NameCensus.

UK surname

Kane

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Catháin," meaning "descendant of Cathán" (a warrior or battle-mighty one).

In the 1881 census there were 2,422 people recorded with the Kane surname, ranking it #1,837 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 11,647, ranked #561, up from #1,837 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caldercruix and Plains, Greenock West and Central and Lower Bow and Larkfield, Fancy Farm, Mallard Bowl.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kane is 11,679 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 380.9%.

1881 census count

2,422

Ranked #1,837

Modern count

11,647

2016, ranked #561

Peak year

2014

11,679 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kane had 2,422 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,837 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 11,647 in 2016, ranked #561.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,280 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Kane surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kane surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kane 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 581 #4,390
1861 historical 1,132 #2,481
1881 historical 2,422 #1,837
1891 historical 3,315 #1,436
1901 historical 4,280 #1,319
1911 historical 2,287 #2,217
1997 modern 10,284 #598
1998 modern 10,569 #604
1999 modern 10,710 #602
2000 modern 10,664 #601
2001 modern 10,389 #602
2002 modern 10,643 #601
2003 modern 10,362 #605
2004 modern 10,530 #596
2005 modern 10,516 #585
2006 modern 10,587 #584
2007 modern 10,783 #581
2008 modern 10,956 #576
2009 modern 11,271 #570
2010 modern 11,535 #573
2011 modern 11,365 #572
2012 modern 11,262 #565
2013 modern 11,461 #566
2014 modern 11,679 #560
2015 modern 11,598 #561
2016 modern 11,647 #561

Geography

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Where Kanes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caldercruix and Plains, Greenock West and Central, Lower Bow and Larkfield, Fancy Farm, Mallard Bowl, Greenock Town Centre and East Central and Airdrie North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caldercruix and Plains North Lanarkshire
2 Greenock West and Central Inverclyde
3 Lower Bow and Larkfield, Fancy Farm, Mallard Bowl Inverclyde
4 Greenock Town Centre and East Central Inverclyde
5 Airdrie North North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kane

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kane

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Kane is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kane 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

Kane 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 Kane is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Kane, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kane

The surname Kane is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "O'Cathain" meaning "descendant of Cathain." The name is thought to have originated in the 10th century in County Derry, Northern Ireland. It is believed to be an anglicized version of the Irish name "O'Cathain," which was first recorded in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient Irish chronicle, in the year 1011.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Kane appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where it is spelled "Kahan." This suggests that the name had already been adopted by English speakers by the 12th century. In the 13th century, the name was recorded in various forms, such as "Kahan," "Kahan," and "Cahan," in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Kane was Sir John Kane, who was born in County Antrim, Ireland, around 1550. He was a military leader and served as the Governor of Carrickfergus Castle in the early 17th century. Another prominent individual with the name was Robert Kane, an Irish chemist and physicist born in 1809, who made significant contributions to the study of thermodynamics and is known for the Kane Equation.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kane was in the 1630s, when a family with the surname settled in New England. John Kane, born in 1619 in County Antrim, Ireland, was among the first Kanes to arrive in America, settling in Boston in 1635. Other notable figures with the surname include Elisha Kent Kane, an American explorer and naval officer born in 1820, who led two expeditions to the Arctic regions.

The name Kane has also been associated with several place names, such as Kaneville, Illinois, which was named after Elijah Kane, one of the town's early settlers. Similarly, Kane County, Utah, was named after Colonel Thomas L. Kane, a prominent figure in the Mormon migration to Utah in the 19th century. Additionally, the Kane family has produced several notable writers and artists, including the Irish playwright John Kane and the American novelist Jane Kane.

