NameCensus.

UK surname

Jenkinson

A surname derived from the son of John or Jenkin, diminutives of the personal name John.

In the 1881 census there were 5,239 people recorded with the Jenkinson surname, ranking it #850 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,632, ranked #875, down from #850 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Scarborough, Wyre and Copeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jenkinson is 7,918 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.7%.

1881 census count

5,239

Ranked #850

Modern count

7,632

2016, ranked #875

Peak year

2010

7,918 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jenkinson had 5,239 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #850 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,632 in 2016, ranked #875.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,010 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Jenkinson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jenkinson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jenkinson 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 3,248 #888
1861 historical 3,305 #865
1881 historical 5,239 #850
1891 historical 5,944 #790
1901 historical 6,632 #836
1911 historical 7,010 #738
1997 modern 7,333 #879
1998 modern 7,694 #875
1999 modern 7,784 #870
2000 modern 7,794 #867
2001 modern 7,591 #866
2002 modern 7,726 #871
2003 modern 7,643 #859
2004 modern 7,610 #862
2005 modern 7,538 #857
2006 modern 7,594 #849
2007 modern 7,675 #848
2008 modern 7,703 #850
2009 modern 7,804 #862
2010 modern 7,918 #871
2011 modern 7,785 #869
2012 modern 7,621 #870
2013 modern 7,766 #868
2014 modern 7,768 #875
2015 modern 7,697 #868
2016 modern 7,632 #875

Geography

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Where Jenkinsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, London parishes, Edinburgh, Filey and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Scarborough, Wyre and Copeland. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Filey Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Scarborough 014 Scarborough
2 Wyre 009 Wyre
3 Wyre 004 Wyre
4 Copeland 007 Copeland
5 Scarborough 006 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jenkinson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jenkinson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jenkinson, 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 Jenkinson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Jenkinson 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, Jenkinson 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

Jenkinson is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Jenkinson

The surname Jenkinson has its origins in England and dates back to the late 13th century. It is derived from the medieval personal name "Jenkin," a diminutive form of John, combined with the patronymic suffix "-son," meaning "son of."

Initially, the name was predominantly found in the northern English counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is believed to have emerged as a distinct surname during the reign of Edward I, when hereditary surnames became more widespread among the general population.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jenkinson can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a "Johannes Jenkynson." The Jenkinson name also appears in various medieval records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from the late 15th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Jenkinson surname spread across various parts of England, with notable individuals bearing the name emerging in different regions. One such individual was Robert Jenkinson (1542-1617), a merchant and alderman from the city of York.

In the 18th century, the Jenkinson family gained prominence through Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool (1729-1808), a British statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1812 to 1827. His son, Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool (1770-1828), also held significant political positions.

Other notable individuals with the Jenkinson surname include Sir Robert Jenkinson (1593-1664), an English judge and Member of Parliament, and Anthony Jenkinson (1529-1611), an English explorer and writer who traveled extensively in Russia and Central Asia.

