NameCensus.

UK surname

Kentish

A locational surname referring to a person from Kent, in England.

In the 1881 census there were 333 people recorded with the Kentish surname, ranking it #9,038 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 379, ranked #12,371, down from #9,038 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willesden, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Three Rivers, Central Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kentish is 455 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.8%.

1881 census count

333

Ranked #9,038

Modern count

379

2016, ranked #12,371

Peak year

1911

455 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kentish had 333 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,038 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 379 in 2016, ranked #12,371.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 455 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Kentish surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kentish surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kentish 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 257 #8,596
1861 historical 228 #10,703
1881 historical 333 #9,038
1891 historical 343 #9,994
1901 historical 398 #9,508
1911 historical 455 #8,428
1997 modern 403 #10,955
1998 modern 418 #11,009
1999 modern 408 #11,288
2000 modern 417 #11,068
2001 modern 412 #10,980
2002 modern 410 #11,226
2003 modern 397 #11,316
2004 modern 395 #11,390
2005 modern 395 #11,292
2006 modern 383 #11,600
2007 modern 372 #12,032
2008 modern 372 #12,123
2009 modern 376 #12,290
2010 modern 394 #12,131
2011 modern 391 #12,062
2012 modern 391 #11,923
2013 modern 400 #11,915
2014 modern 397 #12,076
2015 modern 390 #12,139
2016 modern 379 #12,371

Geography

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Where Kentishs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willesden, London parishes, St Pancras and Chenies. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Three Rivers, Central Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Tonbridge and Malling and Northampton. 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 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Chenies Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Three Rivers 008 Three Rivers
2 Central Bedfordshire 033 Central Bedfordshire
3 Huntingdonshire 001 Huntingdonshire
4 Tonbridge and Malling 011 Tonbridge and Malling
5 Northampton 004 Northampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kentish

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kentish

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Kentish surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Kentish household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Kentish is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kentish is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kentish falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kentish is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Kentish

The surname Kentish originated in England, deriving from the Old English word "Kentingas," meaning "the people of Kent." Kent, a county in the southeast of England, was one of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and played a significant role in English history.

Kentish is a locational surname, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name hailed from Kent. The name likely emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period, between the 5th and 11th centuries, when surnames were adopted to distinguish individuals from different locations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kentish surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already established by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, such as the Pipe Rolls of 1230, which listed a Hugo Kenteis. The spelling of the name varied, with forms like Kenteys, Kentish, and Kenteys appearing in medieval documents.

Notable individuals with the surname Kentish include:

1. Thomas Kentish (c. 1517-1591), an English Protestant reformer and Bishop of Winchester. 2. John Kentish (c. 1518-1574), an English clergyman and Protestant martyr, who was burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions. 3. William Kentish (1560-1639), an English merchant and landowner who served as Sheriff of Kent in 1629. 4. John Kentish (1768-1853), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was made a Knight of the Bath in 1815. 5. Thomas Kentish (1806-1876), an English cricketer who played for Kent County Cricket Club in the early days of the sport.

The name Kentish has also been associated with various place names in Kent, such as Kentish Town, a district in north London, and Kentish Ragstone, a type of building stone quarried in the county.

While the Kentish surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and exploration, with bearers of the name found in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kentish families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kentish 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. Middlesex leads with 147 Kentishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.51x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 147 4.51x
Hertfordshire 48 21.38x
Buckinghamshire 47 23.86x
Kent 36 3.24x
Surrey 31 1.95x
Lancashire 7 0.18x
Berkshire 6 2.45x
Worcestershire 5 1.18x
Carmarthenshire 2 1.46x
Cumberland 2 0.71x
Bedfordshire 1 0.59x
Royal Navy 1 2.58x
Sussex 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 26 Kentishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.91x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 26 9.91x
Chalfont St Peter 23 1419.75x
Hackney London 19 10.40x
Chenies 18 4186.05x
Hendon 15 127.99x
Abbots Langley 9 269.46x
Camberwell 9 4.32x
Islington London 9 2.85x
Lee 9 55.76x
St Albans 9 195.65x
St Marylebone London 9 5.17x
Hemel Hempstead 8 79.05x
Paddington London 8 6.68x
Bethnal Green London 7 4.95x
Widnes 7 25.11x
Willesden 7 22.79x
Aldenham 6 294.12x
Bow London 6 14.46x
Croydon 6 6.81x
Lambeth 6 2.11x
Tottenham 6 11.56x
Bexley 5 50.86x
Deptford St Paul 5 5.83x
Hillingdon 5 48.12x
Kings Norton 5 13.11x
Maidstone 5 15.10x
Mile End Old Town London 5 7.21x
Shorne 5 510.20x
Southwark St Saviour 5 29.87x
St Albans St Stephen 5 255.10x
Whitechapel London 5 15.57x
Hampstead London 4 7.88x
Hatfield 4 87.91x
Ruislip 4 246.91x
Watford 4 22.98x
Beckenham 3 20.65x
Hornsey 3 7.28x
Kings Langley 3 182.93x
Reading St Mary 3 15.31x
Shoreditch London 3 2.12x
Sunninghill 3 88.50x
Carmarthen St Peter 2 17.04x
Cheddington 2 240.96x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.60x
Newington 2 1.66x
Newport Pagnell 2 48.54x
St George Hanover Square 2 3.48x
Stanwix 2 88.11x
Stoke D Abernon 2 434.78x
Stoke Newington London 2 7.88x
Bletchley 1 175.44x
Charlton 1 13.55x
Dover St James 1 20.53x
East Molesey 1 27.17x
Hove 1 4.15x
Iver 1 39.37x
Margate St John Baptist 1 4.91x
Royal Navy 1 3.01x
Sharnbrook 1 107.53x
St Margarets At Cliffe 1 151.52x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 30
George 17
Thomas 16
James 11
John 11
Charles 7
Ernest 6
Joseph 6
Daniel 5
Henry 4
Arthur 3
Herbert 3
Jesse 3
Robert 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
David 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Joshua 2
Samuel 2
Chas. 1
Danl. 1
Denny 1
Digby 1
Ebenezer 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Infant 1
Jno. 1
Leonard 1
Oswald 1
Owen 1
Peter 1
Reginald 1
Thos.M. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Kentish surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kentish surname in 1881?

In 1881, 333 people were recorded with the Kentish surname. That placed it at #9,038 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kentish surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 379 in 2016. That gives Kentish a modern rank of #12,371.

What does the Kentish surname mean?

A locational surname referring to a person from Kent, in England.

What does the Kentish map show?

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