NameCensus.

UK surname

Kerwin

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname "Kirwan," derived from the Gaelic "Ó Ciardhubháin," meaning "descendant of the black little comb."

In the 1881 census there were 350 people recorded with the Kerwin surname, ranking it #8,762 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 548, ranked #9,309, down from #8,762 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Epping Forest and Tunbridge Wells.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kerwin is 617 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.6%.

1881 census count

350

Ranked #8,762

Modern count

548

2016, ranked #9,309

Peak year

2010

617 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kerwin had 350 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,762 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 548 in 2016, ranked #9,309.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 426 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Kerwin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kerwin surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kerwin 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 142 #13,428
1861 historical 180 #13,057
1881 historical 350 #8,762
1891 historical 351 #9,809
1901 historical 426 #9,067
1911 historical 383 #9,597
1997 modern 556 #8,593
1998 modern 606 #8,329
1999 modern 589 #8,548
2000 modern 569 #8,709
2001 modern 559 #8,699
2002 modern 588 #8,565
2003 modern 563 #8,691
2004 modern 566 #8,685
2005 modern 551 #8,767
2006 modern 578 #8,521
2007 modern 564 #8,730
2008 modern 578 #8,650
2009 modern 590 #8,699
2010 modern 617 #8,604
2011 modern 587 #8,837
2012 modern 575 #8,877
2013 modern 576 #9,006
2014 modern 572 #9,102
2015 modern 557 #9,206
2016 modern 548 #9,309

Geography

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Where Kerwins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Chesterfield and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Epping Forest, Tunbridge Wells and Oldham. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Chesterfield Derbyshire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 031 Liverpool
2 Epping Forest 003 Epping Forest
3 Liverpool 023 Liverpool
4 Tunbridge Wells 005 Tunbridge Wells
5 Oldham 014 Oldham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kerwin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kerwin

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Kerwin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Kerwin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kerwin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kerwin 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

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

Meaning and origin of Kerwin

The surname Kerwin originated in Ireland and is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic name Ciarán, which means "little dark one" or "descendant of Ciar." The name Ciar was an ancient Irish personal name, and the suffix "-án" was used as a diminutive.

Kerwin is an anglicized version of the Irish surname Ó Ciarán or Ó Ciaráin, which means "descendant of Ciarán." The prefix "Ó" signifies "grandson" or "descendant of" in Irish. The name was initially found in County Mayo, where the Ó Ciaráin sept (clan) was based.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kerwin can be traced back to the 13th century in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention several members of the Ó Ciaráin family, including Maolmuire Ó Ciaráin, who was recorded as the Bishop of Annaghdown in County Galway in 1249.

In medieval times, the Kerwin family was prominent in County Mayo, particularly in the area around Ballina and Crossmolina. They held significant landholdings and played a role in local politics and affairs.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname underwent various spelling variations, such as Kerwin, Kerwan, Kerwan, and Kirwin, due to the anglicization of Irish names and the lack of standardized spelling at the time.

Notable individuals with the surname Kerwin throughout history include:

1. Matilda Kerwin (c. 1600s), an Irish woman who was one of the first settlers in the American colony of Maryland in the 17th century. 2. John Kerwin (1765-1848), an Irish-born American merchant and politician who served as Mayor of Baltimore from 1826 to 1828. 3. Joseph P. Kerwin (1932-2019), an American astronaut and physician who was part of the Skylab 2 mission in 1973, spending 28 days in space. 4. William Kerwin (1837-1916), an Irish-born American prelate who served as the Bishop of Fort Wayne from 1893 to 1916. 5. Kathleen Kerwin (born 1957), a Canadian academic and the current President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia.

