NameCensus.

UK surname

Irwin

Derived from a place name meaning "boar friend" in Old English, likely referring to a hunter or one who kept boars.

In the 1881 census there were 2,522 people recorded with the Irwin surname, ranking it #1,770 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,626, ranked #1,191, up from #1,770 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Devon, Carlisle and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Irwin is 5,857 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 123.1%.

1881 census count

2,522

Ranked #1,770

Modern count

5,626

2016, ranked #1,191

Peak year

2010

5,857 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Irwin had 2,522 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,770 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,626 in 2016, ranked #1,191.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,469 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Irwin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Irwin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Irwin 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 1,353 #2,123
1861 historical 1,283 #2,222
1881 historical 2,522 #1,770
1891 historical 2,665 #1,787
1901 historical 3,435 #1,616
1911 historical 3,469 #1,507
1997 modern 5,523 #1,182
1998 modern 5,644 #1,200
1999 modern 5,728 #1,195
2000 modern 5,665 #1,202
2001 modern 5,584 #1,190
2002 modern 5,695 #1,190
2003 modern 5,576 #1,182
2004 modern 5,542 #1,188
2005 modern 5,444 #1,187
2006 modern 5,480 #1,184
2007 modern 5,533 #1,180
2008 modern 5,606 #1,169
2009 modern 5,734 #1,170
2010 modern 5,857 #1,171
2011 modern 5,788 #1,171
2012 modern 5,605 #1,186
2013 modern 5,717 #1,186
2014 modern 5,728 #1,192
2015 modern 5,670 #1,194
2016 modern 5,626 #1,191

Geography

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Where Irwins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Devon, Carlisle and Northumberland. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Devon 002 North Devon
2 North Devon 005 North Devon
3 Carlisle 011 Carlisle
4 Northumberland 035 Northumberland
5 Carlisle 010 Carlisle

Forenames

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First names often paired with Irwin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Irwin

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Irwin 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

Irwin is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Irwin falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Irwin

The surname Irwin originated in Scotland and is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ire" meaning green and "wyn" meaning friend or lover, suggesting it was initially a descriptive name for someone with an affinity for nature or greenery. It may also have roots in the ancient Scottish kingdom of Strathclyde, where the name first emerged as a territorial designation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Irwin can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls submitted to King Edward I of England, which included the name Irvyn de Dugalstone. This suggests the name was already well-established in Scotland by the late 13th century.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086, does not mention the name Irwin, further reinforcing its Scottish origins. However, the name is found in other early Scottish records, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which date back to the 13th and 14th centuries.

Historically, the Irwin family held significant influence and land holdings in Ayrshire, Scotland. One notable member of the clan was Sir John Irwin (c. 1330-1391), who served as Lord High Chamberlain of Scotland and played a crucial role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.

Another prominent figure bearing the Irwin surname was William Irwin (1611-1683), an Anglo-Irish soldier and landowner who served as Lord President of Munster in Ireland during the reign of Charles II. He was a key figure in the suppression of the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Irwin surname dates back to the 17th century, with the arrival of Robert Irwin, who settled in Virginia in 1635. Another notable American with the surname was August Irwin (1853-1924), a businessman and philanthropist who founded the Irwin Auditorium in Philadelphia.

