NameCensus.

UK surname

Kirkness

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "church headland" or "church promontory".

In the 1881 census there were 342 people recorded with the Kirkness surname, ranking it #8,902 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 252, ranked #16,699, down from #8,902 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rousay and Egilsay, South Ronaldsay and Burray and Kirkwall and St.Ola. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Mainland, Stromness, Sandwick and Stenness and West Kirkwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kirkness is 360 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 26.3%.

1881 census count

342

Ranked #8,902

Modern count

252

2016, ranked #16,699

Peak year

1901

360 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kirkness had 342 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,902 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 252 in 2016, ranked #16,699.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 360 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Kirkness surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kirkness surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kirkness 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 260 #8,512
1861 historical 275 #9,082
1881 historical 342 #8,902
1891 historical 345 #9,944
1901 historical 360 #10,212
1911 historical 109 #21,611
1997 modern 210 #17,104
1998 modern 234 #16,404
1999 modern 228 #16,790
2000 modern 233 #16,524
2001 modern 218 #17,017
2002 modern 231 #16,677
2003 modern 228 #16,663
2004 modern 233 #16,471
2005 modern 229 #16,631
2006 modern 230 #16,690
2007 modern 238 #16,505
2008 modern 236 #16,736
2009 modern 230 #17,382
2010 modern 235 #17,477
2011 modern 234 #17,383
2012 modern 239 #17,027
2013 modern 238 #17,354
2014 modern 243 #17,232
2015 modern 250 #16,803
2016 modern 252 #16,699

Geography

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Where Kirkness' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rousay and Egilsay, South Ronaldsay and Burray, Kirkwall and St.Ola, Edinburgh and Stromness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Mainland, Stromness, Sandwick and Stenness, West Kirkwall, Isles and East Kirkwall. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rousay and Egilsay Orkney
2 South Ronaldsay and Burray Orkney
3 Kirkwall and St.Ola Orkney
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Stromness Orkney

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Mainland Orkney Islands
2 Stromness, Sandwick and Stenness Orkney Islands
3 West Kirkwall Orkney Islands
4 Isles Orkney Islands
5 East Kirkwall Orkney Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kirkness

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kirkness

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Kirkness surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Kirkness household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kirkness 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

Kirkness is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kirkness falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kirkness 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 Kirkness, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kirkness

The surname Kirkness is of Scottish origin, derived from the Old Norse words "kirkja" and "ness," meaning "church" and "promontory" or "headland," respectively. It likely originated in the Orkney Islands, where many place names bear the "kirk" prefix, indicating the presence of a church.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kirkness can be found in the Orkneyinga Saga, a historical narrative composed in the 13th century. This saga recounts the lives of the earls of Orkney, and a person named Kirkness is mentioned as a resident of the islands during that time period.

The Kirkness surname is also documented in the Rental Book of the Cistercian Priory of Cupar-Angus, a medieval record from the late 15th century. This suggests that individuals bearing the name had established themselves in mainland Scotland by that point.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named John Kirkness (c. 1520-1590) served as a minister in the Church of Scotland and was known for his involvement in the Scottish Reformation. He was a staunch supporter of the Protestant cause and played a role in the establishment of the Presbyterian form of church government in Scotland.

During the 17th century, the Kirkness family had a presence in the Shetland Islands, as evidenced by the birth of James Kirkness in Lerwick in 1634. This James Kirkness later became a merchant and landowner, acquiring the estate of Raisberry in Shetland.

Another notable bearer of the Kirkness surname was Robert Kirkness (1785-1868), a Scottish farmer and writer who authored several works on agricultural topics, including "The Drainer's Guide" and "The Agriculturist's Guide." He was recognized for his contributions to the advancement of farming practices in Scotland.

In the literary realm, the poet and novelist George Kirkness (1863-1942) gained recognition for his works depicting rural life in the Scottish Borders region. He was born in Aberdeenshire and spent much of his life in the Borders, where he drew inspiration from the local landscapes and communities.

These are just a few examples of individuals who bore the surname Kirkness throughout history, showcasing its Scottish roots and the diverse roles and achievements of those who carried this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kirkness families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kirkness 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. Orkney leads with 224 Kirkness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 613.87x.

County Total Index
Orkney 224 613.87x
Middlesex 27 0.81x
Midlothian 23 5.18x
Lancashire 19 0.48x
Yorkshire 19 0.58x
Essex 8 1.22x
Surrey 7 0.43x
Durham 5 0.51x
Northumberland 3 0.61x
Ayrshire 1 0.40x
Inverness-shire 1 1.01x
Perthshire 1 0.67x
Royal Navy 1 2.53x
Sussex 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sandwick in Orkney leads with 61 Kirkness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4452.55x.

Place Total Index
Sandwick 61 4452.55x
Birsay Harray 37 1396.23x
Rousay Egilshay 22 1732.28x
St Andrews Deerness 22 1145.83x
Stromness 22 802.92x
South Ronaldshay 19 502.65x
Kirkwall St Ola 18 329.07x
South Leith 16 32.00x
Holm 11 901.64x
Scarborough 11 36.84x
Liverpool 9 3.77x
Toxteth Park 9 6.75x
Wanstead 8 69.75x
Bow London 7 16.58x
Wimbledon 7 38.59x
Bethnal Green London 6 4.16x
Poplar London 6 9.58x
Shapinshay 6 540.54x
Edinburgh Greenside 5 85.18x
Kensington London 5 2.71x
Westoe 5 8.94x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 4.49x
Tynemouth 3 11.35x
Falsgrave 2 41.32x
Leeds 2 1.08x
Walls Flotta 2 116.96x
Ardersier 1 42.02x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.56x
Evie Rendall 1 64.94x
Firth Stenness 1 64.10x
Hornsea 1 48.08x
Islington London 1 0.31x
Largs 1 17.09x
Little Dunkeld 1 39.53x
North Leith 1 4.86x
Orphir 1 86.21x
Preston 1 10.25x
Royal Navy 1 2.96x
Shadwell London 1 10.78x
St George In East London 1 3.21x
Stronsay Eday 1 41.84x
West Derby 1 0.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 7
Mary 7
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Jane 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Ada 1
Adelina 1
Amelia 1
Beatrice 1
Catherine 1
Chressabel 1
Elis.Y. 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth.S. 1
Elsie 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Helen 1
Janet 1
Madge 1
Marg. 1
Margt. 1
Prudence 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 6
Robert 4
Charles 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
George 2
John 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Allen 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
George.P. 1
Jacob 1
Josph. 1
Leslie 1
Pevey 1
Stanley 1
William.E. 1
William.J. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Kirkness surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kirkness surname in 1881?

In 1881, 342 people were recorded with the Kirkness surname. That placed it at #8,902 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kirkness surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 252 in 2016. That gives Kirkness a modern rank of #16,699.

What does the Kirkness surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "church headland" or "church promontory".

What does the Kirkness map show?

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