NameCensus.

UK surname

Kinnell

A Scottish surname referring to a remote valley or steep-sided glen.

In the 1881 census there were 242 people recorded with the Kinnell surname, ranking it #11,333 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 332, ranked #13,706, down from #11,333 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to KInghorn, Auchtertool and Beath. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lochgelly East, Cowdenbeath North and Lochgelly West and Lumphinnans.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kinnell is 340 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.2%.

1881 census count

242

Ranked #11,333

Modern count

332

2016, ranked #13,706

Peak year

2010

340 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kinnell had 242 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,333 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 332 in 2016, ranked #13,706.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 296 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Kinnell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kinnell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kinnell 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 141 #13,507
1861 historical 144 #15,817
1881 historical 242 #11,333
1891 historical 286 #11,497
1901 historical 296 #11,749
1911 historical 84 #24,442
1997 modern 307 #13,328
1998 modern 322 #13,248
1999 modern 329 #13,147
2000 modern 331 #13,045
2001 modern 319 #13,168
2002 modern 319 #13,448
2003 modern 310 #13,522
2004 modern 311 #13,549
2005 modern 315 #13,375
2006 modern 324 #13,183
2007 modern 329 #13,168
2008 modern 325 #13,406
2009 modern 330 #13,513
2010 modern 340 #13,498
2011 modern 335 #13,528
2012 modern 320 #13,868
2013 modern 322 #14,037
2014 modern 331 #13,851
2015 modern 330 #13,774
2016 modern 332 #13,706

Geography

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Where Kinnells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around KInghorn, Auchtertool, Beath, Edinburgh and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lochgelly East, Cowdenbeath North, Lochgelly West and Lumphinnans, Cowdenbeath South and Meadowbank and Abbeyhill North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 KInghorn Fife
2 Auchtertool Fife
3 Beath Fife
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lochgelly East Fife
2 Cowdenbeath North Fife
3 Lochgelly West and Lumphinnans Fife
4 Cowdenbeath South Fife
5 Meadowbank and Abbeyhill North City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kinnell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kinnell

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Kinnell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Kinnell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Kinnell is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kinnell is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kinnell 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 Kinnell 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 Kinnell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kinnell

The surname KINNELL is of Scottish origin, deriving from a place name in East Lothian, Scotland. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the records of the county of East Lothian dating back to the 12th century, where it appears as "Kynnel".

The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "cyn" meaning royal or kin, and "heal" meaning a hall or dwelling, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to a royal or noble dwelling place. The place name Kinnell is thought to have been derived from this combination of words.

In the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document recording the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England, there is a mention of a "Willelmus de Kynnel", which is one of the earliest known references to the surname in written records.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any references to the name KINNELL, as it was primarily focused on English landowners and did not cover Scottish territories.

One notable bearer of the surname KINNELL was Sir John Kinnell (1533-1598), a Scottish nobleman and landowner who served as a member of the Privy Council of Scotland during the reign of King James VI.

Another historical figure with this surname was Robert Kinnell (1675-1743), a Scottish minister and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Christian's Daily Walk" and "The Spiritual Warfare".

In the 18th century, a family of Kinnells were prominent landowners in the county of Fife, Scotland. One member of this family, James Kinnell (1723-1797), served as the Provost (mayor) of the town of Cupar in Fife.

A more recent bearer of the name was Galway Kinnell (1927-2014), an American poet and writer who won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1983 for his book "Selected Poems". Although his name is spelled slightly differently, it is believed to be derived from the same Scottish origins.

Throughout history, the surname KINNELL has been associated with various places and families in Scotland, particularly in the regions of East Lothian, Fife, and the Scottish Borders, where it has been prevalent for centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kinnell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kinnell 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. Fife leads with 136 Kinnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 98.14x.

County Total Index
Fife 136 98.14x
Midlothian 14 4.46x
Middlesex 13 0.56x
Suffolk 12 4.21x
Durham 9 1.29x
Renfrewshire 8 4.41x
Perthshire 7 6.66x
Wigtownshire 7 22.52x
Angus 6 2.77x
Kent 5 0.63x
Surrey 5 0.44x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 11.80x
Lanarkshire 4 0.53x
Dumfriesshire 3 5.80x
Norfolk 3 0.83x
Oxfordshire 2 1.38x
Berwickshire 1 3.53x
Peeblesshire 1 9.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burntisland in Fife leads with 38 Kinnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 981.91x.

Place Total Index
Burntisland 38 981.91x
Beath 16 365.30x
Auchtertool 14 2456.14x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 12 452.83x
Kinghorn 12 408.16x
Hackney London 11 8.38x
Auchterderran 9 258.62x
Kilmany 9 1764.71x
Monkwearmouth Shore 9 66.23x
South Leith 9 25.50x
Dunfermline 8 37.54x
West Greenock 8 24.57x
Kirkcaldy 7 101.89x
Mochrum 7 376.34x
Ballingry 6 705.88x
Dundee 6 7.41x
Scoonie 6 200.00x
Foots Cray 5 326.80x
Dysart 4 42.87x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 3.17x
Methven 4 259.74x
Parton 4 701.75x
Aberdour 3 214.29x
Govan 3 1.60x
Heigham 3 15.53x
Inverkeithing 3 143.54x
Morton 3 174.42x
Southwark St Saviour 3 24.94x
Kensington London 2 1.54x
Logie 2 53.05x
Neithrop 2 41.15x
Barony 1 0.52x
Battersea 1 1.16x
Bermondsey 1 1.43x
Cramond 1 42.02x
Fowlis Wester 1 111.11x
Lauder 1 63.69x
Newburn 1 357.14x
Peebles 1 30.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Fanny 2
Isabella 2
Mary 2
Alice 1
Eleanor 1
Elizabeth 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Jane 1
Janet 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Margt. 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Kinnell households.

FAQ

Kinnell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kinnell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 242 people were recorded with the Kinnell surname. That placed it at #11,333 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kinnell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 332 in 2016. That gives Kinnell a modern rank of #13,706.

What does the Kinnell surname mean?

A Scottish surname referring to a remote valley or steep-sided glen.

What does the Kinnell map show?

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