NameCensus.

UK surname

Makin

Derived from a place name meaning "a settlement" in Old English, likely referring to the village of Machen, Wales.

In the 1881 census there were 2,578 people recorded with the Makin surname, ranking it #1,733 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,252, ranked #2,093, down from #1,733 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bury, Manchester and Ashton-under-Lyne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens, Calderdale and Selby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Makin is 3,380 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.1%.

1881 census count

2,578

Ranked #1,733

Modern count

3,252

2016, ranked #2,093

Peak year

2000

3,380 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Makin had 2,578 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,733 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,252 in 2016, ranked #2,093.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,298 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Makin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Makin surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Makin 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 1,598 #1,798
1861 historical 1,394 #2,059
1881 historical 2,578 #1,733
1891 historical 2,629 #1,811
1901 historical 2,981 #1,879
1911 historical 3,298 #1,582
1997 modern 3,243 #1,984
1998 modern 3,297 #2,030
1999 modern 3,333 #2,034
2000 modern 3,380 #1,996
2001 modern 3,296 #1,998
2002 modern 3,373 #2,009
2003 modern 3,259 #2,027
2004 modern 3,188 #2,062
2005 modern 3,192 #2,037
2006 modern 3,207 #2,036
2007 modern 3,224 #2,045
2008 modern 3,232 #2,057
2009 modern 3,312 #2,060
2010 modern 3,370 #2,069
2011 modern 3,311 #2,071
2012 modern 3,266 #2,063
2013 modern 3,288 #2,086
2014 modern 3,294 #2,097
2015 modern 3,271 #2,087
2016 modern 3,252 #2,093

Geography

Back to top

Where Makins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bury, Manchester, Ashton-under-Lyne, Liverpool and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens, Calderdale, Selby, Manchester and Wigan. 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 Bury Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 022 St. Helens
2 Calderdale 013 Calderdale
3 Selby 009 Selby
4 Manchester 004 Manchester
5 Wigan 032 Wigan

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Makin

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Makin

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Makin 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

Makin 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

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

Meaning and origin of Makin

The surname Makin originated in the area of Mackinaw in northern Michigan, which was named after the indigenous Obijwe word "michillimakinang" meaning "place of giant turtles." The name is believed to have derived from this place name during the early 18th century when French fur traders and settlers began arriving in the region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Makin surname can be found in the 1790 census records of Quebec, where a Jacques Makin is listed as residing in the parish of Saint-Eustache. It is likely that Jacques was a French Canadian whose ancestors adopted the surname after arriving in the Mackinaw region from France.

Another early record of the name comes from the 1810 baptismal records of the Catholic Church in Detroit, where a child named Marie-Anne Makin was baptized. This suggests that the Makin family had spread from the Mackinaw region to the nearby settlements of what was then the Michigan Territory.

In the 19th century, the Makin surname began appearing in various parts of the United States and Canada as families migrated westward. One notable bearer of the name was John Makin (1819-1892), a pioneer settler in Iowa who established the town of Makinville in 1855.

Another prominent individual with the Makin surname was William Makin (1845-1923), a British politician and businessman who served as a Member of Parliament for the Wallasey constituency from 1900 to 1906.

Other historical figures with the Makin surname include:

1. Robert Makin (1648-1718), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. 2. Bathsheba Makin (1608-1675), an English writer and early advocate for women's education. 3. Thomas Makin (1766-1836), an American Revolutionary War soldier from Virginia. 4. James Makin (1823-1890), a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 5. Alfred Makin (1870-1953), an Australian politician who served as a Member of Parliament and Minister for Customs in the 1920s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Makin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Makin 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 1,645 Makins recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.53x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,645 5.53x
Yorkshire 363 1.46x
Cheshire 115 2.08x
Derbyshire 77 1.96x
Nottinghamshire 68 2.01x
Middlesex 42 0.17x
Suffolk 31 1.01x
Stirlingshire 26 2.81x
Surrey 20 0.16x
Essex 19 0.38x
Durham 17 0.23x
Bedfordshire 14 1.08x
Warwickshire 14 0.22x
Kent 13 0.15x
Lanarkshire 13 0.16x
Norfolk 12 0.31x
Staffordshire 7 0.08x
Dunbartonshire 6 0.89x
Midlothian 6 0.18x
Brecknockshire 5 1.00x
Denbighshire 5 0.53x
Dorset 5 0.30x
Monmouthshire 5 0.28x
Worcestershire 5 0.15x
Clackmannanshire 4 1.93x
Glamorgan 4 0.09x
Northamptonshire 4 0.17x
Peeblesshire 4 3.39x
Cumberland 3 0.14x
Hampshire 3 0.06x
Hertfordshire 3 0.17x
Leicestershire 3 0.11x
Lincolnshire 3 0.07x
Devon 2 0.04x
Royal Navy 2 0.67x
Angus 1 0.04x
Channel Islands 1 0.13x
Fife 1 0.07x
Shropshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Bolton in Lancashire leads with 122 Makins recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.94x.

