NameCensus.

UK surname

Durkin

Derived from the Irish Ó Duircheáin or Ó Deargáin, meaning "descendant of the dark one" or "descendant of Deargán."

In the 1881 census there were 1,310 people recorded with the Durkin surname, ranking it #3,127 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,990, ranked #2,252, up from #3,127 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Manchester and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Burnley, Newark and Sherwood and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Durkin is 3,107 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 128.2%.

1881 census count

1,310

Ranked #3,127

Modern count

2,990

2016, ranked #2,252

Peak year

2010

3,107 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Durkin had 1,310 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,127 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,990 in 2016, ranked #2,252.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,914 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Durkin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Durkin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Durkin 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 347 #6,781
1861 historical 557 #4,727
1881 historical 1,310 #3,127
1891 historical 1,363 #3,187
1901 historical 1,669 #3,087
1911 historical 1,914 #2,592
1997 modern 2,940 #2,202
1998 modern 3,045 #2,211
1999 modern 3,052 #2,216
2000 modern 3,050 #2,205
2001 modern 3,006 #2,193
2002 modern 3,071 #2,192
2003 modern 2,984 #2,203
2004 modern 2,948 #2,224
2005 modern 2,913 #2,223
2006 modern 2,902 #2,231
2007 modern 2,946 #2,222
2008 modern 2,977 #2,204
2009 modern 2,994 #2,251
2010 modern 3,107 #2,222
2011 modern 3,050 #2,228
2012 modern 3,003 #2,221
2013 modern 3,040 #2,240
2014 modern 3,045 #2,245
2015 modern 3,002 #2,257
2016 modern 2,990 #2,252

Geography

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Where Durkins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Manchester, Bradford, Keighley and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Burnley, Newark and Sherwood and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Burnley 008 Burnley
2 Burnley 010 Burnley
3 Newark and Sherwood 006 Newark and Sherwood
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 011 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Burnley 014 Burnley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Durkin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Durkin

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Durkin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Durkin is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Durkin falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Durkin

The surname Durkin is of Irish origin, and it can be traced back to the 12th century. It is a variant of the name Durcan, which itself is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Ó Dorcáin" or "Ó Dúrcáin." This name is derived from the Irish word "dorcán," which means "little dark one" or "little dark-featured one."

The name Durkin was initially found in County Mayo and County Galway in the west of Ireland. These areas were part of the ancient Gaelic kingdom of Connacht, where the Ó Dorcáin clan was based. The surname is also associated with the Ó Madadhán clan, whose territory was in the region of Síol Anmchadha (now County Galway).

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Durkin can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a certain "Donnchadh Ó Dorcáin" who was a chief of the Ó Dorcáin clan in County Mayo in the 13th century.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various legal and administrative records from the west of Ireland. For instance, a man named "Dermot Durkin" is mentioned in a document from 1585, which refers to a land dispute in County Galway.

The earliest known bearer of the surname Durkin was likely Tadhg Ó Dorcáin, a 13th-century Irish chieftain and poet from County Mayo. Other notable individuals with the surname Durkin include Amhlaoibh Ó Dorcáin (fl. 1390), an Irish poet and scholar, and Patrick Durkin (1856-1935), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Bellingen in Queensland, Australia.

The name Durkin has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, including Durkin's Cross in County Galway and Durkin's Lough in County Mayo. These place names likely originated from the presence of Durkin families in those areas.

Other prominent bearers of the surname Durkin throughout history include William Durkin (1826-1888), an Irish journalist and political activist, and Michael Durkin (1878-1953), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of El Paso, Texas.

