NameCensus.

UK surname

Kilkenny

A locational surname derived from Kilkenny, a town in Ireland.

In the 1881 census there were 235 people recorded with the Kilkenny surname, ranking it #11,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 545, ranked #9,349, up from #11,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bury and Hull Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Test Valley and South Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kilkenny is 572 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 131.9%.

1881 census count

235

Ranked #11,573

Modern count

545

2016, ranked #9,349

Peak year

1998

572 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kilkenny had 235 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 545 in 2016, ranked #9,349.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 298 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Kilkenny surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kilkenny surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kilkenny 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 103 #16,835
1861 historical 147 #15,539
1881 historical 235 #11,573
1891 historical 263 #12,261
1901 historical 278 #12,252
1911 historical 298 #11,505
1997 modern 537 #8,823
1998 modern 572 #8,663
1999 modern 558 #8,885
2000 modern 542 #9,056
2001 modern 536 #8,979
2002 modern 541 #9,088
2003 modern 517 #9,268
2004 modern 520 #9,244
2005 modern 505 #9,379
2006 modern 514 #9,291
2007 modern 509 #9,443
2008 modern 521 #9,342
2009 modern 548 #9,201
2010 modern 554 #9,312
2011 modern 555 #9,200
2012 modern 524 #9,541
2013 modern 544 #9,420
2014 modern 560 #9,258
2015 modern 559 #9,180
2016 modern 545 #9,349

Geography

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Where Kilkennys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bury, Hull Holy Trinity, Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace and Birstall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Test Valley, South Norfolk and Trafford. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bury Lancashire
3 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace Shropshire
5 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 028 Kirklees
2 Kirklees 024 Kirklees
3 Test Valley 009 Test Valley
4 South Norfolk 015 South Norfolk
5 Trafford 011 Trafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kilkenny

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kilkenny

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Kilkenny surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Kilkenny household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Kilkenny is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kilkenny is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kilkenny 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 Kilkenny 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Kilkenny

The surname Kilkenny originates from Ireland and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Irish town of Kilkenny, which translates to "church of the woods" or "church of the Cainnigh." The name is believed to have been first used as a surname by families who hailed from or lived in the town of Kilkenny.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Kilkenny can be found in medieval Irish records and manuscripts, such as the Annals of the Four Masters, which dates back to the 17th century. One notable example is John Kilkenny, a Franciscan friar who lived in the 15th century and was known for his writings on theology and philosophy.

During the Norman conquest of Ireland in the 12th century, the Kilkenny surname gained prominence as the town of Kilkenny became an important center of Norman power and influence. The surname is associated with several notable figures from this period, including William de Kilkenny, a Norman knight who was granted lands in Kilkenny in the late 12th century.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Kilkenny surname was also found in England, as Irish families with this name migrated to various parts of the country. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Richard Kilkenny, a soldier and landowner in Oxfordshire who was born in the late 16th century.

Other notable individuals with the Kilkenny surname throughout history include:

1. Thomas Kilkenny (1532-1608), an English playwright and author. 2. Edward Kilkenny (1675-1743), an Irish politician and landowner. 3. Mary Kilkenny (1777-1855), an Irish novelist and poet. 4. James Kilkenny (1842-1925), an American Civil War veteran and politician. 5. Michael Kilkenny (1887-1964), an Irish-born Australian labor leader and politician.

The Kilkenny surname has remained prevalent in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Kilkenny and surrounding areas, where it originated. It has also spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Australia, and other English-speaking countries, due to Irish migration and diaspora.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kilkenny families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kilkenny 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. Yorkshire leads with 74 Kilkennys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.27x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 74 3.27x
Lancashire 56 2.07x
Staffordshire 19 2.47x
Lanarkshire 17 2.30x
Warwickshire 15 2.61x
Shropshire 10 5.07x
Middlesex 9 0.39x
Midlothian 7 2.29x
Berwickshire 5 18.09x
Cheshire 5 0.99x
Leicestershire 5 1.98x
Durham 3 0.44x
East Lothian 3 9.92x
Sussex 2 0.52x
Hampshire 1 0.21x
Peeblesshire 1 9.31x
Somerset 1 0.27x
Surrey 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bury in Lancashire leads with 33 Kilkennys recorded in 1881 and an index of 106.66x.

Place Total Index
Bury 33 106.66x
Birmingham 15 7.82x
Gomersal 13 123.11x
Barony 11 5.89x
Wakefield 9 51.84x
Clerkenwell London 8 14.85x
Holy Trinity 8 14.71x
Shrewsbury St Julian 8 163.93x
Leeds 7 5.48x
Wednesbury 7 36.36x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 7.34x
Warrington 6 18.69x
Leicester St Margaret 5 8.10x
Rutherglen 5 46.17x
Sculcoates 5 13.94x
Westruther 5 943.40x
Burslem 4 18.12x
Clifton In York 4 84.57x
Eccleston In Prescot 4 29.41x
Edinburgh Old Church 4 163.27x
Halifax 4 12.04x
Heckmondwike 4 55.02x
Radcliffe 4 30.63x
Selby 4 84.57x
Spotland 4 13.28x
Gateshead 3 5.90x
Holme On Spalding Moor 3 202.70x
Longwood 3 82.19x
Monks Coppenhall 3 15.78x
Spott 3 666.67x
Batley 2 9.30x
Brighton 2 2.58x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 2 94.34x
Acton In Northwich 1 212.77x
Barwick In Elmet 1 57.80x
Bedminster 1 2.90x
Bramham Cum Oglethorpe 1 111.11x
Caverswall 1 25.00x
Cheswardine 1 119.05x
Eccleshill 1 18.18x
Eddleston 1 178.57x
Edinburgh Tron Church 1 69.93x
Great Bolton 1 2.79x
Hackney London 1 0.78x
Holy Rood 1 105.26x
Kearsley 1 17.54x
Nether Hallam 1 3.27x
Nutfield 1 119.05x
Pilkington 1 9.72x
Roundhay 1 158.73x
Runcorn 1 8.61x
Ruyton Of Eleven Towns 1 114.94x
Saddleworth 1 5.73x
Salford 1 1.26x
Shettleston 1 15.13x
Upperthong 1 52.08x
Wolstanton 1 4.27x
Worsley 1 5.99x
York St Maurice 1 23.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Ann 10
Bridget 9
Margaret 9
Catherine 7
Ellen 6
Annie 5
Eliza 4
Elizabeth 3
Kate 3
Agnes 2
Jane 2
Allis 1
Betsy 1
Biddy 1
Fanny 1
Katie 1
Lavina 1
Lavinia 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Nellie 1
Nora 1
Priscilla 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
James 17
Patrick 12
Michael 11
Thomas 11
Edward 10
Anthony 2
Frank 2
Jas. 2
William 2
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
Barnet 1
Barney 1
Charles 1
Edw. 1
Francis 1
Fredk.W. 1
Joseph 1
Louis 1
Michel 1
Patsy 1
Tobias 1

FAQ

Kilkenny surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kilkenny surname in 1881?

In 1881, 235 people were recorded with the Kilkenny surname. That placed it at #11,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kilkenny surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 545 in 2016. That gives Kilkenny a modern rank of #9,349.

What does the Kilkenny surname mean?

A locational surname derived from Kilkenny, a town in Ireland.

What does the Kilkenny map show?

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