NameCensus.

UK surname

Kirkpatrick

A Scottish locational surname referring to someone from Kirkpatrick, meaning "church of Saint Patrick" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 2,599 people recorded with the Kirkpatrick surname, ranking it #1,715 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,054, ranked #1,672, up from #1,715 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dumfries. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lochside and Lincluden, Castle Douglas and Lockerbie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kirkpatrick is 4,086 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.0%.

1881 census count

2,599

Ranked #1,715

Modern count

4,054

2016, ranked #1,672

Peak year

2015

4,086 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kirkpatrick had 2,599 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,715 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,054 in 2016, ranked #1,672.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,341 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Kirkpatrick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kirkpatrick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kirkpatrick 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 1,510 #1,899
1861 historical 1,728 #1,669
1881 historical 2,599 #1,715
1891 historical 2,963 #1,592
1901 historical 3,341 #1,671
1911 historical 1,968 #2,524
1997 modern 3,866 #1,680
1998 modern 4,002 #1,690
1999 modern 4,013 #1,697
2000 modern 3,986 #1,699
2001 modern 3,879 #1,709
2002 modern 3,971 #1,700
2003 modern 3,840 #1,734
2004 modern 3,855 #1,723
2005 modern 3,860 #1,690
2006 modern 3,835 #1,707
2007 modern 3,827 #1,725
2008 modern 3,889 #1,707
2009 modern 3,950 #1,724
2010 modern 4,037 #1,716
2011 modern 4,030 #1,703
2012 modern 3,943 #1,708
2013 modern 4,031 #1,698
2014 modern 4,077 #1,695
2015 modern 4,086 #1,668
2016 modern 4,054 #1,672

Geography

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Where Kirkpatricks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dumfries, Closeburn and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lochside and Lincluden, Castle Douglas, Lockerbie, Lochmaben and Dumfries Central. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dumfries Dumfries
4 Closeburn Dumfries
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lochside and Lincluden Dumfries and Galloway
2 Castle Douglas Dumfries and Galloway
3 Lockerbie Dumfries and Galloway
4 Lochmaben Dumfries and Galloway
5 Dumfries Central Dumfries and Galloway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kirkpatrick

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kirkpatrick

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kirkpatrick 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

Kirkpatrick 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

Kirkpatrick falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kirkpatrick

The surname Kirkpatrick is of Scottish origin, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "cill" meaning church and "phadraig" meaning Patrick, referring to the parish church of St. Patrick.

The name is believed to have originated in the county of Dumfriesshire, Scotland, where the Kirkpatrick family held lands and properties since the 12th century. The first recorded mention of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists several Kirkpatricks who were loyal to King Edward I of England.

One of the earliest and most notable members of the Kirkpatrick family was Sir Roger Kirkpatrick, who is said to have assisted Robert the Bruce in the murder of John Comyn, a rival claimant to the Scottish throne, in 1306. This event is considered a pivotal moment in the Scottish Wars of Independence.

Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick, who served as a diplomat and ambassador for King James IV of Scotland in the early 16th century. He played a significant role in negotiating the marriage of James IV to Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England, in 1503.

In the late 16th century, the Kirkpatrick family established themselves in the county of Closeburn, where they built the Closeburn Castle, which still stands today. One of the notable members from this branch was Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick, who was knighted by King Charles I in 1633 for his military service.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, several Kirkpatricks made their mark in various fields, such as Alexander Kirkpatrick (1685-1758), a Scottish merchant and philanthropist who founded the Kirkpatrick Prize at the University of Edinburgh, and James Kirkpatrick (1728-1805), a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served in the East India Company and is known for his controversial marriage to a Muslim noblewoman in India.

Throughout history, the Kirkpatrick name has been associated with nobility, military service, and academic achievements, and it remains a prominent surname in Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom, as well as in North America, where many Kirkpatricks emigrated in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kirkpatrick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kirkpatrick 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 486 Kirkpatricks recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.63x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 486 1.63x
Dumfriesshire 417 75.04x
Cumberland 253 11.68x
Kirkcudbrightshire 242 66.45x
Lanarkshire 200 2.46x
Middlesex 108 0.43x
Cheshire 90 1.62x
Midlothian 86 2.55x
Yorkshire 64 0.26x
Northumberland 50 1.34x
Orkney 48 17.34x
Surrey 42 0.34x
Renfrewshire 41 2.10x
Westmorland 39 7.05x
Staffordshire 36 0.42x
Durham 33 0.44x
Ayrshire 25 1.33x
Kent 25 0.29x
Dunbartonshire 24 3.55x
Oxfordshire 22 1.42x
Somerset 22 0.54x
Wigtownshire 21 6.29x
Angus 20 0.86x
Berkshire 20 1.06x
Glamorgan 14 0.32x
Roxburghshire 14 3.07x
Leicestershire 13 0.47x
Essex 11 0.22x
Lincolnshire 9 0.22x
Monmouthshire 9 0.49x
Hampshire 7 0.14x
Norfolk 7 0.18x
Warwickshire 7 0.11x
Buteshire 6 3.94x
Denbighshire 5 0.53x
Fife 5 0.34x
Shetland 5 1.95x
Shropshire 5 0.23x
Stirlingshire 5 0.54x
Gloucestershire 4 0.08x
Perthshire 4 0.35x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.20x
Devon 3 0.06x
East Lothian 3 0.90x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.52x
Selkirkshire 3 1.32x
Suffolk 3 0.10x
Caithness 2 0.58x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.13x
Northamptonshire 2 0.08x
Royal Navy 2 0.67x
Sussex 2 0.05x
Wiltshire 2 0.09x
Argyllshire 1 0.14x
Berwickshire 1 0.33x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.10x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Little Lever in Lancashire leads with 99 Kirkpatricks recorded in 1881 and an index of 259.30x.

