NameCensus.

UK surname

Kidney

An occupational surname related to those who worked with animal organs or kidneys.

In the 1881 census there were 360 people recorded with the Kidney surname, ranking it #8,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 304, ranked #14,606, down from #8,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rainham, London parishes and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, South Tyneside and Medway.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kidney is 360 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 15.6%.

1881 census count

360

Ranked #8,596

Modern count

304

2016, ranked #14,606

Peak year

1881

360 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kidney had 360 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 304 in 2016, ranked #14,606.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 360 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Kidney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kidney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kidney 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 280 #8,043
1861 historical 244 #10,087
1881 historical 360 #8,596
1891 historical 311 #10,781
1901 historical 337 #10,735
1911 historical 355 #10,172
1997 modern 329 #12,734
1998 modern 346 #12,630
1999 modern 360 #12,371
2000 modern 359 #12,333
2001 modern 344 #12,526
2002 modern 343 #12,803
2003 modern 317 #13,328
2004 modern 323 #13,230
2005 modern 312 #13,462
2006 modern 302 #13,863
2007 modern 308 #13,791
2008 modern 312 #13,764
2009 modern 311 #14,069
2010 modern 327 #13,889
2011 modern 324 #13,839
2012 modern 315 #14,031
2013 modern 317 #14,186
2014 modern 316 #14,301
2015 modern 309 #14,430
2016 modern 304 #14,606

Geography

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Where Kidneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rainham, London parishes, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Harrow-on-the-Hill and Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, South Tyneside, Medway, Bassetlaw and Thurrock. 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 Rainham Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Harrow-on-the-Hill Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 014 Pembrokeshire
2 South Tyneside 013 South Tyneside
3 Medway 024 Medway
4 Bassetlaw 008 Bassetlaw
5 Thurrock 008 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kidney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kidney

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kidney 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

Kidney 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

Kidney falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kidney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Kidney

The surname KIDNEY originated in England in the 13th century. It derived from the Old English word "cildne", meaning "child" or "young person". This name likely referred to the youth or young appearance of the original bearer.

The earliest recorded instance of the KIDNEY surname appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a William Kildene from Oxfordshire. Similar spellings from this era include Kildeny, Kyldene, and Kyldney.

In the 14th century, the surname KIDNEY appears in various tax rolls and church records across southern England counties like Somerset, Devon, and Dorset. A notable early bearer was John Kildene, born around 1320 in Bridgwater, Somerset.

The KIDNEY name may have connections to certain place names like Kilndown in Kent or Kilnhurst in Yorkshire, though the direct link is unclear. By the 16th century, the spelling had largely standardized to the modern KIDNEY form.

Notable KIDNEY individuals throughout history include Richard Kidney (c.1540-1610), an English Protestant reformer and theologian. Thomas Kidney (1684-1754) was a British naval captain who served in the War of the Spanish Succession.

During the English Civil War, Captain John Kidney (1619-1676) fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was later appointed Governor of Hull. His descendant, James Kidney (1760-1845), became a wealthy industrialist in the West Midlands.

In the 19th century, the explorer and naturalist George Kidney (1823-1891) made significant contributions to the study of Australian flora and fauna. He published several works detailing his expeditions across the continent.

While not appearing in the Domesday Book, the KIDNEY surname has a long-recorded history in England dating back to medieval times. The name's origins likely stem from the Old English word for "child" or "youth".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kidney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kidney 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. Kent leads with 71 Kidneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.94x.

