NameCensus.

UK surname

Kenn

A locational surname derived from a place named Kin in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 113 people recorded with the Kenn surname, ranking it #18,412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 102, ranked #30,722, down from #18,412 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bengeo, Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kennoway and Bonnybank, Walsall and Banchory-Devenick and Findon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kenn is 204 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.7%.

1881 census count

113

Ranked #18,412

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

1861

204 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kenn had 113 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,412 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 204 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Kenn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kenn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kenn 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 204 #11,814
1881 historical 113 #18,412
1891 historical 172 #16,663
1901 historical 133 #19,372
1911 historical 87 #24,147
1997 modern 132 #22,821
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 116 #25,452
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 86 #29,752
2004 modern 89 #29,623
2005 modern 86 #30,094
2006 modern 91 #29,725
2007 modern 89 #30,383
2008 modern 92 #30,286
2009 modern 94 #30,538
2010 modern 91 #31,497
2011 modern 86 #32,006
2012 modern 91 #31,659
2013 modern 89 #32,248
2014 modern 90 #32,309
2015 modern 95 #31,749
2016 modern 102 #30,722

Geography

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Where Kenns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bengeo, Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Banchory-Devenick and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kennoway and Bonnybank, Walsall, Banchory-Devenick and Findon, Worthing and Bolton. 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 Bengeo Hertfordshire
2 Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Banchory-Devenick Kincardine
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kennoway and Bonnybank Fife
2 Walsall 017 Walsall
3 Banchory-Devenick and Findon Aberdeenshire
4 Worthing 002 Worthing
5 Bolton 013 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kenn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kenn

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Kenn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Kenn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Kenn is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kenn 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

Kenn falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kenn

The surname KENN is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, possibly as early as the 11th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cyn," which means "royal" or "noble," suggesting that the original bearers of this surname may have held a position of importance or nobility.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KENN can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Kenne" and "Kynne," indicating its evolution over time.

In the 13th century, the surname KENN was associated with a place name in Wiltshire, England, known as "Kenne." This connection suggests that the surname may have originated from a specific location or estate, with the name being adopted by residents or landowners in that area.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname KENN. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Sir John Kenn (1348-1418), a prominent English knight and landowner from Somerset. Another notable figure was Thomas Kenn (1691-1777), an English clergyman and bishop who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells in the 18th century.

In the literary world, Sophia Kenn (1825-1905) was a renowned English novelist and playwright who gained recognition for her works depicting the lives of the upper classes in Victorian society. Her contemporaries included Charles Dickens and William Thackeray.

Moving into the 20th century, Edward Kenn (1912-1994) was a British artist known for his evocative landscape paintings and his association with the St Ives School of artists in Cornwall.

Another notable individual with the surname KENN was Sir John Kenn (1932-2018), a British diplomat who served as the Ambassador to the United States from 1985 to 1990, playing a crucial role in strengthening diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The surname KENN has a rich history, originating in medieval England and evolving over centuries. While its meaning and origins are rooted in nobility and specific locations, the name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including knights, clergymen, artists, and diplomats, leaving an indelible mark on history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kenn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kenn 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. Kincardineshire leads with 31 Kenns recorded in 1881 and an index of 231.00x.

County Total Index
Kincardineshire 31 231.00x
Aberdeenshire 22 21.55x
Yorkshire 20 1.83x
Middlesex 13 1.18x
Hertfordshire 8 10.53x
Angus 6 5.88x
Lanarkshire 3 0.84x
Cheshire 2 0.82x
Gloucestershire 2 0.93x
Somerset 2 1.13x
Warwickshire 2 0.72x
Kent 1 0.27x
Surrey 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Banchory Devenick in Kincardineshire leads with 28 Kenns recorded in 1881 and an index of 2240.00x.

Place Total Index
Banchory Devenick 28 2240.00x
Aberdeen Old Machar 10 46.93x
Bengeo 8 909.09x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 8 213.90x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 7 36.65x
Knaresborough 7 406.98x
Dundee 6 15.74x
Bromley London 5 20.62x
Peterculter 5 694.44x
Glasgow 3 4.74x
St Pancras London 3 3.38x
Birmingham 2 2.16x
Bristol St Paul In 2 34.72x
Hammersmith London 2 7.37x
Horton In Bradford 2 11.72x
Barnsley 1 8.87x
Bath St Peter St Paul 1 128.21x
Cheddar 1 112.36x
Chelsea London 1 3.01x
Fetteresso 1 47.62x
Horsforth 1 41.84x
Lambeth 1 1.04x
Macclesfield 1 9.25x
Nigg 1 90.09x
Pannal 1 95.24x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.15x
St Luke London 1 5.66x
Strachan 1 384.62x
Tranmere 1 11.19x
Woolwich 1 7.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Emma 3
Anne 2
Elizabeth 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Fanny 1
Florrie 1
Isabella 1
Laura 1
M.R. 1
Margaret 1
Rosaline 1
Ruth 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
William 5
Edward 3
Henry 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 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 Kenn households.

FAQ

Kenn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kenn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 113 people were recorded with the Kenn surname. That placed it at #18,412 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kenn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Kenn a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Kenn surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place named Kin in Scotland.

What does the Kenn map show?

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