NameCensus.

UK surname

Kirkman

A Scottish and English locational surname denoting someone from a place with a church.

In the 1881 census there were 1,914 people recorded with the Kirkman surname, ranking it #2,277 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,631, ranked #3,815, down from #2,277 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Radcliffe, Manchester and Bolton-le-Moors. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton and East Staffordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kirkman is 2,515 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.8%.

1881 census count

1,914

Ranked #2,277

Modern count

1,631

2016, ranked #3,815

Peak year

1911

2,515 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kirkman had 1,914 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,277 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,631 in 2016, ranked #3,815.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,515 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kirkman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kirkman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kirkman 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 1,259 #2,265
1861 historical 1,264 #2,258
1881 historical 1,914 #2,277
1891 historical 2,027 #2,278
1901 historical 2,310 #2,356
1911 historical 2,515 #2,040
1997 modern 1,721 #3,463
1998 modern 1,749 #3,550
1999 modern 1,756 #3,559
2000 modern 1,723 #3,598
2001 modern 1,732 #3,512
2002 modern 1,751 #3,559
2003 modern 1,706 #3,568
2004 modern 1,684 #3,611
2005 modern 1,656 #3,623
2006 modern 1,691 #3,566
2007 modern 1,695 #3,577
2008 modern 1,690 #3,618
2009 modern 1,745 #3,590
2010 modern 1,784 #3,595
2011 modern 1,708 #3,683
2012 modern 1,674 #3,697
2013 modern 1,676 #3,747
2014 modern 1,664 #3,800
2015 modern 1,630 #3,830
2016 modern 1,631 #3,815

Geography

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Where Kirkmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Radcliffe, Manchester, Bolton-le-Moors, Middleton and Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton and East Staffordshire. 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 Radcliffe Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
4 Middleton Lancashire
5 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 031 Bolton
2 Bolton 028 Bolton
3 East Staffordshire 001 East Staffordshire
4 Bolton 008 Bolton
5 Bolton 011 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kirkman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kirkman

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kirkman is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kirkman 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

Kirkman falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kirkman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Kirkman

The surname Kirkman is of English origin, derived from the Old English words 'cirice' meaning church and 'mann' meaning man. It initially referred to someone who lived near a church or worked for the church in some capacity.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with references found in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273, where it appeared as 'Kyrkeman'. Variations in spelling included Kyrkman, Kerkeman, and Kirckman.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the place name 'Kirkebi' (meaning 'church village' or 'church settlement') is mentioned, which may have been an early source for the surname Kirkman. This place name is believed to have referred to locations in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kirkman was John Kirkman, a merchant from Yorkshire, who was active in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Robert Kirkman (c. 1500-1572), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Durham.

In the 17th century, Francis Kirkman (1632-1680) was a notable English author and bookseller who published several plays and literary works. He is best known for his collection of plays titled "The Wits, or, Sport upon Sport".

During the 18th century, Thomas Kirkman (1706-1795) was a renowned English mathematician and philosopher. He is credited with formulating the "Kirkman's Schoolgirl Problem", a combinatorial puzzle involving the arrangement of objects into groups.

Another prominent figure was John Kirkman (1804-1877), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in Lancashire, including St. Peter's Church in Burnley and St. Mary's Church in Clitheroe.

Throughout history, the surname Kirkman has been associated with various professions, including clergy, merchants, authors, mathematicians, and architects, reflecting its origins as a name connected to the church and its surrounding community.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kirkman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kirkman 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 1,266 Kirkmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.71x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,266 5.71x
Yorkshire 122 0.66x
Derbyshire 106 3.63x
Middlesex 84 0.45x
Surrey 52 0.57x
Lincolnshire 43 1.44x
Kent 41 0.64x
Leicestershire 30 1.45x
Staffordshire 23 0.36x
Essex 20 0.54x
Nottinghamshire 20 0.79x
Warwickshire 17 0.36x
Cheshire 15 0.36x
Norfolk 13 0.45x
Sussex 11 0.35x
Lanarkshire 8 0.13x
Roxburghshire 8 2.37x
Glamorgan 5 0.15x
Gloucestershire 5 0.14x
Cumberland 4 0.25x
Anglesey 3 0.91x
Northumberland 3 0.11x
Northamptonshire 2 0.11x
Wiltshire 2 0.12x
Angus 1 0.06x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.09x
Devon 1 0.03x
Dorset 1 0.08x
Hampshire 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.08x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 0.45x
Somerset 1 0.03x
Westmorland 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. Great Bolton in Lancashire leads with 141 Kirkmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.05x.

