NameCensus.

UK surname

Kirkbride

A locational surname from any of various places named with the Old Norse elements kirkja 'church' and byr 'farm' or 'settlement'.

In the 1881 census there were 880 people recorded with the Kirkbride surname, ranking it #4,309 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,582, ranked #3,920, up from #4,309 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Bees, Windermere and Penrith. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Copeland and South Lakeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kirkbride is 1,601 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 79.8%.

1881 census count

880

Ranked #4,309

Modern count

1,582

2016, ranked #3,920

Peak year

2014

1,601 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kirkbride had 880 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,309 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,582 in 2016, ranked #3,920.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,366 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Kirkbride surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kirkbride surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Kirkbride 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 525 #4,777
1861 historical 634 #4,226
1881 historical 880 #4,309
1891 historical 1,026 #4,063
1901 historical 1,203 #4,095
1911 historical 1,366 #3,516
1997 modern 1,423 #4,087
1998 modern 1,524 #3,994
1999 modern 1,534 #4,002
2000 modern 1,546 #3,959
2001 modern 1,517 #3,944
2002 modern 1,538 #3,990
2003 modern 1,520 #3,953
2004 modern 1,498 #4,002
2005 modern 1,503 #3,955
2006 modern 1,515 #3,936
2007 modern 1,504 #3,990
2008 modern 1,492 #4,051
2009 modern 1,529 #4,046
2010 modern 1,557 #4,063
2011 modern 1,580 #3,954
2012 modern 1,525 #4,016
2013 modern 1,580 #3,955
2014 modern 1,601 #3,937
2015 modern 1,598 #3,906
2016 modern 1,582 #3,920

Geography

Back to top

Where Kirkbrides are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Bees, Windermere, Penrith, Dearham and Aysgarth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Copeland and South Lakeland. 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 St Bees Cumberland
2 Windermere Westmorland
3 Penrith Cumberland
4 Dearham Cumberland
5 Aysgarth Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 005 Allerdale
2 Copeland 005 Copeland
3 Allerdale 004 Allerdale
4 Allerdale 008 Allerdale
5 South Lakeland 008 South Lakeland

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Kirkbride

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Kirkbride

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Kirkbride surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Kirkbride household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Kirkbride is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kirkbride is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Kirkbride

The surname Kirkbride is of English origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Kirkbride, a small village in the Allerdale district of Cumbria, located near the Solway Firth. The name itself is a combination of the Old Norse words "kirkju" meaning church and "bry̆ggjur" meaning bridge or jetty, referring to a church by a bridge or causeway.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kirkbride can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Cumberland from 1212, where it appears as "Kyrkebrid." This suggests that the name was well-established in the region by the 13th century. The Kirkbride family held lands in Cumberland and Westmorland, and their name is associated with various manors and estates in these areas.

In the 14th century, Sir John de Kirkbride was a prominent figure who served as the High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1357. Another notable bearer of the name was Robert Kirkbride, who was appointed as the Bishop of Carlisle in 1521 and served until his death in 1528.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, the Kirkbrides were staunch Royalists, and several members of the family fought for King Charles I. Sir Ivers Kirkbride was a colonel in the Royalist army and was killed in action at the Battle of Edgehill in 1642.

In the 18th century, John Kirkbride (1723-1809) was a notable English Quaker and philanthropist who founded the Retreat, one of the earliest institutions for the humane treatment of the mentally ill, in York.

Another significant figure was Thomas Stedman Whitwell Kirkbride (1809-1883), an American physician and one of the founders of the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane (now the American Psychiatric Association). He was also the designer of the Kirkbride Plan, a system of mental asylum construction that was widely used in the United States in the 19th century.

While the name Kirkbride has its roots in Cumbria, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, as a result of migration and settlement patterns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Kirkbride families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kirkbride 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. Cumberland leads with 307 Kirkbrides recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.40x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 307 41.40x
Yorkshire 180 2.11x
Lancashire 138 1.35x
Durham 127 4.96x
Westmorland 78 41.20x
Surrey 9 0.21x
Cheshire 8 0.42x
Renfrewshire 7 1.05x
Kent 6 0.20x
Lanarkshire 5 0.18x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.34x
Middlesex 3 0.03x
Northumberland 2 0.16x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.19x
Buteshire 1 1.92x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.29x
Devon 1 0.06x
Essex 1 0.06x
Isle of Man 1 0.63x
Midlothian 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 0.97x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dearham in Cumberland leads with 50 Kirkbrides recorded in 1881 and an index of 511.25x.