Other historical figures with the Irwin surname include Sir Gerard Irwin (1847-1924), a British colonial administrator who served as Governor of the Bahamas and British Guiana, and Robert Irwin (1928-2018), a highly acclaimed British historian and author known for his works on the Middle East and Islamic culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Irwin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Irwin 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. Lancashire leads with 506 Irwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.74x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 506 1.74x
Durham 363 4.97x
Middlesex 231 0.94x
Northumberland 180 4.92x
Yorkshire 171 0.70x
Devon 151 2.95x
Cumberland 126 5.96x
Lanarkshire 116 1.46x
Surrey 97 0.81x
Kent 84 1.00x
Gloucestershire 56 1.16x
Glamorgan 45 1.05x
Cheshire 39 0.72x
Leicestershire 38 1.39x
Warwickshire 29 0.47x
Staffordshire 28 0.34x
Hampshire 23 0.46x
Essex 20 0.41x
Oxfordshire 20 1.32x
Cambridgeshire 19 1.22x
Dunbartonshire 19 2.88x
Westmorland 19 3.52x
Worcestershire 14 0.44x
Cornwall 13 0.47x
Norfolk 13 0.34x
Ayrshire 12 0.65x
Derbyshire 9 0.23x
Dorset 9 0.56x
Shropshire 9 0.42x
Renfrewshire 8 0.42x
Somerset 8 0.20x
Channel Islands 7 0.96x
Hertfordshire 6 0.35x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.18x
Royal Navy 5 1.71x
Sussex 5 0.12x
Monmouthshire 3 0.17x
Suffolk 3 0.10x
Berkshire 2 0.11x
Lincolnshire 2 0.05x
Rutland 2 1.11x
Flintshire 1 0.15x
Isle of Man 1 0.22x
Wigtownshire 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Combmartin in Devon leads with 59 Irwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 531.53x.

Place Total Index
Combmartin 59 531.53x
Liverpool 57 3.22x
Hulme 50 8.21x
Govan 45 2.29x
Everton 37 3.98x
Gateshead 37 6.76x
Kirkdale 36 7.34x
Tanfield 34 39.11x
Lambeth 31 1.45x
Clerkenwell London 29 5.00x
Elswick 28 9.60x
Blackburn 27 3.48x
Islington London 27 1.13x
Manchester 27 2.06x
Leicester St Margaret 26 3.91x
Salford 26 3.03x
Stockton On Tees 25 7.09x
Tynemouth 25 12.77x
Glasgow 23 1.63x
Westgate 22 9.72x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 21 6.63x
Leeds 21 1.53x
Bethnal Green London 20 1.87x
Camberwell 20 1.27x
Heworth 20 13.88x
West Herrington 19 74.19x
Dumbarton 18 19.58x
Cowpen Bewley 17 205.07x
Crumpsall 17 24.74x
East Denton 17 204.57x
Ilfracombe 17 32.29x
Medomsley 17 49.85x
Barrow In Furness 16 4.03x
Bishopwearmouth 16 2.55x
Cheetham 16 7.36x
Darlington 16 5.67x
Woolwich 16 5.17x
Aston 15 0.88x
Barony 15 0.75x
Shipley 15 11.87x
Bishop Auckland 14 14.27x
Bootle Cum Linacre 14 6.05x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 14 3.09x
Cummersdale 14 193.91x
Newington 14 1.54x
St Marythe Less 14 147.99x
Linthorpe 13 8.95x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 13 5.95x
Roath 13 6.69x
St Pancras London 13 0.66x
Tottenham 13 3.32x
West Derby 13 1.52x
Byker 12 6.64x
Callington 12 74.03x
Collierley 12 36.84x
Newton 12 5.34x
Pishill 12 839.16x
Shoreditch London 12 1.13x
Ardwick 11 4.18x
Benwell 11 27.53x
East Stonehouse 11 10.92x
Keswick 11 40.68x
Lewisham 11 2.46x
Ratcliffe London 11 8.11x
Sheffield 11 1.42x
Solport 11 526.32x
St Andrew Holborn London 11 10.34x
Sutton 11 39.64x
Westminster St John 11 3.68x
Braunton 10 57.67x
Cardiff St John 10 7.16x
Cornsay 10 50.81x
Millom 10 15.43x
Portsea 10 1.01x
Stourbridge 10 12.11x
Gosforth 9 87.29x
Hexham 9 15.91x
Maryhill 9 5.79x
Parr 9 8.63x
Rotherhithe 9 2.96x

FAQ

Irwin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Irwin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,522 people were recorded with the Irwin surname. That placed it at #1,770 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Irwin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,626 in 2016. That gives Irwin a modern rank of #1,191.

What does the Irwin surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "boar friend" in Old English, likely referring to a hunter or one who kept boars.

What does the Irwin map show?

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