NameCensus.

UK surname

Insch

In the 1881 census there were 58 people recorded with the Insch surname, ranking it #25,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 146, ranked #24,173, up from #25,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Clashindarroch, Cromar and Kildrummy and St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Insch is 150 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 151.7%.

1881 census count

58

Ranked #25,428

Modern count

146

2016, ranked #24,173

Peak year

1999

150 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Insch had 58 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 146 in 2016, ranked #24,173.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 84 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Insch surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Insch surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Insch 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 8 #31,867
1861 historical 16 #31,832
1881 historical 58 #25,428
1891 historical 71 #27,934
1901 historical 84 #24,759
1911 historical 15 #31,938
1997 modern 136 #22,398
1998 modern 148 #21,841
1999 modern 150 #21,826
2000 modern 138 #22,960
2001 modern 141 #22,344
2002 modern 144 #22,501
2003 modern 138 #22,823
2004 modern 132 #23,625
2005 modern 134 #23,406
2006 modern 126 #24,493
2007 modern 126 #24,860
2008 modern 136 #24,004
2009 modern 137 #24,371
2010 modern 150 #23,482
2011 modern 144 #23,962
2012 modern 136 #24,830
2013 modern 142 #24,547
2014 modern 148 #24,075
2015 modern 143 #24,481
2016 modern 146 #24,173

Geography

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Where Inschs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Clashindarroch, Cromar and Kildrummy, St. Helens, Fenland and Aboyne and South Deeside. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Clashindarroch Aberdeenshire
2 Cromar and Kildrummy Aberdeenshire
3 St. Helens 004 St. Helens
4 Fenland 011 Fenland
5 Aboyne and South Deeside Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Insch

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Insch

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Insch is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Insch is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Insch falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Insch families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Insch 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 34 Inschs recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.91x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 34 64.91x
Morayshire 7 79.64x
Lanarkshire 6 3.28x
Lancashire 5 0.75x
Midlothian 4 5.28x
Banffshire 1 8.53x
Kincardineshire 1 14.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Longside in Aberdeenshire leads with 8 Inschs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1269.84x.

Place Total Index
Longside 8 1269.84x
Peterhead 8 288.81x
Bellie 7 1750.00x
Govan 6 13.26x
Peterculter 6 1621.62x
Aberdeen Old Machar 5 45.70x
Logie Coldstone 5 2777.78x
Pemberton 5 186.57x
Duddingston 4 263.16x
Fetteresso 1 92.59x
Fraserburgh 1 68.03x
Huntly 1 117.65x
Rathven 1 45.45x

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 Insch households.

Occupation Count
Scholar 3
Police Constable 1

FAQ

Insch surname: questions and answers

How common was the Insch surname in 1881?

In 1881, 58 people were recorded with the Insch surname. That placed it at #25,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Insch surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 146 in 2016. That gives Insch a modern rank of #24,173.

What does the Insch map show?

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