NameCensus.

UK surname

Killen

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cillín, meaning "descendant of Cillín," a personal name of uncertain origin.

In the 1881 census there were 405 people recorded with the Killen surname, ranking it #7,903 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,124, ranked #5,245, up from #7,903 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Bees, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Carse of Stirling and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Killen is 1,175 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 177.5%.

1881 census count

405

Ranked #7,903

Modern count

1,124

2016, ranked #5,245

Peak year

2010

1,175 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Killen had 405 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,903 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,124 in 2016, ranked #5,245.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 588 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Killen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Killen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Killen 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 173 #11,629
1861 historical 189 #12,570
1881 historical 405 #7,903
1891 historical 436 #8,262
1901 historical 588 #7,179
1911 historical 455 #8,428
1997 modern 1,060 #5,235
1998 modern 1,086 #5,316
1999 modern 1,091 #5,321
2000 modern 1,097 #5,279
2001 modern 1,077 #5,260
2002 modern 1,105 #5,253
2003 modern 1,067 #5,305
2004 modern 1,053 #5,372
2005 modern 1,067 #5,270
2006 modern 1,081 #5,208
2007 modern 1,108 #5,153
2008 modern 1,116 #5,162
2009 modern 1,147 #5,150
2010 modern 1,175 #5,135
2011 modern 1,162 #5,129
2012 modern 1,094 #5,315
2013 modern 1,108 #5,338
2014 modern 1,126 #5,299
2015 modern 1,123 #5,262
2016 modern 1,124 #5,245

Geography

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Where Killens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Bees, London parishes, Gateshead, Govan Combination and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Carse of Stirling, Sefton and Knowsley. 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 St Bees Cumberland
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 005 Copeland
2 Carse of Stirling Stirling
3 Sefton 022 Sefton
4 Knowsley 005 Knowsley
5 Knowsley 003 Knowsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Killen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Killen

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

Killen is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Killen 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 Killen 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.

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Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Killen

The surname Killen is believed to have originated in Ireland, deriving from the Gaelic personal name Cillian, which means "bright-headed" or "slender and fair." The name is thought to have first appeared in the 7th or 8th century AD, during the period of early Irish Christianity.

Killen is a variant spelling of the more common Irish surname Killeen, which is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Cillín. The prefix "Ó" signifies a descendant or grandson, indicating that the name refers to the descendants of a person named Cillian.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Killen can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The Annals mention a certain "Cillene" who was the abbot of Ardbraccan, County Meath, in the year 785 AD.

In the 11th century, the name appears in the form "Cillin" in the Book of Leinster, a medieval Irish manuscript containing genealogies and historical accounts. The Book of Leinster references a "Cillin mac Conmaic," who was a member of the Uí Dúnchada, a prominent family in the ancient kingdom of Leinster.

Notable individuals with the surname Killen throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Killen (1640-1706), an Irish judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. 2. William Killen (1806-1902), an Irish Presbyterian minister and author known for his work "The Ancient Church: Its History, Doctrine, Worship, and Constitution." 3. John Killen (1858-1927), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas. 4. Brendan Killen (1836-1898), an Irish-born Australian Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools and colleges in Victoria. 5. William D. Killen (1917-2005), an American jurist who served as a judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

