NameCensus.

UK surname

Darkin

In the 1881 census there were 219 people recorded with the Darkin surname, ranking it #12,122 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 199, ranked #19,653, down from #12,122 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Thurrock, Grays. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Carmarthenshire and Forest of Dean.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Darkin is 332 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.1%.

1881 census count

219

Ranked #12,122

Modern count

199

2016, ranked #19,653

Peak year

1861

332 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Darkin had 219 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,122 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016, ranked #19,653.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 332 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Darkin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Darkin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Darkin 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 221 #9,630
1861 historical 332 #7,673
1881 historical 219 #12,122
1891 historical 329 #10,320
1901 historical 283 #12,117
1911 historical 287 #11,784
1997 modern 227 #16,267
1998 modern 243 #15,993
1999 modern 246 #15,974
2000 modern 235 #16,423
2001 modern 234 #16,205
2002 modern 224 #17,042
2003 modern 220 #17,033
2004 modern 223 #16,965
2005 modern 213 #17,435
2006 modern 213 #17,563
2007 modern 217 #17,520
2008 modern 223 #17,395
2009 modern 225 #17,631
2010 modern 221 #18,205
2011 modern 216 #18,321
2012 modern 215 #18,304
2013 modern 214 #18,671
2014 modern 206 #19,318
2015 modern 205 #19,269
2016 modern 199 #19,653

Geography

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Where Darkins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Thurrock, Grays, St Mary Islington and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Carmarthenshire, Forest of Dean, South Cambridgeshire and Shropshire. 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 London parishes London 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Thurrock, Grays Essex
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 011 South Holland
2 Carmarthenshire 017 Carmarthenshire
3 Forest of Dean 001 Forest of Dean
4 South Cambridgeshire 003 South Cambridgeshire
5 Shropshire 031 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Darkin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Darkin

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Darkin is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Darkin is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Darkin falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Darkin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Darkin 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. Middlesex leads with 59 Darkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.76x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 59 2.76x
Yorkshire 28 1.32x
Suffolk 27 10.38x
Surrey 21 2.02x
Essex 15 3.56x
Kent 15 2.06x
Durham 12 1.89x
Lancashire 9 0.36x
Gloucestershire 8 1.91x
Cambridgeshire 5 3.70x
Derbyshire 5 1.50x
Cheshire 4 0.85x
Warwickshire 3 0.56x
Denbighshire 2 2.48x
Renfrewshire 2 1.21x
Hertfordshire 1 0.68x
Norfolk 1 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.35x
Staffordshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Helion Bumpstead in Suffolk leads with 19 Darkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 3333.33x.

Place Total Index
Helion Bumpstead 19 3333.33x
Chelsea London 10 15.54x
Northfleet 10 155.76x
Edmonton 9 52.30x
Islington London 9 4.35x
Lambeth 9 4.83x
Barnard Castle 7 222.93x
Lexden 7 414.20x
Serjeants Inn London 7 10000.00x
Croydon 6 10.38x
Dewsbury 6 27.64x
Gloucester St Mary Grace 6 4615.38x
Hunslet 6 18.18x
West Ham 6 6.44x
Bethnal Green London 5 5.39x
Hackney London 5 4.18x
Leeds 5 4.18x
Staveley 5 84.18x
Whittlesey St Mary St 5 105.71x
Bowling 4 19.07x
Bradford 4 7.81x
Bromley London 4 8.51x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 4 81.97x
Kelloe 4 579.71x
Mile End Old Town London 4 8.80x
Pendleton In Salford 4 13.25x
Deptford St Paul 3 5.34x
Ipswich St Nicholas 3 209.79x
Leamington Priors 3 22.62x
Newington 3 3.80x
St Martin In Fields 3 23.46x
Sutton In Macclesfield 3 61.35x
Denbigh 2 61.73x
Dover St Mary Virgin 2 28.37x
Grays Inn Staple Inn 2 740.74x
Henbury 2 98.04x
Leyton Low 2 23.34x
Sculcoates 2 5.96x
West Greenock 2 6.73x
Acton Grange 1 833.33x
Beckingham 1 303.03x
Camberwell 1 0.73x
Crumpsall 1 16.75x
Enfield 1 7.13x
Gazeley 1 163.93x
Guildford Holy Trinity 1 50.51x
Guildford St Nicholas 1 54.35x
Heaton Norris 1 6.93x
Heigham 1 5.67x
Huddersfield 1 3.24x
North Meols 1 4.03x
Over Darwen 1 4.94x
Shenley 1 103.09x
Stockton On Tees 1 3.26x
Tutbury 1 56.82x
Warrington 1 3.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 10
Sarah 10
Alice 5
Martha 5
Florence 4
Ada 3
Ann 3
Annie 3
Edith 3
Eliza 3
Hannah 3
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Jane 2
Maria 2
Marian 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Alura 1
Amelia 1
Anastatia 1
Catherine 1
Elizebeth 1
Elsie 1
F. 1
Goseal 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Jenny 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Phebe 1
Priscilla 1
Rose 1
Sara 1
Sophia 1
Thamer 1
Zerpa 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Darkin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Darkin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 219 people were recorded with the Darkin surname. That placed it at #12,122 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Darkin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016. That gives Darkin a modern rank of #19,653.

What does the Darkin map show?

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