NameCensus.

UK surname

Minns

An English surname derived from the Middle English words "mynur" or "miner", referring to miners or quarry workers.

In the 1881 census there were 1,317 people recorded with the Minns surname, ranking it #3,113 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,829, ranked #3,465, down from #3,113 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, County Durham and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Minns is 1,994 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.9%.

1881 census count

1,317

Ranked #3,113

Modern count

1,829

2016, ranked #3,465

Peak year

1999

1,994 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Minns had 1,317 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,113 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,829 in 2016, ranked #3,465.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,843 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Minns surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Minns surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Minns 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 705 #3,701
1861 historical 696 #3,883
1881 historical 1,317 #3,113
1891 historical 1,287 #3,362
1901 historical 1,640 #3,147
1911 historical 1,843 #2,678
1997 modern 1,897 #3,180
1998 modern 1,993 #3,166
1999 modern 1,994 #3,184
2000 modern 1,978 #3,196
2001 modern 1,913 #3,222
2002 modern 1,940 #3,250
2003 modern 1,910 #3,226
2004 modern 1,898 #3,243
2005 modern 1,845 #3,291
2006 modern 1,817 #3,342
2007 modern 1,843 #3,328
2008 modern 1,858 #3,333
2009 modern 1,872 #3,394
2010 modern 1,908 #3,404
2011 modern 1,873 #3,415
2012 modern 1,797 #3,486
2013 modern 1,861 #3,434
2014 modern 1,886 #3,418
2015 modern 1,856 #3,434
2016 modern 1,829 #3,465

Geography

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Where Minns' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, County Durham, King's Lynn and West Norfolk 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a Norfolk
4 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 008 South Holland
2 County Durham 059 County Durham
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 003 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 Kingston upon Hull 008 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Kingston upon Hull 001 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Minns

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Minns

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

Minns is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Minns

The surname Minns originated in England, derived from the Old English word "munuc," meaning "monk." It is believed to have first appeared in the 12th century as a descriptive name for someone who lived near or worked for a monastery.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1196, where a "Robert Munne" is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a "William le Munne" is listed.

In the 13th century, the name evolved to take on various spellings, including "Munne," "Monne," and "Mune." These variations likely arose due to local dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that time.

The Minns surname is also connected to several place names in England, such as Monks' Risborough in Buckinghamshire and Mundon in Essex. These places were likely named after monastic settlements, further reinforcing the surname's ecclesiastical origins.

Notable figures with the surname Minns include Richard Minns (1677-1730), an English mathematician and philosopher who co-authored the treatise "The Doctrine of Chances." Another notable bearer was Thomas Minns (1765-1854), an English landscape painter known for his romantic depictions of rural scenes.

John Minns (1633-1685) was an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Nottingham and authored several religious works. In the 19th century, George Minns (1811-1894) was a prominent English architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London.

Moreover, William Minns (1788-1857) was a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent figure in the abolition movement against slavery.

Throughout history, the Minns surname has maintained its connection to England and the monastic origins from which it derived. While the name may have evolved in spelling over time, its underlying meaning and association with religious institutions remained intact.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Minns families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Minns 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. Norfolk leads with 418 Minns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.16x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 418 21.16x
Middlesex 184 1.43x
Suffolk 103 6.58x
Durham 75 1.96x
Surrey 71 1.13x
Yorkshire 57 0.45x
Hampshire 47 1.78x
Lancashire 40 0.26x
Sussex 40 1.85x
Berkshire 34 3.53x
Essex 34 1.34x
Cheshire 29 1.02x
Somerset 27 1.31x
Cambridgeshire 24 2.95x
Kent 22 0.50x
Oxfordshire 19 2.39x
Northamptonshire 16 1.32x
Lincolnshire 15 0.73x
Nottinghamshire 11 0.64x
Staffordshire 10 0.23x
Hertfordshire 8 0.90x
Northumberland 6 0.31x
Dorset 5 0.59x
Leicestershire 5 0.35x
Cumberland 4 0.36x
Wiltshire 4 0.35x
Warwickshire 3 0.09x
Royal Navy 2 1.31x
Cornwall 1 0.07x
Devon 1 0.04x
Gloucestershire 1 0.04x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heigham in Norfolk leads with 28 Minns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.41x.

