NameCensus.

UK surname

Phin

A Portuguese surname derived from a Galician place name.

In the 1881 census there were 227 people recorded with the Phin surname, ranking it #11,858 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 173, ranked #21,561, down from #11,858 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Melrose, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tayport, Stobswell and Docks and Wellgate.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Phin is 227 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 23.8%.

1881 census count

227

Ranked #11,858

Modern count

173

2016, ranked #21,561

Peak year

1881

227 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Phin had 227 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,858 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016, ranked #21,561.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 227 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Phin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Phin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Phin 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 133 #14,106
1861 historical 152 #15,126
1881 historical 227 #11,858
1891 historical 227 #13,629
1901 historical 202 #15,010
1911 historical 37 #29,263
1997 modern 162 #20,107
1998 modern 159 #20,916
1999 modern 164 #20,621
2000 modern 178 #19,570
2001 modern 164 #20,279
2002 modern 164 #20,687
2003 modern 161 #20,697
2004 modern 158 #21,077
2005 modern 160 #20,899
2006 modern 158 #21,229
2007 modern 157 #21,546
2008 modern 154 #22,034
2009 modern 152 #22,716
2010 modern 162 #22,292
2011 modern 163 #21,983
2012 modern 169 #21,437
2013 modern 173 #21,486
2014 modern 178 #21,259
2015 modern 176 #21,291
2016 modern 173 #21,561

Geography

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Where Phins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Melrose, London parishes, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Barry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tayport, Stobswell, Docks and Wellgate, Perth Road and Douglas East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Melrose Roxburgh
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Barry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tayport Fife
2 Stobswell Dundee City
3 Docks and Wellgate Dundee City
4 Perth Road Dundee City
5 Douglas East Dundee City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Phin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Phin

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Phin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Phin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Phin 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

Phin is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Phin falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Phin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Phin

The surname PHIN is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period in England. The name is derived from the Old English word "pynna," which means "pound" or "enclosure." It was likely initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near a pound or animal enclosure.

The earliest recorded instances of the PHIN surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the late 12th century. These ancient tax records mention individuals such as Reginald de la Pynne (1195) and William de la Pynne (1198), indicating the name's presence in the region.

During the 13th century, the surname appears in various forms, including Pynne, Pyn, and Pynne. This variation in spelling was common in the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized orthography. One notable example is John de la Pynne, who is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297.

In the 14th century, the PHIN surname continued to be recorded in various parts of England. The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 mention a Robert de la Pynne, while the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1317 record a William de la Pynne.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the PHIN surname. One of the earliest was Sir John Phin (c. 1380-1462), a prominent English landowner and member of the gentry from Gloucestershire. Another was Richard Phin (1556-1628), an English clergyman who served as the Dean of Chichester Cathedral.

In the 17th century, the PHIN surname gained further prominence with individuals like Thomas Phin (1609-1679), a English merchant and colonist who was one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in North America. Another notable figure was Sir John Phin (1621-1690), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.

Moving into the 18th century, the PHIN surname continued to be represented by notable individuals such as William Phin (1718-1788), a Scottish philosopher and writer who was a prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment. Another was John Phin (1756-1823), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the Napoleonic Wars.

As the centuries progressed, the PHIN surname continued to be found throughout various parts of the English-speaking world, with individuals making their mark in various fields, including academia, politics, and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Phin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Phin 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. Angus leads with 128 Phins recorded in 1881 and an index of 63.23x.

County Total Index
Angus 128 63.23x
Ayrshire 14 8.56x
Berkshire 14 8.54x
Midlothian 14 4.78x
Selkirkshire 9 45.52x
Durham 8 1.23x
Dunbartonshire 7 11.92x
Kent 6 0.80x
Aberdeenshire 4 1.98x
Caithness 4 13.37x
Lanarkshire 4 0.57x
Stirlingshire 4 4.96x
Roxburghshire 3 7.58x
Banffshire 1 2.21x
Berwickshire 1 3.78x
Kincardineshire 1 3.76x
Morayshire 1 2.95x
Perthshire 1 1.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 69 Phins recorded in 1881 and an index of 91.31x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 69 91.31x
Liff Benvie 41 133.42x
Reading St Mary 14 106.54x
Barry 10 411.52x
Melrose 9 180.72x
Ardrossan 8 141.34x
Westoe 8 21.71x
Bonhill 7 74.23x
Kirriemuir 6 120.24x
Deptford St Paul 5 8.70x
Auckinleck 4 79.05x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 3.40x
Kilsyth 4 77.82x
Edinburgh St Marys 3 52.72x
Edinburgh St Stephens 3 52.08x
North Leith 3 22.14x
Wick 3 31.06x
Old Monkland 2 7.13x
Stevenston 2 46.95x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 2.64x
Cambusnethan 1 6.37x
Cavers 1 101.01x
Earlston 1 75.76x
Edinburgh Old 1 56.18x
Elgin 1 15.15x
Govan 1 0.57x
Hawick 1 11.29x
Lethendy 1 909.09x
Margate St John Baptist 1 7.33x
Maryculter 1 125.00x
Midmar 1 128.21x
Montrose 1 8.15x
Mortlach 1 45.25x
Newhills 1 24.15x
Newtyle 1 144.93x
Olrig 1 67.11x
Peterculter 1 69.93x
Wilton 1 23.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Constance 4
Lilly 2
Mary 2
Emma 1
Jane 1
Martha 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Josh.Hy. 2
Alfred 1
Frederick 1
Isaac 1
James 1
Josh.Edwd. 1
Nathaniel 1
Sidney 1
Thomas 1
Wilkinson 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Phin households.

FAQ

Phin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Phin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 227 people were recorded with the Phin surname. That placed it at #11,858 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Phin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016. That gives Phin a modern rank of #21,561.

What does the Phin surname mean?

A Portuguese surname derived from a Galician place name.

What does the Phin map show?

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