NameCensus.

UK surname

Kegg

A surname derived from a Scottish occupational term referring to a worker who constructed kegs or barrels.

In the 1881 census there were 70 people recorded with the Kegg surname, ranking it #23,670 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, down from #23,670 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Bees, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Dalton-in-Furness. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Pendle and Barrow-in-Furness.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kegg is 129 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.3%.

1881 census count

70

Ranked #23,670

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

2002

129 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kegg had 70 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,670 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 105 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Kegg surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kegg surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kegg 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 34 #27,194
1861 historical 105 #20,298
1881 historical 70 #23,670
1891 historical 68 #28,300
1901 historical 64 #27,010
1911 historical 72 #25,642
1997 modern 124 #23,669
1998 modern 124 #24,316
1999 modern 125 #24,366
2000 modern 122 #24,698
2001 modern 118 #24,832
2002 modern 129 #24,021
2003 modern 125 #24,265
2004 modern 118 #25,317
2005 modern 110 #26,430
2006 modern 113 #26,267
2007 modern 115 #26,348
2008 modern 115 #26,635
2009 modern 115 #27,207
2010 modern 116 #27,704
2011 modern 118 #27,192
2012 modern 105 #29,362
2013 modern 104 #30,076
2014 modern 105 #30,204
2015 modern 106 #29,895
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

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Where Keggs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Bees, Workington (Workington), Clossocks, Dalton-in-Furness, West Derby and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Pendle and Barrow-in-Furness. 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 St Bees Cumberland
2 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
3 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 005 Copeland
2 Pendle 007 Pendle
3 Copeland 006 Copeland
4 Barrow-in-Furness 008 Barrow-in-Furness
5 Copeland 003 Copeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kegg

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kegg

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Kegg surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Kegg household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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, Kegg 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

Kegg 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

Kegg falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kegg

The surname KEGG has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English word "ceg," which means "key" or "wedge-shaped piece of land." This suggests that the name was likely originally given to someone who lived near a wedge-shaped piece of land or a keyhole-shaped area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KEGG can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where it is listed as "Hugone Kegge." In the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, the name appears as "Henricus Kegge." These early recordings indicate that the name was already established in various parts of England during the 13th century.

The KEGG surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Kege" and "Kegg," suggesting that it was already in use before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Notable individuals with the surname KEGG throughout history include:

1. John Kegg (c. 1540-1598), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton in 1589. 2. Thomas Kegg (1621-1701), an English poet and playwright known for his works "The Mock Tempest" and "The Cheats of Scapin." 3. Elizabeth Kegg (1674-1736), an English philanthropist and benefactor who founded the Kegg Almshouses in Sudbury, Suffolk. 4. William Kegg (1796-1869), a British naval officer and explorer who participated in various Arctic expeditions in the early 19th century. 5. James Kegg (1838-1912), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria from 1880 to 1892.

The KEGG surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Keggshall in Suffolk, Kegworth in Leicestershire, and Kegworth in Nottinghamshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English word "ceg," further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kegg families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kegg 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. Isle of Man leads with 63 Keggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 263.49x.

County Total Index
Isle of Man 63 263.49x
Lancashire 26 1.70x
Cumberland 20 18.04x
Durham 7 1.83x
Middlesex 7 0.54x
Cheshire 4 1.41x
Surrey 2 0.32x
Yorkshire 2 0.16x
Renfrewshire 1 1.00x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rushen in Isle of Man leads with 19 Keggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1172.84x.

Place Total Index
Rushen 19 1172.84x
Malew 18 861.24x
Braddan 8 610.69x
Kirkdale 8 31.13x
German 7 538.46x
Usworth 7 344.83x
Barrow In Furness 6 28.87x
Gilcrux 6 2608.70x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 32.98x
Hackney London 4 5.54x
Arbory 3 576.92x
Caldewgate 3 49.42x
Egremont 3 113.64x
Lower Bebington 3 177.51x
Andreas 2 307.69x
Blackburn 2 4.92x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 7.71x
Kirkoswald 2 769.23x
Lambeth 2 1.78x
Lezayre 2 186.92x
Liverpool 2 2.16x
Patrick 2 170.94x
Spitalfields London 2 20.66x
West Derby 2 4.48x
Whitehaven 2 33.84x
Workington 2 31.50x
Cleator 1 21.69x
Everton 1 2.05x
Kilmalcolm 1 83.33x
Malew Castletown 1 2500.00x
Maughold 1 54.35x
Pendleton In Salford 1 5.49x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 1 30.58x
Twickenham 1 18.12x
Whitbeck 1 1250.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Catherine 8
Jane 8
Mary 8
Sarah 5
Ann 3
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Alice 2
Esther 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Anna 1
Catharine 1
Cescilia 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Fanney 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Jemima 1
Joann 1
Katie 1
Lucy 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
William 9
James 8
Edward 5
Richard 4
Joseph 3
Thomas 3
Alexander 2
George 2
Adam 1
Ceaser 1
Claude 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Stanley 1

FAQ

Kegg surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kegg surname in 1881?

In 1881, 70 people were recorded with the Kegg surname. That placed it at #23,670 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kegg surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Kegg a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Kegg surname mean?

A surname derived from a Scottish occupational term referring to a worker who constructed kegs or barrels.

What does the Kegg map show?

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