The surname Killen has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Killenard (County Laois) and Killenkere (County Cavan), which may have influenced the spelling variations of the name over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Killen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Killen 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 143 Killens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.97x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 143 2.97x
Lanarkshire 58 4.42x
Cumberland 31 8.87x
Yorkshire 22 0.55x
Durham 20 1.66x
Middlesex 20 0.49x
Renfrewshire 19 6.04x
Ayrshire 10 3.29x
Kent 10 0.72x
Argyllshire 9 7.97x
Dunbartonshire 9 8.25x
Isle of Man 9 11.94x
Somerset 9 1.38x
Midlothian 8 1.47x
Cheshire 7 0.78x
Surrey 7 0.35x
Warwickshire 6 0.59x
Derbyshire 3 0.47x
Devon 2 0.24x
Essex 2 0.25x
Radnorshire 2 6.11x
Royal Navy 2 4.14x
Bedfordshire 1 0.48x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Leicestershire 1 0.22x
Lincolnshire 1 0.15x
Monmouthshire 1 0.34x
Northamptonshire 1 0.26x
Northumberland 1 0.17x
Sussex 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 33 Killens recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.28x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 33 11.28x
Govan 25 7.70x
Everton 22 14.34x
Toxteth Park 19 11.65x
Glasgow 15 6.44x
West Derby 14 9.94x
Preston Quarter 11 112.36x
Barony 10 3.01x
Campbeltown 9 66.03x
Headingley Cum Burley 9 34.78x
Kirkdale 9 11.11x
Maybole 9 97.30x
Onchan 9 41.46x
Woolwich 9 17.60x
Old Kilpatrick 8 62.06x
Pendleton In Salford 8 13.94x
Kilbarchan 7 73.30x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 15.69x
Bury 6 10.91x
Duddingston 6 55.00x
Leeds 6 2.64x
Newington 6 4.00x
Port Glasgow 6 39.47x
Westoe 6 8.77x
Wolsingham 6 54.55x
Butleigh 5 467.29x
Caldewgate 5 26.12x
Egremont 5 60.02x
Hackney London 5 2.20x
St Giles Cripplegate 5 92.76x
St Luke London 5 7.68x
Upholland 5 81.04x
Bothwell 4 11.24x
East Greenock 4 13.47x
Holbeck 4 15.02x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 4 38.84x
St Marylebone London 4 1.85x
Stranton 4 9.84x
Whitehaven 4 21.48x
Breaston 3 267.86x
Coventry St Michael 3 9.13x
Farrington Gurney 3 400.00x
Gorton 3 6.63x
Horton In Bradford 3 4.78x
Spotland 3 5.60x
Throston 3 129.31x
Tranmere 3 9.11x
Workington 3 15.00x
Abbey 2 4.17x
Blackburn 2 1.56x
Devonport 2 20.60x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 0.91x
Garston 2 14.07x
Gorbals 2 25.67x
Leamington Priors 2 7.94x
Llanyre 2 206.19x
Manchester 2 0.92x
Rickergate 2 27.06x
Royal Navy 2 4.84x
Rutherglen 2 10.39x
Sutton 2 12.38x
Warrington 2 3.50x
Aston 1 0.35x
Bedford St Paul 1 6.94x
Birkdale 1 8.21x
Cameley 1 136.99x
Cheetham 1 2.78x
Dundonald 1 8.93x
Folkestone 1 3.72x
Great Grimsby 1 2.43x
Kensington London 1 0.44x
Kirdford 1 42.02x
Leyton 1 7.25x
Mynyddyslwyn 1 8.64x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 2.77x
Row 1 7.09x
Shenfield 1 48.08x
Ventnor 1 12.64x
Walton On Hill 1 3.83x
Wellingborough 1 5.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Sarah 13
Elizabeth 11
Margaret 10
Ann 7
Annie 7
Ellen 7
Catherine 6
Alice 5
Jane 5
Bridget 3
Eliza 3
Agnes 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Susan 2
Susannah 2
Ada 1
Adeline 1
Beatrice 1
Bridgett 1
Cathne. 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth.H. 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Janet 1
Katharine 1
Laura 1
Liza 1
Maria 1
Marry 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Melinda 1
Mildred 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Rosanna 1
Roseann 1
Susanna 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 27
William 25
James 17
Thomas 12
George 10
Patrick 7
Henry 6
Joseph 6
Charles 5
Hugh 5
Arthur 3
Robert 3
Adam 2
Albert 2
Bernard 2
David 2
Edward 2
Mark 2
Martin 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Benjamin 1
Carlie 1
Edmond 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Jno.Patk. 1
Michael 1
Michal 1
Mikle 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Killen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Killen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 405 people were recorded with the Killen surname. That placed it at #7,903 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Killen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,124 in 2016. That gives Killen a modern rank of #5,245.

What does the Killen surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cillín, meaning "descendant of Cillín," a personal name of uncertain origin.

What does the Killen map show?

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