Throughout history, the surname Kane has been associated with various professions and fields, including politics, military, science, and the arts. Some notable figures with the last name Kane include Bob Kane, the American comic book writer and artist who created the popular superhero character Batman, and Patrick Kane, a professional ice hockey player for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kane families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kane 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. Lanarkshire leads with 687 Kanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.03x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 687 9.03x
Lancashire 261 0.93x
Renfrewshire 178 9.76x
Durham 153 2.19x
Middlesex 118 0.50x
Angus 92 4.22x
Northumberland 77 2.20x
Yorkshire 75 0.32x
Dunbartonshire 69 10.91x
Midlothian 62 1.97x
Cumberland 55 2.72x
Staffordshire 54 0.68x
Stirlingshire 43 4.96x
Warwickshire 43 0.72x
Ayrshire 42 2.39x
Glamorgan 41 1.00x
Monmouthshire 38 2.23x
Wiltshire 38 1.83x
Kent 30 0.37x
Aberdeenshire 19 0.87x
Surrey 19 0.17x
Gloucestershire 18 0.39x
Hampshire 18 0.37x
Shropshire 17 0.84x
Argyllshire 13 1.98x
Essex 13 0.28x
East Lothian 12 3.85x
Buteshire 11 7.72x
Derbyshire 8 0.22x
Fife 8 0.57x
Peeblesshire 8 7.23x
Perthshire 8 0.76x
Sussex 7 0.18x
West Lothian 7 1.98x
Wigtownshire 7 2.24x
Cheshire 6 0.12x
Worcestershire 6 0.20x
Inverness-shire 5 0.71x
Berwickshire 4 1.40x
Cardiganshire 4 0.70x
Hertfordshire 4 0.25x
Royal Navy 4 1.43x
Devon 3 0.06x
Berkshire 2 0.11x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.14x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.38x
Kincardineshire 2 0.70x
Leicestershire 2 0.08x
Norfolk 2 0.06x
Banffshire 1 0.20x
Bedfordshire 1 0.08x
Brecknockshire 1 0.21x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.11x
Denbighshire 1 0.11x
Flintshire 1 0.16x
Herefordshire 1 0.10x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.29x
Lincolnshire 1 0.03x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.03x
Orkney 1 0.39x
Oxfordshire 1 0.07x
Roxburghshire 1 0.23x
Selkirkshire 1 0.47x
Somerset 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 169 Kanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.51x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 169 12.51x
Barony 155 8.05x
Govan 146 7.76x
Dundee 56 6.88x
Hamilton 49 23.09x
Liverpool 43 2.54x
Abbey 38 13.66x
Old Monkland 38 12.58x
Westoe 35 8.82x
East Greenock 34 19.75x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 34 11.21x
New Monkland 34 15.12x
Middle Greenock 33 66.32x
Workington 32 27.59x
Cardross 30 39.52x
West Greenock 30 9.17x
Stirling 28 25.59x
Dumbarton 24 27.27x
Liff Benvie 23 6.95x
Birmingham 20 1.01x
Manchester 20 1.59x
Salford 20 2.44x
Elswick 19 6.80x
Shotts 19 20.87x
Heworth 18 13.05x
St Pancras London 18 0.95x
Aberystruth 17 11.34x
Islington London 17 0.75x
Pendleton In Salford 17 5.11x
Eastwood 16 14.25x
Everton 16 1.80x
Maryhill 16 10.74x
Newcastle On Tyne St 16 8.82x
Newport 16 65.23x
Plumstead 16 5.98x
Swansea Town 16 4.76x
West Calder 16 25.75x
Aston 15 0.92x
Dauntsey 15 385.60x
Stockton On Tees 15 4.45x
Stoke Upon Trent 15 1.78x
Gateshead 14 2.67x
Edinburgh New 13 53.10x
Kirkdale 13 2.77x
Largs 13 31.33x
Port Glasgow 13 14.75x
Toxteth Park 13 1.38x
West Ham 13 1.27x
Aberdeen Old Machar 12 2.64x
Conside Knitsley 12 22.05x
Lochee 12 61.73x
Rutherglen 12 10.75x
Chorlton On Medlock 11 2.48x
Crichton 11 125.14x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 0.87x
Sheffield 11 1.48x
Cardiff St Mary 10 4.43x
Chelsea London 10 1.41x
Lambeth 10 0.49x
Campbeltown 9 11.39x
Carluke 9 13.02x
Christian Malford 9 142.41x
Edmonton 9 4.75x
Hensingham 9 54.38x
New Kilpatrick 9 14.96x
St Marylebone London 9 0.72x
Ardrossan 8 13.13x
Ashton Under Lyne 8 1.31x
Bedwellty 8 2.66x
Bootle Cum Linacre 8 3.61x
Dalry 8 9.65x
Ealing 8 3.80x
Peebles 8 24.46x
Ripon 8 14.79x
Rothesay 8 11.59x
Shoreditch London 8 0.78x
Stonehouse 8 31.00x
Stroud 8 8.91x
Tranent 8 19.00x
Wentworth 8 55.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 100
Catherine 33
Elizabeth 31
Margaret 28
Ellen 23
Sarah 22
Ann 19
Annie 17
Bridget 13
Jane 13
Alice 12
Isabella 10
Kate 10
Hannah 9
Martha 9
Eliza 8
Emma 8
Anne 7
Maria 7
Agnes 6
Emily 6
Catharine 4
Clara 4
Fanny 4
Harriet 4
Margret 4
Caroline 3
Eleanor 3
Florence 3
Janet 3
Julia 3
Louisa 3
Margt. 3
Minnie 3
Rose 3
A. 2
Ada 2
Avis 2
Edith 2
Esther 2
Frances 2
Helen 2
Josephine 2
Katherine 2
Lizzie 2
Lucy 2
Matilda 2
Norah 2
Rosa 2
Susannah 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 110
James 67
Thomas 45
Patrick 28
William 28
Michael 25
Charles 19
Joseph 18
George 17
Francis 15
Henry 14
Edward 13
Robert 13
Daniel 12
Peter 9
Frederick 8
Bernard 7
Frank 6
Timothy 6
Richard 5
Arthur 4
Cornelius 4
Martin 4
Thos. 4
Tom 4
Andrew 3
Anthony 3
Harry 3
Hugh 3
Wm. 3
Ambrose 2
Barnaby 2
Benjamin 2
Christopher 2
David 2
Herbert 2
Jeremiah 2
Mark 2
Morris 2
Percy 2
Samuel 2
Terence 2
Benjaman 1
Berkeley 1
Dennis 1
Dominick 1
Donick 1
Edmund 1
Egbert 1
Job 1

FAQ

Kane surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kane surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,422 people were recorded with the Kane surname. That placed it at #1,837 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kane surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 11,647 in 2016. That gives Kane a modern rank of #561.

What does the Kane surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Catháin," meaning "descendant of Cathán" (a warrior or battle-mighty one).

What does the Kane map show?

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