NameCensus.

UK surname

Forkin

A possible surname derived from an occupation involving forks or pitchforks.

In the 1881 census there were 92 people recorded with the Forkin surname, ranking it #20,709 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 208, ranked #19,062, up from #20,709 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Bury and Hull Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Denbighshire, Rossendale and Stoke-on-Trent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Forkin is 219 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 126.1%.

1881 census count

92

Ranked #20,709

Modern count

208

2016, ranked #19,062

Peak year

1998

219 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Forkin had 92 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,709 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 208 in 2016, ranked #19,062.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 145 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Forkin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Forkin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Forkin 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 43 #25,518
1861 historical 48 #27,896
1881 historical 92 #20,709
1891 historical 119 #21,415
1901 historical 134 #19,288
1911 historical 145 #18,255
1997 modern 198 #17,729
1998 modern 219 #17,115
1999 modern 217 #17,307
2000 modern 208 #17,772
2001 modern 204 #17,736
2002 modern 204 #18,062
2003 modern 204 #17,909
2004 modern 206 #17,883
2005 modern 204 #17,893
2006 modern 204 #18,051
2007 modern 212 #17,803
2008 modern 203 #18,470
2009 modern 209 #18,493
2010 modern 213 #18,660
2011 modern 213 #18,502
2012 modern 215 #18,304
2013 modern 216 #18,543
2014 modern 210 #19,064
2015 modern 203 #19,381
2016 modern 208 #19,062

Geography

Back to top

Where Forkins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Bury, Hull Holy Trinity, Sculcoates and Guiseley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Denbighshire, Rossendale, Stoke-on-Trent, West Lancashire and Charnwood. 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 Bury Lancashire
3 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Sculcoates Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Guiseley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Denbighshire 016 Denbighshire
2 Rossendale 001 Rossendale
3 Stoke-on-Trent 028 Stoke-on-Trent
4 West Lancashire 010 West Lancashire
5 Charnwood 015 Charnwood

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Forkin

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Forkin

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Forkin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Forkin 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Forkin 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

Forkin 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

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

Meaning and origin of Forkin

The surname Forkin is of English origin, and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "forda", meaning a shallow place where a river or stream can be crossed. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a ford or crossing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Johanne de la Forde". This entry suggests a possible connection to a place name containing the word "ford".

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings such as "Fordeyn", "Fordyn", and "Fordyne" in records from counties like Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. These variations likely stem from the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time.

The Forkin surname has its roots in the small village of Forkhill, located in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Historical records from the 16th century mention a prominent family bearing the name Forkin residing in this area.

One notable figure bearing this surname was Sir John Forkin (1567-1642), who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire during the reign of King James I. He was a wealthy landowner and played an influential role in local politics.

Another individual of note was Richard Forkin (1688-1756), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious texts, including a work titled "The Doctrine of the Church of England Concerning Baptism" published in 1737.

In the 18th century, the name appears in the writings of the renowned English poet and playwright William Congreve (1670-1729), who mentions a character named "Forkin" in his play "The Double Dealer".

During the 19th century, a notable figure was Sir Thomas Forkin (1811-1879), a successful industrialist and philanthropist from Yorkshire. He made significant contributions to the development of the city of Leeds and was knighted for his services to the community.

As the Forkin surname spread across different regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Forken, Forkyn, and Forkinge, reflecting the local dialects and pronunciation patterns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Forkin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Forkin 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. Durham leads with 32 Forkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.99x.

County Total Index
Durham 32 11.99x
Yorkshire 27 3.04x
Lancashire 24 2.25x
Flintshire 6 24.88x
Cheshire 2 1.01x
Staffordshire 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 15 Forkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 70.13x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 15 70.13x
Bury 13 106.91x
Cornsay 12 1666.67x
Conside Knitsley 9 432.69x
Leeds 9 17.92x
Sunderland Bridge 6 1428.57x
Holywell 5 165.02x
Cowpen Bewley 3 1000.00x
Beverley St Martin 2 135.14x
Billinge Chapel End 2 333.33x
Ditton 2 454.55x
Heworth 2 38.02x
Newton In Makerfield 2 61.35x
Witton 2 149.25x
Birtle Cum Bamford 1 144.93x
Blackburn 1 3.53x
Burton Upon Trent 1 14.10x
Hawarden 1 52.63x
Kingsley 1 270.27x
Macclesfield 1 11.35x
Ormesby 1 41.84x
Salford 1 3.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 9
John 9
Martin 9
Thomas 7
Patrick 5
Michael 4
Thos. 2
Albert 1
Augustine 1
Francis 1
Richard 1

FAQ

Forkin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Forkin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 92 people were recorded with the Forkin surname. That placed it at #20,709 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Forkin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 208 in 2016. That gives Forkin a modern rank of #19,062.

What does the Forkin surname mean?

A possible surname derived from an occupation involving forks or pitchforks.

What does the Forkin map show?

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