NameCensus.

UK surname

Kinross

A locational surname derived from the town of Kinross in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 172 people recorded with the Kinross surname, ranking it #14,163 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 166, ranked #22,140, down from #14,163 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gateshead, Dunblane and Lecropt and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ09, Cowie and Chichester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kinross is 182 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.5%.

1881 census count

172

Ranked #14,163

Modern count

166

2016, ranked #22,140

Peak year

2004

182 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kinross had 172 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,163 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 166 in 2016, ranked #22,140.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 178 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kinross surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kinross surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kinross 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 162 #12,215
1861 historical 124 #17,797
1881 historical 172 #14,163
1891 historical 178 #16,264
1901 historical 159 #17,442
1911 historical 70 #25,853
1997 modern 170 #19,505
1998 modern 178 #19,452
1999 modern 181 #19,380
2000 modern 171 #20,044
2001 modern 169 #19,912
2002 modern 168 #20,396
2003 modern 175 #19,690
2004 modern 182 #19,306
2005 modern 178 #19,535
2006 modern 178 #19,666
2007 modern 179 #19,811
2008 modern 179 #20,015
2009 modern 178 #20,486
2010 modern 176 #21,101
2011 modern 168 #21,563
2012 modern 167 #21,598
2013 modern 169 #21,826
2014 modern 170 #21,914
2015 modern 166 #22,159
2016 modern 166 #22,140

Geography

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Where Kinross' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gateshead, Dunblane and Lecropt, Edinburgh, Tillicoultry and Dalton-le-Dale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ09, Cowie, Chichester, Windsor and Maidenhead and Sunderland. 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 Gateshead Durham
2 Dunblane and Lecropt Perth
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Tillicoultry Clackmannan
5 Dalton-le-Dale Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ09 East Lothian
2 Cowie Stirling
3 Chichester 013 Chichester
4 Windsor and Maidenhead 010 Windsor and Maidenhead
5 Sunderland 017 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kinross

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kinross

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kinross, 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 Kinross surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Kinross 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

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Kinross 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

Kinross is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Kinross

The surname Kinross originated in Scotland, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the town of Kinross, located in the council area of Perth and Kinross. The name Kinross itself comes from the Gaelic "Ceann Rois," which means "head of the peninsula."

Kinross was a significant town in medieval Scotland, and the name appears in various historical records and documents. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Kinross can be found in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, dated 1292, where a person named John de Kinross is mentioned.

During the 16th century, the Kinross family played a prominent role in the Scottish Reformation. James Kinross (c. 1515-1574) was a notable Protestant reformer and preacher who served as the minister of the parish of Kinross. He was actively involved in the establishment of Protestantism in Scotland.

Another notable figure bearing the Kinross surname was Sir James Kinross (1730-1809), a Scottish merchant and diplomat. He served as the British Consul-General in Morocco and played a crucial role in facilitating trade relations between Britain and the Moroccan Empire.

In the literary world, John Kinross (1904-1976) was a renowned British author and historian, best known for his works on the Ottoman Empire, including "The Ottoman Centuries: The Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire" (1977).

The Kinross surname has also been associated with notable figures in the fields of science and technology. Sir John Kinross (1805-1867) was a Scottish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early telegraphy systems.

Throughout history, various spellings and variations of the Kinross surname have been recorded, such as Kynros, Kynross, and Kinrose, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects. Additionally, the name has been linked to several place names, including Kinross-shire, a historic county in Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kinross families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kinross 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. Perthshire leads with 41 Kinross' recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.77x.

County Total Index
Perthshire 41 54.77x
Midlothian 29 12.98x
Durham 24 4.84x
Stirlingshire 18 29.26x
Clackmannanshire 14 101.67x
Northumberland 10 4.03x
Kincardineshire 9 44.31x
Lanarkshire 7 1.30x
Lancashire 7 0.35x
Renfrewshire 4 3.09x
Angus 2 1.29x
Ayrshire 2 1.60x
Fife 2 2.03x
Peeblesshire 1 12.76x
Surrey 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ardoch in Perthshire leads with 17 Kinross' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2698.41x.

Place Total Index
Ardoch 17 2698.41x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 12 55.84x
Tillicoultry 12 392.16x
Dunblane 10 558.66x
Stirling 10 128.87x
Dalkeith 9 204.08x
Lecropt 9 2571.43x
Fordoun 8 701.75x
Lasswade 8 156.56x
Penshaw 7 469.80x
Berwick Upon Tweed 6 114.07x
Toxteth Park 6 8.95x
Dawdon 5 81.97x
Penicuik 5 164.47x
St Ninians 4 65.57x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 3.34x
Elswick 3 15.14x
Glasgow 3 3.13x
Logie 3 111.52x
Abbey 2 10.14x
Alloa 2 29.94x
Barony 2 1.47x
Collessie 2 175.44x
Dundee 2 3.47x
Edinburgh St Georges 2 43.10x
Govan 2 1.50x
Kincardine 2 259.74x
Alva 1 34.13x
Ayr 1 16.98x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 3.18x
Clapham 1 4.80x
Currie 1 72.99x
Denny 1 30.58x
Falkirk 1 6.94x
Innerleithen 1 48.08x
Inverkip 1 32.79x
Larbert 1 27.17x
Largs 1 34.01x
Laurencekirk 1 84.75x
Liberton 1 28.99x
Paisley Low Church 1 24.45x
Westgate 1 6.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Isabella 3
Eleanor 2
Alice 1
Annabella 1
Betsy 1
Elisabeth 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Frances 1
Jane 1
Janet 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Margt. 1
Margt.S. 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Andrew 3
John 3
Alexander 2
Henry 2
Robert 2
James 1
Jno. 1
Peter 1
Thomas 1
Thompson 1
William 1
Wm. 1

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 Kinross households.

FAQ

Kinross surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kinross surname in 1881?

In 1881, 172 people were recorded with the Kinross surname. That placed it at #14,163 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kinross surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 166 in 2016. That gives Kinross a modern rank of #22,140.

What does the Kinross surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the town of Kinross in Scotland.

What does the Kinross map show?

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