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 Voy, with 24 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 | Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201 | Voy | 24 | 338.98x |
| 202 | Watters | 24 | 23.42x |
| 203 | Matheson | 23 | 5.23x |
| 204 | Swaney | 23 | 210.24x |
| 205 | Young | 23 | 0.33x |
| 206 | Phillips | 22 | 0.38x |
| 207 | Walker | 22 | 0.20x |
| 208 | Walter | 22 | 4.47x |
| 209 | Mutch | 21 | 14.64x |
| 210 | Robb | 21 | 3.78x |
| 211 | Stephen | 21 | 3.73x |
| 212 | Burgher | 20 | 847.46x |
| 213 | Cowper | 20 | 14.20x |
| 214 | Graham | 20 | 0.54x |
| 215 | Meason | 19 | 123.86x |
| 216 | Coghill | 18 | 28.28x |
| 217 | White | 18 | 0.17x |
| 218 | Wick | 18 | 32.19x |
| 219 | Gorrie | 17 | 24.83x |
| 220 | Gow | 17 | 6.70x |
| 221 | Mooney | 17 | 4.56x |
| 222 | Skinner | 17 | 1.04x |
| 223 | Beatton | 16 | 153.70x |
| 224 | Findley | 16 | 18.85x |
| 225 | Gaudie | 16 | 104.99x |
| 226 | Horn | 16 | 2.19x |
| 227 | Newland | 16 | 8.31x |
| 228 | Cock | 15 | 4.24x |
| 229 | Rowland | 15 | 1.64x |
| 230 | Wiseman | 15 | 3.40x |
| 231 | Adamson | 14 | 1.65x |
| 232 | Allen | 14 | 0.23x |
| 233 | Baillie | 14 | 4.20x |
| 234 | Ballantine | 14 | 14.21x |
| 235 | Corse | 14 | 271.84x |
| 236 | Forbes | 14 | 1.30x |
| 237 | Gordon | 14 | 0.69x |
| 238 | Moore | 14 | 0.22x |
| 239 | Ballantyne | 13 | 5.33x |
| 240 | Bias | 13 | 418.01x |
| 241 | Chambers | 13 | 0.71x |
| 242 | Clark | 13 | 0.13x |
| 243 | Green | 13 | 0.14x |
| 244 | Lamont | 13 | 4.55x |
| 245 | Omond | 13 | 228.47x |
| 246 | Porteous | 13 | 6.07x |
| 247 | Stickler | 13 | 49.04x |
| 248 | Wright | 13 | 0.13x |
| 249 | Barron | 12 | 2.41x |
| 250 | Buchan | 12 | 2.89x |
| 251 | Cassie | 12 | 22.23x |
| 252 | Cruickshank | 12 | 3.32x |
| 253 | Henry | 12 | 1.48x |
| 254 | Meadows | 12 | 2.67x |
| 255 | Stuart | 12 | 1.56x |
| 256 | Wingate | 12 | 10.50x |
| 257 | Begg | 11 | 5.63x |
| 258 | Cameron | 11 | 0.44x |
| 259 | Cogle | 11 | 120.61x |
| 260 | Duthie | 11 | 6.38x |
| 261 | Ferrier | 11 | 5.88x |
| 262 | Greig | 11 | 2.16x |
| 263 | Holland | 11 | 0.48x |
| 264 | Malcomson | 11 | 117.77x |
| 265 | Whitlaw | 11 | 69.75x |
| 266 | Will | 11 | 8.39x |
| 267 | Arthur | 10 | 1.43x |
| 268 | Auld | 10 | 5.16x |
| 269 | Burnett | 10 | 1.12x |
| 270 | Cragie | 10 | 72.25x |
| 271 | Creelman | 10 | 136.99x |
| 272 | Douglas | 10 | 0.64x |
| 273 | Downie | 10 | 2.65x |
| 274 | Findlay | 10 | 1.50x |
| 275 | Finlayson | 10 | 2.70x |
| 276 | Ingram | 10 | 1.02x |
| 277 | Irving | 10 | 1.40x |
| 278 | Jack | 10 | 1.46x |
| 279 | Marshall | 10 | 0.19x |
| 280 | Mathieson | 10 | 2.95x |
| 281 | Muirden | 10 | 133.16x |
| 282 | Rorie | 10 | 190.11x |
| 283 | Ryrie | 10 | 53.56x |
| 284 | Saunders | 10 | 0.34x |
| 285 | Sommerville | 10 | 7.89x |
| 286 | Swanston | 10 | 14.49x |
| 287 | Webster | 10 | 0.36x |
| 288 | Bell | 9 | 0.15x |
| 289 | Chapman | 9 | 0.20x |
| 290 | Christian | 9 | 2.82x |
| 291 | Corston | 9 | 72.93x |
| 292 | Crichton | 9 | 3.28x |
| 293 | Davie | 9 | 3.04x |
| 294 | Dick | 9 | 1.26x |
| 295 | Donald | 9 | 1.39x |
| 296 | Fergus | 9 | 15.50x |
| 297 | Finlay | 9 | 2.73x |
| 298 | Howatt | 9 | 50.22x |
| 299 | Mackenzie | 9 | 1.00x |
| 300 | Makinson | 9 | 9.79x |