NameCensus.

UK surname

Palk

A surname derived from the German word "balke," meaning a beam or joist.

In the 1881 census there were 396 people recorded with the Palk surname, ranking it #8,024 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 289, ranked #15,137, down from #8,024 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Paignton, Tormoham with Torquay and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torbay, Mid Devon and Taunton Deane.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Palk is 471 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 27.0%.

1881 census count

396

Ranked #8,024

Modern count

289

2016, ranked #15,137

Peak year

1901

471 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Palk had 396 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,024 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 289 in 2016, ranked #15,137.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 471 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Palk surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Palk surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Palk 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 266 #8,373
1861 historical 232 #10,535
1881 historical 396 #8,024
1891 historical 390 #9,058
1901 historical 471 #8,420
1911 historical 469 #8,232
1997 modern 315 #13,111
1998 modern 321 #13,275
1999 modern 311 #13,642
2000 modern 318 #13,415
2001 modern 298 #13,784
2002 modern 311 #13,666
2003 modern 299 #13,850
2004 modern 301 #13,850
2005 modern 314 #13,403
2006 modern 302 #13,863
2007 modern 300 #14,048
2008 modern 301 #14,107
2009 modern 321 #13,770
2010 modern 314 #14,258
2011 modern 319 #14,000
2012 modern 290 #14,838
2013 modern 305 #14,577
2014 modern 300 #14,839
2015 modern 293 #15,005
2016 modern 289 #15,137

Geography

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Where Palks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Paignton, Tormoham with Torquay, London parishes, Ashburton and Staverton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torbay, Mid Devon, Taunton Deane and Ceredigion. 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 Paignton Devon
2 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
3 London parishes London 3
4 Ashburton Devon
5 Staverton Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torbay 013 Torbay
2 Mid Devon 004 Mid Devon
3 Mid Devon 005 Mid Devon
4 Taunton Deane 013 Taunton Deane
5 Ceredigion 007 Ceredigion

Forenames

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First names often paired with Palk

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Palk

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Palk is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Palk is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Palk falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Palk 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 Palk, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Palk

The surname Palk is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word 'palce', which means a park or enclosure. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or worked in a park or enclosed area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Palk can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Records from this time show variations in the spelling, such as 'Palke' and 'Paalke', which highlight the evolution of the name over time.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Palk was Sir Robert Palk, who served as a Governor of Madras (now Chennai) in India from 1763 to 1767. His legacy includes the construction of the Palk Strait, a narrow waterway separating the Indian subcontinent from Sri Lanka, which was named after him.

Another prominent individual with the Palk surname was Sir Walter Palk, born in 1742, who was a British politician and landowner. He inherited the family estate in Hertfordshire and served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies during the late 18th century.

The surname Palk has also been associated with various place names throughout England. For instance, the village of Palk in Shropshire is believed to have derived its name from the surname, suggesting that it may have been the original homestead of families bearing this name.

Other notable individuals with the surname Palk include John Palk, a 19th-century English cricketer who played for Hampshire County Cricket Club, and Sir Robert Palk-Huyshe, born in 1833, who was a British naval officer and politician.

Overall, the surname Palk has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its roots firmly planted in medieval England. While its precise origins remain uncertain, it has been associated with various notable figures and locations throughout the country's history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Palk families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Palk 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. Devon leads with 275 Palks recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.94x.

County Total Index
Devon 275 33.94x
Middlesex 19 0.49x
Surrey 19 1.00x
Hampshire 15 1.88x
Wiltshire 13 3.78x
Cornwall 12 2.72x
Dorset 10 3.91x
Staffordshire 7 0.53x
Warwickshire 5 0.51x
Glamorgan 4 0.59x
Somerset 3 0.48x
Berkshire 2 0.68x
Channel Islands 2 1.73x
Hertfordshire 2 0.75x
Norfolk 2 0.33x
Yorkshire 2 0.05x
Gloucestershire 1 0.13x
Kent 1 0.08x
Lancashire 1 0.02x
Northumberland 1 0.17x
Oxfordshire 1 0.42x
Royal Navy 1 2.16x
Sussex 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Broadhempston in Devon leads with 29 Palks recorded in 1881 and an index of 3866.67x.

