NameCensus.

UK surname

Kilpatrick

A Scottish surname referring to a person from Kilpatrick, a place meaning "church of Saint Patrick."

In the 1881 census there were 1,539 people recorded with the Kilpatrick surname, ranking it #2,727 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,646, ranked #2,521, up from #2,727 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include City Centre East, Upper Nithsdale and Darlington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kilpatrick is 2,729 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 71.9%.

1881 census count

1,539

Ranked #2,727

Modern count

2,646

2016, ranked #2,521

Peak year

2010

2,729 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kilpatrick had 1,539 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,727 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,646 in 2016, ranked #2,521.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,915 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Kilpatrick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kilpatrick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kilpatrick 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 903 #3,047
1861 historical 1,106 #2,536
1881 historical 1,539 #2,727
1891 historical 1,627 #2,753
1901 historical 1,915 #2,755
1911 historical 310 #11,180
1997 modern 2,455 #2,558
1998 modern 2,567 #2,544
1999 modern 2,577 #2,551
2000 modern 2,572 #2,547
2001 modern 2,485 #2,575
2002 modern 2,533 #2,585
2003 modern 2,494 #2,571
2004 modern 2,551 #2,522
2005 modern 2,532 #2,519
2006 modern 2,532 #2,524
2007 modern 2,569 #2,503
2008 modern 2,610 #2,484
2009 modern 2,665 #2,498
2010 modern 2,729 #2,498
2011 modern 2,667 #2,518
2012 modern 2,625 #2,512
2013 modern 2,640 #2,543
2014 modern 2,667 #2,537
2015 modern 2,653 #2,530
2016 modern 2,646 #2,521

Geography

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Where Kilpatricks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stevenston and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to City Centre East, Upper Nithsdale, Darlington, Kilwinning West and Blacklands and Kilwinning Pennyburn. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Stevenston Ayr
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 City Centre East Glasgow City
2 Upper Nithsdale Dumfries and Galloway
3 Darlington 006 Darlington
4 Kilwinning West and Blacklands North Ayrshire
5 Kilwinning Pennyburn North Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kilpatrick

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kilpatrick

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Kilpatrick is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Kilpatrick 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

Kilpatrick 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 Kilpatrick 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Kilpatrick

The surname Kilpatrick originates from Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "cill" meaning "church" and "padraig" meaning "Patrick," referring to the church or parish of St. Patrick. The name is associated with lands in the Scottish counties of Dumbartonshire and Ayrshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls from Scotland in the late 13th century. The rolls list a "Patrick de Kilpatrick" who swore fealty to King Edward I of England in 1296.

The Kilpatrick surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. Sir Robert Kilpatrick (1357-1420) was a Scottish nobleman who served as Lord High Treasurer of Scotland during the reign of King Robert III. Sir Thomas Kilpatrick (1545-1625) was a Scottish soldier and courtier who fought in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and later became a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to King James VI of Scotland.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Kilpatrick family settled in Ulster, Ireland, and the name became more prevalent there. One notable bearer was Hugh Kilpatrick (1788-1865), an Irish-born American military officer who served in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.

Another prominent figure was Jacob Kilpatrick (1836-1924), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania from 1893 to 1897. James J. Kilpatrick (1920-2010) was an American journalist and author who wrote for several newspapers, including the Richmond News Leader and the National Review.

Variations of the spelling include Kilpatrik, Kilpatrike, and Kilpatric, reflecting different regional pronunciations and spelling conventions over time. The name is also found in place names such as Kilpatrick Hills in Scotland and Kilpatrick, a town in County Westmeath, Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kilpatrick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kilpatrick 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. Lanarkshire leads with 493 Kilpatricks recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.13x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 493 10.13x
Ayrshire 225 19.99x
Renfrewshire 202 17.33x
Fife 111 12.47x
Midlothian 82 4.07x
Wigtownshire 60 30.04x
Lancashire 52 0.29x
Dunbartonshire 34 8.41x
Yorkshire 32 0.21x
Stirlingshire 30 5.41x
Middlesex 25 0.17x
Cumberland 17 1.31x
Cheshire 16 0.48x
Dumfriesshire 16 4.82x
Durham 15 0.34x
Angus 14 1.00x
Kirkcudbrightshire 14 6.43x
Argyllshire 12 2.87x
Perthshire 12 1.78x
West Lothian 10 4.41x
Northumberland 8 0.36x
Berwickshire 7 3.84x
Selkirkshire 7 5.14x
Hampshire 5 0.16x
Isle of Man 5 1.79x
Clackmannanshire 4 3.22x
Devon 4 0.13x
Kent 4 0.08x
Worcestershire 4 0.20x
Roxburghshire 3 1.10x
Surrey 3 0.04x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.14x
Buteshire 2 2.19x
East Lothian 2 1.00x
Inverness-shire 2 0.45x
Royal Navy 2 1.12x
Berkshire 1 0.09x
Cornwall 1 0.06x
Hertfordshire 1 0.10x
Morayshire 1 0.43x
Peeblesshire 1 1.41x
Ross-shire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 173 Kilpatricks recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.05x.

