NameCensus.

UK surname

Keirs

In the 1881 census there were 63 people recorded with the Keirs surname, ranking it #24,711 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 141, ranked #24,753, down from #24,711 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Drongan, Auchinleck and Ayr North Harbour, Wallacetown and Newton South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keirs is 153 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 123.8%.

1881 census count

63

Ranked #24,711

Modern count

141

2016, ranked #24,753

Peak year

2009

153 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keirs had 63 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,711 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 141 in 2016, ranked #24,753.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 68 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Keirs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Keirs surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Keirs 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 8 #31,867
1861 historical 42 #28,691
1881 historical 63 #24,711
1891 historical 55 #29,744
1901 historical 68 #26,598
1911 historical 3 #33,789
1997 modern 142 #21,856
1998 modern 152 #21,481
1999 modern 144 #22,405
2000 modern 140 #22,752
2001 modern 141 #22,344
2002 modern 134 #23,492
2003 modern 128 #23,890
2004 modern 136 #23,207
2005 modern 132 #23,623
2006 modern 131 #23,942
2007 modern 141 #23,137
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 153 #22,611
2010 modern 148 #23,697
2011 modern 142 #24,182
2012 modern 137 #24,731
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 143 #24,621
2015 modern 144 #24,369
2016 modern 141 #24,753

Geography

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Where Keirs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Drongan, Auchinleck, Ayr North Harbour, Wallacetown and Newton South, Rotherham and County Durham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Drongan East Ayrshire
2 Auchinleck East Ayrshire
3 Ayr North Harbour, Wallacetown and Newton South South Ayrshire
4 Rotherham 013 Rotherham
5 County Durham 040 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Keirs

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Keirs

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Keirs 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

Keirs 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

Keirs 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 Keirs is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Keirs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keirs 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. Ayrshire leads with 33 Keirs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 71.77x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 33 71.77x
Lanarkshire 19 9.56x
Northumberland 7 7.66x
Stirlingshire 2 8.83x
Kent 1 0.48x
Surrey 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dalmellington in Ayrshire leads with 17 Keirs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1259.26x.

Place Total Index
Dalmellington 17 1259.26x
Dalziel 11 514.02x
Dalry 10 462.96x
Barony 8 15.91x
Throckley 5 2000.00x
Galston 4 317.46x
Bedlington 2 65.57x
Bromley 1 31.35x
Kirkoswald 1 263.16x
Larbert 1 74.07x
Newington 1 4.41x
Slamannan 1 80.65x
St Quivox 1 64.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Elizabeth 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 1
Thomas 1
William 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

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 Keirs households.

FAQ

Keirs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keirs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 63 people were recorded with the Keirs surname. That placed it at #24,711 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keirs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 141 in 2016. That gives Keirs a modern rank of #24,753.

What does the Keirs map show?

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