NameCensus.

UK surname

Kennaway

In the 1881 census there were 58 people recorded with the Kennaway surname, ranking it #25,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 151, ranked #23,615, up from #25,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hawick and Wilton, Tallaton and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Largs Central and Cumbrae, Halton and Parkhead West and Barrowfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kennaway is 156 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 160.3%.

1881 census count

58

Ranked #25,428

Modern count

151

2016, ranked #23,615

Peak year

2014

156 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kennaway had 58 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016, ranked #23,615.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 120 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Kennaway surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kennaway surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kennaway 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 49 #24,448
1861 historical 63 #25,901
1881 historical 58 #25,428
1891 historical 112 #22,291
1901 historical 120 #20,545
1911 historical 51 #27,708
1997 modern 137 #22,301
1998 modern 141 #22,517
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 148 #21,971
2001 modern 140 #22,441
2002 modern 135 #23,398
2003 modern 137 #22,939
2004 modern 140 #22,793
2005 modern 133 #23,502
2006 modern 127 #24,384
2007 modern 136 #23,708
2008 modern 138 #23,763
2009 modern 141 #23,907
2010 modern 142 #24,352
2011 modern 147 #23,627
2012 modern 144 #23,902
2013 modern 151 #23,529
2014 modern 156 #23,231
2015 modern 156 #23,106
2016 modern 151 #23,615

Geography

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Where Kennaways are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hawick and Wilton, Tallaton, Edinburgh, Perth and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Largs Central and Cumbrae, Halton, Parkhead West and Barrowfield, Blackhill and Barmulloch East and Alexandra Parade. 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 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
2 Tallaton Devon
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Perth Perth
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Largs Central and Cumbrae North Ayrshire
2 Halton 013 Halton
3 Parkhead West and Barrowfield Glasgow City
4 Blackhill and Barmulloch East Glasgow City
5 Alexandra Parade Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kennaway

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kennaway

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Kennaway surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Kennaway household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Kennaway 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

Kennaway 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

Kennaway 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 Kennaway 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 Kennaway, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Kennaway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kennaway 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. Surrey leads with 14 Kennaways recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.08x.

County Total Index
Surrey 14 5.08x
Perthshire 9 35.46x
Midlothian 8 10.56x
Lanarkshire 6 3.28x
Roxburghshire 6 58.59x
Devon 5 4.25x
Hampshire 4 3.45x
Kent 4 2.07x
Dorset 1 2.69x
Warwickshire 1 0.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Penge in Surrey leads with 9 Kennaways recorded in 1881 and an index of 249.31x.

Place Total Index
Penge 9 249.31x
Perth Middle Church 9 947.37x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 26.25x
Wilton 6 535.71x
Glasgow 5 15.39x
Tandridge 5 4166.67x
Holdenhurst 4 131.58x
Dover St James 3 352.94x
Littleham 2 232.56x
Birmingham 1 2.10x
Erith 1 52.63x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 37.04x
Lyme Regis 1 227.27x
Paignton 1 111.11x
Shotts 1 45.66x
Uplyme 1 555.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Alice 2
Evelyn 2
Agnes 1
Beatrice 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Elta 1
Harriet 1
Mariona 1
Olivia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 2
Gerald 2
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Glass 1
Herbert 1
John 1
Mark 1
Mathew 1
Rich.A. 1
Walter 1
Warwick 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 Kennaway households.

FAQ

Kennaway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kennaway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 58 people were recorded with the Kennaway surname. That placed it at #25,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kennaway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016. That gives Kennaway a modern rank of #23,615.

What does the Kennaway map show?

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