UK surname
A surname possibly derived from the Middle English "jenkin" meaning a small coin or petty cash.
In the 1881 census there were 285 people recorded with the Jinkins surname, ranking it #10,070 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13, ranked #37,278, down from #10,070 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Mathry and Merthyr Tydfil. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jinkins is 975 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 95.4%.
1881 census count
285
Ranked #10,070
Modern count
13
2016, ranked #37,278
Peak year
1851
975 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Jinkins surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Jinkins surname density by area, 1881 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 | 975 | #2,863 |
| 1861 | historical | 789 | #3,492 |
| 1881 | historical | 285 | #10,070 |
| 1891 | historical | 480 | #7,679 |
| 1901 | historical | 198 | #15,213 |
| 1911 | historical | 157 | #17,348 |
| 1997 | modern | 16 | #36,292 |
| 1998 | modern | 14 | #36,565 |
| 1999 | modern | 13 | #36,693 |
| 2000 | modern | 12 | #36,749 |
| 2001 | modern | 12 | #36,612 |
| 2002 | modern | 13 | #36,570 |
| 2003 | modern | 13 | #36,620 |
| 2004 | modern | 14 | #36,648 |
| 2005 | modern | 17 | #36,407 |
| 2006 | modern | 16 | #36,601 |
| 2007 | modern | 15 | #36,793 |
| 2008 | modern | 14 | #36,950 |
| 2009 | modern | 15 | #36,942 |
| 2010 | modern | 14 | #37,124 |
| 2011 | modern | 13 | #37,191 |
| 2012 | modern | 13 | #37,169 |
| 2013 | modern | 13 | #37,224 |
| 2014 | modern | 13 | #37,256 |
| 2015 | modern | 13 | #37,251 |
| 2016 | modern | 13 | #37,278 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Mathry, Merthyr Tydfil, Llandissilio and Bedwelty. 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 | Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) | Glamorganshire |
| 2 | Mathry | Pembrokeshire |
| 3 | Merthyr Tydfil | Glamorganshire |
| 4 | Llandissilio | Pembrokeshire |
| 5 | Bedwelty | Monmouthshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Jinkins 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 Jinkins, 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 Jinkins surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Jinkins 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, Jinkins 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 Jinkins is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Jinkins, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Jinkins is of English origin, traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the medieval given name Jenkin, a diminutive form of John, which was ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious."
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the county of Worcestershire, England. In the Subsidy Rolls of 1275, one Roger Jenkyn is mentioned as a resident of Evesham, a market town in Worcestershire. The Jinkins surname is also found in the Warwickshire Feet of Fines from 1349, where a Thomas Jenkyn is listed.
In the late 14th century, the name appears in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire, with entries for a John Jenkynson and a Robert Jenkynson. The addition of the suffix "-son" indicates the name had already begun to evolve into a hereditary surname.
The Jinkins surname is notably absent from the Domesday Book of 1086, suggesting it emerged after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. However, it is possible that earlier variations or spellings of the name were recorded in that famous survey.
Over the centuries, the name has been subject to various spellings, including Jenkyns, Jenkyn, Jenkin, and Jinkin, reflecting regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
Notable individuals with the surname Jinkins include: 1) Thomas Jinkins (c. 1570 - 1636), an English clergyman and author, known for his work "The Christian Watchman's Watch-Word." 2) John Jinkins (1761 - 1839), a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Canada. 3) Elizabeth Jinkins (1807 - 1892), an English diarist and writer, whose journals provide a valuable account of life in Victorian England. 4) William Jinkins (1832 - 1901), an American Civil War veteran and one of the earliest settlers in the state of Oregon. 5) Henry Jinkins (1876 - 1953), a prominent British architect known for his work on several notable buildings in London.
