NameCensus.

UK surname

Jenkin

A surname derived from the medieval diminutive form of "John".

In the 1881 census there were 2,365 people recorded with the Jenkin surname, ranking it #1,882 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,761, ranked #3,566, down from #1,882 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Illogan, Redruth and Wendron. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jenkin is 3,521 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 25.5%.

1881 census count

2,365

Ranked #1,882

Modern count

1,761

2016, ranked #3,566

Peak year

1851

3,521 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jenkin had 2,365 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,882 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,761 in 2016, ranked #3,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,521 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Jenkin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jenkin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jenkin 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 3,521 #807
1861 historical 2,604 #1,131
1881 historical 2,365 #1,882
1891 historical 2,408 #1,952
1901 historical 2,187 #2,468
1911 historical 2,451 #2,092
1997 modern 1,743 #3,422
1998 modern 1,762 #3,524
1999 modern 1,800 #3,476
2000 modern 1,808 #3,446
2001 modern 1,770 #3,437
2002 modern 1,761 #3,536
2003 modern 1,736 #3,509
2004 modern 1,711 #3,565
2005 modern 1,671 #3,597
2006 modern 1,688 #3,571
2007 modern 1,679 #3,614
2008 modern 1,749 #3,517
2009 modern 1,808 #3,492
2010 modern 1,790 #3,587
2011 modern 1,745 #3,612
2012 modern 1,729 #3,593
2013 modern 1,774 #3,571
2014 modern 1,779 #3,576
2015 modern 1,756 #3,587
2016 modern 1,761 #3,566

Geography

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Where Jenkins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Illogan, Redruth, Wendron, St Austell and Camborne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. 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 Illogan Cornwall
2 Redruth Cornwall
3 Wendron Cornwall
4 St Austell Cornwall
5 Camborne Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 057 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 051 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 071 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 068 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 059 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jenkin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jenkin

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Jenkin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Jenkin 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Jenkin 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

Jenkin 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

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

Meaning and origin of Jenkin

The surname Jenkin originated in Wales and is derived from the Welsh personal name Jenkin, which was a pet form of the name John. It was a relatively common surname in parts of Wales during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of this name was Jenkin ap Ieuan, who was mentioned in records from Flintshire, Wales in 1391. The "ap" prefix means "son of" in Welsh, indicating his father's name was Ieuan.

The Jenkin surname also appeared in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror. This suggests the name had Anglo-Norman roots and may have been adopted by some Norman settlers in Wales.

In the 16th century, records show a Jenkin Morgan was born around 1540 in Pencoed, Glamorgan, Wales. He was a landowner and notable figure in the local community.

Moving into the 17th century, we find Sir Leoline Jenkin (1625-1685), a Welsh judge and politician who served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1671 to 1672 during the reign of King Charles II.

Another prominent bearer was Henry Jenkin (1733-1798), a Welsh Anglican priest and author who wrote several works on theology and philosophy in the late 18th century.

The surname also has connections to place names like Jenkins Reen in Somerset, England, which likely derived its name from a person with the Jenkin surname who lived there centuries ago.

As the centuries passed, spelling variations emerged, including Jenkyns, Jenkyn, Jenckins, and Jenkings, reflecting the way the name was pronounced in different regions of Wales and England over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jenkin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jenkin 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. Cornwall leads with 1,552 Jenkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.45x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 1,552 59.45x
Glamorgan 220 5.48x
Devon 96 2.00x
Lancashire 70 0.26x
Surrey 68 0.61x
Middlesex 64 0.28x
Yorkshire 45 0.20x
Staffordshire 29 0.37x
Cumberland 20 1.01x
Cheshire 17 0.33x
Durham 16 0.23x
Monmouthshire 14 0.84x
Oxfordshire 13 0.91x
Somerset 11 0.30x
Kent 10 0.13x
Essex 9 0.20x
Hampshire 8 0.17x
Pembrokeshire 8 1.09x
Carmarthenshire 7 0.72x
Lanarkshire 7 0.09x
Midlothian 7 0.23x
Warwickshire 7 0.12x
Leicestershire 6 0.23x
Stirlingshire 6 0.71x
Gloucestershire 5 0.11x
Montgomeryshire 5 0.95x
Berkshire 4 0.23x
Flintshire 4 0.65x
Wiltshire 4 0.20x
Derbyshire 3 0.08x
Isle of Man 3 0.70x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.10x
Worcestershire 3 0.10x
Ayrshire 2 0.12x
Banffshire 2 0.42x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.21x
Cardiganshire 2 0.36x
Lincolnshire 2 0.05x
Shropshire 2 0.10x
Brecknockshire 1 0.22x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.07x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.07x
Denbighshire 1 0.11x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.16x
Merionethshire 1 0.24x
Norfolk 1 0.03x
Suffolk 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wendron in Cornwall leads with 141 Jenkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 388.97x.