In summary, the surname Durkin has its roots in the ancient Irish Gaelic name "Ó Dorcáin," and it has been present in the west of Ireland, particularly in Counties Mayo and Galway, since at least the 12th century. The name has a long and rich history, with numerous notable bearers and associations with various places in Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Durkin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Durkin 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 463 Durkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.06x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 463 3.06x
Yorkshire 393 3.11x
Staffordshire 86 2.00x
Durham 57 1.50x
Flintshire 49 14.30x
Cheshire 28 0.99x
Hampshire 27 1.03x
Lanarkshire 27 0.65x
Dunbartonshire 20 5.84x
Middlesex 18 0.14x
Midlothian 12 0.70x
Ayrshire 11 1.15x
Surrey 11 0.18x
West Lothian 11 5.73x
Renfrewshire 10 1.01x
Berkshire 7 0.73x
Derbyshire 7 0.35x
Stirlingshire 7 1.49x
Worcestershire 7 0.42x
Anglesey 6 2.66x
Warwickshire 5 0.16x
Denbighshire 4 0.83x
Glamorgan 4 0.18x
Roxburghshire 4 1.73x
Somerset 4 0.19x
Angus 3 0.25x
Devon 3 0.11x
East Lothian 3 1.78x
Huntingdonshire 3 1.19x
Lincolnshire 3 0.15x
Gloucestershire 2 0.08x
Royal Navy 2 1.32x
Shropshire 2 0.18x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.19x
Cumberland 1 0.09x
Essex 1 0.04x
Hertfordshire 1 0.11x
Kent 1 0.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.07x
Northumberland 1 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 88 Durkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.77x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 88 28.77x
Burnley 54 42.39x
Keighley 46 34.16x
Oldham 44 9.01x
Liverpool 39 4.24x
St Asaph 36 529.41x
Manchester 35 5.14x
Great Bolton 33 16.47x
Bilston 30 35.97x
Sheffield 30 7.46x
Walsall Foreign 28 12.60x
Bowling 26 20.78x
Over Darwen 25 20.69x
Holy Trinity 23 7.57x
Linthorpe 23 30.50x
Spotland 23 13.67x
Chorley 21 24.74x
Leeds 21 2.94x
Blackburn 15 3.73x
Southampton St Mary 15 9.13x
Wigan 15 7.10x
York St Helen On Walls 15 724.64x
Dumbarton 14 29.36x
Halifax 14 7.55x
Darlington 12 8.19x
Middlesbrough 12 7.29x
Stockport 12 8.29x
Ashton Under Lyne 11 3.33x
Hulme 11 3.48x
Linlithgow 11 44.68x
Pendleton In Salford 11 6.10x
Sculcoates 10 4.99x
Much Woolton 9 43.84x
Prescot 9 32.89x
Sherburn 9 86.71x
Toxteth Park 9 1.76x
Warrington 9 5.02x
Billingham 8 122.51x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 1.16x
Habergham Eaves 8 5.79x
Horton In Bradford 8 4.05x
Lambeth 8 0.72x
Southampton All Sts 8 17.84x
Falkirk 7 6.36x
Maryhill 7 8.67x
Reading St Mary 7 9.13x
Stranton 7 5.48x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 4.99x
Derby St Werburgh 6 5.21x
Heaton Norris 6 6.97x
Holyhead 6 14.24x
Monks Coppenhall 6 5.65x
Old Kilpatrick 6 14.82x
St Giles 6 25.34x
Wardleworth 6 6.94x
Wavertree 6 12.39x
Wuerdle Wardle 6 13.07x
Aldridge 5 60.46x
Barony 5 0.48x
Birmingham 5 0.47x
Bromsgrove 5 8.92x
Chester St Mary On Hill 5 20.71x
Dailly 5 51.39x
Dalziel 5 11.27x
Eccleshill 5 16.26x
Gorton 5 3.52x
Hartlepool 5 9.27x
Holywell 5 11.62x
Pocklington 5 41.91x
Preston 5 1.24x
Wednesbury 5 4.65x
Colinton 4 21.00x
Glasgow 4 0.55x
Great Little Marsden 4 5.77x
Paisley High Church 4 5.09x
Shipley 4 6.10x
St Giles In Fields London 4 6.39x
Stockton On Tees 4 2.19x
Westminster St Margaret 4 6.50x
York St Nicholas In 4 56.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 130
Bridget 55
Catherine 38
Ann 36
Ellen 34
Margaret 29
Sarah 20
Elizabeth 17
Annie 16
Kate 13
Alice 12
Jane 10
Winifred 9
Hannah 7
Anne 6
Julia 6
Agnes 5
Catharine 5
Eliza 5
Rose 5
Barbara 4
Maria 4
Charlotte 3
Harriet 3
Louisa 3
Martha 3
Amelia 2
Caroline 2
Cathrine 2
Honor 2
Margret 2
Margt. 2
Angelina 1
Archie 1
Augusta 1
B. 1
Cathe. 1
Clara 1
Elisabeth 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Hilda 1
Hohoxe 1
Honour 1
Imma 1
Isabella 1
Johanna 1
Josephine 1
Katherine 1
Winsford 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 129
James 82
Thomas 79
Patrick 66
Michael 48
William 39
Martin 22
Edward 15
Anthony 12
Charles 10
Peter 9
Andrew 8
Alfred 6
Joseph 6
Hugh 5
Thos. 5
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Samuel 4
Timothy 4
Bryan 3
Jas. 3
Luke 3
Matthew 3
Michl. 3
Owen 3
Pat 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Antony 2
David 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
George 2
Henry 2
Mark 2
Mary 2
Neil 2
Richard 2
Simon 2
Stephen 2
Arthur 1
Brian 1
Bridget 1
Dick 1
Dominic 1
Ellen 1
Fred 1
Louis 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Durkin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Durkin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,310 people were recorded with the Durkin surname. That placed it at #3,127 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Durkin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,990 in 2016. That gives Durkin a modern rank of #2,252.

What does the Durkin surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Ó Duircheáin or Ó Deargáin, meaning "descendant of the dark one" or "descendant of Deargán."

What does the Durkin map show?

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