NameCensus.

UK surname

Malkin

An English occupational surname referring to a maker of mallets or wooden hammers.

In the 1881 census there were 986 people recorded with the Malkin surname, ranking it #3,953 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,589, ranked #3,908, up from #3,953 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Leek and Burslem. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands, County Durham and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Malkin is 1,631 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.2%.

1881 census count

986

Ranked #3,953

Modern count

1,589

2016, ranked #3,908

Peak year

2010

1,631 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Malkin had 986 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,953 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,589 in 2016, ranked #3,908.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,410 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Malkin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Malkin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Malkin 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 756 #3,519
1861 historical 727 #3,742
1881 historical 986 #3,953
1891 historical 1,085 #3,890
1901 historical 1,297 #3,842
1911 historical 1,410 #3,424
1997 modern 1,448 #4,030
1998 modern 1,628 #3,777
1999 modern 1,616 #3,835
2000 modern 1,625 #3,795
2001 modern 1,605 #3,770
2002 modern 1,596 #3,863
2003 modern 1,544 #3,897
2004 modern 1,562 #3,861
2005 modern 1,536 #3,870
2006 modern 1,537 #3,870
2007 modern 1,530 #3,920
2008 modern 1,554 #3,892
2009 modern 1,618 #3,844
2010 modern 1,631 #3,891
2011 modern 1,596 #3,916
2012 modern 1,555 #3,949
2013 modern 1,603 #3,910
2014 modern 1,615 #3,911
2015 modern 1,605 #3,893
2016 modern 1,589 #3,908

Geography

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Where Malkins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Leek, Burslem, Sheffield and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands, County Durham, Shropshire and East Cambridgeshire. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Leek Staffordshire
3 Burslem Staffordshire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 001 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 County Durham 018 County Durham
4 Shropshire 005 Shropshire
5 East Cambridgeshire 001 East Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Malkin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Malkin

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Malkin 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

Malkin is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Malkin

The surname Malkin is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word 'malkyn', which was a diminutive of the female name 'Mault' or 'Mald'. This name itself comes from the Germanic elements 'mal' meaning 'speech' and 'kin' meaning 'kin' or 'family'. The name was initially used as a nickname for a talkative person or a gossip.

Early spellings of the name include Malkyn, Maulkyn, and Mawkin, which can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Malkyn, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Malkin. However, it does include several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Malton in Yorkshire and Maldon in Essex.

In the 16th century, the name appears in several literary works, including the plays of William Shakespeare. In 'The Tragedy of King Lear', written around 1606, one of the characters is referred to as 'Malkin the witch'.

One notable bearer of the surname was John Malkin (1610-1677), an English Baptist minister and author who wrote a influential work on church government. Another was John Malkin (1733-1827), an English topographer and author of several books on the history and antiquities of various counties in England.

Other historical figures with the surname include:

1. Thomas Malkin (1765-1835), an English author and mathematician. 2. Arthur Thomas Malkin (1786-1846), an English clergyman and author. 3. Frederick Malkin (1853-1933), an English architect and designer. 4. Benjamin Heath Malkin (1768-1841), an English writer and critic. 5. James Malkin (1784-1866), an English barrister and legal writer.

