UK surname
An English surname derived from the Old English given name "Gening".
In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Gennings surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 62, ranked #34,227, down from #20,467 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St John Hackney and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gennings is 245 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 34.0%.
1881 census count
94
Ranked #20,467
Modern count
62
2016, ranked #34,227
Peak year
1861
245 bearers
Map years
4
1851 to 1901
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Gennings surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Gennings surname density by area, 1901 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 148 | #13,028 |
| 1861 | historical | 245 | #10,057 |
| 1881 | historical | 94 | #20,467 |
| 1891 | historical | 208 | #14,496 |
| 1901 | historical | 108 | #21,836 |
| 1911 | historical | 77 | #25,106 |
| 1997 | modern | 86 | #28,876 |
| 1998 | modern | 92 | #28,680 |
| 1999 | modern | 85 | #29,578 |
| 2000 | modern | 93 | #28,701 |
| 2001 | modern | 88 | #29,056 |
| 2002 | modern | 84 | #29,982 |
| 2003 | modern | 79 | #30,549 |
| 2004 | modern | 79 | #30,799 |
| 2005 | modern | 77 | #31,156 |
| 2006 | modern | 75 | #31,733 |
| 2007 | modern | 75 | #32,079 |
| 2008 | modern | 69 | #32,962 |
| 2009 | modern | 69 | #33,257 |
| 2010 | modern | 71 | #33,401 |
| 2011 | modern | 75 | #33,071 |
| 2012 | modern | 68 | #33,763 |
| 2013 | modern | 66 | #34,003 |
| 2014 | modern | 65 | #34,082 |
| 2015 | modern | 63 | #34,178 |
| 2016 | modern | 62 | #34,227 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St John Hackney, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Liverpool 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 No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 2 | St John Hackney | London (North Districts) |
| 3 | Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars | Leicestershire |
| 4 | Liverpool | Lancashire |
| 5 | St Mary Islington | London (North Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Gennings surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gennings, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Gennings surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Gennings household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Gennings is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gennings is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Gennings, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Gennings is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "genne" or "genne-wic," meaning a remote or secluded dwelling. The name may have been initially used as a descriptive term for someone who lived in a remote or isolated location.
The earliest recorded instances of the Gennings surname can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273 and the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1316, where individuals with the name Gennings or similar spellings like Genyngges and Jenynges were mentioned.
One notable early bearer of the name was John Gennings, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London, who lived during the 15th century. Another individual of historical significance was Sir Thomas Gennings, a member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire in the early 17th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Gennings surname was also found in various parts of southern England, particularly in counties like Somerset, Dorset, and Hampshire. Some historical records from this period suggest that the name may have been associated with certain place names, such as the village of Gennington in Somerset or the hamlet of Jennings in Dorset.
In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the Gennings surname was Sir Robert Gennings, a prominent British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1720 and died in 1793.
Another individual of note was William Gennings, an English clergyman and scholar who lived from 1738 to 1810. He served as the rector of St. Peter's Church in Nottingham and was known for his literary works and contributions to religious studies.
Throughout its history, the Gennings surname has been subject to various spellings and variations, such as Jennings, Jennins, Jenyns, and Genynges, which can be attributed to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects of the time.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gennings surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 28 Gennings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.09x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 28 | 3.09x |
| Essex | 11 | 6.14x |
| Cumberland | 9 | 11.52x |
| Lancashire | 9 | 0.84x |
| Buckinghamshire | 7 | 12.76x |
| Staffordshire | 5 | 1.63x |
| Wiltshire | 5 | 6.23x |
| Angus | 4 | 4.76x |
| Durham | 3 | 1.11x |
| Glamorgan | 2 | 1.27x |
| Hertfordshire | 2 | 3.20x |
| Nottinghamshire | 2 | 1.64x |
| Cornwall | 1 | 0.97x |
| Devon | 1 | 0.53x |
| Lanarkshire | 1 | 0.34x |
| Somerset | 1 | 0.68x |
| Surrey | 1 | 0.23x |
| Yorkshire | 1 | 0.11x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 15 Gennings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.49x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hackney London | 15 | 29.49x |
| West Ham | 10 | 25.30x |
| Caldewgate | 8 | 186.92x |
| Tottenham | 7 | 48.44x |
| Wendover | 7 | 1186.44x |
| Over Darwen | 6 | 69.77x |
| Bromham | 5 | 1388.89x |
| Rowley Regis | 5 | 58.62x |
| Islington London | 4 | 4.55x |
| Liff Benvie | 4 | 31.35x |
| Gateshead | 3 | 14.85x |
| Llandaff | 2 | 38.10x |
| Nottingham St Peter | 2 | 147.06x |
| Aintree | 1 | 1111.11x |
| Beddington | 1 | 58.48x |
| Bramfield | 1 | 1250.00x |
| East Barnet | 1 | 80.65x |
| Exeter St Thomas The | 1 | 52.08x |
| Glasgow | 1 | 1.92x |
| Huish Champflower | 1 | 909.09x |
| Kingsbury | 1 | 416.67x |
| Launcells | 1 | 588.24x |
| Middlesbrough | 1 | 8.54x |
| Shoreditch London | 1 | 2.54x |
| Wigan | 1 | 6.65x |
| Wivenhoe | 1 | 140.85x |
| Woolston With | 1 | 625.00x |
| Workington | 1 | 22.37x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Gennings surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Gennings surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Gennings households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 21 |
| Ag Lab | 3 |
| Cotton Bobbin Winder | 3 |
| General Labourer | 2 |
| Labourer | 2 |
| Agricultural Labourer | 1 |
| Cabinet Maker | 1 |
| Coal Miner | 1 |
| Coal Miner Wife | 1 |
| Cotton Weaver | 1 |
| Cotton Winder | 1 |
| Domestic | 1 |
| Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Errand Boy | 1 |
| Farm Lab | 1 |
| Farm Servant (Indoor) | 1 |
| Gen Lab | 1 |
| Genl Labr | 1 |
| Genl Serv Dom | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Iron Founders Labour | 1 |
| Laborour Agri | 1 |
| Labourer (General) | 1 |
| Labourer Iron Works | 1 |
| Laundress | 1 |
| Only Mate | 1 |
| Plasterer | 1 |
| Plumber | 1 |
| Servant In Post Office (C S) | 1 |
| Shepherd | 1 |
| Shepherd Wife | 1 |
| Shop Boy | 1 |
| Slater | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Gennings surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 62 in 2016. That gives Gennings a modern rank of #34,227.
An English surname derived from the Old English given name "Gening".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gennings bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.