The surname Kerwin continues to be found predominantly in Ireland, particularly in Counties Mayo, Galway, and Sligo, as well as among Irish diaspora communities around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kerwin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kerwin 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 171 Kerwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.28x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 171 4.28x
Yorkshire 33 0.99x
Middlesex 20 0.59x
Surrey 20 1.22x
Sussex 17 3.00x
Angus 16 5.13x
Cumberland 14 4.83x
Warwickshire 11 1.30x
Essex 8 1.20x
Kent 8 0.70x
Derbyshire 6 1.14x
Cheshire 4 0.54x
Lanarkshire 4 0.37x
Northumberland 4 0.80x
Hampshire 3 0.43x
Staffordshire 3 0.26x
Anglesey 1 1.68x
Isle of Man 1 1.60x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 2.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 45 Kerwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.06x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 45 25.06x
Liverpool 28 11.54x
Dundee 16 13.75x
Oldham 12 9.31x
Pendleton In Salford 11 23.12x
Arlecdon 10 129.70x
Birmingham 10 3.54x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 28.38x
Bradfield 9 69.98x
Camberwell 8 3.72x
Farnworth 8 33.43x
Dewsbury 7 20.47x
Low Leyton 7 1166.67x
Mayfield 7 208.33x
Salford 7 5.96x
Ardwick 6 16.66x
Bow London 6 14.01x
Bradford 6 7.43x
Chesterfield 6 30.38x
New Romney 6 508.47x
Hastings All Sts 5 93.46x
Lambeth 5 1.70x
Penge 5 23.26x
Southcoates 5 27.01x
St Pancras London 5 1.85x
Widnes 5 17.36x
Barony 4 1.45x
Barton Upon Irwell 4 13.31x
Hulme 4 4.80x
Kirkdale 4 5.95x
Barcombe 3 220.59x
Birkenhead 3 5.07x
Broughton In Salford 3 8.22x
Millom 3 33.78x
Morley 3 17.30x
Oswaldtwistle 3 21.26x
Toxteth Park 3 2.22x
Westleigh 3 33.08x
Barrow In Furness 2 3.68x
Chelsea London 2 1.97x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.52x
Everton 2 1.57x
Hastings St Clement 2 37.45x
Middleton In Oldham 2 16.71x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 2 6.69x
St Marylebone London 2 1.11x
Stafford St Mary 2 12.44x
West Derby 2 1.71x
Aldershot 1 4.33x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 1.15x
Bowling 1 3.03x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.58x
Crumpsall 1 10.63x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 9.00x
Elmdon 1 416.67x
Farnborough 1 13.81x
Hambledon 1 42.92x
Hendon 1 8.26x
Holyhead 1 8.99x
Kimberworth 1 5.40x
Lamplugh 1 68.97x
Leeds 1 0.53x
Limehouse London 1 2.71x
Litherland 1 11.98x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 15.20x
Newington 1 0.80x
North Meols 1 2.56x
North Shields 1 10.01x
Onchan 1 5.56x
Paddington London 1 0.81x
Pilkington 1 6.59x
Poulton Barre 1 22.03x
Speldhurst 1 17.09x
Tipton 1 2.87x
Troqueer 1 15.65x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 1 8.70x
Wallasey 1 39.53x
Walthamstow 1 4.18x
Woking 1 10.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 33
Elizabeth 20
Ellen 13
Catherine 11
Ann 7
Jane 7
Annie 6
Kate 6
Margaret 6
Bridget 5
Alice 3
Hannah 3
Maria 3
Agnes 2
Edith 2
Harriett 2
Helen 2
Johanna 2
Louisa 2
Matilda 2
Rose 2
Sarah 2
Avis 1
Caroline 1
Cathrine 1
Christana 1
Christiana 1
E. 1
Ellenor 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Hanora 1
Hepzibhar 1
Isabel 1
John 1
Katherine 1
Lilian 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
Margate 1
Margerat 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
Nancy 1
Neoma 1
Paulin 1
Rosan 1
S. 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 27
Thomas 23
James 17
William 9
Patrick 7
Edward 6
Henry 5
Dennis 3
Francis 3
Michael 3
Peter 3
Robert 3
Walter 3
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
George 2
Hugh 2
Joseph 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Brooke 1
Charles 1
Charley 1
Christoph. 1
Christopher 1
Clifford 1
Cornelius 1
David 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Humphrey 1
Jeremiah 1
Kenez 1
Kohatt 1
Martin 1
Nicholas 1
Percy 1
Sylvester 1
Thoma 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Kerwin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kerwin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 350 people were recorded with the Kerwin surname. That placed it at #8,762 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kerwin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 548 in 2016. That gives Kerwin a modern rank of #9,309.

What does the Kerwin surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname "Kirwan," derived from the Gaelic "Ó Ciardhubháin," meaning "descendant of the black little comb."

What does the Kerwin map show?

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