NameCensus.

UK surname

Meekings

In the 1881 census there were 123 people recorded with the Meekings surname, ranking it #17,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 476, ranked #10,360, up from #17,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greenwich, London parishes and St James. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Babergh, Mid Suffolk and St Edmundsbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meekings is 518 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 287.0%.

1881 census count

123

Ranked #17,506

Modern count

476

2016, ranked #10,360

Peak year

2002

518 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meekings had 123 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 476 in 2016, ranked #10,360.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 306 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Meekings surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meekings surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meekings 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 63 #22,069
1861 historical 36 #29,463
1881 historical 123 #17,506
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 260 #12,817
1911 historical 306 #11,281
1997 modern 487 #9,482
1998 modern 496 #9,658
1999 modern 511 #9,500
2000 modern 505 #9,561
2001 modern 497 #9,516
2002 modern 518 #9,400
2003 modern 491 #9,612
2004 modern 485 #9,716
2005 modern 458 #10,077
2006 modern 468 #9,952
2007 modern 452 #10,298
2008 modern 465 #10,178
2009 modern 474 #10,251
2010 modern 481 #10,332
2011 modern 471 #10,418
2012 modern 470 #10,332
2013 modern 485 #10,267
2014 modern 473 #10,509
2015 modern 484 #10,249
2016 modern 476 #10,360

Geography

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Where Meekings' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greenwich, London parishes, St James and Romford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Babergh, Mid Suffolk and St Edmundsbury. 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 St James Suffolk
4 London parishes London 3
5 Romford Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Babergh 007 Babergh
2 Babergh 001 Babergh
3 Mid Suffolk 004 Mid Suffolk
4 St Edmundsbury 010 St Edmundsbury
5 Babergh 006 Babergh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meekings

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meekings

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Meekings, 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 Meekings surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Meekings 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Meekings 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

Meekings 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

Meekings falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Meekings is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Meekings families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meekings 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. Middlesex leads with 45 Meekings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.88x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 45 3.88x
Suffolk 26 18.39x
Kent 18 4.55x
Surrey 17 3.01x
Essex 9 3.93x
Buckinghamshire 2 2.85x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.36x
Worcestershire 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bermondsey in Surrey leads with 10 Meekings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.94x.

Place Total Index
Bermondsey 10 28.94x
Greenwich 9 48.70x
Gravesend 8 238.81x
Kensington London 8 12.40x
St Pancras London 8 8.56x
Westminster St John 8 56.62x
Felsham 7 5384.62x
Tottenham 7 37.86x
Bury St Edmunds St James 6 158.73x
Hammersmith London 6 20.99x
Mile End Old Town 5 27.29x
Stoke 5 3846.15x
Harwich St Nicholas 4 225.99x
Ipswich St Margaret 4 83.33x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 17.12x
Stambourne 2 1176.47x
Stonham Earl 2 800.00x
Tostock 2 1428.57x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.98x
Camberwell 1 1.35x
Caterham 1 40.00x
Chelsea London 1 2.86x
Deptford St Paul 1 3.27x
Epsom 1 36.23x
Fryerning 1 357.14x
Hanslope 1 158.73x
Iver 1 111.11x
Little Waltham 1 434.78x
St George Hanover 1 6.60x
Wanstead 1 24.94x
Whistones 1 90.91x
Wood Ditton 1 163.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Ann 4
Annie 4
Alice 3
Eliza 3
Sarah 3
Anna 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Matilda 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Elizabeth 1
Esther 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Maud 1
Maude 1
Mirram 1
Phoebe 1
Rose 1
Rosina 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Meekings surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meekings surname in 1881?

In 1881, 123 people were recorded with the Meekings surname. That placed it at #17,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meekings surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 476 in 2016. That gives Meekings a modern rank of #10,360.

What does the Meekings map show?

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