NameCensus.

UK surname

Peterkin

A diminutive form of Peter, meaning "little Peter" or "son of Peter," often used as a surname.

In the 1881 census there were 466 people recorded with the Peterkin surname, ranking it #7,133 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 442, ranked #10,943, down from #7,133 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Drainie, Elgin and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Inverness West Rural, County Durham and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Peterkin is 532 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.2%.

1881 census count

466

Ranked #7,133

Modern count

442

2016, ranked #10,943

Peak year

1901

532 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Peterkin had 466 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,133 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 442 in 2016, ranked #10,943.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 532 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Peterkin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Peterkin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Peterkin 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 369 #6,443
1861 historical 336 #7,589
1881 historical 466 #7,133
1891 historical 495 #7,489
1901 historical 532 #7,712
1911 historical 188 #15,550
1997 modern 385 #11,314
1998 modern 413 #11,092
1999 modern 419 #11,055
2000 modern 422 #10,960
2001 modern 415 #10,925
2002 modern 423 #10,975
2003 modern 405 #11,168
2004 modern 386 #11,579
2005 modern 385 #11,512
2006 modern 382 #11,626
2007 modern 397 #11,433
2008 modern 404 #11,374
2009 modern 423 #11,204
2010 modern 432 #11,262
2011 modern 417 #11,462
2012 modern 416 #11,372
2013 modern 427 #11,325
2014 modern 429 #11,347
2015 modern 441 #10,994
2016 modern 442 #10,943

Geography

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Where Peterkins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Drainie, Elgin, Edinburgh, Keith and Gateshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Inverness West Rural, County Durham, South Somerset, Mearns North and Inverbervie and Lochlash. 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 Drainie Elgin
2 Elgin Elgin
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Keith Banff
5 Gateshead Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Inverness West Rural Highland
2 County Durham 029 County Durham
3 South Somerset 010 South Somerset
4 Mearns North and Inverbervie Aberdeenshire
5 Lochlash Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Peterkin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Peterkin

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Peterkin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Peterkin 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Peterkin 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

Peterkin 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

Peterkin 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 Peterkin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Peterkin

The surname Peterkin is of Scottish origin, derived from the personal name Peter, itself from the Greek "Petros" meaning "rock". Peterkin was a diminutive form of Peter, with the addition of the suffix "-kin" denoting "little" or "son of". This patronymic naming tradition was common in medieval Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Peterkin surname dates back to the late 13th century, found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The Peterkins were established in the area of Berwickshire and the Scottish Borders region during this period.

In the 16th century, the Peterkin family had a presence in the village of Innerleithen, located in the Tweed Valley of the Scottish Borders. A notable member was John Peterkin (1528-1593), a minister of the Church of Scotland and a signatory of the National Covenant in 1638.

The Peterkin surname has also been connected to the Peterkyn family, landowners in the parish of Ayton in Berwickshire, as recorded in the 14th century. This suggests a possible alternative spelling or derivation of the name.

During the 17th century, a prominent figure was Alexander Peterkin (1640-1708), a Scottish minister and author who served as the minister of Crayford in Kent, England. He published several religious works, including "A Treatise on the Divine Institution of the Lord's Day" in 1691.

Another notable Peterkin was Alexander Peterkin (1762-1846), a Scottish lawyer and antiquarian who served as the Sheriff-Substitute of Orkney and Shetland Islands. He wrote extensively on the history and antiquities of these islands, including "Notes on Orkney and Zetland" published in 1822.

In the 19th century, Robert Peterkin (1805-1874) was a Scottish artist and painter, known for his landscape and genre paintings. Some of his works are held in the collections of the National Galleries of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy.

While the Peterkin surname originated in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish migration and settlement. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval Scottish Borders region and the patronymic naming traditions of that era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Peterkin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Peterkin 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. Morayshire leads with 63 Peterkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 89.77x.

