NameCensus.

UK surname

Kinsley

From the Old English "cyneslēag," referring to a king's wood or royal forest.

In the 1881 census there were 324 people recorded with the Kinsley surname, ranking it #9,214 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 528, ranked #9,603, down from #9,214 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, Bottesford and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, North Norfolk and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kinsley is 561 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 63.0%.

1881 census count

324

Ranked #9,214

Modern count

528

2016, ranked #9,603

Peak year

2002

561 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kinsley had 324 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,214 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 528 in 2016, ranked #9,603.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 371 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Kinsley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kinsley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kinsley 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 196 #10,573
1861 historical 307 #8,262
1881 historical 324 #9,214
1891 historical 317 #10,611
1901 historical 303 #11,569
1911 historical 371 #9,830
1997 modern 558 #8,562
1998 modern 552 #8,909
1999 modern 541 #9,092
2000 modern 558 #8,841
2001 modern 533 #9,013
2002 modern 561 #8,845
2003 modern 546 #8,884
2004 modern 535 #9,041
2005 modern 528 #9,081
2006 modern 538 #8,969
2007 modern 528 #9,174
2008 modern 524 #9,299
2009 modern 532 #9,402
2010 modern 540 #9,491
2011 modern 538 #9,444
2012 modern 508 #9,748
2013 modern 534 #9,564
2014 modern 530 #9,669
2015 modern 519 #9,753
2016 modern 528 #9,603

Geography

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Where Kinsleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, Bottesford, Liverpool, Edgefield and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, North Norfolk and Kingston upon Hull. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Bottesford Lincolnshire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Edgefield Norfolk
5 West Derby Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 024 Wigan
2 North Norfolk 006 North Norfolk
3 Kingston upon Hull 003 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Kingston upon Hull 008 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 North Norfolk 008 North Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kinsley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kinsley

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Kinsley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kinsley is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Kinsley

The surname Kinsley is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "cyning" meaning king and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, possibly as early as the 11th century, in the county of Yorkshire, England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Kyngesleye," referring to a settlement or manor belonging to the king. This suggests that the name may have been initially used to denote a place associated with royalty or the Crown.

During the Middle Ages, the name Kinsley was primarily concentrated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is likely that the name was initially adopted by families residing in or near a location known as "Kinsley" or a variation thereof.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Kinsley include John Kinsley (c. 1500-1568), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Ripon in Yorkshire during the reign of Queen Mary I. Another early bearer of the name was William Kinsley (c. 1580-1645), a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of York.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records and historical documents, often associated with the villages and towns of Yorkshire. For example, the Kinsley family was recorded as residing in the village of Burnsall in the West Riding of Yorkshire during this period.

Moving into the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Kinsley began to spread across England and even to other parts of the British Isles. One notable figure from this era was Sir John Kinsley (1776-1854), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the Napoleonic Wars and was later appointed as the Governor of the Bahamas.

Another individual of note was Mary Kinsley (1829-1902), a British writer and social reformer who was actively involved in the women's suffrage movement and campaigned for greater educational opportunities for women.

As the centuries progressed, the Kinsley surname continued to be represented across various fields, including literature, academia, and the arts. For instance, James Kinsley (1906-1995) was a renowned English scholar and literary critic, best known for his extensive work on the poetry of John Donne.

While the surname Kinsley is not among the most common in English-speaking countries today, it has a rich history and heritage that spans several centuries, with its origins rooted in the landscapes and cultural traditions of medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kinsley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kinsley 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. Lancashire leads with 83 Kinsleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.21x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 83 2.21x
Yorkshire 69 2.20x
Middlesex 45 1.42x
Lincolnshire 22 4.34x
Norfolk 14 2.87x
Durham 13 1.38x
Caernarfonshire 11 8.58x
Staffordshire 11 1.03x
Cambridgeshire 8 3.98x
Surrey 8 0.52x
Lanarkshire 7 0.68x
Midlothian 6 1.41x
Cheshire 5 0.71x
Monmouthshire 5 2.18x
Warwickshire 5 0.63x
Kent 4 0.37x
Angus 3 1.02x
Inverness-shire 2 2.11x
Northumberland 1 0.21x
Royal Navy 1 2.65x
Sussex 1 0.19x
Worcestershire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edgefield in Norfolk leads with 14 Kinsleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2692.31x.

