NameCensus.

UK surname

Kirkcaldy

In the 1881 census there were 174 people recorded with the Kirkcaldy surname, ranking it #14,042 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 177, ranked #21,230, down from #14,042 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leuchars, Cupar and Abdie. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Drumpellier and Langloan, Forest of Dean and West Pitkerro.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kirkcaldy is 265 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.7%.

1881 census count

174

Ranked #14,042

Modern count

177

2016, ranked #21,230

Peak year

1901

265 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kirkcaldy had 174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,042 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016, ranked #21,230.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 265 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Kirkcaldy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kirkcaldy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kirkcaldy 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 29 #28,082
1861 historical 102 #20,797
1881 historical 174 #14,042
1891 historical 183 #15,918
1901 historical 265 #12,652
1911 historical 14 #32,045
1997 modern 171 #19,438
1998 modern 176 #19,584
1999 modern 190 #18,797
2000 modern 187 #18,990
2001 modern 183 #18,980
2002 modern 191 #18,817
2003 modern 181 #19,277
2004 modern 184 #19,183
2005 modern 182 #19,259
2006 modern 180 #19,526
2007 modern 173 #20,243
2008 modern 174 #20,385
2009 modern 175 #20,707
2010 modern 175 #21,186
2011 modern 165 #21,829
2012 modern 171 #21,303
2013 modern 174 #21,401
2014 modern 169 #22,006
2015 modern 173 #21,542
2016 modern 177 #21,230

Geography

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Where Kirkcaldys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leuchars, Cupar, Abdie, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Drumpellier and Langloan, Forest of Dean, West Pitkerro, The Glens and Queensferry West. 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 Leuchars Fife
2 Cupar Fife
3 Abdie Fife
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Drumpellier and Langloan North Lanarkshire
2 Forest of Dean 010 Forest of Dean
3 West Pitkerro Dundee City
4 The Glens Dundee City
5 Queensferry West City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kirkcaldy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kirkcaldy

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Kirkcaldy is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kirkcaldy 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

Kirkcaldy 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 Kirkcaldy 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 - British

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

1881 census detail

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Kirkcaldy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kirkcaldy 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 85 Kirkcaldys recorded in 1881 and an index of 85.09x.

County Total Index
Fife 85 85.09x
Angus 25 15.99x
Midlothian 25 11.06x
Lanarkshire 20 3.66x
Roxburghshire 6 19.63x
Durham 5 1.00x
Perthshire 2 2.64x
Inverness-shire 1 1.98x
Kinross-shire 1 23.42x
Renfrewshire 1 0.76x
Stirlingshire 1 1.61x
Yorkshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 18 Kirkcaldys recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.84x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 18 30.84x
Old Monkland 14 64.64x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 11.00x
Leuchars 9 714.29x
Wemyss 9 212.77x
Forgan 8 418.85x
North Leith 8 76.48x
St Andrews 7 153.85x
Abdie 6 1052.63x
Barony 6 4.34x
Crail 6 588.24x
Liff Benvie 5 21.07x
Melrose 5 189.39x
Scoonie 5 231.48x
Whitburn 5 427.35x
Anstruther Easter 4 555.56x
Auchterderran 4 159.36x
Ceres 4 333.33x
Cupar 4 92.17x
Arngask 3 937.50x
Cameron 3 517.24x
Falkland 3 191.08x
South Leith 3 11.79x
Burntisland 2 71.68x
Edinburgh St Stephens 2 44.94x
Kennoway 2 219.78x
Perth East Church 2 28.01x
Arbroath 1 19.31x
Ardersier 1 82.64x
Collessie 1 86.96x
Duddingston 1 22.03x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 22.78x
Kelso 1 32.79x
Kemback 1 204.08x
Kettle 1 83.33x
Kilmany 1 270.27x
Kimberworth 1 10.78x
Kinghorn 1 47.17x
Montrose 1 10.56x
Newburgh 1 78.74x
Orwell 1 84.75x
Renfrew 1 23.15x
Stirling 1 12.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Florence 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 2
Thos. 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 Kirkcaldy households.

FAQ

Kirkcaldy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kirkcaldy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 174 people were recorded with the Kirkcaldy surname. That placed it at #14,042 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kirkcaldy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016. That gives Kirkcaldy a modern rank of #21,230.

What does the Kirkcaldy map show?

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