NameCensus.

UK surname

Kinney

Derived from the Gaelic "O Cionnaith," meaning "descendant of Cionnaith," a personal name composed of the elements "cion" (respect) and "aeth" (fire).

In the 1881 census there were 249 people recorded with the Kinney surname, ranking it #11,103 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 476, ranked #10,360, up from #11,103 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Port Glasgow, New Monkland and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sefton, Whitfield and Erewash.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kinney is 481 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 91.2%.

1881 census count

249

Ranked #11,103

Modern count

476

2016, ranked #10,360

Peak year

2010

481 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kinney had 249 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,103 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 476 in 2016, ranked #10,360.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 249 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Kinney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kinney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kinney 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 102 #16,933
1861 historical 203 #11,865
1881 historical 249 #11,103
1891 historical 201 #14,866
1901 historical 174 #16,520
1911 historical 87 #24,147
1997 modern 392 #11,178
1998 modern 397 #11,400
1999 modern 407 #11,305
2000 modern 403 #11,333
2001 modern 393 #11,366
2002 modern 395 #11,542
2003 modern 397 #11,316
2004 modern 388 #11,539
2005 modern 382 #11,591
2006 modern 397 #11,317
2007 modern 399 #11,396
2008 modern 413 #11,185
2009 modern 436 #10,965
2010 modern 481 #10,332
2011 modern 441 #10,958
2012 modern 453 #10,598
2013 modern 463 #10,602
2014 modern 470 #10,557
2015 modern 466 #10,552
2016 modern 476 #10,360

Geography

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Where Kinneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Port Glasgow, New Monkland, Govan Combination, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sefton, Whitfield, Erewash, Hillhead and Ribble Valley. 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 Port Glasgow Renfrew
2 New Monkland Lanark
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sefton 038 Sefton
2 Whitfield Dundee City
3 Erewash 008 Erewash
4 Hillhead East Dunbartonshire
5 Ribble Valley 007 Ribble Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kinney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kinney

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Kinney is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Kinney is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kinney 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 Kinney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Kinney

The surname Kinney is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic word "cionaodha," meaning "ancient" or "old." It is believed to have first emerged in the 14th century in County Galway, Ireland.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the 17th century by Irish Franciscan monks. The name appears as "Cionaodha" and is associated with various families in the western regions of Ireland.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing this surname was Diarmaid Cionaodha, a chieftain from County Galway who lived in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in several historical records for his involvement in local conflicts and battles.

Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Kinney, Kenney, Kenny, and Kinnie. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the phonetic interpretation of the original Gaelic name.

In the 16th century, the surname Kinney began to appear in English records, particularly in the areas of County Galway and County Mayo. This coincided with the gradual Anglicization of Irish names during the Tudor period.

One notable figure from this period was Eoghan Kinney, a poet and scholar born in County Mayo around 1550. His works, written in both Irish and Latin, were highly regarded and contributed to the preservation of Irish literary traditions.

In the 17th century, the surname spread to other parts of Ireland and beyond, as individuals bearing the name migrated or were displaced due to political and economic factors. Some notable individuals from this era include Fergus Kinney, a soldier who fought in the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the 1650s, and Seán Kinney, a Catholic priest and writer born in County Galway in 1670.

As the name Kinney became more widespread, it was also associated with various place names, such as Kinney Lough in County Mayo and Kinney's Cross in County Westmeath. These names likely originated from individuals or families bearing the surname who resided in or owned land in those areas.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Kinney surname continued to be prominent, particularly in Ireland, but also in other parts of the world due to Irish emigration. Notable individuals from this period include Robert Kinney (1774-1843), an Irish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars, and John Kinney (1803-1875), an Irish-American politician and businessman who played a significant role in the development of New York City.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kinney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kinney 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 83 Kinneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.78x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 83 10.78x
Lancashire 50 1.77x
Middlesex 38 1.60x
Ayrshire 15 8.42x
Renfrewshire 14 7.59x
Cumberland 12 5.86x
Durham 8 1.13x
Yorkshire 6 0.25x
Northumberland 3 0.85x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.94x
Flintshire 2 3.13x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.45x
Angus 1 0.45x
Devon 1 0.20x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.56x
Hampshire 1 0.21x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 2.90x
Midlothian 1 0.31x
Monmouthshire 1 0.58x
Oxfordshire 1 0.68x
Warwickshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Old Monkland in Lanarkshire leads with 27 Kinneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 88.38x.

Place Total Index
Old Monkland 27 88.38x
Barony 17 8.73x
Liverpool 13 7.58x
Port Glasgow 12 134.53x
Glasgow 11 8.05x
Govan 11 5.78x
St Pancras London 10 5.22x
Windle 10 62.93x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 40.12x
Kensington London 9 6.80x
Bromley London 7 13.37x
Cadder 7 123.24x
Kilmaurs 7 231.02x
Everton 6 6.67x
Poplar London 6 13.36x
Cleator 5 58.62x
Cockermouth 5 116.01x
Dalserf 5 65.10x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 16.30x
Ince In Makerfield 4 30.44x
Kilmarnock 4 18.87x
Kilwinning 4 69.57x
New Monkland 4 17.58x
Paddington London 4 4.57x
Nottingham St Mary 3 3.62x
Tynemouth 3 15.82x
Winksley 3 3000.00x
Dalton In Furness 2 18.35x
East Greenock 2 11.48x
Normanby In 2 31.75x
Salford 2 2.41x
Westoe 2 4.98x
Wetheral 2 73.80x
Bedwellty 1 3.29x
Chorley 1 6.31x
Dartmouth St Saviour 1 70.42x
Dundee 1 1.21x
Eccleston In Prescot 1 7.05x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.78x
Enfield 1 6.40x
Escomb 1 30.77x
Kinning Park 1 909.09x
Kirkdale 1 2.10x
Milverton 1 56.82x
Mold Leeswood 1 68.97x
Old Kilpatrick 1 13.23x
Oxford St Michael 1 163.93x
Pemberton 1 8.88x
Pitsligo 1 47.39x
Reedness 1 250.00x
Rhuddlan 1 17.76x
Southampton St Mary 1 3.26x
St Marylebone London 1 0.79x
Urr 1 22.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Margaret 6
Elizabeth 5
Ann 3
Annie 3
Sarah 3
Adelaide 2
Catherine 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
(Mrs) 1
Amy 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
E. 1
Elizebh 1
Ellen 1
Evelina 1
Hellenor 1
Katherine 1
Lilla 1
Louisa 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
Michael 6
James 5
Edward 4
Joseph 4
Patrick 4
Thomas 4
George 3
William 3
Arthur 2
Henry 2
Martin 2
Samuel 2
W.H. 2
Alfred 1
Bernard 1
David 1
Felix 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
Job 1
Meredith 1
Pat 1
Peter 1
Saml. 1
Thos. 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Kinney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kinney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 249 people were recorded with the Kinney surname. That placed it at #11,103 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kinney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 476 in 2016. That gives Kinney a modern rank of #10,360.

What does the Kinney surname mean?

Derived from the Gaelic "O Cionnaith," meaning "descendant of Cionnaith," a personal name composed of the elements "cion" (respect) and "aeth" (fire).

What does the Kinney map show?

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