Place Total Index
Barony 173 14.05x
Govan 91 7.56x
Dunfermline 51 37.25x
Stevenston 49 167.01x
Abbey 46 25.86x
Wemyss 39 103.53x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 34 4.19x
Glasgow 31 3.59x
Dalry 30 56.64x
Stoneykirk 30 210.08x
Rutherglen 25 35.03x
Bothwell 24 18.19x
Hamilton 23 16.95x
Cambusnethan 22 20.36x
Neilston 22 37.59x
Paisley High Church 22 23.70x
Paisley Low Church 22 59.62x
Dundonald 21 50.59x
Renfrew 20 51.96x
Chorlton On Medlock 19 6.70x
Campsie 18 59.11x
Maryhill 17 17.85x
West Greenock 17 8.12x
Kirkcaldy 16 36.23x
Muirkirk 16 60.54x
Kilmaurs 14 73.11x
Monkton Prestwick 14 127.74x
Lesmahagow 13 25.27x
East Greenock 12 10.90x
Kirkconnell 12 228.14x
Paisley Middle Church 12 17.68x
Cambuslang 11 22.43x
Altrincham 10 17.24x
Blantyre 10 19.75x
Duddingston 10 24.72x
Lanark 10 25.55x
Liff Benvie 10 4.73x
Perth Middle Church 10 39.39x
Shotts 10 17.18x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 9 50.59x
Dumbarton 9 16.00x
Inch 9 46.23x
Kirkbean 9 214.80x
Liverpool 9 0.83x
New Kilpatrick 9 23.41x
South Leith 9 3.97x
St George Hanover Square 9 3.40x
Beverley St Mary 8 36.75x
Edinburgh St Stephens 8 20.17x
Old Monkland 8 4.14x
Auckinleck 7 20.09x
Blencogo 7 714.29x
Carstairs 7 69.44x
Coylton 7 43.83x
Dreghorn 7 34.35x
Kilmarnock 7 5.22x
Old Kilpatrick 7 14.65x
Old Luce 7 55.56x
Selkirk 7 18.26x
Uphall 7 28.10x
Whitby 7 13.94x
Wuerdle Wardle 7 12.92x
Beith 6 17.86x
Bonhill 6 9.25x
Gateshead 6 1.79x
Greenlaw 6 93.02x
Kilninian Kilmore 6 46.73x
Kirkmichael 6 58.48x
Lochwinnoch 6 34.54x
Mearns 6 29.38x
Oldham 6 1.04x
Port Glasgow 6 10.65x
Ardrossan 5 12.83x
Bow London 5 2.61x
Cockpen 5 21.23x
Dalmellington 5 15.11x
Dalziel 5 9.55x
Dunoon Kilmun 5 15.31x
Fintry 5 234.74x
Leswalt 5 36.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 9
Jane 5
Margaret 5
Jessie 4
Ann 2
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Emma 2
Ethel 2
Ruth 2
Agnes 1
Catherine 1
Chatrine 1
Christiana 1
Christina 1
E.M. 1
Eliza. 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Florence.H. 1
Francis 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Hester 1
Isabald 1
L. 1
Leah 1
Lilly 1
Lousie 1
Maggie 1
Margret 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
May 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
Phoebe 1
Rachael 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
William 13
James 12
George 9
Robert 5
Peter 4
Samuel 4
Alexr. 3
Andrew 3
David 3
Hugh 3
Frank 2
Joseph 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Albert.P. 1
Alfred 1
Alfred.D. 1
Austin 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Isaac 1
K. 1
Saml. 1
Thos. 1
W. 1
Wallace 1
Will. 1
Willm. 1
Wilson 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Kilpatrick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kilpatrick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,539 people were recorded with the Kilpatrick surname. That placed it at #2,727 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kilpatrick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,646 in 2016. That gives Kilpatrick a modern rank of #2,521.

What does the Kilpatrick surname mean?

A Scottish surname referring to a person from Kilpatrick, a place meaning "church of Saint Patrick."

What does the Kilpatrick map show?

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