NameCensus.

UK surname

Elgin

From a place name derived from Gaelic "Eilginn," meaning "little Ireland," referring to an Irish settlement in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 104 people recorded with the Elgin surname, ranking it #19,296 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 98, ranked #31,470, down from #19,296 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Inveresk, St Pancras and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lunan, Fairmilehead and Croydon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Elgin is 104 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.8%.

1881 census count

104

Ranked #19,296

Modern count

98

2016, ranked #31,470

Peak year

1881

104 bearers

Map years

1

1881 to 1881

Key insights

  • Elgin had 104 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,296 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016, ranked #31,470.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 104 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Elgin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Elgin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Elgin 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 72 #24,643
1881 historical 104 #19,296
1891 historical 85 #26,080
1901 historical 82 #25,019
1911 historical 38 #29,147
1997 modern 89 #28,490
1998 modern 81 #29,849
1999 modern 90 #29,056
2000 modern 83 #29,809
2001 modern 85 #29,396
2002 modern 99 #28,082
2003 modern 94 #28,686
2004 modern 93 #29,065
2005 modern 94 #28,973
2006 modern 91 #29,725
2007 modern 95 #29,493
2008 modern 90 #30,567
2009 modern 87 #31,489
2010 modern 91 #31,497
2011 modern 86 #32,006
2012 modern 94 #31,258
2013 modern 94 #31,656
2014 modern 104 #30,365
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 98 #31,470

Geography

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Where Elgins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Inveresk, St Pancras, Edinburgh, Manchester and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lunan, Fairmilehead, Croydon, Kensington and Chelsea and Merton. 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 Inveresk Edinburgh
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lunan Angus
2 Fairmilehead City of Edinburgh
3 Croydon 014 Croydon
4 Kensington and Chelsea 009 Kensington and Chelsea
5 Merton 014 Merton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Elgin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Elgin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Elgin, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Elgin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Elgin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Elgin is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Elgin 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

Elgin falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Elgin

The surname Elgin originated in Scotland and traces its roots back to the 12th century. It is derived from the town of Elgin, the former ecclesiastical capital of Moray, located in the northeast of Scotland. The town's name itself comes from the Pictish word "ελλεν," meaning "by the river."

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Elgin can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, dating back to 1264, where an individual named Gilbertus de Elgyn is mentioned. These rolls were financial records maintained by the Scottish Crown and provide valuable insights into the names and occupations of people living during that time.

The name Elgin has a strong historical connection to the Elgin Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Ghost. This magnificent cathedral, founded in the 13th century, was one of the most remarkable examples of Gothic architecture in Scotland. Its construction and subsequent restoration efforts were closely tied to the Elgin family and their descendants.

In the 14th century, Robert Elgin (1310-1367) was a prominent Scottish cleric who served as the Bishop of Moray from 1350 until his death. He played a significant role in the reconstruction of the Elgin Cathedral after it suffered extensive damage during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Elgin was Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin (1766-1841), a Scottish nobleman and diplomat. He is best known for his controversial acquisition of the Elgin Marbles, a collection of ancient Greek sculptures, which he brought to Britain from the Parthenon in Athens. This collection is now housed in the British Museum and has been a subject of ongoing debate regarding its rightful ownership.

Sir Ralph Abercromby Elgin (1857-1920), a British colonial administrator and diplomat, served as the Governor-General of India from 1894 to 1899. His tenure was marked by significant administrative reforms and efforts to promote education and infrastructure development in the country.

The surname Elgin has also been associated with various place names, such as Elgin County in Ontario, Canada, and Elgin, Illinois, in the United States. These locations were likely named after the Scottish town or in honor of individuals bearing the Elgin surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Elgin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Elgin 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. Midlothian leads with 32 Elgins recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.78x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 32 23.78x
Lancashire 23 1.93x
Middlesex 15 1.49x
Yorkshire 7 0.70x
Inverness-shire 6 20.00x
Warwickshire 6 2.37x
Lanarkshire 3 0.92x
Aberdeenshire 2 2.15x
Angus 2 2.15x
Lincolnshire 2 1.25x
Surrey 2 0.41x
Devon 1 0.48x
Fife 1 1.68x
Somerset 1 0.62x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 18 Elgins recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.24x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 18 33.24x
St Pancras London 15 18.55x
Chorlton On Medlock 12 63.36x
Inveresk 7 192.31x
Preston 7 21.94x
Aston 6 8.60x
Inverness 6 79.47x
Edinburgh St Marys 5 190.84x
Halifax 4 27.36x
Aberdeen Old Machar 2 10.29x
Accrington 2 18.45x
Dundee 2 5.76x
Glasgow 2 3.47x
Great Grimsby 2 19.61x
Leeds 2 3.56x
Manchester 2 3.73x
Barony 1 1.22x
Bradford 1 4.15x
Edinburgh High Church 1 119.05x
Nutfield 1 270.27x
Penicuik 1 54.64x
Scoonie 1 77.52x
Stoke Damerel 1 6.83x
Streatham 1 13.42x
Taunton St Mary 1 33.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Sarah 4
Hannah 3
Margaret 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanor 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Jane 1
Katura 1
Lavinia 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Margarett 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Elgin households.

FAQ

Elgin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Elgin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 104 people were recorded with the Elgin surname. That placed it at #19,296 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Elgin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016. That gives Elgin a modern rank of #31,470.

What does the Elgin surname mean?

From a place name derived from Gaelic "Eilginn," meaning "little Ireland," referring to an Irish settlement in Scotland.

What does the Elgin map show?

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