NameCensus.

UK surname

Kight

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of wooden casks, tubs, or barrels.

In the 1881 census there were 102 people recorded with the Kight surname, ranking it #19,518 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 108, ranked #29,578, down from #19,518 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cerney, South, St Leonard Shoreditch and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gedling, Havering and Trafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kight is 152 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.9%.

1881 census count

102

Ranked #19,518

Modern count

108

2016, ranked #29,578

Peak year

1911

152 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kight had 102 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,518 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016, ranked #29,578.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 152 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Kight surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kight surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kight 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 86 #18,820
1861 historical 104 #20,477
1881 historical 102 #19,518
1891 historical 78 #27,035
1901 historical 136 #19,110
1911 historical 152 #17,712
1997 modern 110 #25,529
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 119 #25,095
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 94 #28,246
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 104 #27,101
2004 modern 107 #26,899
2005 modern 108 #26,736
2006 modern 100 #28,283
2007 modern 105 #27,868
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 111 #27,846
2010 modern 110 #28,666
2011 modern 108 #28,811
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 111 #29,113
2015 modern 110 #29,157
2016 modern 108 #29,578

Geography

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Where Kights are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cerney, South, St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, Eccles and Chisledon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gedling, Havering, Trafford and Wyre. 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 Cerney, South Gloucestershire
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Eccles Lancashire
5 Chisledon Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gedling 012 Gedling
2 Havering 004 Havering
3 Havering 020 Havering
4 Trafford 027 Trafford
5 Wyre 008 Wyre

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kight

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kight

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kight, 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 Kight surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Kight household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Kight is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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.

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Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Kight is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kight falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kight

The surname Kight has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cnihte," which means "servant" or "attendant." This term was commonly used to refer to young men who served in aristocratic households or as military attendants.

In the early medieval period, the name Kight was typically associated with individuals who held positions of service or worked as household attendants for noble families. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval records and documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from the late 13th century.

The surname Kight has undergone several spelling variations over the centuries, with alternative forms including Knighte, Knight, and Knyght. These variations were influenced by regional dialects and scribal conventions of the time.

One notable historical reference to the name Kight can be found in the Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document mentions individuals with the surname Knight, which was likely an early spelling variant of Kight.

Among the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kight was John Kight, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Another early record is that of Walter Kight, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Gloucestershire in 1384.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Kight. One such figure was Thomas Kight (c. 1550-1622), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1619 until his death. Another prominent individual was Sir William Kight (1586-1652), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, John Kight (1724-1796) was a successful merchant and landowner in Virginia, USA, who played a significant role in the economic development of the colony. Another notable figure was Sarah Kight (1796-1876), an American folk artist and painter known for her intricate embroidery and needlework.

One of the most renowned individuals with the surname Kight was Sir Richard Kight (1826-1902), a British military officer and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of railways and infrastructure in India during the 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kight families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kight 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. Middlesex leads with 23 Kights recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.31x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 23 2.31x
Wiltshire 21 23.87x
Gloucestershire 16 8.20x
Surrey 14 2.89x
Lancashire 12 1.02x
Worcestershire 8 6.16x
Staffordshire 4 1.19x
Berkshire 2 2.68x
Yorkshire 2 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chisledon in Wiltshire leads with 10 Kights recorded in 1881 and an index of 2500.00x.

Place Total Index
Chisledon 10 2500.00x
Newington 9 24.49x
Pendleton In Salford 8 56.90x
Dudley 6 38.00x
Stratton St Margaret 6 444.44x
Bermondsey 5 16.89x
Driffield 5 12500.00x
Rodmarton 5 3846.15x
St Marylebone London 5 9.41x
Twickenham 5 117.10x
Ealing 4 44.99x
Walsall Foreign 4 23.07x
Hampstead London 3 19.37x
Highworth 3 267.86x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 10.89x
Broughton In Salford 2 18.54x
Hartlebury 2 259.74x
Islington London 2 2.07x
Salford 2 5.76x
Wantage 2 168.07x
Bremhill 1 250.00x
Cirencester 1 37.88x
Gloucester St Mary Lode 1 217.39x
Lea Cleverton 1 625.00x
Northowram 1 14.47x
Paddington London 1 2.73x
South Cerney 1 312.50x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.70x
St George In East London 1 10.68x
St Pancras London 1 1.25x
Stonehouse 1 90.09x
Wortley In Bramley 1 12.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Elizabeth 6
Ellen 4
Alice 3
Caroline 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Louisa 2
Betsy 1
Bridget 1
Clara 1
Eada 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Joanna 1
Keziah 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
May 1
Mercy 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
William 6
John 5
Joseph 4
Albert 3
Francis 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Jesse 2
Job 2
Samuel 2
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Elizabeth 1
Ernest 1
F.S. 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
J.L. 1
James 1
Michael 1
Nathaniel 1
Paul 1
Percy 1
Timons 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Kight surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kight surname in 1881?

In 1881, 102 people were recorded with the Kight surname. That placed it at #19,518 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kight surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016. That gives Kight a modern rank of #29,578.

What does the Kight surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of wooden casks, tubs, or barrels.

What does the Kight map show?

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