County Total Index
Morayshire 63 89.77x
Aberdeenshire 57 13.63x
Middlesex 49 1.08x
Yorkshire 38 0.85x
Midlothian 37 6.12x
Banffshire 32 34.16x
Lancashire 22 0.41x
Lanarkshire 21 1.44x
Surrey 21 0.95x
Durham 18 1.34x
Kent 16 1.04x
Caithness 14 22.64x
Fife 11 4.11x
Ross-shire 11 8.87x
Essex 9 1.01x
Cheshire 8 0.80x
Angus 7 1.67x
Perthshire 7 3.45x
Renfrewshire 7 2.00x
Hampshire 5 0.54x
Caernarfonshire 4 2.19x
Inverness-shire 2 1.48x
Sussex 2 0.26x
Channel Islands 1 0.75x
Northumberland 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. Drainie in Morayshire leads with 22 Peterkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 353.70x.

Place Total Index
Drainie 22 353.70x
Aberdeen Old Machar 17 19.47x
Elgin 16 117.22x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 14 5.75x
Latheron 14 135.40x
Wortley In Bramley 14 39.49x
Fordyce 13 192.88x
Kinloss 12 722.89x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 11 14.06x
Poplar London 11 12.90x
South Leith 11 16.16x
Fraserburgh 10 84.96x
St Pancras London 9 2.48x
Barony 8 2.16x
Fodderty 8 254.78x
Gillingham 8 25.18x
Keith 8 80.08x
King Edward 8 165.98x
West Ham 8 4.06x
Cathcart 7 36.96x
Duddingston 7 57.61x
Glasgow 7 2.70x
Putney 7 34.01x
Strathmiglo 7 218.75x
Wigan 7 9.35x
Ardwick 6 12.41x
Bishopwearmouth 6 5.20x
Duffus 6 97.09x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 10.31x
Lambeth 6 1.52x
Tottenham 6 8.34x
Toxteth Park 6 3.31x
Westoe 6 7.88x
Camberwell 5 1.73x
Northwich 5 314.47x
Old Monkland 5 8.63x
Rathven 5 28.41x
St George In East 5 16.28x
Bow London 4 6.96x
Brechin 4 24.33x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 4.39x
Greenwich 4 5.56x
Leavening 4 666.67x
Llandudno 4 61.44x
Portsea 4 2.20x
Auchtermuchty 3 83.57x
Knockbain 3 103.45x
Longside 3 60.00x
North Leith 3 10.71x
Perth Middle Church 3 39.37x
Speymouth 3 294.12x
Turriff 3 44.44x
Chorley In Macclesfield 2 65.79x
Clitheroe 2 12.68x
Dundee 2 1.28x
Edinburgh St Marys 2 17.01x
Edinkillie 2 109.29x
Gamrie 2 19.12x
Inverness 2 5.89x
Leeds 2 0.79x
Meldrum 2 56.82x
Perth East Church 2 10.47x
Plumstead 2 3.89x
Preston 2 15.04x
Richmond 2 6.49x
Rillington 2 147.06x
Ruswarp 2 40.16x
Sheffield 2 1.40x
St George Martyr 2 26.28x
St Gilesin Fields 2 76.05x
Westminster St John 2 3.64x
Craig 1 24.75x
Dallas 1 69.93x
Grange 1 36.50x
Margate St John Baptist 1 3.54x
Portchester 1 83.33x
Shoreditch London 1 0.51x
St George Hanover 1 1.70x
Tullynessle Forbes 1 65.36x
Wimbledon 1 4.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 7
Sarah 7
Margaret 6
Alice 5
Jane 5
Martha 5
Maria 4
Amelia 3
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Jessie 3
Susan 3
Ada 2
Florence 2
Grace 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Jeanie 2
Lily 2
Louisa 2
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Clementine 1
Dora 1
Edith 1
Elizebth 1
Ellen 1
Florie 1
Frances 1
G. 1
Georgina 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Jesse 1
Laura 1
M.A. 1
Mabel 1
Marion 1
Matilda 1
Miranda 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 12
John 12
William 10
James 8
Henry 6
Alexander 5
Charles 4
Thomas 4
Jno. 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Allen 1
Chas 1
David 1
Douglas 1
Edward 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Geo. 1
Geo.T. 1
Gustavus 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Hutchinson 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Octavius 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Peterkin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Peterkin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 466 people were recorded with the Peterkin surname. That placed it at #7,133 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Peterkin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 442 in 2016. That gives Peterkin a modern rank of #10,943.

What does the Peterkin surname mean?

A diminutive form of Peter, meaning "little Peter" or "son of Peter," often used as a surname.

What does the Peterkin map show?

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