1881 census county

Orkney surnames in the 1881 census

This page ranks surnames recorded in Orkney in 1881. The total column counts people with each surname in the county. Frequency shows the local share of the population. Index compares that share with the wider census.

County summary

738 surnames are listed for Orkney, covering 27,971 people in the county records.

The leading surname here is Spence, with 548 people recorded in 1881.

Most common surnames in Orkney

Total favours larger counties and larger families. Frequency and index are better clues for where a surname stood out locally. Values above 1.00x mean the surname was more concentrated here than in the wider 1881 census.

#	Surname	Total	Frequency	Index
1	Spence	548	1.71%	51.55x
2	Muir	545	1.70%	44.31x
3	Flett	518	1.61%	372.42x
4	Scott	516	1.61%	6.35x
5	Rendall	511	1.59%	299.65x
6	Thomson	481	1.50%	11.20x
7	Johnston	460	1.43%	17.74x
8	Tulloch	429	1.33%	201.17x
9	Drever	426	1.33%	775.25x
10	Sutherland	426	1.33%	26.31x
11	Robertson	399	1.24%	7.41x
12	Smith	392	1.22%	0.86x
13	Linklater	381	1.19%	505.71x
14	Mowat	367	1.14%	166.41x
15	Miller	361	1.12%	6.28x
16	Shearer	361	1.12%	87.53x
17	Taylor	319	0.990%	1.55x
18	Reid	306	0.950%	9.06x
19	Harcus	294	0.910%	702.51x
20	Craigie	291	0.910%	288.15x
21	Clouston	286	0.890%	667.91x
22	Wilson	264	0.820%	1.79x
23	Brown	250	0.780%	1.18x
24	Irvine	250	0.780%	35.31x
25	Peace	250	0.780%	85.80x
26	Bews	246	0.770%	495.07x
27	Marwick	245	0.760%	630.63x
28	Anderson	238	0.740%	3.75x
29	Moar	226	0.700%	449.04x
30	Kirkness	224	0.700%	613.87x
31	Ritch	224	0.700%	784.59x
32	Laughton	202	0.630%	129.27x
33	Isbister	195	0.610%	453.07x
34	Heddle	193	0.600%	593.48x
35	Work	193	0.600%	494.11x
36	Allan	192	0.600%	9.52x
37	Leask	190	0.590%	143.82x
38	Chalmers	184	0.570%	24.05x
39	Foubister	184	0.570%	782.98x
40	Harvey	184	0.570%	5.36x
41	Mainland	180	0.560%	578.41x
42	Corrigall	179	0.560%	825.65x
43	Hourston	177	0.550%	796.58x
44	Manson	176	0.550%	46.83x
45	Firth	175	0.540%	16.39x
46	Tait	171	0.530%	18.07x
47	Stevenson	170	0.530%	7.54x
48	Swanney	164	0.510%	873.27x
49	Groat	162	0.500%	436.30x
50	Cromarty	160	0.500%	434.66x
51	Rosie	157	0.490%	303.50x
52	Lennie	156	0.490%	225.73x
53	Norquay	156	0.490%	777.28x
54	Budge	155	0.480%	94.58x
55	Slater	153	0.480%	7.86x
56	Baikie	148	0.460%	332.29x
57	Leslie	145	0.450%	27.25x
58	Garson	144	0.450%	522.12x
59	Gray	143	0.440%	3.12x
60	Eunson	141	0.440%	396.96x
61	Stout	141	0.440%	91.56x
62	Logie	138	0.430%	147.80x
63	Seatter	138	0.430%	803.73x
64	Wood	135	0.420%	1.32x
65	Gunn	133	0.410%	16.90x
66	Skea	133	0.410%	505.90x
67	Dearness	131	0.410%	749.00x
68	Gibson	129	0.400%	3.31x
69	Louttit	129	0.400%	534.16x
70	Wards	128	0.400%	507.53x
71	Cooper	126	0.390%	1.61x
72	Garrioch	125	0.390%	689.08x
73	Hay	125	0.390%	10.60x
74	Wylie	122	0.380%	32.62x
75	Hercus	119	0.370%	827.54x
76	Petrie	118	0.370%	30.89x
77	Walls	118	0.370%	30.52x
78	Moodie	117	0.360%	77.54x
79	Brass	114	0.350%	187.35x
80	Inkster	114	0.350%	205.48x
81	Cormack	113	0.350%	46.51x
82	Cutt	107	0.330%	324.73x
83	Sabiston	107	0.330%	687.66x
84	Wallace	107	0.330%	4.86x
85	Bruce	106	0.330%	7.04x
86	Pottinger	101	0.310%	120.04x
87	Stanger	101	0.310%	124.81x
88	Wishart	100	0.310%	39.72x
89	Guthrie	99	0.310%	24.44x
90	Groundwater	98	0.300%	378.96x
91	Ross	98	0.300%	2.79x
92	Annal	97	0.300%	456.47x
93	Matches	96	0.300%	751.76x
94	Cumming	95	0.300%	15.49x
95	Laird	92	0.290%	25.50x
96	Paterson	91	0.280%	4.16x
97	Nicolson	88	0.270%	23.70x
98	Davidson	87	0.270%	3.22x
99	Thompson	87	0.270%	0.90x
100	Garriock	86	0.270%	457.93x