Place Total Index
Dearham 50 511.25x
Crosscanonby 35 142.74x
Penrith 34 124.09x
Undermilbeck 30 480.77x
Liverpool 27 4.35x
Hawes 26 465.95x
Leeds 22 4.56x
St Cuthbert W O 20 55.33x
Rickergate 18 114.72x
Askham 17 1125.83x
Bishopwearmouth 17 7.73x
Westerton 16 1167.88x
Colton 15 281.43x
Bradford 13 6.29x
Arlecdon 12 60.85x
Preston Quarter 12 57.75x
Dalston Buckabank 11 733.33x
Darlington 11 11.12x
Hensingham 11 181.52x
Kirkdale 11 6.40x
Tallentire 11 1718.75x
Workington 11 25.91x
Bampton 10 625.00x
Bramley In Bramley 10 30.61x
Salford 10 3.33x
Willington 10 67.52x
Armley 9 23.90x
Askrigg 9 489.13x
Barton Upon Irwell 9 11.70x
Chester Le Street 9 45.73x
Wensley 9 947.37x
Arkholme With Cawood 8 909.09x
Burton In Lonsdale 8 432.43x
Cornforth 8 106.10x
Egremont 8 45.25x
Ravenstonedale 8 303.03x
Seaton 8 92.49x
Southwick 8 32.96x
St Mary Within 8 86.39x
Bainbridge 7 348.26x
Blennerhasset Kirkland 7 486.11x
Middlesbrough 7 6.30x
Moulton 7 843.37x
Shildon 7 34.00x
Thornton In Fylde 7 31.31x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 7.39x
East Greenock 6 9.52x
Framwellgate 6 39.53x
Monkwearmouth Shore 6 12.00x
Wolsingham 6 25.70x
Barton 5 328.95x
Bentham 5 76.92x
Cockermouth 5 32.03x
Crosby Garrett 5 757.58x
Dalton In Furness 5 12.67x
Hesket In Forest 5 86.36x
Knaresborough 5 37.29x
Lambeth 5 0.67x
Low Coniscliffe 5 1041.67x
Manchester 5 1.09x
Oldham 5 1.52x
South Shields 5 21.90x
Woolwich 5 4.61x
Burton Cum Walden 4 305.34x
Caldewgate 4 9.84x
Great Clifton 4 139.37x
Horton In Bradford 4 3.00x
St Giles 4 25.00x
Sutton 4 13.17x
Sutton In Macclesfield 4 20.27x
Ulverston 4 13.44x
West Derby 4 1.34x
Whitehaven 4 10.12x
Basford 3 5.61x
Glasgow 3 0.61x
Hulme 3 1.41x
Hutton In Forest 3 416.67x
Ilkley 3 21.51x
Lea Ashton Ingol 3 44.25x
Toxteth Park 3 0.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 73
Elizabeth 45
Margaret 43
Jane 36
Sarah 33
Hannah 17
Annie 15
Ann 13
Isabella 12
Agnes 10
Ellen 10
Alice 7
Elizth. 7
Esther 6
Edith 5
Eleanor 5
Eliza 5
Fanny 5
Martha 5
Ada 4
Betsy 4
Betty 4
Catherine 4
Emma 4
Emily 3
Frances 3
Harriett 3
Jessie 3
Anne 2
Cathrine 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Harriet 2
Isabel 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Lizzie 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Sara 2
Blanch 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Cary 1
E. 1
Ella 1
Henrietta 1
Janet 1
Janey 1
Whilomina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 73
John 63
Thomas 43
James 33
Joseph 33
George 25
Robert 16
Alexander 11
Henry 9
Edward 7
Richard 7
Charles 6
Thos. 6
Isaac 5
Arthur 3
Barnard 3
Bernard 3
Daniel 3
David 3
Jas. 3
Tom 3
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Hugh 2
Mathew 2
Miles 2
Willm. 2
Andw. 1
Anthony 1
Dan 1
Ephraim 1
Fargus 1
Frank 1
Gilbert 1
H.R.W. 1
Harry 1
Hobson 1
Jno. 1
Joe 1
Jonas 1
Jonathan 1
Jos. 1
Marmaduke 1
Mounsey 1
North 1
Peter 1
Robinson 1
Wlm 1

FAQ

Kirkbride surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kirkbride surname in 1881?

In 1881, 880 people were recorded with the Kirkbride surname. That placed it at #4,309 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kirkbride surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,582 in 2016. That gives Kirkbride a modern rank of #3,920.

What does the Kirkbride surname mean?

A locational surname from any of various places named with the Old Norse elements kirkja 'church' and byr 'farm' or 'settlement'.

What does the Kirkbride map show?

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