Place Total Index
Broadhempston 29 3866.67x
Paignton 25 405.84x
Staverton 25 2500.00x
Plymouth St Andrew 22 35.25x
Tormoham 22 64.18x
Halberton 17 899.47x
Stoke Damerel 13 22.93x
Ashburton 11 284.24x
Ashprington 11 1833.33x
Southampton All Sts 10 73.05x
Bermondsey 9 7.77x
Newton Abbot St Nicholas 9 542.17x
Fisherton Anger 8 125.59x
Wolborough 8 78.13x
Abbots Kerswell 7 1206.90x
Collumpton 7 1842.11x
Egg Buckland 7 507.25x
Limehouse London 7 16.38x
Wolverhampton 7 6.93x
Calstock 6 69.44x
Kensington London 6 2.77x
Longfleet 6 202.70x
Edgbaston 5 16.43x
Lambeth 5 1.47x
Southampton St Mary 5 9.97x
West Teignmouth 5 80.65x
Buckfastleigh 4 106.95x
Chagford 4 206.19x
Drewsteignton 4 373.83x
Dunsford 4 384.62x
Sherford 4 740.74x
St Ive 4 141.34x
Swindon 4 14.98x
Aberdare 3 6.45x
Chivelstone 3 526.32x
Exeter St Sidwell 3 16.17x
Rotherhithe 3 6.24x
Walditch 3 1153.85x
Whitchurch 3 447.76x
Bushey 2 31.30x
Cullompton 2 56.50x
Culmstock 2 173.91x
Dawlish 2 33.11x
Great Yarmouth 2 4.03x
Kenn 2 158.73x
St Peter Port 2 9.37x
Swinton In Rotherham 2 19.61x
Twickenham 2 11.98x
Beerferris 1 63.29x
Berry Pomeroy 1 74.63x
Bickleigh 1 126.58x
Bovey Tracey 1 35.34x
Broad Clist 1 35.71x
Camborne 1 5.51x
Chudleigh 1 38.76x
Colaton Raleigh 1 100.00x
East Teignmouth 1 30.21x
Exeter St Mary Major 1 20.49x
Exeter St Olave 1 95.24x
Hampstead London 1 1.65x
Hastings St Clement 1 16.18x
Heythrop 1 303.03x
Lamerton 1 64.94x
Lewisham 1 1.41x
Little Hempston 1 333.33x
Modbury 1 48.31x
Netheravon 1 128.21x
Newington 1 0.70x
Newton Abbot St Mary 1 14.71x
Over Darwen 1 2.71x
Radipole 1 56.82x
Royal Navy 1 2.52x
Sandhurst 1 17.67x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.28x
St George Hanover 1 1.97x
St Pancras London 1 0.32x
Stratton 1 41.84x
Sunninghill 1 24.69x
Tynemouth 1 3.22x
Uplyme 1 82.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Elizabeth 20
Sarah 9
Ellen 8
Ann 7
Annie 7
Jane 7
Alice 6
Emily 6
Emma 5
Clara 4
Hannah 4
Harriett 4
Louisa 4
Lucy 4
Mabel 4
Susan 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Edith 3
Eliza 3
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Charlotte 2
Eva 2
Evelyn 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Georgina 2
Josephia 2
Kate 2
Lydia 2
Maude 2
Blanche 1
Catherine 1
Christiana 1
Ellenora 1
Elsie 1
Emm 1
Esther 1
Eveline 1
Hetta 1
Infant 1
Irene 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Lavinia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 28
John 21
James 13
Thomas 12
George 10
Edward 8
Henry 8
Richard 8
Samuel 6
Alfred 5
Charles 5
Frederick 5
Albert 4
Robert 3
Sidney 3
Arthur 2
Augustus 2
Daniel 2
Earnest 2
Edwin 2
Harry 2
Leonard 2
Owen 2
Reginald 2
Cornelius 1
Dannie 1
David 1
Eldred 1
Ernest 1
Fedric 1
Frances 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Hedley 1
Jas. 1
Jeffrey 1
Jno. 1
Joseph 1
Laurence 1
Lawrence 1
Nicholas 1
Parnell 1
Percey 1
Rheece 1
Rueben 1
Sydney 1
W.H. 1
Wilmott 1

FAQ

Palk surname: questions and answers

How common was the Palk surname in 1881?

In 1881, 396 people were recorded with the Palk surname. That placed it at #8,024 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Palk surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 289 in 2016. That gives Palk a modern rank of #15,137.

What does the Palk surname mean?

A surname derived from the German word "balke," meaning a beam or joist.

What does the Palk map show?

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