Place Total Index
Heigham 28 26.41x
Great Yarmouth 27 16.50x
Islington London 26 2.09x
Shoreditch London 22 3.95x
Wymondham 21 103.96x
Lakenham 17 60.56x
St Marylebone London 17 2.48x
Southwark St George Martyr 16 6.19x
West Rainton 16 135.25x
Camberwell 15 1.83x
Poplar London 15 6.19x
Deopham 13 695.19x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 13 89.53x
Kensington London 13 1.82x
Maresfield 13 142.39x
Norwich St Saviour 13 187.59x
Chester St Oswald 12 23.37x
Chesterton 12 47.83x
Ditchingham 12 253.70x
Holy Trinity 12 3.92x
Mile End Old Town 12 5.92x
Willisham 12 1363.64x
Honingham 11 728.48x
Norwich St Martin At 11 329.34x
Southampton St Mary 11 6.64x
Wanstead 11 24.77x
West Derby 11 2.47x
Whitworth 11 39.31x
Woking 11 29.15x
Wootton 11 679.01x
Bricett 10 900.90x
Buxted 10 117.92x
Framingham Earl 10 1612.90x
Hetton Le Hole 10 20.64x
Carisbrooke 9 24.62x
Earsham 9 334.57x
Glastonbury 9 53.32x
Hackney London 9 1.25x
Hargrave 9 486.49x
Leyton Low 9 17.46x
Morley St Botolph 9 725.81x
Norwich St Andrew 9 267.06x
Norwich St Augustine 9 113.07x
Radley 9 371.90x
Abingdon St Helen 8 28.38x
Auckland St Andrew 8 79.29x
Burton Upon Trent 8 7.88x
Colton 8 714.29x
Fishtoft 8 198.51x
Heacham 8 182.23x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 8 62.40x
Norwich St Mary At Coslany 8 141.59x
Oldham 8 1.63x
Rotherfield 8 41.95x
Sculcoates 8 3.96x
St Luke London 8 3.88x
Tilney All Sts 8 321.29x
Tottenham 8 3.91x
Bromley London 7 2.48x
Broxbourne 7 39.89x
Clapham 7 4.36x
Dawdon 7 14.89x
Farnborough 7 109.55x
Norwich St Gregory 7 202.31x
Norwich St Paul 7 59.17x
Portsea 7 1.36x
Ramsgate 7 9.78x
Taunton St Mary 7 18.44x
Thornton In Fylde 7 20.99x
Thwaite St Mary 7 1320.75x
Whitby 7 16.32x
Wolferton 7 864.20x
Barking 6 74.07x
Carbrooke 6 223.05x
Chertsey 6 14.83x
Coltishall 6 142.86x
Halesworth 6 54.05x
Portishead 6 39.04x
Rockingham 6 600.00x
West Ham 6 1.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 90
Elizabeth 52
Sarah 39
Ellen 32
Alice 27
Ann 22
Emma 22
Jane 22
Eliza 21
Harriet 20
Edith 15
Caroline 13
Emily 13
Martha 13
Maria 12
Hannah 11
Margaret 11
Annie 10
Fanny 9
Florence 9
Harriett 9
Lydia 9
Sophia 9
Amelia 8
Ada 7
Louisa 7
Agnes 6
Charlotte 6
Maud 6
Rosa 6
Rose 6
Amy 5
Anna 5
Jessie 5
Minnie 5
Susannah 5
Clara 4
Ethel 4
Kate 4
Matilda 4
Rebecca 4
Selina 4
Anne 3
E.Royall 3
Esther 3
Frances 3
Georgina 3
Gertrude 3
Lucy 3
Mabel 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 79
John 61
George 47
James 37
Charles 32
Robert 25
Walter 22
Arthur 21
Alfred 20
Henry 19
Thomas 19
Edward 15
Frederick 14
David 12
Albert 11
Herbert 9
Ernest 8
Harry 8
Joseph 7
Samuel 7
Edwin 6
Frank 6
Sidney 6
Peter 5
Richard 5
Benjamin 3
Edgar 3
Francis 3
Frederic 3
Fredrick 3
Isaac 3
Lewis 3
Matthew 3
Ralph 3
Reuben 3
Stephen 3
Wm. 3
Anthony 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Harold 2
Horace 2
J.Royall 2
Louis 2
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Michael 2
Oliver 2
Percy 2
Robt. 2

FAQ

Minns surname: questions and answers

How common was the Minns surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,317 people were recorded with the Minns surname. That placed it at #3,113 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Minns surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,829 in 2016. That gives Minns a modern rank of #3,465.

What does the Minns surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Middle English words "mynur" or "miner", referring to miners or quarry workers.

What does the Minns map show?

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