NameCensus.

UK surname

Kirtland

A habitational surname derived from a location in England.

In the 1881 census there were 298 people recorded with the Kirtland surname, ranking it #9,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 234, ranked #17,572, down from #9,765 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Pancras, Thame and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Darlington, Aylesbury Vale and Epping Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kirtland is 353 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 21.5%.

1881 census count

298

Ranked #9,765

Modern count

234

2016, ranked #17,572

Peak year

1911

353 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kirtland had 298 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,765 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 234 in 2016, ranked #17,572.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 353 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Kirtland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kirtland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kirtland 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 214 #9,898
1861 historical 156 #14,813
1881 historical 298 #9,765
1891 historical 270 #12,027
1901 historical 337 #10,735
1911 historical 353 #10,212
1997 modern 210 #17,104
1998 modern 273 #14,803
1999 modern 265 #15,187
2000 modern 262 #15,272
2001 modern 253 #15,403
2002 modern 262 #15,327
2003 modern 256 #15,377
2004 modern 250 #15,695
2005 modern 250 #15,639
2006 modern 242 #16,097
2007 modern 241 #16,341
2008 modern 236 #16,736
2009 modern 239 #16,951
2010 modern 240 #17,230
2011 modern 238 #17,188
2012 modern 240 #16,979
2013 modern 250 #16,778
2014 modern 244 #17,189
2015 modern 240 #17,279
2016 modern 234 #17,572

Geography

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Where Kirtlands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Pancras, Thame, St Mary Islington, Merton and Kirtlington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Darlington, Aylesbury Vale, Epping Forest, Ashford and South Kesteven. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
2 Thame Oxfordshire
3 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
4 Merton Oxfordshire
5 Kirtlington Oxfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Darlington 015 Darlington
2 Aylesbury Vale 021 Aylesbury Vale
3 Epping Forest 009 Epping Forest
4 Ashford 005 Ashford
5 South Kesteven 010 South Kesteven

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kirtland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kirtland

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kirtland, 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 Kirtland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Kirtland 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Kirtland is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kirtland is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kirtland falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kirtland

The surname Kirtland has its origins in England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is a locational surname derived from the place name Kirtland, a village in the county of Kent. The name itself is believed to come from the Old English words "cyr(i)ce" meaning church and "land" meaning land or estate, suggesting that the name referred to the land or estate belonging to a church.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Kirtland can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a Robert de Kirtland is listed. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century and had likely been established earlier.

In the 13th century, the Kirtland surname appeared in various records, such as the Feet of Fines for Kent in 1235, which mentioned a John de Kirtland. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also recorded a William de Kirtland in Gloucestershire.

Over the centuries, the spelling of the surname varied, with forms like Kirtland, Kirtlande, Kyrtlande, and Kyrtlond appearing in historical records. One notable individual from this era was Sir John Kyrtlond, a Member of Parliament for Kent in 1391.

The Kirtland surname continued to be prominent in England throughout the medieval and early modern periods. In the 16th century, a notable figure was Sir John Kirtland (c. 1480-1539), who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1530.

During the 17th century, the Kirtland family had a significant presence in the county of Nottinghamshire. One member, Sir George Kirtland (1589-1668), was a prominent landowner and served as the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire in 1638.

As the British Empire expanded, the Kirtland surname spread to other parts of the world. In the 18th century, Joseph Kirtland (1767-1842), an early settler in Ohio, USA, established the town of Kirtland, which became an important center for the Latter-Day Saint movement.

Another notable figure was Jared Potter Kirtland (1793-1877), an American naturalist and one of the earliest teachers of natural history in the United States. He made significant contributions to the study of ornithology and paleontology.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kirtland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kirtland 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. Oxfordshire leads with 87 Kirtlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.47x.

