NameCensus.

UK surname

Kirsop

A locational surname likely deriving from a place name in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 140 people recorded with the Kirsop surname, ranking it #16,151 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 180, ranked #21,022, down from #16,151 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead and Ryton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, Hertsmere and Benderloch Trail.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kirsop is 216 in 2006. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.6%.

1881 census count

140

Ranked #16,151

Modern count

180

2016, ranked #21,022

Peak year

2006

216 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kirsop had 140 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,151 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016, ranked #21,022.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 178 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Kirsop surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kirsop surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kirsop 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 120 #15,144
1861 historical 151 #15,209
1881 historical 140 #16,151
1891 historical 168 #16,937
1901 historical 178 #16,284
1911 historical 171 #16,461
1997 modern 194 #17,978
1998 modern 206 #17,796
1999 modern 201 #18,179
2000 modern 200 #18,209
2001 modern 198 #18,047
2002 modern 207 #17,911
2003 modern 204 #17,909
2004 modern 198 #18,308
2005 modern 204 #17,893
2006 modern 216 #17,397
2007 modern 207 #18,080
2008 modern 193 #19,077
2009 modern 205 #18,722
2010 modern 207 #19,007
2011 modern 194 #19,662
2012 modern 195 #19,540
2013 modern 189 #20,273
2014 modern 196 #19,961
2015 modern 187 #20,502
2016 modern 180 #21,022

Geography

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Where Kirsops are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead, Ryton, Alston and Ardnamurchan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, Hertsmere, Benderloch Trail, St Albans and Gateshead. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Ryton Durham
4 Alston Cumberland
5 Ardnamurchan Argyll

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree Argyll and Bute
2 Hertsmere 006 Hertsmere
3 Benderloch Trail Argyll and Bute
4 St Albans 003 St Albans
5 Gateshead 009 Gateshead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kirsop

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kirsop

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Kirsop surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Kirsop household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Kirsop is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kirsop is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kirsop 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 Kirsop is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Kirsop

The surname Kirsop originated in Scotland, with early records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a now-lost place name in Scotland, possibly a combination of the Scots Gaelic words "carse" (a fertile plain) and "ob" (a rounded hillock or knoll).

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Scottish Parish Registers in 1598, where a James Kirsop is mentioned as residing in Perthshire. Another early reference is found in the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland in 1610, which mentions a David Kirsop from Stirlingshire.

The name Kirsop appears to have been concentrated in the central and southern regions of Scotland, particularly in the counties of Perthshire, Stirlingshire, and Lanarkshire. Some variations in spelling include Kersop, Kirsope, and Kersope, reflecting the regional dialects and phonetic variations common in historical records.

Notable individuals with the surname Kirsop include:

1. William Kirsop (1698-1773), a Scottish merchant and landowner from Lanarkshire, who played a significant role in the development of the town of Carluke.

2. James Kirsop (1733-1805), a Scottish minister and author from Perthshire, known for his work "A Treatise on the Nature and Causes of Moral Evil."

3. Margaret Kirsop (1786-1862), a Scottish philanthropist from Stirlingshire, who founded several schools and charities for underprivileged children.

4. John Kirsop (1815-1892), a Scottish engineer and inventor from Lanarkshire, credited with designing and constructing some of the earliest steam-powered textile mills in the region.

5. Alexander Kirsop (1872-1944), a Scottish artist and painter from Perthshire, renowned for his landscape paintings depicting the Scottish Highlands.

While the surname Kirsop is relatively uncommon, it has a long and rich history rooted in Scotland, with numerous notable individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kirsop families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kirsop 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. Durham leads with 56 Kirsops recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.79x.

County Total Index
Durham 56 13.79x
Northumberland 42 20.67x
Lanarkshire 10 2.26x
Lancashire 9 0.56x
Argyllshire 8 21.05x
Essex 6 2.23x
Kent 5 1.07x
Cumberland 2 1.70x
Yorkshire 2 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hedworth Monkton Jarrow in Durham leads with 14 Kirsops recorded in 1881 and an index of 79.59x.

Place Total Index
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 14 79.59x
Elswick 10 61.69x
Heaton 10 1492.54x
Whickham 10 267.38x
Barony 9 8.05x
Pendleton In Salford 9 46.63x
Ardnamurchan 8 414.51x
Bishopwearmouth 6 17.21x
Leyton Low 6 109.49x
Winlaton 6 153.85x
Chatham 5 39.00x
Gateshead 5 16.44x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 41.22x
Benwell 4 180.18x
Cowpen 4 85.47x
Haughton Le Skerne 4 1212.12x
Collierley 3 165.75x
Hexham 3 95.54x
Southwick 3 77.92x
Alston 2 92.17x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 2 74.91x
Ryton 2 139.86x
Westgate 2 15.90x
Benfieldside 1 37.45x
Chester Le Street 1 32.05x
Crook Billy Row 1 19.23x
Glasgow 1 1.28x
Jesmond 1 34.97x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 9.50x
Pannal 1 76.92x
Starforth 1 416.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 7
Isabella 7
Eleanor 4
Jane 4
Margaret 4
Florence 3
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Christania 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Grace 1
Lillian 1
Louisa 1
Margeret 1
Mariane 1
Sarah 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 9
George 8
Edward 5
James 3
Ralph 3
Thomas 3
Joseph 2
Albany 1
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Fred 1
Henry 1
Jackson 1
Matthew 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1
Thos.B. 1
Thos.V. 1
Wm.B. 1

FAQ

Kirsop surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kirsop surname in 1881?

In 1881, 140 people were recorded with the Kirsop surname. That placed it at #16,151 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kirsop surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016. That gives Kirsop a modern rank of #21,022.

What does the Kirsop surname mean?

A locational surname likely deriving from a place name in Scotland.

What does the Kirsop map show?

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