While the Jinkins surname may have origins in specific regions of England, it has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of individuals bearing this name and their unique stories.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jinkins 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. Pembrokeshire leads with 58 Jinkins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 66.11x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Pembrokeshire | 58 | 66.11x |
| Herefordshire | 28 | 24.74x |
| Middlesex | 23 | 0.83x |
| Carmarthenshire | 20 | 17.19x |
| Yorkshire | 17 | 0.62x |
| Cardiganshire | 14 | 20.79x |
| Glamorgan | 14 | 2.91x |
| Lancashire | 11 | 0.34x |
| Kent | 10 | 1.06x |
| Staffordshire | 9 | 0.97x |
| Stirlingshire | 8 | 7.86x |
| Warwickshire | 8 | 1.15x |
| Wiltshire | 7 | 2.87x |
| Devon | 6 | 1.04x |
| Hampshire | 6 | 1.06x |
| Lanarkshire | 6 | 0.67x |
| Brecknockshire | 5 | 9.06x |
| Gloucestershire | 5 | 0.92x |
| Monmouthshire | 4 | 2.00x |
| Somerset | 4 | 0.90x |
| Surrey | 4 | 0.30x |
| Leicestershire | 3 | 0.98x |
| Worcestershire | 3 | 0.83x |
| Dorset | 2 | 1.10x |
| Sussex | 2 | 0.43x |
| Aberdeenshire | 1 | 0.39x |
| Cheshire | 1 | 0.16x |
| Cornwall | 1 | 0.32x |
| Midlothian | 1 | 0.27x |
| Northumberland | 1 | 0.24x |
| Radnorshire | 1 | 4.49x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mathry in Pembrokeshire leads with 20 Jinkins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2666.67x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Jinkins surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 25 |
| Elizabeth | 15 |
| Jane | 9 |
| Ann | 7 |
| Sarah | 6 |
| Hannah | 5 |
| Margaret | 5 |
| Anne | 4 |
| Alice | 3 |
| Catherine | 3 |
| Eliza | 3 |
| Emma | 3 |
| Frances | 3 |
| Margret | 3 |
| Rachel | 3 |
| Dorothy | 2 |
| Ellen | 2 |
| Esther | 2 |
| Fanny | 2 |
| Kate | 2 |
| Ruth | 2 |
| Agness | 1 |
| Annie | 1 |
| Charlote | 1 |
| Charlotte | 1 |
| Dyna | 1 |
| Edith | 1 |
| Emily | 1 |
| Etty | 1 |
| Fanney | 1 |
| Florence | 1 |
| Hanah | 1 |
| Helen | 1 |
| Isabella | 1 |
| Jesse | 1 |
| Jessie | 1 |
| Laeitita | 1 |
| Lizzi | 1 |
| Louie | 1 |
| Margretta | 1 |
| Margt. | 1 |
| Marth | 1 |
| Martha | 1 |
| Nancy | 1 |
| Pebi | 1 |
| Phebe | 1 |
| Priscilla | 1 |
| Rachael | 1 |
| Rhuamah | 1 |
| Rosetta | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Jinkins surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| John | 22 |
| William | 19 |
| James | 13 |
| Thomas | 12 |
| David | 11 |
| George | 5 |
| Henry | 5 |
| Alfred | 4 |
| Joseph | 4 |
| Samuel | 3 |
| Edward | 2 |
| Geo. | 2 |
| Matthew | 2 |
| Richard | 2 |
| Amos | 1 |
| Auther | 1 |
| Benjamin | 1 |
| Caleb | 1 |
| Charles | 1 |
| Dan | 1 |
| Edwin | 1 |
| Enoch | 1 |
| Evan | 1 |
| Frank | 1 |
| Fredrick | 1 |
| Gomer | 1 |
| Herbert | 1 |
| Hiram | 1 |
| Levi | 1 |
| Lewis | 1 |
| Owen | 1 |
| Percy | 1 |
| Rees | 1 |
| Stephen | 1 |
| Williams | 1 |
| Wm. | 1 |
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 Jinkins households.
FAQ
In 1881, 285 people were recorded with the Jinkins surname. That placed it at #10,070 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 13 in 2016. That gives Jinkins a modern rank of #37,278.
A surname possibly derived from the Middle English "jenkin" meaning a small coin or petty cash.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Jinkins 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.