NameCensus.

UK surname

Kinghorn

A territorial name for someone who resided near a prominent headland or promontory.

In the 1881 census there were 869 people recorded with the Kinghorn surname, ranking it #4,359 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,304, ranked #4,595, down from #4,359 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kelso, Inveresk and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Duns and Chirnside and Area.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kinghorn is 1,417 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.1%.

1881 census count

869

Ranked #4,359

Modern count

1,304

2016, ranked #4,595

Peak year

1999

1,417 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kinghorn had 869 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,359 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,304 in 2016, ranked #4,595.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,036 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Kinghorn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kinghorn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kinghorn 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 509 #4,914
1861 historical 517 #5,061
1881 historical 869 #4,359
1891 historical 917 #4,507
1901 historical 1,036 #4,616
1911 historical 535 #7,445
1997 modern 1,345 #4,277
1998 modern 1,387 #4,312
1999 modern 1,417 #4,263
2000 modern 1,412 #4,258
2001 modern 1,369 #4,280
2002 modern 1,337 #4,472
2003 modern 1,300 #4,484
2004 modern 1,315 #4,442
2005 modern 1,282 #4,488
2006 modern 1,272 #4,535
2007 modern 1,296 #4,498
2008 modern 1,303 #4,501
2009 modern 1,345 #4,474
2010 modern 1,391 #4,424
2011 modern 1,365 #4,445
2012 modern 1,315 #4,518
2013 modern 1,304 #4,643
2014 modern 1,322 #4,608
2015 modern 1,312 #4,592
2016 modern 1,304 #4,595

Geography

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Where Kinghorns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kelso, Inveresk, Govan Combination, Gateshead and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Duns, Chirnside and Area and Fenland. 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 Kelso Roxburgh
2 Inveresk Edinburgh
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 020 Northumberland
2 Duns Scottish Borders
3 Chirnside and Area Scottish Borders
4 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
5 Fenland 002 Fenland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kinghorn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kinghorn

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Kinghorn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Kinghorn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kinghorn 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

Kinghorn 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

Kinghorn falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kinghorn

The surname KINGHORN originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages, deriving from the small town of the same name located in Fife. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cyning" meaning "king" and "horn" referring to a prominent coastal headland, thus translating to "the king's headland."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1290, which reference a "Thomas de Kyngorne." This suggests the name was already established by the late 13th century among families residing in or near the town of Kinghorn.

In the late 14th century, a charter dated 1392 granted lands in Fife to a John de Kyngorne, indicating the surname was associated with landowners in the region during this period. The spelling variations "Kynghorn" and "Kyngorne" were common in medieval records before the modern spelling became standardized.

The famous Scottish philosopher and historian, David Hume, was born in 1711 in Edinburgh to a family with the KINGHORN surname, though it was spelled as "Home." Hume's ancestors are believed to have originated from the Kinghorn area before relocating to the capital city.

In the 18th century, a notable figure was Lieutenant Colonel Patrick KINGHORN, who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1735 and played a role in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.

Another historic individual with this surname was James KINGHORN, a Scottish minister and theologian born in 1776. He served as a prominent leader in the Congregational Church and was a prolific writer on theological subjects until his death in 1857.

During the 19th century, a well-known bearer of the KINGHORN name was John Elliot KINGHORN, a British naval officer and explorer. Born in 1809, he participated in several Arctic expeditions and served as the commander of the HMS Resolute during the search for the missing Franklin expedition in the 1850s.

While the surname's origins can be traced back to the medieval Scottish town, bearers of the KINGHORN name have since spread throughout the British Isles and beyond, with notable individuals emerging in various fields over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kinghorn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kinghorn 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. Northumberland leads with 171 Kinghorns recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.62x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 171 13.62x
Midlothian 149 13.18x
Berwickshire 87 85.14x
Aberdeenshire 85 10.88x
Yorkshire 65 0.78x
Lanarkshire 43 1.58x
Durham 41 1.63x
Roxburghshire 37 24.21x
Fife 35 7.01x
Middlesex 17 0.20x
Renfrewshire 17 2.60x
East Lothian 15 13.42x
Perthshire 15 3.96x
Kincardineshire 14 13.63x
Cheshire 11 0.59x
Lancashire 11 0.11x
Dunbartonshire 8 3.53x
Surrey 8 0.19x
Sussex 6 0.42x
Gloucestershire 4 0.24x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 3.27x
Peeblesshire 3 7.56x
Selkirkshire 3 3.93x
West Lothian 3 2.36x
Ayrshire 2 0.32x
Cumberland 2 0.28x
Essex 2 0.12x
Banffshire 1 0.57x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.19x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.54x
Norfolk 1 0.08x
Northamptonshire 1 0.13x
Staffordshire 1 0.04x
Stirlingshire 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedlington in Northumberland leads with 33 Kinghorns recorded in 1881 and an index of 78.72x.

