NameCensus.

UK surname

Elphinstone

In the 1881 census there were 221 people recorded with the Elphinstone surname, ranking it #12,049 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 288, ranked #15,180, down from #12,049 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, London parishes and Aberdour. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Deer and Mormond, New Pitsligo and Lerwick North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Elphinstone is 306 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.3%.

1881 census count

221

Ranked #12,049

Modern count

288

2016, ranked #15,180

Peak year

1901

306 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Elphinstone had 221 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,049 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 288 in 2016, ranked #15,180.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 306 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Elphinstone surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Elphinstone surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Elphinstone 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 118 #18,512
1881 historical 221 #12,049
1891 historical 293 #11,319
1901 historical 306 #11,494
1911 historical 159 #17,219
1997 modern 267 #14,623
1998 modern 286 #14,318
1999 modern 288 #14,346
2000 modern 289 #14,272
2001 modern 283 #14,247
2002 modern 297 #14,081
2003 modern 285 #14,295
2004 modern 281 #14,489
2005 modern 275 #14,624
2006 modern 287 #14,295
2007 modern 294 #14,241
2008 modern 287 #14,580
2009 modern 288 #14,838
2010 modern 291 #15,050
2011 modern 276 #15,471
2012 modern 281 #15,198
2013 modern 285 #15,313
2014 modern 284 #15,455
2015 modern 284 #15,344
2016 modern 288 #15,180

Geography

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Where Elphinstones are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, London parishes, Aberdour, Edinburgh and Clyne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Deer and Mormond, New Pitsligo, Lerwick North, Central Shetland and Westhill North and South. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Stockport Cheshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Aberdour Aberdeen
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Clyne Sutherland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Deer and Mormond Aberdeenshire
2 New Pitsligo Aberdeenshire
3 Lerwick North Shetland Islands
4 Central Shetland Shetland Islands
5 Westhill North and South Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Elphinstone

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Elphinstone

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Elphinstone, 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 Elphinstone surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Elphinstone 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Elphinstone is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Elphinstone is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Elphinstone falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Elphinstone families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Elphinstone 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 59 Elphinstones recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.90x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 59 28.90x
Middlesex 26 1.18x
Surrey 18 1.68x
Midlothian 15 5.08x
Lancashire 12 0.46x
Angus 9 4.41x
Sutherland 8 47.20x
Durham 7 1.07x
Essex 7 1.61x
Lanarkshire 6 0.84x
Somerset 6 1.69x
Staffordshire 6 0.81x
Inverness-shire 5 7.60x
Kincardineshire 5 18.63x
Hampshire 4 0.89x
Stirlingshire 4 4.92x
Derbyshire 3 0.87x
Northumberland 3 0.91x
Sussex 3 0.81x
Buckinghamshire 2 1.50x
Dorset 2 1.38x
Orkney 2 8.25x
Cheshire 1 0.21x
Kent 1 0.13x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 3.13x
Merionethshire 1 2.48x
Norfolk 1 0.30x
Oxfordshire 1 0.73x
Royal Navy 1 3.81x
Suffolk 1 0.37x
Wiltshire 1 0.51x
Yorkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen St Nicholas in Aberdeenshire leads with 16 Elphinstones recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.88x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen St Nicholas 16 41.88x
Aberdeen Old Machar 12 28.15x
Tyrie 10 390.63x
Edinburgh Greenside 9 230.77x
Wandsworth 9 42.41x
Heaton Norris 8 53.73x
Inverurie 8 346.32x
St Marylebone London 8 6.80x
Chigwell 7 170.32x
Liff Benvie 7 22.58x
Aberdour 6 372.67x
Barony 6 3.33x
Clyne 6 437.96x
Hampstead London 6 17.48x
Lambeth 6 3.12x
St Pancras London 6 3.38x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 7.60x
Whitburn 6 392.16x
Banchory Ternan 5 215.52x
Moy Dalarossie 5 806.45x
Weston Super Mare 5 55.80x
Oldham 4 4.74x
St Ninians 4 49.63x
Cruden 3 114.07x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 2.53x
Pitsligo 3 153.85x
Shipley 3 545.45x
St George Hanover Square 3 7.72x
Tynemouth 3 17.07x
Blandford Forum 2 70.18x
Dundee 2 2.62x
Golspie 2 170.94x
Rousay Egilshay 2 235.29x
Westminster St James 2 8.83x
Bletchingley 1 71.43x
Burnham 1 58.82x
Christchurch 1 10.20x
Crondall 1 41.15x
Croydon 1 1.68x
East Grinstead 1 19.01x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 13.30x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 17.21x
Fugglestone St Peter 1 129.87x
Gateshead 1 2.04x
Girthon 1 93.46x
Godalming 1 14.79x
Halifax 1 3.12x
Hastings St Mary 1 10.81x
Hastings St Mary In The 1 12.61x
Holdenhurst 1 8.44x
Kensington London 1 0.82x
Lee 1 9.16x
Lowestoft 1 7.89x
Lumphanan 1 116.28x
Mallwyd 1 102.04x
Monckton Combe 1 88.50x
Oxford St Giles 1 15.41x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 1 17.86x
South Leith 1 3.01x
Sprowston 1 66.67x
Sway 1 166.67x
Upton Cum Chalvey 1 18.83x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
James 9
Adam 3
Henry 3
John 3
George 2
Howard 2
Kenneth 2
Robert 2
Wm. 2
A.H. 1
Allan 1
Augustus 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Douglas 1
Edward 1
Lancelot 1
Maurrice 1
Montiglue 1
Percy 1
Sydny 1
Thomas 1
W. 1

FAQ

Elphinstone surname: questions and answers

How common was the Elphinstone surname in 1881?

In 1881, 221 people were recorded with the Elphinstone surname. That placed it at #12,049 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Elphinstone surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 288 in 2016. That gives Elphinstone a modern rank of #15,180.

What does the Elphinstone map show?

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