Place Total Index
Little Lever 99 259.30x
Dumfries 82 149.58x
Caldewgate 55 46.34x
Govan 54 2.68x
Closeburn 52 401.23x
Kirkcudbright 51 169.21x
Torthorwald 50 586.17x
Liverpool 46 2.54x
Everton 44 4.62x
Barony 41 1.99x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 40 2.95x
Troqueer 33 69.07x
Glasgow 31 2.15x
St Cuthbert W O 31 29.36x
Toxteth Park 30 2.97x
Urr 28 59.11x
Whitehaven 26 22.52x
Hamilton 25 11.02x
Penrith 24 29.99x
Kirkdale 23 4.58x
Distington 22 197.66x
Hindley 22 17.28x
Holywood 21 226.29x
Keir 21 326.59x
Caversham 20 64.35x
Manchester 20 1.49x
South Leith 19 5.01x
Annan 18 37.71x
Crossmichael 18 156.39x
Elswick 18 6.03x
Islington London 18 0.74x
North Leith 18 11.54x
Shap 18 147.66x
Stromness 18 86.71x
Balmaclellan 17 209.62x
Cleator 17 18.86x
Penpont 17 166.50x
Chorlton On Medlock 16 3.37x
West Derby 16 1.83x
Johnstone 15 173.41x
Tinwald 15 202.43x
Camberwell 14 0.87x
Morton 14 75.88x
West Greenock 14 4.00x
Ashton Under Lyne 13 1.99x
Dryfesdale 13 50.76x
Irongray 13 192.31x
Kelton 13 43.45x
Leicester St Margaret 13 1.91x
Lymm 13 32.20x
Mouswald 13 270.27x
West Bromwich 13 2.67x
Applegarth 12 142.35x
Blantyre 12 14.17x
Bonhill 12 11.06x
Borgue 12 122.83x
Brampton 12 40.42x
Clerkenwell London 12 2.02x
St George Hanover Square 12 2.71x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 12 13.96x
Walls Flotta 12 92.59x
Walsall Foreign 12 2.74x
Benwell 11 26.89x
Bow London 11 3.43x
Cardross 11 13.55x
Clevedon 11 26.12x
Dornock 11 156.47x
Lochmaben 11 45.17x
Rerrick 11 70.42x
St Pancras London 11 0.54x
Westleigh 11 16.23x
Birkenhead 10 2.26x
Coxlodge 10 35.14x
Hulme 10 1.60x
Lower Bebington 10 30.31x
Tranmere 10 4.90x
Chester St Oswald 9 8.95x
Hoy Graemsay 9 173.41x
Oldham 9 0.93x
Rawcliffe In Goole 9 63.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 114
Jane 48
Margaret 41
Sarah 41
Elizabeth 39
Ann 31
Alice 26
Annie 23
Eliza 20
Emma 19
Agnes 18
Ellen 18
Catherine 14
Jessie 14
Isabella 13
Martha 13
Janet 10
Hannah 9
Ada 8
Charlotte 8
Emily 8
Louisa 8
Kate 7
Amy 5
Elizth. 5
Frances 5
Amelia 4
Esther 4
Helen 4
Sophia 4
Anne 3
Clara 3
Eleanor 3
Ethel 3
Fanny 3
Georgina 3
Harriett 3
Henrietta 3
Miriam 3
Nellie 3
Rebecca 3
Susannah 3
Beatrice 2
Betsy 2
Grace 2
Laura 2
Maggie 2
Margt. 2
Maria 2
Marion 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 102
William 77
James 63
Thomas 49
Robert 36
George 34
Joseph 22
Samuel 18
Charles 15
David 14
Edward 12
Frederick 12
Andrew 11
Henry 11
Thos. 9
Arthur 8
Francis 8
Robt. 8
Richard 7
Alexander 6
Wm. 5
Alfred 4
Frank 4
Isaac 4
Roger 4
Adam 3
Albert 3
Chas. 3
Christopher 3
Daniel 3
Ernest 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Jno. 3
Matthew 3
Peter 3
Stewart 3
Denham 2
Edwin 2
Ellis 2
Fredk. 2
Hosea 2
Hugh 2
Ivone 2
Jesse 2
Maxwell 2
Moses 2
Tom 2
Tom. 2
Wm.Thos. 2

FAQ

Kirkpatrick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kirkpatrick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,599 people were recorded with the Kirkpatrick surname. That placed it at #1,715 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kirkpatrick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,054 in 2016. That gives Kirkpatrick a modern rank of #1,672.

What does the Kirkpatrick surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname referring to someone from Kirkpatrick, meaning "church of Saint Patrick" in Old English.

What does the Kirkpatrick map show?

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