Place Total Index
Bedlington 33 78.72x
Inveresk 30 98.04x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 28 6.16x
Strichen 28 412.37x
North Leith 27 51.62x
Longbenton 21 39.50x
Tweedmouth 20 127.80x
Leeds 19 4.02x
South Leith 19 14.94x
Dunfermline 17 22.13x
Kelso 16 105.06x
Coldstream 15 202.98x
Govan 15 2.22x
Hunslet 15 11.50x
Fordoun 14 243.06x
Westgate 14 18.01x
Aberdeen Old Machar 13 7.97x
Ednam 12 674.16x
Berwick North 10 127.71x
Bishopwearmouth 10 4.64x
Coldingham 10 108.93x
Durham St Nicholas 10 162.07x
Echt 10 265.96x
Monkton Moor 10 1388.89x
Ballingry 9 292.21x
Cathcart 9 25.44x
Duddingston 9 39.67x
Dunse 9 92.88x
Edinburgh Old Church 9 99.12x
Gateshead 9 4.79x
Glasgow 9 1.86x
Whitsome 9 555.56x
Abbey 8 8.02x
Birkenhead 8 5.39x
Eccles 8 178.57x
Fraserburgh 8 36.36x
Peterhead 8 19.36x
Row 8 27.28x
St Andrew Holborn London 8 21.90x
Alnmouth 7 451.61x
Edrom 7 159.82x
Grindon 7 1944.44x
Brighton 6 2.09x
Cockpen 6 45.42x
Dunblane 6 66.23x
Fogo 6 444.44x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 5.52x
Kirkcaldy 6 24.22x
Legerwood 6 372.67x
New Monkland 6 7.44x
Alnwick 5 23.17x
Barony 5 0.72x
Battersea 5 1.61x
Berwick Upon Tweed 5 18.80x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 5 17.48x
Bramham Cum Oglethorpe 5 149.70x
Chatton 5 129.87x
Cranston 5 173.61x
Earlston 5 97.66x
Edinburgh Greenside S 5 121.95x
Kirk Hammerton 5 617.28x
Mason 5 174.22x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 6.67x
Tibbermore 5 92.08x
Togstone 5 746.27x
Walton In Wetherby 5 877.19x
Carnwath 4 23.71x
Chirton 4 14.08x
Eyemouth 4 46.89x
Horfield 4 24.02x
Insch 4 89.89x
Ladykirk 4 314.96x
Lonmay 4 56.42x
Newcastle On Tyne St 4 6.15x
Newhills 4 25.00x
Stitchel 4 400.00x
Troqueer 4 24.97x
Tulliallan 4 62.31x
Westoe 4 2.81x
Widdrington 4 133.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Elizabeth 12
Sarah 12
Isabella 11
Jane 11
Margaret 10
Ann 9
Ellen 5
Annie 4
Alice 3
Christina 3
Emily 3
Adeline 2
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Jemima 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Barbara 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Cathne. 1
Charlott 1
Clara 1
Dorothy 1
Eidth 1
Elenor 1
Esther 1
Euphemia 1
Eva 1
Florence 1
Gorgina 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Houoria 1
Isebel 1
James 1
Janet 1
Lissen 1
Lizzie 1
Margret 1
Margrett 1
Martha 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 23
John 20
James 18
Thomas 14
William 13
Robert 11
Alexander 7
David 7
Henry 6
Andrew 5
Daniel 5
Joseph 5
Hugh 4
Philip 4
Allen 2
Arthur 2
Frederick 2
Ralph 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Adam 1
Anthony 1
Archibald 1
Charles 1
D.W. 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Emma 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Georg 1
Giles 1
Graham 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Johns 1
Joshua 1
Lizzie 1
Mark 1
Molly 1
Patrick 1
Robt. 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Kinghorn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kinghorn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 869 people were recorded with the Kinghorn surname. That placed it at #4,359 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kinghorn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,304 in 2016. That gives Kinghorn a modern rank of #4,595.

What does the Kinghorn surname mean?

A territorial name for someone who resided near a prominent headland or promontory.

What does the Kinghorn map show?

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