NameCensus.

UK surname

Perkin

An English surname derived from a diminutive form of the given name Peter.

In the 1881 census there were 1,611 people recorded with the Perkin surname, ranking it #2,653 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,304, ranked #4,595, down from #2,653 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leek, Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington and Worthen. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, South Northamptonshire and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Perkin is 1,919 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 19.1%.

1881 census count

1,611

Ranked #2,653

Modern count

1,304

2016, ranked #4,595

Peak year

1911

1,919 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Perkin had 1,611 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,653 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,304 in 2016, ranked #4,595.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,919 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Perkin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Perkin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Perkin 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 1,504 #1,908
1861 historical 1,235 #2,312
1881 historical 1,611 #2,653
1891 historical 1,883 #2,443
1901 historical 1,656 #3,112
1911 historical 1,919 #2,587
1997 modern 1,257 #4,535
1998 modern 1,378 #4,328
1999 modern 1,389 #4,334
2000 modern 1,384 #4,330
2001 modern 1,362 #4,296
2002 modern 1,390 #4,317
2003 modern 1,341 #4,369
2004 modern 1,314 #4,447
2005 modern 1,271 #4,527
2006 modern 1,243 #4,633
2007 modern 1,259 #4,622
2008 modern 1,261 #4,633
2009 modern 1,289 #4,642
2010 modern 1,309 #4,675
2011 modern 1,308 #4,617
2012 modern 1,272 #4,663
2013 modern 1,321 #4,589
2014 modern 1,314 #4,627
2015 modern 1,302 #4,622
2016 modern 1,304 #4,595

Geography

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Where Perkins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leek, Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington, Worthen, Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall and Wakefield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, South Northamptonshire and Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 Leek Staffordshire
2 Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington Staffordshire
3 Worthen Montgomeryshire
4 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire
5 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 054 Cornwall
2 South Northamptonshire 001 South Northamptonshire
3 Cornwall 058 Cornwall
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Perkin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Perkin

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

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Perkin is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Perkin is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Perkin falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Perkin

The surname Perkin is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French diminutive name "Perkin," a pet form of the personal name "Pierre" or "Peter." This name was brought to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Perkin surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where it appears as "Perkinus." This suggests that the name was already in use by the mid-12th century in the northern regions of England.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as "Perkyn" and "Perkyns," in historical records from counties like Oxfordshire and Lincolnshire. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.

A notable historical figure bearing the name Perkin was Perkin Warbeck, a Flemish impostor who claimed to be Richard of Shrewsbury, one of the Princes in the Tower during the reign of King Henry VII in the late 15th century. Warbeck's rebellion against Henry VII in 1497 is a significant event in English history.

Another prominent individual with the Perkin surname was John Perkins (c. 1555-1617), an English writer and clergyman who is best known for his work "A Treatise of the Lawes of England in Discoverie of the Coverte Remnavnt of the Romish Seed." He played a role in the religious and political debates of his time.

In the 17th century, a notable figure was William Perkins (1558-1602), an influential English Puritan theologian and Cambridge scholar. His writings, such as "A Golden Chain" and "A Treatise on the Conscience," had a significant impact on Puritan thought and theology.

The Perkin surname can also be traced to various place names in England, such as Perkin's Farm in Yorkshire and Perkins Manor in Oxfordshire. These locations likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in their respective regions.

Throughout history, the Perkin surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, writers, clergymen, and even political figures. While the name's origins can be traced back to the Norman influence in England, it has become deeply rooted in the country's history and cultural fabric.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Perkin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Perkin 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. Yorkshire leads with 322 Perkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.07x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 322 2.07x
Staffordshire 289 5.44x
Devon 181 5.53x
Cornwall 155 8.70x
Lancashire 136 0.73x
Shropshire 111 8.17x
Cheshire 86 2.48x
Middlesex 47 0.30x
Essex 35 1.13x
Derbyshire 30 1.22x
Somerset 30 1.18x
Warwickshire 28 0.71x
Worcestershire 25 1.22x
Surrey 22 0.29x
Montgomeryshire 18 4.99x
Durham 13 0.28x
Glamorgan 10 0.37x
Hertfordshire 9 0.83x
Northumberland 9 0.38x
Pembrokeshire 9 1.80x
Hampshire 7 0.22x
Dorset 6 0.58x
Kent 6 0.11x
Lincolnshire 6 0.24x
Monmouthshire 5 0.44x
Gloucestershire 4 0.13x
Berkshire 2 0.17x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.31x
Cumberland 2 0.15x
Lanarkshire 2 0.04x
Northamptonshire 2 0.14x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.11x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.10x
Royal Navy 1 0.53x
Sussex 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Ives in Cornwall leads with 67 Perkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 192.20x.

