NameCensus.

UK surname

Kervin

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cerbháin, meaning "descendant of Cerbhán".

In the 1881 census there were 22 people recorded with the Kervin surname, ranking it #30,464 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 113, ranked #28,691, up from #30,464 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Conwy, Liverpool and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kervin is 135 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 413.6%.

1881 census count

22

Ranked #30,464

Modern count

113

2016, ranked #28,691

Peak year

2000

135 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kervin had 22 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,464 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 113 in 2016, ranked #28,691.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 81 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Kervin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kervin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Kervin 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 28 #28,274
1861 historical 5 #33,418
1881 historical 22 #30,464
1891 historical 45 #30,747
1901 historical 58 #27,724
1911 historical 81 #24,719
1997 modern 119 #24,302
1998 modern 124 #24,316
1999 modern 133 #23,487
2000 modern 135 #23,250
2001 modern 126 #23,883
2002 modern 126 #24,393
2003 modern 112 #25,948
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 113 #25,974
2006 modern 108 #27,015
2007 modern 111 #26,954
2008 modern 109 #27,533
2009 modern 116 #27,062
2010 modern 118 #27,404
2011 modern 111 #28,294
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 116 #27,992
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 115 #28,319
2016 modern 113 #28,691

Geography

Back to top

Where Kervins 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 Conwy, Liverpool, Cheshire West and Chester and West Lancashire. 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 Conwy 014 Conwy
2 Liverpool 022 Liverpool
3 Cheshire West and Chester 011 Cheshire West and Chester
4 West Lancashire 010 West Lancashire
5 West Lancashire 013 West Lancashire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Kervin

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Kervin

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Kervin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kervin is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kervin falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kervin

The surname Kervin has its origins in the Brittany region of northwestern France, dating back to the early medieval period around the 9th century. It is believed to be derived from the Breton words "ker," meaning "home" or "settlement," and "vin," meaning "white" or "fair," potentially referring to a fair-haired person or someone from a settlement with light-colored buildings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kervin can be found in the Cartulaire de Redon, a medieval cartulary from the Abbey of Redon in Brittany, which dates back to the 9th century. The name appears as "Kervinius," indicating its Breton origins.

In the 12th century, the name Kervin was mentioned in the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry records a landowner named Aluredus Kervin in the county of Gloucestershire.

During the 13th century, there are records of a knight named Sir Robert Kervin, who fought in the Crusades and was awarded lands in Normandy for his service. His descendants continued to use the surname in Normandy and surrounding regions.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Kervin was Jean Kervin, a French playwright and poet born in Brittany around 1420. His works were influential in the development of French Renaissance literature.

Another prominent individual with the surname Kervin was Sir Thomas Kervin, a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the 17th century. He was born in 1635 in Cornwall and played a significant role in several naval battles against the Dutch and French fleets.

Throughout history, variations of the name have included Kervyn, Kerven, and Kerven-Lecart, reflecting regional differences in spelling and pronunciation. Place names like Kervyn-Nalinnes in Belgium and Kervin-Marquion in France may have influenced the surname's evolution.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Kervin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kervin 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. Lancashire leads with 17 Kervins recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.68x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 17 6.68x
Durham 4 6.27x
Staffordshire 1 1.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashton Under Lyne in Lancashire leads with 8 Kervins recorded in 1881 and an index of 143.88x.

Place Total Index
Ashton Under Lyne 8 143.88x
Heap 7 518.52x
Cornsay 4 2352.94x
Broughton In Salford 1 42.92x
Hopwood 1 303.03x
Walsall Borough 1 178.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Margaret 2
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Margret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Patrick 3
Dennis 2
James 2
Edward 1
Frank 1
William 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 Kervin households.

FAQ

Kervin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kervin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 22 people were recorded with the Kervin surname. That placed it at #30,464 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kervin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 113 in 2016. That gives Kervin a modern rank of #28,691.

What does the Kervin surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cerbháin, meaning "descendant of Cerbhán".

What does the Kervin map show?

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