NameCensus.

UK surname

Kingsmill

A habitational surname referring to an area or locality named after a mill estate owned by a king.

In the 1881 census there were 160 people recorded with the Kingsmill surname, ranking it #14,860 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 165, ranked #22,234, down from #14,860 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and Chilham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, East Cambridgeshire and Maidstone.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kingsmill is 208 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.1%.

1881 census count

160

Ranked #14,860

Modern count

165

2016, ranked #22,234

Peak year

1901

208 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kingsmill had 160 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,860 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 165 in 2016, ranked #22,234.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 208 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kingsmill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kingsmill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kingsmill 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 128 #14,474
1861 historical 135 #16,651
1881 historical 160 #14,860
1891 historical 182 #15,983
1901 historical 208 #14,760
1911 historical 199 #15,016
1997 modern 172 #19,371
1998 modern 187 #18,857
1999 modern 187 #18,999
2000 modern 185 #19,118
2001 modern 177 #19,357
2002 modern 173 #20,043
2003 modern 178 #19,489
2004 modern 177 #19,662
2005 modern 167 #20,296
2006 modern 168 #20,368
2007 modern 165 #20,893
2008 modern 167 #20,901
2009 modern 175 #20,707
2010 modern 182 #20,662
2011 modern 176 #20,957
2012 modern 176 #20,915
2013 modern 177 #21,170
2014 modern 174 #21,561
2015 modern 168 #21,971
2016 modern 165 #22,234

Geography

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Where Kingsmills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Chilham, Hawkinge, Folkestone and Stelling and Elmsted. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, East Cambridgeshire, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
3 Chilham Kent
4 Hawkinge, Folkestone Kent
5 Stelling and Elmsted Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 009 Kensington and Chelsea
2 East Cambridgeshire 009 East Cambridgeshire
3 Maidstone 015 Maidstone
4 Maidstone 017 Maidstone
5 Tunbridge Wells 011 Tunbridge Wells

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kingsmill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kingsmill

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Kingsmill is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kingsmill 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

Kingsmill falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kingsmill

The surname Kingsmill originated in England, emerging during the medieval period. It derives from the Old English words "cyning" (king) and "myln" (mill), indicating that the name's earliest bearers were associated with a mill owned by or serving the king. The name is also linked to various place names containing these elements, such as King's Mill in Nottinghamshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as "Kyngesmulle." This suggests the name was already well-established by the 13th century.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not directly mention the Kingsmill surname, but it does reference several places with similar toponymic origins, such as "Regis Molendinum" (King's Mill) in Hertfordshire.

During the 14th century, the name was found in various forms, including "Kyngesmyll," "Kyngesmulle," and "Kyngesmylne." This diversity in spelling reflects the fluid nature of surname development during that period.

Notable individuals with the Kingsmill surname include:

1. Sir Thomas Kingsmill (c. 1470-1534), an English judge and Lord Chief Justice of England under Henry VIII. 2. Andrew Kingsmill (c. 1537-1569), an English courtier and Member of Parliament during the reign of Elizabeth I. 3. George Kingsmill (1765-1804), an English naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. 4. Mary Kingsmill (1855-1936), an English writer and advocate for women's rights, known for her works on social and political issues. 5. Thomas William Kingsmill (1861-1945), a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada.

While the Kingsmill surname has been relatively uncommon throughout history, it has left a notable imprint in various fields, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of its bearers over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kingsmill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kingsmill 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. Kent leads with 106 Kingsmills recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.91x.

County Total Index
Kent 106 19.91x
Middlesex 11 0.70x
Surrey 10 1.32x
Worcestershire 8 3.93x
Norfolk 7 2.92x
Hampshire 6 1.88x
Inverness-shire 3 6.44x
Devon 2 0.62x
Lancashire 2 0.11x
Sussex 2 0.76x
Somerset 1 0.40x
Staffordshire 1 0.19x
Yorkshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chilham in Kent leads with 22 Kingsmills recorded in 1881 and an index of 2894.74x.

Place Total Index
Chilham 22 2894.74x
Hougham 14 441.64x
Brabourne 9 2250.00x
Bredicot 8 20000.00x
Lambeth 8 5.88x
Lympne 8 2666.67x
Clerkenwell London 7 19.00x
Elham 7 1093.75x
Folkestone 7 67.76x
Lyminge 7 1521.74x
Elmsted 5 2173.91x
Hackington St Stephen 4 1176.47x
Norwich St Michael At 4 287.77x
Ospringe 4 606.06x
Sidmonton 4 4000.00x
Dover St James 3 128.76x
Norwich St Clement 3 107.91x
Snizort 3 258.62x
Ashford 2 38.54x
Hammersmith London 2 5.20x
Kingskerswell 2 370.37x
Selling 2 454.55x
Streatham 2 17.27x
Acton 1 10.93x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 7.17x
Bilbrough 1 909.09x
Bridge 1 217.39x
Brighton 1 1.88x
Burham 1 135.14x
Capel Le Ferne 1 1000.00x
Chatham 1 6.83x
Darenth 1 121.95x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 19.42x
Great Chart 1 250.00x
Handsworth 1 7.70x
Ightham 1 149.25x
Langport 1 833.33x
Meopham 1 151.52x
North Meols 1 5.52x
Paddington London 1 1.74x
Portsmouth 1 13.57x
Rochester St Margaret 1 17.83x
Rottingdean 1 111.11x
Smeeth 1 303.03x
St Faith Winchester 1 67.11x
St Peters 1 40.65x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
William 9
James 5
Thomas 5
Charles 4
Comfort 4
George 4
Richard 4
Frederick 3
Joseph 3
Henry 2
Reuben 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Caleb 1
Daniel 1
David 1
E. 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Jabez 1
Jesse 1
Peter 1
Richd. 1
Silas 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Silas 1

FAQ

Kingsmill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kingsmill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 160 people were recorded with the Kingsmill surname. That placed it at #14,860 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kingsmill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 165 in 2016. That gives Kingsmill a modern rank of #22,234.

What does the Kingsmill surname mean?

A habitational surname referring to an area or locality named after a mill estate owned by a king.

What does the Kingsmill map show?

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