Place Total Index
Wendron 141 388.97x
Redruth 79 106.97x
Camborne 78 72.50x
St Austell 65 72.84x
Madron Penzance 62 65.30x
Paul 62 130.72x
Madron 53 251.30x
Scilly Islands 53 1130.06x
Constantine 51 335.53x
Phillack 42 124.63x
Falmouth 40 43.29x
Illogan 40 57.86x
St Agnes 39 106.67x
Gwennap 35 71.07x
Kea 33 169.58x
Ystradyfodwg 31 8.80x
Helston 29 106.85x
Perranzabuloe 27 119.89x
St Columb Major 25 115.37x
Kenwyn 24 35.15x
St Columb Minor 24 109.49x
St Athan 23 764.12x
St Ewe 23 290.77x
St Teath 23 146.31x
Camberwell 20 1.36x
Lewannick 20 392.93x
Sancreed 20 270.27x
Sithney 20 75.82x
Stoke Damerel 20 5.95x
Millom 19 31.23x
Oystermouth 19 61.15x
St Blazey 18 78.53x
Crowan 17 82.21x
Penrice 17 829.27x
Plymouth St Andrew 17 4.60x
St Ives 17 33.27x
Bodmin 15 34.73x
Llanblethian 15 262.24x
Nicholaston 15 1807.23x
St Just In Penwith 15 29.62x
Ashton In Makerfield 14 17.97x
Budock 14 71.25x
Cwmdu 14 28.62x
Lambeth 14 0.70x
Clapham 13 4.51x
Ludgvan 13 62.47x
St Hilary 13 171.28x
St Mewan 13 161.69x
Antony 11 43.63x
Egloskerry 11 319.77x
Islington London 11 0.49x
Scilly Islands St Mary 11 107.95x
St Hilary Marazion 11 154.93x
St Pancras London 11 0.59x
West Derby 11 1.37x
Gulval 10 59.49x
Liskeard 10 22.89x
Margam 10 22.33x
Newlyn 10 89.69x
South Petherwin 10 153.14x
St Breward 10 174.22x
St Gluvias Penryn 10 47.80x
Chepstow St Arvans 9 228.43x
Habergham Eaves 9 3.60x
Laneast 9 441.18x
St Stithians 9 62.54x
Walsall Foreign 9 2.24x
West Bromwich 9 2.02x
West Putford 9 491.80x
Eglwysilan 8 11.48x
Llantwit Major 8 102.17x
Marazion 8 255.59x
Morvah 8 551.72x
Newington 8 0.94x
Portishead 8 29.00x
St Buryan 8 74.21x
Trewen 8 720.72x
Cheriton 7 510.95x
Shoreditch London 7 0.70x
St Stephen In Brannel 7 29.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 193
Elizabeth 138
Jane 67
Ann 44
Sarah 44
Eliza 42
Margaret 34
Grace 30
Susan 29
Ellen 27
Emma 25
Annie 24
Alice 19
Emily 19
Bessie 18
Catherine 18
Martha 15
Hannah 13
Maria 11
Amelia 10
Caroline 10
Edith 10
Fanny 10
Elizth. 9
Harriet 9
Ada 7
Clara 7
Julia 7
Louisa 7
Minnie 7
Kate 6
Ruth 6
Agnes 5
Anne 5
Elizebeth 5
Frances 5
Jessie 5
Johanna 5
Lavinia 5
Matilda 5
May 5
Phillipa 5
Sophia 5
Anna 4
E. 4
Florence 4
Isabella 4
Lucy 4
Mabel 4
Rebecca 4

Top male names

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

FAQ

Jenkin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jenkin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,365 people were recorded with the Jenkin surname. That placed it at #1,882 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jenkin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,761 in 2016. That gives Jenkin a modern rank of #3,566.

What does the Jenkin surname mean?

A surname derived from the medieval diminutive form of "John".

What does the Jenkin map show?

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