NameCensus.

UK surname

Kirwin

An Irish surname derived from the personal name Cerón or Ciaráin, a diminutive of Ciarán meaning "little dark one".

In the 1881 census there were 180 people recorded with the Kirwin surname, ranking it #13,735 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 546, ranked #9,334, up from #13,735 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Eccles and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tameside, Cotswold and Salford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kirwin is 612 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 203.3%.

1881 census count

180

Ranked #13,735

Modern count

546

2016, ranked #9,334

Peak year

2009

612 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kirwin had 180 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,735 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 546 in 2016, ranked #9,334.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 279 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Kirwin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kirwin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kirwin 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 180 #13,735
1891 historical 238 #13,202
1901 historical 279 #12,225
1911 historical 258 #12,614
1997 modern 510 #9,172
1998 modern 514 #9,383
1999 modern 525 #9,307
2000 modern 540 #9,084
2001 modern 544 #8,875
2002 modern 566 #8,788
2003 modern 538 #8,988
2004 modern 568 #8,661
2005 modern 573 #8,544
2006 modern 573 #8,575
2007 modern 579 #8,585
2008 modern 594 #8,487
2009 modern 612 #8,470
2010 modern 607 #8,710
2011 modern 608 #8,597
2012 modern 556 #9,092
2013 modern 562 #9,162
2014 modern 556 #9,298
2015 modern 556 #9,221
2016 modern 546 #9,334

Geography

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Where Kirwins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Eccles, Manchester, Liverpool and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tameside, Cotswold, Salford and Rochdale. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tameside 029 Tameside
2 Cotswold 005 Cotswold
3 Salford 017 Salford
4 Rochdale 022 Rochdale
5 Salford 002 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kirwin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kirwin

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Kirwin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Kirwin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kirwin 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

Kirwin is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Kirwin

The surname Kirwin originated in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "O'Ciardhubhain," which means "descendant of Ciar Dubhan," a personal name meaning "little dark one." The name was anglicized to Kirwin and Kerwin over time.

The earliest recorded instance of the Kirwin name can be traced back to the 14th century in County Galway, Ireland. The name was particularly prominent in the western counties of Galway, Mayo, and Sligo, where the family held substantial landholdings.

In the 16th century, the Kirwin family played a significant role in the Gaelic resistance against the English conquest of Ireland. Notable figures from this period include Edmond Kirwin, who was a leading member of the Irish Confederate Catholics during the Irish Confederate Wars (1641–1653).

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many Kirwins were forced to leave Ireland due to the Penal Laws and the ongoing conflicts between the Irish and English. Some Kirwins settled in other parts of Europe, while others emigrated to the Americas and other British colonies.

One prominent Kirwin was Andrew Kirwan (1711-1778), an Irish scientist and geologist who made significant contributions to the study of mineralogy and geology. He published several influential works, including "Elements of Mineralogy" (1784), which was one of the earliest comprehensive texts on the subject.

Another notable Kirwin was Richard Kirwan (1733-1812), an Irish chemist and philosopher who was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1781. He made important contributions to the fields of chemistry and meteorology and published several works, including "An Essay on the Analytic of Mineral Substances" (1784) and "An Estimate of the Temperature of Different Latitudes" (1787).

In the 19th century, John Kirwin (1805-1886) was a prominent Irish politician and judge who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1866 to 1867. He was also a member of the Privy Council of Ireland and played a significant role in the legal and political affairs of the country.

The Kirwin name can also be found in various literary works, such as the novel "The Black Robe" (1831) by Irish writer Gerald Griffin, which features a character named Kirwin. Additionally, the American writer William Gilmore Simms (1806-1870) wrote a novel titled "The Partisan" (1835), which includes a character named Kirwin.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kirwin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kirwin 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 105 Kirwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.13x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 105 5.13x
Yorkshire 24 1.40x
Angus 7 4.38x
Middlesex 6 0.35x
Surrey 6 0.71x
Devon 5 1.39x
Gloucestershire 5 1.48x
Derbyshire 4 1.48x
Kent 3 0.51x
Glamorgan 2 0.67x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 8.00x
Northumberland 2 0.78x
Cheshire 1 0.26x
Dorset 1 0.88x
Hampshire 1 0.28x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.82x
Renfrewshire 1 0.75x
Royal Navy 1 4.86x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 24 Kirwins recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.29x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 24 19.29x
Kirkdale 18 52.23x
Manchester 18 19.54x
Blackburn 12 22.01x
Dundee 7 11.72x
Newton 7 44.33x
Salford 7 11.62x
Hunslet 6 22.49x
Horfield 5 146.63x
Huddersfield 5 20.06x
Linthorpe 5 48.97x
Revelstoke 5 1515.15x
Chesterfield 4 39.49x
Everton 4 6.13x
Bradford 3 7.24x
Camberwell 3 2.72x
Chatham 3 18.51x
Worsley 3 23.75x
Battersea 2 3.15x
Blaenhonddan 2 142.86x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 6.14x
Halifax 2 7.96x
Kirkgunzeon 2 512.82x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 2 13.04x
Spitalfields London 2 15.40x
Tottington Lower End 2 20.53x
Wigan 2 6.99x
Aldershot 1 8.44x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 2.23x
Batley 1 6.15x
Bowdon 1 66.23x
Chelsea London 1 1.92x
Hulme 1 2.34x
Lambeth 1 0.66x
Oldham 1 1.51x
Pembroke St Mary 1 14.14x
Pendleton In Salford 1 4.10x
Portland 1 16.42x
Pudsey 1 10.93x
Royal Navy 1 5.69x
Selby 1 27.93x
Shoreditch London 1 1.34x
St Marylebone London 1 1.08x
West Derby 1 1.67x
West Greenock 1 4.16x
Westleigh 1 21.51x
Westminster St James 1 5.63x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Kirwin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kirwin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 180 people were recorded with the Kirwin surname. That placed it at #13,735 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kirwin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 546 in 2016. That gives Kirwin a modern rank of #9,334.

What does the Kirwin surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the personal name Cerón or Ciaráin, a diminutive of Ciarán meaning "little dark one".

What does the Kirwin map show?

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