
Wellingore 1 126.58x
Yeovil 1 10.45x
Yetholm 1 95.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Sarah 10
Ellen 9
Margaret 7
Ann 6
Bridget 6
Elizabeth 6
Catherine 4
Jane 4
Maria 4
Alice 3
Annie 3
Louisa 3
Susan 3
Edith 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Lucy 2
Selina 2
Winifred 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
C.M. 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Deborah 1
Eada 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ellins 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Jeanie 1
Kathleen 1
Katie 1
Lizzie 1
Margt. 1
Marie 1
Martha 1
Nancy 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Winfield 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 23
William 19
Thomas 18
James 9
Charles 8
Michael 8
George 7
Henry 5
Patrick 5
Richard 5
Alfred 3
Joseph 3
Nicholas 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Benedict 2
David 2
Edward 2
Fred 2
Joshua 2
Michel 2
Robert 2
Andrew 1
Bertie 1
Charley 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Ell. 1
Enos 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Jno.Wyett 1
Josiah 1
Manwood 1
Peter 1
Richd. 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
Williams 1
Willie 1
Wilm. 1

FAQ

Commins surname: questions and answers

How common was the Commins surname in 1881?

In 1881, 300 people were recorded with the Commins surname. That placed it at #9,724 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Commins surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 425 in 2016. That gives Commins a modern rank of #11,300.

What does the Commins surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the Welsh word "cymuned" meaning community.

What does the Commins map show?

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