NameCensus.

UK surname

Kenway

In the 1881 census there were 200 people recorded with the Kenway surname, ranking it #12,836 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 372, ranked #12,539, up from #12,836 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Poole St James and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Oldham and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kenway is 372 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.0%.

1881 census count

200

Ranked #12,836

Modern count

372

2016, ranked #12,539

Peak year

2016

372 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kenway had 200 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,836 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 372 in 2016, ranked #12,539.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 258 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Kenway surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kenway surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kenway 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 116 #15,545
1861 historical 159 #14,553
1881 historical 200 #12,836
1891 historical 210 #14,412
1901 historical 220 #14,245
1911 historical 258 #12,614
1997 modern 351 #12,145
1998 modern 361 #12,280
1999 modern 352 #12,552
2000 modern 347 #12,642
2001 modern 348 #12,419
2002 modern 349 #12,652
2003 modern 332 #12,914
2004 modern 333 #12,927
2005 modern 330 #12,939
2006 modern 353 #12,363
2007 modern 331 #13,117
2008 modern 335 #13,115
2009 modern 353 #12,894
2010 modern 358 #13,001
2011 modern 356 #12,943
2012 modern 355 #12,816
2013 modern 351 #13,159
2014 modern 357 #13,068
2015 modern 366 #12,717
2016 modern 372 #12,539

Geography

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Where Kenways are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Poole St James, London parishes, Southampton St Mary and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Oldham, West Dorset, Fareham and Test Valley. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Poole St James Dorset
3 London parishes London 3
4 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 052 Bradford
2 Oldham 012 Oldham
3 West Dorset 008 West Dorset
4 Fareham 001 Fareham
5 Test Valley 002 Test Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kenway

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kenway

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kenway, 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 Kenway surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Kenway 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, Kenway 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

Kenway is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kenway 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 Kenway is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Kenway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kenway 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. Dorset leads with 58 Kenways recorded in 1881 and an index of 45.08x.

County Total Index
Dorset 58 45.08x
Middlesex 24 1.22x
Hampshire 23 5.72x
Kent 23 3.44x
Lancashire 13 0.56x
Surrey 9 0.94x
Glamorgan 8 2.34x
Somerset 8 2.54x
Yorkshire 8 0.41x
Gloucestershire 7 1.82x
Monmouthshire 6 4.23x
Warwickshire 4 0.81x
Worcestershire 4 1.56x
Cheshire 2 0.46x
Channel Islands 1 1.72x
Essex 1 0.26x
Sussex 1 0.30x
Wiltshire 1 0.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bridport in Dorset leads with 32 Kenways recorded in 1881 and an index of 1207.55x.

Place Total Index
Bridport 32 1207.55x
Oldham 11 14.65x
Dover St James 8 273.04x
Poplar London 8 21.62x
Portsea 8 10.16x
Scarborough 8 45.33x
Neath 7 100.72x
Weymouth 7 286.89x
Wareham Lady St Mary 6 606.06x
Caldicot 5 531.91x
Charlton 5 112.61x
Southampton St Mary 5 19.79x
St Mary Extra 5 154.80x
Wootton Fitzpaine 5 3333.33x
Edgbaston 4 26.09x
Kings Norton 4 17.42x
Poole St James 4 82.82x
Southampton All Sts 4 58.06x
Winscombe 4 470.59x
Camberwell 3 2.40x
Chiswick 3 28.01x
Croydon 3 5.66x
Hackney London 3 2.73x
Hougham 3 75.38x
Teynham 3 247.93x
Allington 2 173.91x
Bermondsey 2 3.43x
Birkenhead 2 5.80x
Bristol St George 2 11.25x
Bristol St James In 2 35.40x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 2 57.14x
Chelsea London 2 3.39x
Dover St Mary Virgin 2 30.91x
Lyncombe Widcombe 2 24.21x
Moss Side 2 16.34x
Ratcliffe London 2 18.47x
Bedminster 1 3.37x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.17x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 7.80x
Chartham 1 59.88x
Chippenham 1 27.47x
Ealing 1 5.71x
Farnborough 1 23.70x
Fordington 1 36.10x
Great Clacton 1 75.76x
Lambeth 1 0.59x
Lyme Regis 1 64.94x
Mile End Old Town London 1 2.40x
Minster In Sheppey 1 9.03x
Puxton 1 1111.11x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.90x
St Helier 1 5.29x
St Marylebone London 1 0.96x
Stoke Newington London 1 6.55x
Street 1 833.33x
Swansea Town 1 3.57x
Trevethin 1 7.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 10
Elizabeth 9
Mary 9
Eliza 6
Alice 4
Ethel 4
Jane 4
Ada 3
Catherine 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Fanny 3
Harriett 3
Amelia 2
Annie 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Mabel 2
Marina 2
Martha 2
Susanah 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Biterice 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Cora 1
Denes 1
Dinah 1
Edith 1
Ella 1
Eva 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Guli 1
Helen 1
Ida 1
Lilian 1
Lily 1
Martland 1
Nancy 1
Robert 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
John 7
George 6
Henry 6
Alfred 5
Charles 5
James 5
Thomas 4
Arthur 3
Frederick 3
Albert 2
Edward 2
Francis 2
Gawon 2
Matthew 2
Philip 2
Walter 2
Alexander 1
Benjamin 1
Cecil 1
Donald 1
Douglas 1
Egbert 1
Frank 1
Gawen 1
Howard 1
Ivor 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Llewellyn 1
Persey 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Kenway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kenway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 200 people were recorded with the Kenway surname. That placed it at #12,836 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kenway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 372 in 2016. That gives Kenway a modern rank of #12,539.

What does the Kenway map show?

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