These examples illustrate the long history of the Malkin surname, which can be traced back to the Middle Ages and has been borne by notable individuals in various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Malkin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Malkin 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. Staffordshire leads with 432 Malkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.35x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 432 13.35x
Yorkshire 194 2.04x
Cheshire 85 4.02x
Lancashire 42 0.37x
Derbyshire 36 2.40x
Leicestershire 34 3.20x
Nottinghamshire 30 2.32x
Middlesex 28 0.29x
Warwickshire 23 0.95x
Hampshire 11 0.56x
Northamptonshire 10 1.11x
Shropshire 10 1.21x
Surrey 9 0.19x
Rutland 7 9.94x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.99x
Durham 6 0.21x
Worcestershire 5 0.40x
Essex 3 0.16x
Kent 3 0.09x
Bedfordshire 2 0.40x
Hertfordshire 2 0.30x
Lincolnshire 2 0.13x
Berkshire 1 0.14x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.39x
Norfolk 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 103 Malkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.01x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 103 30.01x
Leek Lowe 59 137.02x
Burslem 45 48.53x
Sheffield 36 11.90x
Macclesfield 34 36.14x
Newcastle Under Lyme 24 41.91x
Southowram 23 79.31x
Stone 22 53.14x
Wolverhampton 22 8.84x
Wolstanton 19 19.33x
Worksop 19 49.57x
Garforth 18 247.59x
Hinckley 14 55.51x
Brightside Bierlow 12 6.44x
Leicester St Margaret 12 4.63x
Austerfield 11 956.52x
Birmingham 11 1.36x
Mucklestone 11 353.70x
Sedgley 11 9.15x
Audley 10 31.22x
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 5.17x
Kingsley 10 165.84x
Leeds 10 1.86x
Sutton In Macclesfield 10 45.52x
Titteworth 10 201.21x
Pudsey 9 17.72x
St Maurice Winchester 9 110.16x
Bosley 8 610.69x
Bradnop Cawdry 8 547.95x
Ilkeston 8 19.01x
Leicester Newarke 8 144.40x
Scaftworth 8 2285.71x
Swynnerton 8 313.73x
Wombwell 8 28.87x
Dawley 7 23.23x
Hunslet 7 4.72x
Kenilworth 7 51.36x
Nantwich 7 28.47x
Nether Hallam 7 5.45x
St Andrew Holborn 7 21.53x
Armitage 6 142.52x
Birkenhead 6 3.56x
Broughton In Salford 6 5.77x
Cannock 6 10.62x
Dukinfield 6 6.13x
Oakham Deanshold 6 191.08x
Warrington 6 4.45x
Wolstanton Knutton 6 30.36x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 5 14.49x
Badsworth 5 694.44x
Bakewell 5 60.90x
Bethnal Green London 5 1.20x
Kings Norton 5 4.45x
Litchurch 5 8.28x
Long Buckby 5 59.95x
Ryhill 5 191.57x
Windle 5 7.81x
Brampton 4 19.07x
Burton Upon Trent 4 5.28x
Caverswall 4 23.77x
Checkley 4 47.56x
Derby St Alkmund 4 8.89x
Didsbury 4 26.47x
Glossop Dale 4 5.69x
Guilsborough 4 167.36x
Headingley Cum Burley 4 6.54x
Norton In Moors 4 23.35x
Smallthorne 4 33.31x
Trentham 4 14.53x
Walsall Foreign 4 2.39x
West Herrington 4 40.04x
Bradford 3 1.30x
Clifton In York 3 15.10x
Lambeth 3 0.36x
Linthorpe 3 5.29x
Littleport 3 25.86x
Mayfield 3 74.07x
St Marylebone London 3 0.59x
Westminster St John 3 2.57x
Woolwich 3 2.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 78
Elizabeth 46
Sarah 36
Ann 27
Hannah 25
Eliza 15
Jane 15
Annie 13
Emma 13
Alice 12
Emily 12
Harriet 12
Ellen 10
Martha 10
Fanny 9
Maria 9
Gertrude 8
Florence 6
Ada 5
Charlotte 5
Elizth. 5
Esther 5
Matilda 5
Catherine 4
Edith 4
Harriett 4
Lucy 4
Clara 3
Laura 3
Margaret 3
Rose 3
Susannah 3
Agnes 2
Anna 2
Anne 2
Betsy 2
Eleanor 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Kate 2
Lilian 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Maud 2
Phoebe 2
Prudence 2
Rachel 2
Rebecca 2
Susan 2
Thomasine 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 60
William 60
Thomas 44
Joseph 36
James 35
George 33
Charles 15
Frederick 15
Arthur 14
Samuel 14
Henry 13
Richard 11
Walter 9
Francis 7
Wm. 7
Alfred 6
Robert 6
David 5
Elijah 5
Harry 5
Ernest 4
Albert 3
Edward 3
Herbert 3
Ralph 3
Stephen 3
Adam 2
Bertram 2
Edmund 2
Edwin 2
Elisha 2
Frank 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Percy 2
Solomon 2
Uriah 2
Ann 1
Anson 1
Chas. 1
Collin 1
Daniel 1
Elliot 1
Fredk. 1
Jacob 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Job 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Malkin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Malkin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 986 people were recorded with the Malkin surname. That placed it at #3,953 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Malkin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,589 in 2016. That gives Malkin a modern rank of #3,908.

What does the Malkin surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a maker of mallets or wooden hammers.

What does the Malkin map show?

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