NameCensus.

UK surname

Linskey

A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name.

In the 1881 census there were 139 people recorded with the Linskey surname, ranking it #16,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 182, ranked #20,890, down from #16,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead and Birstall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Laurieston and Tradeston and Barnet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Linskey is 195 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.9%.

1881 census count

139

Ranked #16,228

Modern count

182

2016, ranked #20,890

Peak year

2002

195 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Linskey had 139 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 182 in 2016, ranked #20,890.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 159 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Linskey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Linskey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Linskey 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 19 #29,904
1861 historical 63 #25,901
1881 historical 139 #16,228
1891 historical 136 #19,601
1901 historical 117 #20,830
1911 historical 159 #17,219
1997 modern 180 #18,812
1998 modern 181 #19,229
1999 modern 192 #18,689
2000 modern 180 #19,425
2001 modern 182 #19,039
2002 modern 195 #18,590
2003 modern 187 #18,856
2004 modern 180 #19,424
2005 modern 167 #20,296
2006 modern 174 #19,921
2007 modern 181 #19,680
2008 modern 183 #19,735
2009 modern 186 #19,946
2010 modern 192 #19,960
2011 modern 183 #20,425
2012 modern 175 #20,984
2013 modern 179 #21,028
2014 modern 180 #21,115
2015 modern 181 #20,934
2016 modern 182 #20,890

Geography

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Where Linskeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead, Birstall, 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 Barnsley, Laurieston and Tradeston and Barnet. 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 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 022 Barnsley
2 Barnsley 025 Barnsley
3 Laurieston and Tradeston Glasgow City
4 Barnsley 024 Barnsley
5 Barnet 008 Barnet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Linskey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Linskey

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Linskey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Linskey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Linskey is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Linskey 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

Linskey 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 Linskey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Linskey

The surname Linskey originated in Ireland and is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic words "linn" meaning a pool or lake, and "sceach" meaning a whitethorn bush or bramble. This suggests that the name likely referred to a person who lived near a pool or lake surrounded by whitethorn bushes.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Linskey, found in various Irish records dating back to the 16th century. Some variations of the spelling include Lynnskey, Linskeigh, and Linskey. The name was predominantly found in the counties of Westmeath, Longford, and Cavan in Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I, where a John Linskey is mentioned in relation to land grants in County Westmeath in the year 1592.

In the 17th century, the name Linskey appears in the Ulster Plantation records, indicating that some families bearing this surname had been transplanted from other parts of Ireland to the northern province of Ulster during the plantation efforts of that period.

Notable individuals with the surname Linskey include:

1. Patrick Linskey (1734-1798), an Irish soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. 2. Mary Linskey (1812-1892), an Irish immigrant to the United States who became a prominent figure in the Irish Catholic community in New York City. 3. James Linskey (1867-1936), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. 4. Michael Linskey (1885-1964), an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Dubuque, Iowa. 5. Catherine Linskey (1923-2012), an Irish writer and poet who published several collections of her works during her lifetime.

While the surname Linskey has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and diaspora, particularly to the United States, Canada, and other English-speaking countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Linskey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Linskey 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 64 Linskeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.98x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 64 3.98x
Durham 33 8.18x
Middlesex 11 0.81x
Yorkshire 11 0.82x
Cheshire 7 2.34x
Derbyshire 7 3.30x
Fife 2 2.49x
Staffordshire 2 0.44x
Surrey 1 0.15x
Sussex 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Witton Gilbert in Durham leads with 15 Linskeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 943.40x.

Place Total Index
Witton Gilbert 15 943.40x
Newchurch 10 75.99x
Liverpool 9 9.21x
Oldham 8 15.41x
West Derby 8 17.00x
Chesterfield 7 87.94x
Bowling 6 45.08x
Wardleworth 6 65.29x
Bethnal Green London 5 8.49x
Brandon Byshottles 5 99.01x
Gomersal 5 79.74x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 28.62x
Newton 5 40.32x
Tunstall 5 248.76x
Haslingden 4 60.06x
Manchester 4 5.53x
St Luke London 4 18.39x
Birkenhead 3 12.57x
Elton 3 53.96x
Birkdale 2 49.14x
Cornsay 2 183.49x
Dysart 2 37.04x
Eccleston In Prescot 2 24.75x
Hackney London 2 2.63x
Newton In Makerfield 2 40.57x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 2 75.19x
Framwellgate 1 41.84x
Hastings St Mary 1 17.57x
Knutsford Nether 1 55.25x
North Meols 1 6.35x
Northwich 1 208.33x
Whittington 1 106.38x
Woking 1 25.13x
Wolstanton 1 7.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Bridget 10
Margaret 9
Ann 5
Catherine 4
Ellen 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Elizabeth 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Margt. 2
Alice 1
Bessie 1
Effie 1
Hannah 1
Honor 1
Juley 1
Julia 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Millie 1
Nancy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
Michael 9
Patrick 7
Thomas 6
James 5
Henry 3
Mark 3
Martin 3
William 3
Edward 2
Peter 2
Timothy 2
Ernest 1
Ierial 1
Jacob 1
Jas.Thos. 1
Jno.Ambrose 1
Mich. 1
Owen 1
Paterick 1
Tulie 1

FAQ

Linskey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Linskey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 139 people were recorded with the Linskey surname. That placed it at #16,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Linskey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 182 in 2016. That gives Linskey a modern rank of #20,890.

What does the Linskey surname mean?

A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name.

What does the Linskey map show?

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