NameCensus.

UK surname

Kirkwood

A locational surname denoting someone from a place with a church in or near a wood.

In the 1881 census there were 2,717 people recorded with the Kirkwood surname, ranking it #1,638 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,023, ranked #1,688, down from #1,638 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkintilloch, Beith and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Low Waters, East Riding of Yorkshire and Altonhill North and Onthank.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kirkwood is 4,039 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.1%.

1881 census count

2,717

Ranked #1,638

Modern count

4,023

2016, ranked #1,688

Peak year

2014

4,039 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kirkwood had 2,717 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,638 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,023 in 2016, ranked #1,688.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,336 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Kirkwood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kirkwood surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kirkwood 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 1,968 #1,471
1861 historical 2,144 #1,359
1881 historical 2,717 #1,638
1891 historical 2,954 #1,597
1901 historical 3,336 #1,676
1911 historical 1,058 #4,364
1997 modern 3,765 #1,725
1998 modern 3,885 #1,734
1999 modern 3,954 #1,724
2000 modern 3,969 #1,709
2001 modern 3,842 #1,723
2002 modern 3,906 #1,735
2003 modern 3,843 #1,733
2004 modern 3,847 #1,727
2005 modern 3,823 #1,709
2006 modern 3,785 #1,726
2007 modern 3,862 #1,707
2008 modern 3,881 #1,712
2009 modern 3,963 #1,717
2010 modern 4,033 #1,719
2011 modern 3,936 #1,737
2012 modern 3,902 #1,724
2013 modern 3,974 #1,719
2014 modern 4,039 #1,707
2015 modern 4,012 #1,700
2016 modern 4,023 #1,688

Geography

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Where Kirkwoods are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Low Waters, East Riding of Yorkshire, Altonhill North and Onthank and North East Derbyshire. 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 Kirkintilloch Dunbarton
2 Beith Ayr
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Low Waters South Lanarkshire
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 031 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Altonhill North and Onthank East Ayrshire
4 North East Derbyshire 009 North East Derbyshire
5 North East Derbyshire 011 North East Derbyshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kirkwood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kirkwood

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

Kirkwood 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

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

Meaning and origin of Kirkwood

The surname Kirkwood is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Old English words "cirice" meaning church and "wudu" meaning wood. It refers to someone who lived near or worked at a church in the woods. The surname first appeared in the late 12th century in the county of Lanarkshire, located in the central Lowlands region of Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kirkwood can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his campaign to conquer Scotland. The name appears as "Kirkvod" in this record. Similarly, in 1376, a charter from Kilwinning Abbey in Ayrshire mentions a "Roberto de Kyrwode."

In the 16th century, the Kirkwood surname was primarily concentrated in the Scottish Borders region, particularly in the areas of Selkirkshire and Roxburghshire. The Scottish writer and essayist, James Kirkwood (1650-1709), was born in Kirkpatrick-Fleming, Dumfriesshire, and is one of the earliest notable figures with this surname.

As the surname spread across Scotland, several variations in spelling emerged, including Kirkwode, Kirkvode, and Kirkwod. In the 17th century, the name appeared in the records of the Burgh of Lanark as "Kirkwod." Thomas Kirkwood (1678-1751), a Presbyterian minister from Roxburghshire, was an influential figure in the Church of Scotland during this time.

The Kirkwood surname also has a connection to place names in Scotland. Kirkwood, a small village in East Ayrshire, likely derived its name from the surname. Additionally, there is a Kirkwood Parish in the Scottish Borders region, located near the town of Selkirk.

Other notable individuals bearing the Kirkwood surname include:

1. James Kirkwood (1776-1828), a Scottish-American pioneer and founder of the city of Kirkwood, Missouri. 2. Robert Kirkwood (1756-1837), a Scottish-American mathematician and astronomer who served as a professor at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). 3. James Brown Kirkwood (1876-1939), a Scottish-American physicist and chemist known for his contributions to statistical mechanics and the development of the Kirkwood-Buff theory. 4. Catherine Kirkwood (1888-1989), a Scottish artist and painter known for her landscape and portrait works. 5. James Kirkwood Jr. (1924-1989), an American playwright and author, best known for his semi-autobiographical novel "There Must Be a Pony!" and the adaptation of the musical "A Chorus Line."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kirkwood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kirkwood 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. Lanarkshire leads with 791 Kirkwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.26x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 791 9.26x
Renfrewshire 297 14.51x
Ayrshire 248 12.55x
Midlothian 223 6.30x
Stirlingshire 189 19.41x
Lancashire 150 0.48x
Dunbartonshire 111 15.64x
Yorkshire 110 0.42x
Durham 86 1.09x
Middlesex 66 0.25x
Northumberland 55 1.40x
East Lothian 52 14.87x
West Lothian 49 12.32x
Perthshire 38 3.21x
Cumberland 34 1.50x
Nottinghamshire 20 0.56x
Angus 18 0.74x
Cheshire 16 0.27x
Kent 15 0.17x
Surrey 15 0.12x
Devon 13 0.24x
Argyllshire 12 1.63x
Wigtownshire 11 3.14x
Aberdeenshire 10 0.41x
Buteshire 9 5.63x
Berwickshire 8 2.50x
Essex 7 0.13x
Morayshire 6 1.46x
Fife 5 0.32x
Roxburghshire 5 1.05x
Selkirkshire 4 1.67x
Clackmannanshire 3 1.38x
Hampshire 3 0.06x
Northamptonshire 3 0.12x
Royal Navy 3 0.95x
Somerset 3 0.07x
Berkshire 2 0.10x
Derbyshire 2 0.05x
Inverness-shire 2 0.25x
Leicestershire 2 0.07x
Norfolk 2 0.05x
Sussex 2 0.04x
Gloucestershire 1 0.02x
Kincardineshire 1 0.31x
Oxfordshire 1 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.12x
Staffordshire 1 0.01x
Warwickshire 1 0.02x
Westmorland 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 190 Kirkwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.79x.

