NameCensus.

UK surname

Larking

In the 1881 census there were 371 people recorded with the Larking surname, ranking it #8,417 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 260, ranked #16,349, down from #8,417 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greenwich, London parishes and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale, Gwynedd and Canterbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Larking is 419 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 29.9%.

1881 census count

371

Ranked #8,417

Modern count

260

2016, ranked #16,349

Peak year

1901

419 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Larking had 371 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,417 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 260 in 2016, ranked #16,349.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 419 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Larking surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Larking surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Larking 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 286 #7,933
1861 historical 246 #10,010
1881 historical 371 #8,417
1891 historical 416 #8,596
1901 historical 419 #9,191
1911 historical 389 #9,470
1997 modern 260 #14,880
1998 modern 274 #14,759
1999 modern 276 #14,762
2000 modern 264 #15,191
2001 modern 261 #15,066
2002 modern 271 #14,966
2003 modern 266 #14,987
2004 modern 258 #15,386
2005 modern 240 #16,092
2006 modern 236 #16,384
2007 modern 245 #16,134
2008 modern 245 #16,295
2009 modern 247 #16,549
2010 modern 255 #16,563
2011 modern 249 #16,684
2012 modern 265 #15,862
2013 modern 270 #15,911
2014 modern 273 #15,914
2015 modern 261 #16,318
2016 modern 260 #16,349

Geography

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Where Larkings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greenwich, London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Loose, East Farleigh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale, Gwynedd, Canterbury, Lewisham and Merton. 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 Greenwich London (South Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Loose, East Farleigh Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 007 Swale
2 Gwynedd 012 Gwynedd
3 Canterbury 004 Canterbury
4 Lewisham 018 Lewisham
5 Merton 018 Merton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Larking

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Larking

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Larking, 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 Larking surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Larking household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Larking is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Larking is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Larking falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Larking families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Larking 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. Kent leads with 151 Larkings recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.20x.

County Total Index
Kent 151 12.20x
Middlesex 76 2.09x
Surrey 66 3.73x
Lancashire 10 0.23x
Suffolk 10 2.26x
Yorkshire 10 0.28x
Lincolnshire 8 1.38x
Essex 6 0.84x
Sussex 6 0.98x
Stirlingshire 5 3.74x
Warwickshire 4 0.44x
Durham 3 0.28x
Hampshire 3 0.40x
Bedfordshire 2 1.06x
Merionethshire 2 3.01x
Pembrokeshire 2 1.73x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.46x
Derbyshire 1 0.18x
Glamorgan 1 0.16x
Hertfordshire 1 0.40x
Lanarkshire 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 2.31x
Rutland 1 3.75x
Wigtownshire 1 2.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Loose in Kent leads with 26 Larkings recorded in 1881 and an index of 1428.57x.

Place Total Index
Loose 26 1428.57x
Camberwell 22 9.49x
Maidstone 19 51.52x
Deptford St Paul 13 13.61x
West Peckham 12 2105.26x
Shipbourne 11 1746.03x
Ealing 10 30.84x
Bramford 9 542.17x
Croydon 9 9.17x
Southwark St Saviour 9 48.26x
Chelsea London 8 7.32x
Mile End Old Town London 8 10.36x
Plumstead 8 19.38x
St Marylebone London 8 4.13x
Tonbridge 8 17.92x
Bromley 7 37.10x
Erith 7 57.38x
Withern 7 1228.07x
Lambeth 6 1.90x
Stoke Newington London 6 21.23x
Edmonton 5 17.10x
Poplar London 5 7.30x
Putney 5 30.23x
Ratcliffe London 5 24.95x
Rotherhithe 5 11.15x
Stirling 5 29.64x
Sutton Valence 5 354.61x
Wrotham 5 121.95x
Battersea 4 3.00x
Holy Trinity 4 4.62x
Shoreditch London 4 2.54x
Shrewley 4 869.57x
St Pancras London 4 1.37x
Aldershot 3 12.04x
Batley 3 8.78x
Bearsted 3 400.00x
Leybourne 3 882.35x
Parr 3 19.48x
St George Hanover Square 3 4.69x
Toxteth Park 3 2.06x
Woolwich 3 6.56x
Aspley Guise 2 111.11x
Bermondsey 2 1.85x
Bishopwearmouth 2 2.16x
Brenchley 2 45.15x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.34x
Colchester St Giles 2 28.25x
Dover St Mary Virgin 2 16.69x
East Marden 2 1818.18x
Epping 2 68.73x
Faversham 2 16.93x
Hever 2 235.29x
Ightham 2 128.21x
Kensington London 2 0.99x
Lee 2 11.12x
Liverpool 2 0.76x
Llanycil 2 56.02x
Mayfield 2 55.25x
Pembroke St Mary 2 13.47x
Ash Next Sandwich 1 36.50x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.63x
Bexley 1 9.13x
Buckland 1 93.46x
Burstow 1 66.67x
Cranbrook 1 19.08x
Dover St James 1 18.42x
Glasgow 1 0.48x
Gravesend 1 9.54x
Greenwich 1 1.73x
Huddersfield 1 1.91x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 8.07x
Islington London 1 0.28x
Lancaster 1 3.90x
Leatherhead 1 22.57x
Maldon All Sts 1 70.42x
Manton 1 256.41x
Rickmansworth 1 14.51x
St Botolph Aldgate London 1 13.39x
Wortley In Bramley 1 3.51x
Yalding 1 31.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 23
John 13
Henry 12
James 12
Charles 11
Alfred 10
Edward 10
George 10
Thomas 9
Richard 6
Robert 6
Arthur 5
Albert 4
Walter 4
Frederick 3
Geo. 3
Frank 2
Jabez 2
Jas. 2
Joseph 2
Royal 2
Samuel 2
T. 2
Algernon 1
Anthony 1
Ben 1
Bernard 1
Bertie 1
Caleb 1
Cassman 1
Chas. 1
Cycil 1
Daniel 1
E. 1
Ebenezer 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Jack 1
Jonothan 1
Leonard 1
Percy 1
Richd. 1
Saml. 1
W. 1
Wallace 1
Zachariah 1

FAQ

Larking surname: questions and answers

How common was the Larking surname in 1881?

In 1881, 371 people were recorded with the Larking surname. That placed it at #8,417 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Larking surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 260 in 2016. That gives Larking a modern rank of #16,349.

What does the Larking map show?

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