NameCensus.

UK surname

Elderkin

An English surname representing a diminutive form of "elder", meaning an older person.

In the 1881 census there were 218 people recorded with the Elderkin surname, ranking it #12,158 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 205, ranked #19,250, down from #12,158 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Peterborough St John the Baptist and Whittlesey St Mary and St Andrew, Standground (Stilton & Peterborough, Northamptonshire). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Wiltshire and Peterborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Elderkin is 248 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 6.0%.

1881 census count

218

Ranked #12,158

Modern count

205

2016, ranked #19,250

Peak year

1901

248 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Elderkin had 218 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,158 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 205 in 2016, ranked #19,250.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 248 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Elderkin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Elderkin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Elderkin 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 167 #11,936
1861 historical 170 #13,763
1881 historical 218 #12,158
1891 historical 233 #13,392
1901 historical 248 #13,204
1911 historical 247 #13,016
1997 modern 199 #17,668
1998 modern 213 #17,431
1999 modern 211 #17,662
2000 modern 214 #17,457
2001 modern 203 #17,787
2002 modern 207 #17,911
2003 modern 205 #17,851
2004 modern 208 #17,758
2005 modern 202 #18,016
2006 modern 209 #17,784
2007 modern 208 #18,013
2008 modern 217 #17,693
2009 modern 222 #17,797
2010 modern 221 #18,205
2011 modern 222 #17,999
2012 modern 202 #19,084
2013 modern 199 #19,584
2014 modern 201 #19,641
2015 modern 204 #19,331
2016 modern 205 #19,250

Geography

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Where Elderkins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Peterborough St John the Baptist, Whittlesey St Mary and St Andrew, Standground (Stilton & Peterborough, Northamptonshire), Sheffield and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Wiltshire, Peterborough and Gwynedd. 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 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
2 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire
3 Whittlesey St Mary and St Andrew, Standground (Stilton & Peterborough, Northamptonshire) Cambridgeshire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 005 South Holland
2 South Holland 006 South Holland
3 Wiltshire 006 Wiltshire
4 Peterborough 015 Peterborough
5 Gwynedd 003 Gwynedd

Forenames

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First names often paired with Elderkin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Elderkin

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Elderkin is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Elderkin is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Elderkin 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 Elderkin 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 Elderkin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Elderkin

The surname Elderkin is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "aeld" meaning old and "kyn" meaning kin or family, essentially translating to "elder kin" or "older family". This suggests the name was originally used to distinguish an elder branch of a family from a younger one.

Elderkin is believed to have first appeared in the county of Norfolk, England, where the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval records and charters from the 1100s. Similar early spellings include Aelderkyn, Elderkyn, and Elderkynne.

In the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the Elderkin name. However, the surname likely originated from a similar Old English root word around this time period.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Elderkin surname was William Elderkin, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1198. Another early bearer was John Elderkin, whose name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

During the 13th century, the name was also found in various locations across Norfolk, including in the village of Cawston, where a Henry Elderkin was recorded as a landowner in 1287.

In the 16th century, the Elderkin family had established a presence in the village of Bungay, Suffolk, where they were prominent landowners and merchants. Notable individuals from this branch include Thomas Elderkin (1525-1592), a wealthy wool merchant, and his son Robert Elderkin (1560-1624), who served as a magistrate and justice of the peace.

Another prominent figure was Sir Walter Elderkin (1570-1648), a member of parliament and supporter of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War. He was knighted by Oliver Cromwell in 1645 for his services.

Over the centuries, the Elderkin name has also been found in various other parts of England, including London, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire. Some other notable bearers include the author and playwright Richard Elderkin (1720-1782) and the renowned botanist and explorer John Elderkin (1795-1867), who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in Australia and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Elderkin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Elderkin 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. Northamptonshire leads with 51 Elderkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.50x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 51 25.50x
Huntingdonshire 33 78.16x
Middlesex 31 1.46x
Cambridgeshire 24 17.82x
Leicestershire 11 4.67x
Gloucestershire 10 2.40x
Yorkshire 10 0.47x
Lincolnshire 9 2.65x
Essex 7 1.67x
Lancashire 6 0.24x
Somerset 5 1.46x
Warwickshire 5 0.93x
Cheshire 4 0.85x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.05x
Bedfordshire 2 1.82x
Glamorgan 2 0.54x
Rutland 2 12.81x
Surrey 2 0.19x
Kent 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. Whittlesey St Mary St in Cambridgeshire leads with 16 Elderkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 340.43x.

Place Total Index
Whittlesey St Mary St 16 340.43x
Standground 15 1562.50x
Upwood 13 5200.00x
Hungarton 9 2812.50x
Islington London 9 4.37x
Northampton St Giles 9 118.11x
Oundle 9 401.79x
St Andrewthe Less 8 51.98x
East Ham 7 89.86x
Kingscote 7 3500.00x
Kensington London 6 5.07x
Kings Cliffe 6 645.16x
Westminster St John 6 23.17x
Bawtry 5 757.58x
Ramsey 5 147.93x
Birmingham 4 2.24x
Bruton 4 296.30x
Hartford 4 1428.57x
Little Stukeley 4 1904.76x
Raunds 4 196.08x
Skelton In Guisbrough 4 70.18x
St Nicholas Lincoln 4 123.08x
St Paul Lincoln 4 666.67x
Tattenhall 4 500.00x
Thrapston 4 396.04x
Hulme 3 5.69x
Mile End Old Town London 3 6.63x
St George Hanover Square 3 8.01x
Warmington 3 600.00x
Bristol St George 2 10.37x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 4.99x
Farcett 2 384.62x
Melton Mowbray 2 47.17x
Oakham Deanshold 2 285.71x
Roath 2 11.89x
Snenton 2 17.76x
Spaldwick 2 769.23x
St Martin In Fields 2 15.71x
Beckenham 1 10.55x
Broughton 1 476.19x
Camberwell 1 0.74x
Cheltenham 1 3.11x
Frome 1 12.21x
Huntingdon St John 1 81.97x
Keysoe 1 192.31x
Langford 1 111.11x
Leake 1 64.10x
Lenton 1 14.81x
Manchester 1 0.88x
Paddington London 1 1.28x
Peterborough 1 6.91x
Rawdon 1 40.32x
Rugby 1 13.79x
St Pancras London 1 0.58x
Stilton 1 212.77x
Wandsworth 1 4.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Sarah 10
Annie 6
Elizabeth 6
Ann 4
Clara 4
Ellen 4
Louisa 4
Catherine 3
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Florence 3
Harriet 3
Margaret 3
Ada 2
Frances 2
Jane 2
Lydia 2
Maria 2
Silvia 2
Susan 2
Annah 1
Anne 1
Charlotte 1
Darrington 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elenoar 1
Elizah. 1
Emmily 1
Ettey 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Georgina 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Maggy 1
Martha 1
Milinda 1
Noamer 1
Phebe 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Roselina 1
Rosina 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
John 11
Thomas 10
Henry 8
George 6
Benjamin 5
James 5
Charles 4
Alfred 3
Daniel 3
Edward 3
Joseph 3
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Adolphus 1
Arthur 1
B. 1
Bertram 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Harrison 1
Jas. 1
Jonathen 1
Mary 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Vincent 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Elderkin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Elderkin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 218 people were recorded with the Elderkin surname. That placed it at #12,158 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Elderkin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 205 in 2016. That gives Elderkin a modern rank of #19,250.

What does the Elderkin surname mean?

An English surname representing a diminutive form of "elder", meaning an older person.

What does the Elderkin map show?

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