Place Total Index
Great Bolton 122 30.94x
Ashton Under Lyne 89 13.68x
Salford 75 8.57x
Liverpool 65 3.59x
Parr 55 51.64x
Oldham 52 5.41x
Manchester 50 3.73x
Pendleton In Salford 50 14.10x
Bury 46 13.53x
Sheffield 45 5.69x
Birkenhead 42 9.51x
Radcliffe 41 28.57x
Little Bolton 39 10.19x
West Derby 39 4.48x
Hulme 38 6.11x
Atherton 33 30.45x
Warrington 32 9.07x
Toxteth Park 31 3.08x
Preston 27 3.39x
Worsley 27 14.71x
Alva 26 58.90x
Darcy Lever 26 151.69x
Glossop Dale 25 13.59x
Sutton 25 25.04x
Great Lever 24 75.97x
Leeds 23 1.64x
Kirkdale 22 4.39x
Ecclesall Bierlow 21 4.15x
Wigan 21 5.05x
Levenshulme 20 65.27x
Brightside Bierlow 19 3.90x
Prescot 19 35.29x
Accrington 18 6.65x
Farnworth 18 10.09x
Ince In Makerfield 18 12.99x
Little Lever 17 44.65x
Maltby In Rotherham 17 245.31x
Nottingham St Mary 17 1.94x
Pilkington 17 15.03x
Windle 16 9.55x
Chorley 15 8.98x
Ecclesfield 15 8.23x
Newton 15 6.54x
Tonge With Haulgh 15 25.88x
Billinge Higher End 14 116.09x
Broughton In Salford 14 5.14x
Kimberworth 14 10.15x
Luton 14 6.23x
Macclesfield 14 5.69x
Nether Hallam 14 4.16x
Rotherham 14 9.99x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 14 16.34x
Worksop 14 13.96x
Barton Upon Irwell 13 5.80x
Bootle Cum Linacre 13 5.50x
Bradford 13 9.33x
Chorlton On Medlock 13 2.75x
Hadleigh 13 43.84x
North Meols 13 4.46x
Rumworth 13 30.55x
Chesterfield 12 8.15x
Harpurhey 12 29.04x
Ludworth 12 64.86x
Ardwick 11 4.10x
Eccleston In Prescot 11 7.36x
Openshaw 11 7.89x
Pennington In Leigh 11 19.26x
Sandbach 11 23.29x
Bethnal Green London 10 0.92x
Braintree 10 22.49x
Clifton 10 44.76x
Little Hulton 10 20.28x
Norwich St Gregory 10 147.93x
Urmston 10 51.76x
Wardleworth 10 5.88x
West Markham 10 704.23x
Wortley In Bramley 10 5.08x
Brampton Bierlow 9 28.27x
Holbeck 9 5.46x
Tranmere 9 4.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 195
Elizabeth 111
Sarah 93
Alice 69
Ann 51
Ellen 49
Margaret 44
Jane 40
Eliza 38
Martha 34
Hannah 33
Annie 30
Emma 25
Catherine 22
Emily 19
Maria 15
Clara 14
Fanny 14
Ada 13
Louisa 13
Florence 12
Nancy 11
Edith 10
Amelia 9
Betsy 9
Kate 9
Agnes 7
Beatrice 7
Elizth. 7
Harriet 7
Gertrude 6
Isabella 6
Lucy 6
Margt. 6
Rachel 6
Amy 5
Anne 5
Caroline 5
Eleanor 5
Esther 5
Lydia 5
Matilda 5
Priscilla 5
Rose 5
Betty 4
Harriett 4
Helen 4
Helena 4
Julia 4
Maggie 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 213
William 118
James 106
Thomas 100
George 69
Joseph 63
Henry 40
Charles 38
Edward 32
Robert 28
Samuel 24
Peter 21
Thos. 16
Frederick 15
Harry 15
Richard 15
Walter 14
Wm. 13
Arthur 11
Edwin 10
Frank 10
Herbert 10
Alfred 9
Francis 8
Fred 8
Giles 8
Albert 7
Daniel 7
David 7
Tom 7
Benjamin 6
Isaac 6
Patrick 6
Richd. 6
Abraham 5
Ellis 5
Fredk. 5
Matthew 5
Ernest 4
Moses 4
Ralph 4
Edmund 3
Edwd. 3
Frederic 3
Luke 3
Percy 3
Roger 3
Saml. 3
Stanley 3
Alexander 2

FAQ

Makin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Makin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,578 people were recorded with the Makin surname. That placed it at #1,733 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Makin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,252 in 2016. That gives Makin a modern rank of #2,093.

What does the Makin surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "a settlement" in Old English, likely referring to the village of Machen, Wales.

What does the Makin map show?

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