County Total Index
Kent 71 5.94x
Yorkshire 60 1.73x
Middlesex 57 1.63x
Angus 42 12.95x
Lincolnshire 18 3.21x
Glamorgan 16 2.62x
Lanarkshire 14 1.24x
Hampshire 12 1.67x
Lancashire 10 0.24x
Northamptonshire 9 2.73x
Shropshire 7 2.31x
Durham 5 0.48x
Renfrewshire 5 1.84x
Carmarthenshire 4 2.71x
Essex 4 0.58x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.85x
Surrey 4 0.23x
Leicestershire 2 0.52x
Midlothian 2 0.43x
Monmouthshire 2 0.79x
Royal Navy 2 4.79x
Anglesey 1 1.61x
Ayrshire 1 0.38x
Cornwall 1 0.25x
Cumberland 1 0.33x
Devon 1 0.14x
Dorset 1 0.44x
Gloucestershire 1 0.15x
Somerset 1 0.18x
Sussex 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 34 Kidneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.07x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 34 28.07x
Gillingham 24 97.44x
Scotter 15 1171.88x
Newington In Milton 14 1120.00x
Harrow 13 242.99x
Leeds 13 6.63x
Rainham 13 396.34x
Brightside Bierlow 12 17.63x
Chatham 12 36.51x
Doncaster 11 43.39x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 8 67.40x
Liff Benvie 8 16.24x
Mile End Old Town London 8 10.73x
Barony 7 2.44x
Cardiff St Mary 7 20.84x
Govan 7 2.50x
Islington London 7 2.06x
Oswestry Town 7 72.24x
Hunshelf 6 352.94x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 10.24x
Portsea 6 4.27x
Chelsea London 5 4.74x
Eastwood 5 29.92x
Greenford 5 781.25x
Hammersmith London 5 5.80x
Northampton Priory St 5 25.30x
Portsmouth 5 30.25x
Clerkenwell London 4 4.84x
Deptford St Paul 4 4.34x
Leyton Low 4 28.47x
Llangadock 4 98.28x
Nottingham St Mary 4 3.28x
Prestwich 4 38.57x
Gelligaer 3 21.54x
Sheffield 3 2.72x
St George Hanover Square 3 4.86x
Sunderland 3 16.30x
York All Sts North 3 174.42x
Bedwellty 2 4.47x
Bishopwearmouth 2 2.24x
Edinburgh Old Church 2 53.05x
Ince In Makerfield 2 10.34x
Leicester St Margaret 2 2.11x
Little Creaton 2 3333.33x
Royal Navy 2 5.61x
Shoreditch London 2 1.32x
St Marylebone London 2 1.07x
Withington 2 14.94x
Aberford 1 128.21x
Bedminster 1 1.89x
Brighton 1 0.84x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 1 15.97x
Camberwell 1 0.45x
Cleator 1 7.97x
Devonport 1 11.93x
Eston 1 13.23x
Falmouth 1 7.13x
Farnborough 1 13.26x
Gainsborough 1 7.58x
Great Grimsby 1 2.81x
Hamphall Stubbs 1 3333.33x
Hanwell 1 16.10x
Harrow On The Hill 1 14.29x
Holy Trinity 1 1.20x
Holyhead 1 8.64x
Lea Ashton Ingol 1 36.23x
Liverpool 1 0.40x
Maidstone 1 2.81x
Market Rasen 1 31.95x
Northampton All Sts 1 8.94x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 5.97x
Paddington London 1 0.78x
Penge 1 4.47x
Portland 1 8.09x
Rochester St Margaret 1 7.94x
Rochester St Nicholas 1 26.88x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.42x
Stewarton 1 19.27x
Streatham 1 3.85x
Strood 1 14.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Sarah 10
Elizabeth 9
Eleanor 8
Jane 7
Alice 6
Ann 5
Eliza 5
Ellen 5
Emily 5
Margaret 5
Annie 4
Caroline 3
Catherine 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Clara 2
Emma 2
Flora 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Hellen 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Avis 1
Bertha 1
Briget 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Florry 1
Frances 1
Gustavia 1
Hannah 1
Henrietta 1
Lavinia 1
Lilly 1
Lydia 1
Maggie 1
Martha 1
May 1
Nellie 1
Palma 1
Sophia 1
Tabitha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 26
John 25
George 12
Thomas 10
James 8
Charles 5
Richard 5
Arthur 4
Edward 4
Robert 4
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Joseph 3
Michael 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
David 2
Patrick 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Allan 1
Ambrose 1
Andrew 1
Archibald 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Homer 1
Jasper 1
Johniphant 1
M. 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Samuel 1
Timothy 1
Wm. 1
Wm.D. 1

FAQ

Kidney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kidney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 360 people were recorded with the Kidney surname. That placed it at #8,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kidney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 304 in 2016. That gives Kidney a modern rank of #14,606.

What does the Kidney surname mean?

An occupational surname related to those who worked with animal organs or kidneys.

What does the Kidney map show?

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