NameCensus.

UK surname

Meekin

A variant spelling of the English surname Meakin, derived from a locational name in Staffordshire.

In the 1881 census there were 140 people recorded with the Meekin surname, ranking it #16,151 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 162, ranked #22,512, down from #16,151 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Eckington and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meekin is 162 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.7%.

1881 census count

140

Ranked #16,151

Modern count

162

2016, ranked #22,512

Peak year

2016

162 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meekin had 140 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,151 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016, ranked #22,512.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 140 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Meekin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meekin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meekin 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 78 #19,840
1861 historical 43 #28,562
1881 historical 140 #16,151
1891 historical 100 #24,045
1901 historical 105 #22,179
1911 historical 86 #24,243
1997 modern 150 #21,119
1998 modern 158 #20,992
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 161 #20,822
2001 modern 152 #21,294
2002 modern 148 #22,087
2003 modern 154 #21,308
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 142 #22,577
2006 modern 139 #23,044
2007 modern 143 #22,924
2008 modern 137 #23,883
2009 modern 141 #23,907
2010 modern 155 #22,985
2011 modern 149 #23,408
2012 modern 158 #22,460
2013 modern 159 #22,706
2014 modern 157 #23,101
2015 modern 158 #22,913
2016 modern 162 #22,512

Geography

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Where Meekins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Eckington, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Liverpool and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan and Kingston upon Hull. 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 Eckington Derbyshire
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 017 Wigan
2 Wigan 023 Wigan
3 Wigan 022 Wigan
4 Kingston upon Hull 024 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Wigan 028 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meekin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meekin

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Meekin 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

Meekin is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Meekin 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 Meekin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Meekin

The surname Meekin originated in Scotland, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic surname Mac Cuithein, which means "son of the little fair one." Over time, the spelling evolved from Mac Cuithein to Meekin.

One of the earliest known references to the name Meekin can be found in the records of the Clan MacLeod of Harris, where a John Meekin is mentioned as a tenant on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides in the late 1500s. The name also appears in various parish records and local court documents throughout the Scottish Highlands and Islands during the 17th and 18th centuries.

In the early 1600s, a John Meekin was recorded as a merchant in Edinburgh, suggesting that some members of the family had moved from the rural areas to the city in pursuit of trade and commerce. Another notable figure was Robert Meekin, a Scottish minister who served as the minister of Crathie and Braemar in Aberdeenshire in the late 17th century.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Meekin was Sir Samuel Meekin (1859-1945), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the cotton industry and was knighted for his charitable work and contributions to education in Glasgow.

Other notable individuals with the surname Meekin include:

1. William Meekin (1835-1912), a Scottish painter and sculptor known for his works depicting rural life in Scotland. 2. James Meekin (1778-1854), a Scottish architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas. 3. Margaret Meekin (1907-1992), a Scottish novelist and poet who wrote extensively about life in the Outer Hebrides. 4. David Meekin (1924-2003), a Scottish military historian and author who wrote numerous books on the history of the British Army. 5. Elizabeth Meekin (1892-1972), a Scottish suffragette and campaigner for women's rights in the early 20th century.

While the surname Meekin may have evolved from a Scottish Gaelic origin, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish migration and diaspora. However, its roots and earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the rugged landscapes and rich cultural heritage of Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Meekin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meekin 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 23 Meekins recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.41x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 23 1.41x
Staffordshire 20 4.31x
Yorkshire 20 1.47x
Renfrewshire 15 14.07x
Lanarkshire 11 2.47x
Suffolk 10 5.97x
Cheshire 9 2.96x
Derbyshire 9 4.18x
Ayrshire 6 5.83x
Durham 3 0.73x
Leicestershire 3 1.97x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.62x
Surrey 3 0.45x
Essex 1 0.37x
Gloucestershire 1 0.37x
Middlesex 1 0.07x
Midlothian 1 0.54x
Northumberland 1 0.49x
Warwickshire 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brewood in Staffordshire leads with 13 Meekins recorded in 1881 and an index of 970.15x.

Place Total Index
Brewood 13 970.15x
Eastwood 9 137.20x
Bradford 8 104.71x
Poslingford 8 4705.88x
Hartford 7 1014.49x
Keighley 7 48.18x
Liverpool 7 7.06x
Chesterfield 6 74.35x
Abbey 5 30.75x
Glasgow 5 6.33x
Shotts 5 93.99x
Sutton 5 322.58x
Ayr 4 82.30x
Golborne 4 187.79x
Eckington 3 57.36x
Horton In Bradford 3 14.10x
Leicester St Margaret 3 8.07x
Rowley Regis 3 23.18x
Sheffield 3 6.91x
Walsall Foreign 3 12.51x
Bury St Edmunds St James 2 44.74x
Gateshead 2 6.53x
Lambeth 2 1.67x
North Collingham 2 454.55x
Scarborough 2 16.16x
Birkenhead 1 4.13x
Blackburn 1 2.30x
Cheltenham 1 4.81x
Edgbaston 1 9.30x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 1 22.94x
Govan 1 0.91x
Hucknall Torkard 1 21.28x
Hulme 1 2.94x
Ince In Makerfield 1 13.18x
Ingatestone 1 227.27x
Jesmond 1 34.72x
Kilwinning 1 30.12x
Leek Lowe 1 16.18x
Little Meolse 1 232.56x
Salford 1 2.08x
Southwark St John 1 23.75x
St Pancras London 1 0.90x
Stockton On Tees 1 5.07x
Tarbolton 1 59.17x
West Greenock 1 5.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 10
James 5
Thomas 5
Charles 3
Joseph 3
Abraham 2
Arthur 2
William 2
Anthony 1
Earnest 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
George 1
Henry 1
Hezehioch 1
Johney 1
Michael 1
Moses 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Saml. 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Meekin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meekin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 140 people were recorded with the Meekin surname. That placed it at #16,151 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meekin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016. That gives Meekin a modern rank of #22,512.

What does the Meekin surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English surname Meakin, derived from a locational name in Staffordshire.

What does the Meekin map show?

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