Place Total Index
St Ives 67 192.20x
Leeds 52 5.91x
Stoke Upon Trent 38 6.75x
Barwick In Elmet 29 242.68x
Wakefield 28 23.39x
West Derby 27 4.94x
Leek Lowe 26 36.80x
Salt Enson 25 1082.25x
Heaton Norris 24 22.58x
Worthen 24 166.21x
Hopton Coton 22 292.94x
Wentnor 22 559.80x
Worthen Hope 19 659.72x
Little Bardfield 18 967.74x
Cheadle 17 66.64x
Northen Etchells 17 417.69x
Shrewsbury St Mary 17 31.69x
Wortley In Bramley 16 12.96x
Alfreton 15 20.04x
Wolstanton Chesterton 15 55.25x
Armley 14 20.36x
Bideford 14 39.91x
Tavistock 14 37.52x
Uttoxeter 14 51.49x
Birmingham 13 0.98x
Blithfield 13 807.45x
Bradford 12 591.13x
Calstock 12 34.35x
Kings Norton 12 6.51x
Barnsley 11 6.84x
Hunslet 11 4.52x
Barnstaple 10 19.45x
Barrow In Furness 10 3.94x
Church 10 37.94x
Church Pulverbach 10 462.96x
Great Bardfield 10 195.69x
Headingley Cum Burley 10 9.96x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 10 13.80x
Gayton 9 708.66x
Great Amwell 9 82.80x
Holsworthy 9 97.40x
Hurdsfield 9 42.12x
Illogan 9 19.08x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 3.57x
Porlock 9 217.92x
Stourbridge 9 17.02x
Virginstow 9 1384.62x
Weston On Trent 9 316.90x
Wolstanton 9 5.58x
Abbots Bromley 8 101.65x
Checkley 8 58.01x
Chorlton On Medlock 8 2.70x
Lamerton 8 128.41x
Leigh 8 226.63x
Long Ditton 8 63.90x
Marystow 8 380.95x
Otterham 8 909.09x
Penkridge 8 58.39x
Soothill 8 14.20x
Spofforth 8 373.83x
St Peter Tavy 8 481.93x
Stoke Damerel 8 3.49x
Twerton 8 30.63x
Wavertree 8 13.39x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 7 13.13x
Foleshill 7 16.77x
Landrake 7 176.77x
Lewtrenchard 7 421.69x
Lotherton Cum Aberford 7 292.89x
Ovenden 7 10.09x
Poulton Barre 7 32.96x
St Mary Magdalene 7 53.48x
St Marylebone London 7 0.83x
Titteworth 7 85.89x
Tixall 7 573.77x
Weaverham Cum Milton 7 76.25x
Boyton 6 291.26x
Litchurch 6 6.05x
Roath 6 4.82x
St Pancras London 6 0.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 118
Elizabeth 65
Sarah 62
Ann 39
Jane 31
Hannah 26
Emma 25
Alice 24
Annie 22
Eliza 22
Ellen 17
Margaret 15
Emily 13
Martha 13
Agnes 10
Charlotte 10
Edith 10
Harriet 10
Catherine 9
Florence 8
Caroline 7
Clara 7
Fanny 7
Louisa 7
Maria 7
Bessie 6
Frances 6
Jessie 6
Lucy 6
Rachel 6
Amy 5
Anne 5
Eleanor 5
Isabella 5
Lydia 5
Matilda 5
Susan 5
Ada 4
Beatrice 4
Ethel 4
Eva 4
Kate 4
Rebecca 4
Rose 4
Sophia 4
Dinah 3
Elizebeth 3
Grace 3
Julia 3
Minnie 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 128
William 123
Thomas 51
George 37
James 35
Joseph 35
Richard 32
Samuel 26
Edward 25
Charles 22
Henry 20
Robert 20
Alfred 13
Arthur 12
Frederick 11
Francis 10
Harry 9
Albert 8
David 7
Frank 7
Edwin 6
Herbert 6
Benjamin 5
Fred 5
Thos. 5
Walter 5
Abraham 4
Wm. 4
Edmund 3
Ernest 3
Jno. 3
Phillip 3
Seth 3
Tom 3
Adam 2
Digory 2
Edgar 2
Hy. 2
Jonathan 2
Matthew 2
Obadiah 2
Paul 2
Rd. 2
Willie 2
Arnold 1
Charley 1
Chas. 1
Emanual 1
Emil 1
Ephraim 1

FAQ

Perkin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Perkin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,611 people were recorded with the Perkin surname. That placed it at #2,653 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Perkin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,304 in 2016. That gives Perkin a modern rank of #4,595.

What does the Perkin surname mean?

An English surname derived from a diminutive form of the given name Peter.

What does the Perkin map show?

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