The Jenkinson name has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout England, such as Jenkinson's Farm in Warwickshire and Jenkinson's Wood in Lancashire, reflecting the historical presence of families with this surname in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jenkinson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jenkinson 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,827 Jenkinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.60x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,827 3.60x
Lancashire 1,130 1.86x
Cumberland 265 6.02x
Lincolnshire 246 3.01x
Staffordshire 219 1.27x
Middlesex 218 0.43x
Cheshire 168 1.49x
Derbyshire 122 1.52x
Midlothian 112 1.63x
Surrey 105 0.42x
Durham 92 0.60x
Norfolk 91 1.16x
Nottinghamshire 81 1.17x
Westmorland 76 6.76x
Kent 61 0.35x
Warwickshire 61 0.47x
Essex 60 0.59x
Northamptonshire 48 1.00x
Leicestershire 33 0.58x
East Lothian 26 3.84x
Gloucestershire 24 0.24x
Lanarkshire 21 0.13x
Northumberland 21 0.28x
Devon 15 0.14x
Hampshire 15 0.14x
Isle of Man 14 1.47x
Shropshire 14 0.32x
Cambridgeshire 11 0.34x
Peeblesshire 9 3.74x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.23x
Roxburghshire 7 0.76x
Wiltshire 6 0.13x
Worcestershire 6 0.09x
Berkshire 5 0.13x
Sussex 5 0.06x
Selkirkshire 4 0.86x
Berwickshire 3 0.48x
Hertfordshire 3 0.09x
Somerset 3 0.04x
Fife 2 0.07x
Oxfordshire 2 0.06x
Royal Navy 2 0.33x
Angus 1 0.02x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.05x
Monmouthshire 1 0.03x
Suffolk 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 130 Jenkinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.06x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 130 8.06x
Filey 99 241.70x
Ecclesall Bierlow 92 8.92x
Leeds 80 2.79x
Pilling 67 235.17x
Yeadon 66 57.66x
Brightside Bierlow 61 6.14x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 57 12.07x
Southowram 54 34.90x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 52 1.89x
Altrincham 51 25.85x
Kimberworth 51 18.13x
Nether Hallam 49 7.14x
Fulbeck 47 416.30x
Islington London 46 0.93x
Preston 45 2.77x
Horton In Bradford 43 5.43x
Workington 40 15.86x
West Ham 39 1.75x
Halifax 38 5.11x
Thurstonland 38 216.52x
Little Lever 36 46.38x
Stone 36 16.30x
Almondbury 35 14.28x
Camberwell 33 1.01x
Manchester 33 1.21x
Liverpool 32 0.87x
Oldham 32 1.63x
Golborne 31 39.19x
Ulverston 31 17.53x
Blackburn 30 1.86x
Birmingham 29 0.67x
Stafford St Mary 29 11.86x
Holy Trinity 28 2.30x
Wombwell 28 18.94x
Ashton Under Lyne 27 2.04x
Batley 26 5.40x
Broughton In Salford 26 4.68x
Cannock 26 8.63x
Cleator 26 14.18x
Egremont 26 24.76x
Hulme 26 2.05x
Everton 25 1.29x
Mexborough 25 24.85x
Saddleworth 25 6.39x
Stoke Upon Trent 25 1.37x
Haslingden 24 9.55x
Hindley 24 9.27x
Kettering 23 11.82x
Newchurch 22 4.43x
Scarborough 22 4.78x
Shoreditch London 22 0.99x
Tickhill 22 68.07x
Grantham 21 19.70x
Darlington 20 3.40x
North Meols 20 3.37x
Worsbrough 20 13.47x
Beverley St Martin 19 22.46x
Bradford 18 1.47x
Doncaster 18 4.86x
Aston 17 0.48x
Great Bolton 17 2.11x
Great Grimsby 17 3.27x
Millom 17 12.60x
Norton 17 25.76x
Nottingham St Mary 17 0.95x
Radcliffe 17 5.81x
Scarisbrick 17 24.13x
Toxteth Park 17 0.83x
Beckermet St John 16 145.99x
Holt 16 59.52x
Manningham 16 2.56x
Spittlegate 16 14.14x
Swinton In Rotherham 16 11.94x
Ambleside 15 43.04x
Cheetham 15 3.31x
Lambeth 15 0.34x
Moss Side 15 4.70x
Stockport 15 2.58x
Tinsley 15 84.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 405
Elizabeth 208
Sarah 199
Ann 113
Jane 82
Annie 80
Ellen 79
Alice 78
Hannah 73
Eliza 69
Martha 63
Margaret 60
Emma 59
Emily 50
Fanny 38
Edith 27
Frances 27
Louisa 26
Ada 24
Agnes 24
Florence 23
Isabella 22
Harriet 21
Catherine 20
Charlotte 20
Clara 20
Kate 20
Lucy 20
Maria 19
Harriett 17
Ruth 17
Caroline 15
Amelia 14
Rose 14
Elizth. 13
Esther 13
Betsy 12
Susannah 12
Anne 10
Betty 10
Matilda 10
Rachel 10
Lydia 9
Rebecca 9
Susan 9
Grace 8
Julia 8
Nancy 8
Selina 8
Sophia 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 337
William 305
Thomas 199
George 157
James 151
Joseph 130
Henry 100
Robert 87
Arthur 74
Charles 71
Edward 60
Richard 59
Samuel 56
Alfred 35
Frederick 29
Walter 26
Albert 25
Herbert 25
Harry 22
Fred 21
Ernest 17
Frank 17
Thos. 17
Daniel 16
Francis 16
Wm. 16
Benjamin 12
Isaac 12
Matthew 11
David 10
Tom 10
Joe 9
Percy 9
Jonathan 8
Joshua 8
Geo. 7
Christopher 6
Robt. 6
Aaron 5
Sam 5
Willm. 5
Adam 4
Andrew 4
Fredk. 4
Horace 4
Hugh 4
Jno. 4
Lewis 4
Saml. 4
Sidney 4

FAQ

Jenkinson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jenkinson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,239 people were recorded with the Jenkinson surname. That placed it at #850 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jenkinson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,632 in 2016. That gives Jenkinson a modern rank of #875.

What does the Jenkinson surname mean?

A surname derived from the son of John or Jenkin, diminutives of the personal name John.

What does the Jenkinson map show?

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