County Total Index
Oxfordshire 87 48.47x
Middlesex 70 2.41x
Buckinghamshire 38 21.62x
Surrey 33 2.33x
Staffordshire 19 1.94x
Yorkshire 15 0.52x
Warwickshire 11 1.50x
Berkshire 10 4.58x
Leicestershire 5 1.55x
Sussex 3 0.61x
Hertfordshire 2 1.00x
Northamptonshire 2 0.73x
Derbyshire 1 0.22x
Durham 1 0.12x
Lincolnshire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Merton in Oxfordshire leads with 29 Kirtlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 17058.82x.

Place Total Index
Merton 29 17058.82x
Islington London 25 8.87x
Bletchington 17 2833.33x
Wolverhampton 17 22.53x
Battersea 11 10.28x
Birmingham 11 4.50x
Weston Turville 10 1219.51x
Clerkenwell London 9 13.12x
Clewer 9 100.67x
Banbury 8 222.84x
Leatherhead 8 225.35x
Thame 7 214.72x
Bicester Market End 6 181.82x
Brightside Bierlow 6 10.62x
Croydon 6 7.63x
Shoreditch London 6 4.76x
Westminster St Margaret 6 42.80x
Grendon Underwood 5 1282.05x
Leicester St Mary 5 19.20x
St Pancras London 5 2.14x
Stokenchurch 5 310.56x
Waddesdon Westcott 5 909.09x
Boarstall 4 1904.76x
Kirtlington 4 563.38x
Padbury 4 754.72x
St George In East London 4 14.63x
Towersey 4 1142.86x
Adstock 3 857.14x
Camberwell 3 1.62x
Charlton On Otmoor 3 566.04x
Lambeth 3 1.18x
North Ferriby 3 638.30x
Rowley 3 476.19x
Spitalfields London 3 13.72x
St Andrew Holborn London 3 23.85x
Westminster St John 3 8.47x
Bermondsey 2 2.31x
Hackney London 2 1.23x
Holy Trinity 2 2.89x
Horton Cum Studley 2 833.33x
St George Martyr London 2 33.96x
Tring 2 37.38x
Upton Cum Chalvey 2 28.57x
Wadhurst 2 62.11x
Weston On Green 2 555.56x
Alfreton 1 7.23x
Ascott Under Wychwood 1 250.00x
Buckingham 1 28.01x
Finstock Fawler 1 166.67x
Gainsborough 1 9.12x
Great Faringdon 1 31.85x
Gt Haseley 1 147.06x
Monkwearmouth 1 12.08x
Oxford St Ebbe 1 18.94x
Rawdon 1 29.50x
Ripe 1 256.41x
Rushall 1 17.33x
St Luke London 1 2.15x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 0.96x
Tiffield 1 416.67x
Upper Boddington 1 333.33x
Wapping London 1 45.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Elizabeth 10
Ellen 8
Emma 8
Sarah 7
Eliza 6
Emily 6
Alice 5
Louisa 5
Rebecca 5
Anne 4
Annie 4
Margaret 4
Martha 4
Ada 3
Fanny 3
Florence 3
Grace 3
Hannah 3
Kate 3
Sophia 3
Susannah 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Edith 2
Harriet 2
Isabel 2
Jane 2
Blanche 1
Catrine 1
Charlott 1
Charlotte 1
Dina 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Evylin 1
Florce 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Joanna 1
Katie 1
Lavinia 1
Leah 1
Minnie 1
Miriam 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 26
John 23
George 15
Thomas 8
Charles 6
Henry 6
James 6
Frederick 5
Frank 4
Arthur 3
David 3
Edward 3
Alfred 2
Edgar 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Harry 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Absolom 1
Albert 1
Edmund 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
Jessie 1
Jonas 1
Joseph 1
Percival 1
Phillip 1
Wally 1

FAQ

Kirtland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kirtland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 298 people were recorded with the Kirtland surname. That placed it at #9,765 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kirtland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 234 in 2016. That gives Kirtland a modern rank of #17,572.

What does the Kirtland surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a location in England.

What does the Kirtland map show?

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