Place Total Index
Barony 190 8.79x
Govan 189 8.95x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 121 8.50x
Glasgow 117 7.72x
Kirkintilloch 68 70.54x
Old Monkland 62 18.29x
West Greenock 60 16.33x
Abbey 58 18.57x
Paisley High Church 54 33.14x
Falkirk 52 22.81x
Beith 49 83.09x
Denny 44 84.94x
Bothwell 39 16.84x
Neilston 36 35.04x
Kilsyth 33 53.14x
Boness 32 58.37x
Dalserf 32 37.55x
New Monkland 28 11.09x
Shettleston 27 35.31x
Patrington 26 210.02x
Rutherglen 23 18.36x
Dreghorn 21 58.69x
Dalry 19 20.43x
Stranton 19 7.18x
Paisley Middle Church 18 15.11x
Riccarton Hurlford 18 51.93x
Salford 18 1.95x
Bothkennar 16 55.04x
Eastwood 16 12.70x
Hamilton 16 6.72x
Ardwick 15 5.31x
Largs 15 32.22x
Cambuslang 14 16.26x
Chirton 14 15.74x
Cumbernauld 14 36.00x
Everton 14 1.40x
Holy Trinity 14 2.22x
Hunslet 14 3.43x
Innerwick 14 199.15x
Kilbirnie 14 29.50x
Byker 13 6.69x
Dunbar 13 26.51x
Gateshead 13 2.21x
Kilbarchan 13 20.91x
Bishopwearmouth 12 1.78x
Campsie 12 22.45x
East Greenock 12 6.21x
Kilmarnock 12 5.10x
Old Kilpatrick 12 14.31x
Westgate 12 4.93x
Blantyre 11 12.37x
Dalmellington 11 18.93x
Islington London 11 0.43x
Kilwinning 11 17.24x
Liverpool 11 0.58x
Newbattle 11 36.38x
Riccarton 11 36.90x
Stevenston 11 21.36x
Ardoch 10 100.30x
Carrington 10 180.83x
Crieff 10 22.69x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 10 2.94x
Tranent 10 21.16x
Anlaby 9 158.17x
Duddingston 9 12.67x
Larbert 9 15.46x
Monkwearmouth Shore 9 5.87x
Montrose 9 6.07x
Stirling 9 7.33x
Toxteth Park 9 0.85x
Ardrossan 8 11.69x
Cambusnethan 8 4.22x
Cathcart 8 7.23x
Ecclesmachan 8 318.73x
Lochwinnoch 8 26.23x
Mearns 8 22.32x
Pendleton In Salford 8 2.14x
South Leith 8 2.01x
Stoke Damerel 8 2.08x
Whitehaven 8 6.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 53
Elizabeth 23
Margaret 21
Jane 19
Sarah 15
Eliza 11
Ann 9
Annie 7
Emily 7
Edith 6
Ellen 6
Agnes 5
Catherine 5
Florence 5
Frances 5
Isabella 5
Jessie 5
Kate 5
Hannah 4
Harriet 4
Janet 4
Louisa 4
Martha 4
Amelia 3
Esther 3
Lilly 3
Ada 2
Barbara 2
Charlotte 2
Dorothy 2
Elizth. 2
Emma 2
Henrietta 2
Katherine 2
Lucy 2
Mariam 2
Rose 2
Adelina 1
Alas 1
Alice 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Colinetta 1
Constance 1
Donalda 1
Elizebth. 1
Hannie 1
Helen 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 48
James 35
William 28
Thomas 18
Robert 14
George 12
Charles 11
Joseph 11
Henry 9
Walter 7
Alfred 6
Samuel 5
Wm. 5
Alexander 4
Lewis 4
Andrew 3
Arthur 3
David 3
Edward 3
Herbert 3
Richard 3
Stephen 3
Chas. 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Jas. 2
Mathew 2
Peter 2
Thos. 2
Willm. 2
Carleton 1
Earest 1
Edw. 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Fredy 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
Ian 1
Michael 1
Micheal 1
N. 1
Nathaniel 1
Pearson 1
R.W. 1
Robt. 1
Rowland 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Kirkwood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kirkwood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,717 people were recorded with the Kirkwood surname. That placed it at #1,638 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kirkwood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,023 in 2016. That gives Kirkwood a modern rank of #1,688.

What does the Kirkwood surname mean?

A locational surname denoting someone from a place with a church in or near a wood.

What does the Kirkwood map show?

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