NameCensus.

UK surname

Erwin

Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ēr, meaning "honor," and win, meaning "friend."

In the 1881 census there were 196 people recorded with the Erwin surname, ranking it #13,006 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 399, ranked #11,902, up from #13,006 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Holytown, Bellshill South and Orbiston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Erwin is 408 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 103.6%.

1881 census count

196

Ranked #13,006

Modern count

399

2016, ranked #11,902

Peak year

2015

408 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Erwin had 196 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,006 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 399 in 2016, ranked #11,902.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 202 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Erwin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Erwin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Erwin 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 144 #13,277
1861 historical 201 #11,949
1881 historical 196 #13,006
1891 historical 202 #14,808
1901 historical 187 #15,793
1911 historical 169 #16,564
1997 modern 346 #12,273
1998 modern 358 #12,349
1999 modern 347 #12,696
2000 modern 350 #12,564
2001 modern 351 #12,349
2002 modern 341 #12,864
2003 modern 330 #12,971
2004 modern 327 #13,094
2005 modern 328 #12,992
2006 modern 336 #12,842
2007 modern 343 #12,773
2008 modern 358 #12,485
2009 modern 376 #12,290
2010 modern 385 #12,353
2011 modern 391 #12,062
2012 modern 389 #11,963
2013 modern 401 #11,890
2014 modern 405 #11,880
2015 modern 408 #11,737
2016 modern 399 #11,902

Geography

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Where Erwins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Alston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Holytown, Bellshill South, Orbiston, Barnsley and Milnwood. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 Alston Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Holytown North Lanarkshire
2 Bellshill South North Lanarkshire
3 Orbiston North Lanarkshire
4 Barnsley 004 Barnsley
5 Milnwood North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Erwin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Erwin

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Erwin is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Erwin 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

Erwin falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Erwin 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 - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Erwin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Erwin

The surname Erwin is derived from the Germanic personal name Arvin or Erwin, which is composed of the elements "aru" meaning "eagle" and "win" meaning "friend" or "protector". This name was particularly popular among the Saxons who inhabited areas of modern-day northern Germany and the Netherlands.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Erwin can be traced back to the 8th century in the Codex Traditiones of the Freising monastery in Bavaria. In this manuscript, an individual named Aruuuin is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. In this record, an individual named Eruuin is listed as a landowner in the county of Shropshire.

In the 12th century, a notable individual named Erwin von Steinbach (c. 1244 - c. 1318) was the architect responsible for the construction of the famous Strasbourg Cathedral in France. His surname, von Steinbach, suggests that he or his ancestors may have originated from the town of Steinbach.

Another prominent figure with the surname Erwin was the German philosopher and mathematician Wilhelm Gottlieb Erwin (1701 - 1758), who made significant contributions to the field of symbolic logic.

During the 16th century, the name Erwin was also found in various place names, such as Erwinsdorf (now part of Kornwestheim, Germany) and Erwinsberg (a hill near Wertheim am Main, Germany), indicating the presence of individuals or families with this surname in those areas.

Over the centuries, the surname Erwin has undergone various spelling variations, including Ervin, Erwen, Erwine, and Erwyn. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal conventions of the time.

Notable individuals with the surname Erwin throughout history include the American Civil War general Thomas Erwin (1825 - 1906), the British politician and diplomat Sir John Erwin (1793 - 1858), and the American writer and editor Kathleen Erwin (1912 - 1989).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Erwin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Erwin 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. Lanarkshire leads with 41 Erwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.84x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 41 6.84x
Durham 23 4.17x
Surrey 20 2.21x
Middlesex 17 0.92x
Northumberland 16 5.80x
Lancashire 13 0.59x
Staffordshire 12 1.92x
Warwickshire 11 2.35x
Gloucestershire 6 1.65x
Kent 6 0.95x
Renfrewshire 5 3.48x
Yorkshire 5 0.27x
Cumberland 4 2.51x
Channel Islands 2 3.64x
Monmouthshire 2 1.49x
Perthshire 2 2.40x
Somerset 2 0.67x
Essex 1 0.27x
Hampshire 1 0.26x
Leicestershire 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 29 Erwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.25x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 29 27.25x
Birmingham 11 7.06x
Govan 11 7.42x
Rotherhithe 11 48.03x
Newcastle On Tyne St 10 69.98x
West Bromwich 9 25.13x
Hackney London 8 7.70x
Dawdon 7 103.24x
Cockerton 6 338.98x
Everton 6 8.56x
East Greenock 5 36.87x
Shoreditch London 5 6.22x
Stanhope 5 87.87x
Alston 4 136.05x
Southcoates 4 39.22x
Bilston 3 24.75x
Bristol Temple 3 125.52x
Camberwell 3 2.53x
Collierley 3 121.95x
Elswick 3 13.63x
Kew 3 576.92x
Lewisham 3 8.90x
Longbenton 3 25.68x
Openshaw 3 29.13x
Woolwich 3 12.84x
Bedminster 2 7.14x
Bristol St Paul In 2 20.66x
Crieff 2 64.72x
Grouville 2 130.72x
Lambeth 2 1.24x
Oldham 2 2.82x
St Woollos 2 13.38x
Aldershot 1 7.86x
Aveley 1 161.29x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 2.92x
Chelsea London 1 1.79x
Dalziel 1 15.50x
Gateshead 1 2.42x
Kensington London 1 0.97x
Kirkdale 1 2.70x
Leicester St Nicholas 1 86.21x
Middleton St George 1 144.93x
Mile End Old Town London 1 2.53x
Newington 1 1.46x
Salford 1 1.55x
Scarborough 1 5.99x
St Pancras London 1 0.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Elizabeth 6
Hannah 6
Ellen 5
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Anne 3
Margaret 3
Blanch 2
Ethel 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Lizzie 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Egnas 1
Evelyn 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Irene 1
J.A. 1
Julia 1
M.A. 1
Maggie 1
Mariane 1
Mildred 1
Nauld 1
Pattie 1
Rachal 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
Thomas 10
William 9
George 6
Robert 3
Charles 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
James 2
Abermann 1
Andrew 1
Edgar 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Joseph 1
Matthews 1
Ridley 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Erwin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Erwin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 196 people were recorded with the Erwin surname. That placed it at #13,006 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Erwin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 399 in 2016. That gives Erwin a modern rank of #11,902.

What does the Erwin surname mean?

Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ēr, meaning "honor," and win, meaning "friend."

What does the Erwin map show?

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