Place Total Index
Edgefield 14 2692.31x
Holy Trinity 14 18.53x
Islington London 14 4.56x
Llanbeblig 11 84.55x
St Anne Soho London 11 60.77x
Salford 10 9.04x
Everton 9 7.51x
Chatteris 8 156.25x
Kirkdale 8 12.64x
Windle 8 37.79x
Ashby 7 440.25x
Bothwell 7 25.18x
Ellerton Priory 7 2258.06x
Oldham 7 5.77x
Scunthorpe 7 307.02x
Armley 6 43.29x
Barnsley 6 18.52x
Beswick 6 62.37x
Brotton 6 146.34x
Broughton In Salford 6 17.44x
Gateshead 6 8.50x
Ince In Makerfield 6 34.29x
Sculcoates 6 12.05x
Stranton 6 18.90x
West Derby 6 5.45x
Wolverhampton 6 7.29x
Bedwellty 5 12.36x
Borthwick 5 263.16x
Cadney 5 1020.41x
Great Langton 5 3571.43x
Liverpool 5 2.19x
South Mimms 5 114.94x
Birmingham 4 1.50x
Leeds 4 2.25x
Ratcliffe London 4 22.84x
St Pancras London 4 1.57x
Tooting Graveney 4 93.02x
Toxteth Park 4 3.14x
Batley 3 10.05x
Dundee 3 2.74x
Ealing 3 10.59x
South Cowton 3 2500.00x
West Bromwich 3 4.90x
Wressell 3 731.71x
Battersea 2 1.71x
Blackburn 2 2.00x
Coulsdon 2 71.17x
Doncaster 2 8.71x
Halewood 2 99.01x
Inverness 2 8.40x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 2 24.84x
Stockport 2 5.55x
Waddingham 2 256.41x
Walsall Foreign 2 3.62x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 3.53x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.24x
Brabourne 1 123.46x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.67x
Cropthorne 1 129.87x
Dartford 1 9.04x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.59x
Greenwich 1 1.98x
Hackney London 1 0.56x
Hailsham 1 30.96x
Holy Trinity St Mary 1 20.92x
Hythe St Leonard 1 26.18x
Manchester 1 0.59x
North Shields 1 10.63x
Pannal 1 33.22x
Prestwich 1 10.66x
Royal Navy 1 3.10x
Scotton 1 344.83x
Snitterfield 1 113.64x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.79x
St Marylebone London 1 0.59x
Wallasey 1 42.02x
Westminster St James 1 3.07x
Wheatley 1 92.59x
York Marygate St Olave 1 82.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 10
Ellen 8
Eliza 7
Sarah 7
Hannah 6
Margaret 6
Alice 4
Annie 4
Charlotte 4
Emma 4
Martha 4
Ada 3
Ann 3
Edith 3
Emily 3
Frances 3
Julia 3
Flora 2
Harriett 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Lilley 2
Angelina 1
Anglina 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Daisy 1
Dinah 1
Elizth. 1
Ester 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Helena 1
Hermon 1
Jemima 1
Johanna 1
Katherine 1
Leah 1
Lena 1
Levinia 1
Lida 1
Loyyel 1
Lucy 1
Margareat 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 22
William 14
Joseph 13
James 12
Thomas 11
Edward 6
Peter 6
Albert 4
Arthur 4
Charles 4
George 4
Alfred 3
Frederick 3
Henry 3
Herbert 3
Michael 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Daniel 2
David 2
Frank 2
Isaac 2
Patrick 2
Robert 2
Wm. 2
Alexander 1
Alonzo 1
Denis 1
Edwin 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Gershon 1
Harry 1
Infant 1
Jasper 1
Martin 1
Michl. 1
Nelson 1
Noah 1
Richard 1
Saml. 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Vane 1
Wiliam 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Kinsley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kinsley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 324 people were recorded with the Kinsley surname. That placed it at #9,214 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kinsley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 528 in 2016. That gives Kinsley a modern rank of #9,603.

What does the Kinsley surname mean?

From the Old English "cyneslēag," referring to a king's wood or royal forest.

What does the Kinsley map show?

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