NameCensus.

UK surname

Ketchen

A variant of the Scottish surname Kitchen, derived from the Old English word "cycene", meaning kitchen.

In the 1881 census there were 128 people recorded with the Ketchen surname, ranking it #17,079 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 190, ranked #20,262, down from #17,079 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gateshead, Edinburgh and Penicuik. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Penicuik East, Drylaw and Havant.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ketchen is 199 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.4%.

1881 census count

128

Ranked #17,079

Modern count

190

2016, ranked #20,262

Peak year

2010

199 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ketchen had 128 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,079 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 190 in 2016, ranked #20,262.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 198 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Ketchen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ketchen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ketchen 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 155 #14,881
1881 historical 128 #17,079
1891 historical 198 #15,033
1901 historical 186 #15,839
1911 historical 79 #24,903
1997 modern 169 #19,578
1998 modern 175 #19,658
1999 modern 184 #19,178
2000 modern 175 #19,764
2001 modern 173 #19,635
2002 modern 188 #19,012
2003 modern 176 #19,623
2004 modern 176 #19,731
2005 modern 182 #19,259
2006 modern 178 #19,666
2007 modern 179 #19,811
2008 modern 188 #19,387
2009 modern 189 #19,727
2010 modern 199 #19,515
2011 modern 194 #19,662
2012 modern 194 #19,606
2013 modern 199 #19,584
2014 modern 193 #20,159
2015 modern 192 #20,138
2016 modern 190 #20,262

Geography

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Where Ketchens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gateshead, Edinburgh, Penicuik, Lasswade and Innerleithen. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Penicuik East, Drylaw, Havant, West Somerset and Penicuik Southwest. 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 Gateshead Durham
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Penicuik Edinburgh
4 Lasswade Edinburgh
5 Innerleithen Peebles

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Penicuik East Midlothian
2 Drylaw City of Edinburgh
3 Havant 008 Havant
4 West Somerset 003 West Somerset
5 Penicuik Southwest Midlothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ketchen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ketchen

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

Ketchen is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ketchen falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Ketchen

The surname Ketchen is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be a variant of the name Kitchen, derived from the Old English word "cycene," which means "kitchen." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with someone who worked in a kitchen or was responsible for managing a household's culinary affairs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ketchen can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a person named John de la Kychene is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time, reflecting regional dialects and phonetic adaptations.

In the 14th century, the Ketchen surname appeared in various historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which listed a William de la Kychene in Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name had spread to different parts of England by this time.

During the 16th century, the name Ketchen was found in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Norfolk, where a Thomas Ketchen was recorded in 1567. This provides evidence of the surname's continued presence in different regions of the country.

One notable historical figure with the surname Ketchen was Sir John Ketchen (1559-1637), a prominent English merchant and alderman of London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1618 and was knighted in 1620 for his distinguished service to the city.

Another prominent individual was William Ketchen (1671-1745), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Bride's Church in London. He is best known for his work "A Discourse on the Truth of the Christian Religion," published in 1718.

In the 18th century, the Ketchen surname was found in various parish records across England, including those of St. Dunstan's Church in London, where a marriage between John Ketchen and Mary Smith was recorded in 1738.

During the 19th century, the surname Ketchen appeared in various census records and birth, marriage, and death registers throughout England. One notable individual from this period was Charles Ketchen (1822-1892), a British businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Southampton in 1878.

While the surname Ketchen may have evolved from its original association with the kitchen, it has since become a distinct surname with a rich history spanning centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life across England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ketchen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ketchen 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. Midlothian leads with 65 Ketchens recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.42x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 65 44.42x
Peeblesshire 16 311.28x
Lancashire 10 0.77x
Yorkshire 7 0.65x
Nairnshire 4 120.12x
Berkshire 3 3.66x
Lanarkshire 3 0.85x
Clackmannanshire 1 11.09x
Cumberland 1 1.06x
Fife 1 1.55x
Selkirkshire 1 10.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Penicuik in Midlothian leads with 15 Ketchens recorded in 1881 and an index of 753.77x.

Place Total Index
Penicuik 15 753.77x
Cockpen 14 818.71x
Peebles 14 921.05x
Colton 10 1470.59x
Middlesbrough 7 49.65x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 6 173.41x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 8.49x
South Leith 5 30.36x
Cramond 4 360.36x
Heriot 4 2500.00x
Nairn 4 198.02x
Edinburgh Greenside 3 155.44x
Govan 3 3.43x
Lasswade 3 89.55x
Thatcham 3 238.10x
Fala Soutra 2 1666.67x
Innerleithen 2 147.06x
Liberton 2 88.50x
North Leith 2 29.54x
Alloa 1 22.88x
Egremont 1 44.64x
Largo 1 119.05x
Roberton 1 476.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Agnes 2
Jane 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Eliza 1
Marjory 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 5
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
James 1
Robert 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 Ketchen households.

FAQ

Ketchen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ketchen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 128 people were recorded with the Ketchen surname. That placed it at #17,079 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ketchen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 190 in 2016. That gives Ketchen a modern rank of #20,262.

What does the Ketchen surname mean?

A variant of the Scottish surname Kitchen, derived from the Old English word "cycene", meaning kitchen.

What does the Ketchen map show?

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