Place Total Index
Great Bolton 141 48.05x
Radcliffe 96 89.89x
Little Lever 64 225.91x
Little Bolton 60 21.06x
Salford 54 8.29x
Tottington Lower End 49 46.54x
Ainsworth 43 501.17x
Pilkington 43 51.09x
Bury 40 15.81x
West Derby 39 6.02x
Darcy Lever 36 282.13x
Elton 31 40.50x
Walmersley Cum 30 84.75x
Halliwell 29 35.97x
Manchester 28 2.81x
Halifax 27 9.94x
Horwich 25 103.48x
Oldham 23 3.22x
Farnworth 22 16.57x
Harwood 22 190.15x
Broughton In Salford 19 9.38x
Worsley 19 13.91x
Chellaston 18 566.04x
Beddington 15 42.64x
Morley 15 15.59x
Tonge With Haulgh 15 34.78x
Alvaston 14 168.07x
Nottingham St Mary 14 2.15x
Preston 14 2.36x
Prestwich 13 23.52x
Turton 13 35.83x
Woolwich 13 5.52x
Cleethorpes 12 68.34x
Hampstead London 12 4.13x
Pendleton In Salford 12 4.55x
Chorley 11 8.85x
Aston 10 235.29x
Barlestone 10 221.24x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 2.84x
Kensington London 10 0.96x
Rumworth 10 31.59x
Beswick 9 15.88x
Bethnal Green London 9 1.11x
Birmingham 9 0.57x
Sharples 9 37.45x
Barton Upon Irwell 8 4.80x
Birkdale 8 14.27x
Breightmet 8 82.05x
Codnor Loscoe 8 34.56x
Derby St Werburgh 8 4.74x
Drypool 8 28.24x
Edmonton 8 5.32x
Heap 8 6.81x
Heaton Norris 8 6.34x
Hulme 8 1.73x
Liverpool 8 0.59x
Melrose 8 27.36x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 8 12.54x
Walsall Foreign 8 2.46x
Wimbledon 8 7.83x
Ardwick 7 3.50x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 1.45x
Barking 7 6.49x
Barrow Upon Trent 7 309.73x
Beelsby 7 642.20x
Bradford 7 6.75x
Broughton Astley 7 154.87x
Candlesby 7 443.04x
Gorton 7 3.36x
Great Yarmouth 7 2.94x
Normanton 7 12.59x
Reddish 7 22.94x
Southcoates 7 6.82x
Blackburn 6 1.02x
Faversham 6 9.88x
Great Heaton 6 250.00x
Layton With Warbreck 6 7.38x
Leeds 6 0.57x
Normanton 6 24.30x
Ticknall 6 100.17x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 121
William 113
James 84
Thomas 67
Joseph 52
Robert 52
George 27
Samuel 25
Charles 23
Henry 23
Walter 20
Peter 18
Albert 15
Arthur 15
Frederick 14
Alfred 13
Richard 12
David 11
Edward 11
Herbert 9
Wm. 8
Ernest 7
Frank 7
Harry 6
Thos. 6
Adam 5
Edwin 5
Francis 5
Benjamin 4
Daniel 4
Fred 4
Percy 4
Reuben 4
Edmund 3
Chas. 2
Christopher 2
Ellis 2
Frederic 2
Geo. 2
Harold 2
J. 2
Joshua 2
Laurance 2
Lawrence 2
Matthew 2
Michael 2
Richd. 2
Robt. 2
Sidney 2
Trussell 2

FAQ

Kirkman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kirkman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,914 people were recorded with the Kirkman surname. That placed it at #2,277 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kirkman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,631 in 2016. That gives Kirkman a modern rank of #3,815.

What does the Kirkman surname mean?

A Scottish and English locational surname denoting someone from a place with a church.

What does the Kirkman map show?

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