NameCensus.

UK surname

Pipkin

A diminutive of the given name Philip, or an occupational surname for a maker or seller of clay pipes.

In the 1881 census there were 202 people recorded with the Pipkin surname, ranking it #12,753 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 233, ranked #17,625, down from #12,753 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Edmonton, London parishes and Wyddiall, Throcking, Layston, Aspeden, Wakely, Westmill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ08, Rushcliffe and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pipkin is 290 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.3%.

1881 census count

202

Ranked #12,753

Modern count

233

2016, ranked #17,625

Peak year

1999

290 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pipkin had 202 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,753 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 233 in 2016, ranked #17,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 288 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Pipkin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pipkin surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Pipkin 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 143 #13,343
1861 historical 100 #21,103
1881 historical 202 #12,753
1891 historical 189 #15,547
1901 historical 265 #12,652
1911 historical 288 #11,757
1997 modern 249 #15,319
1998 modern 288 #14,249
1999 modern 290 #14,281
2000 modern 286 #14,385
2001 modern 277 #14,474
2002 modern 271 #14,966
2003 modern 254 #15,454
2004 modern 245 #15,894
2005 modern 235 #16,335
2006 modern 237 #16,334
2007 modern 241 #16,341
2008 modern 234 #16,827
2009 modern 244 #16,706
2010 modern 240 #17,230
2011 modern 239 #17,138
2012 modern 235 #17,242
2013 modern 232 #17,663
2014 modern 234 #17,662
2015 modern 229 #17,846
2016 modern 233 #17,625

Geography

Back to top

Where Pipkins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Edmonton, London parishes, Wyddiall, Throcking, Layston, Aspeden, Wakely, Westmill, Tottenham and Hemel Hempstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ08, Rushcliffe, Cornwall, East Northamptonshire and Conwy. 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 Edmonton Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Wyddiall, Throcking, Layston, Aspeden, Wakely, Westmill Hertfordshire
4 Tottenham Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ08 West Dunbartonshire
2 Rushcliffe 006 Rushcliffe
3 Cornwall 061 Cornwall
4 East Northamptonshire 006 East Northamptonshire
5 Conwy 009 Conwy

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Pipkin

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Pipkin

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Pipkin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Pipkin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Pipkin is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pipkin is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pipkin falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pipkin

The surname Pipkin has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "pipe" and "kyn," which together refer to a family or clan of pipe makers or those involved in the piping trade. The name may have also been an occupational surname given to those who played the pipe or other wind instruments.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pipkin can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Richard Pipekyn in Oxfordshire. In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Pypekin, Pipkyn, and Pypekin in records across different counties in England.

The Pipkin surname is also linked to certain place names in England, such as Pipkin Farm in Hertfordshire and Pipkin Lane in Wiltshire. These locations may have been named after individuals bearing the Pipkin surname or may have influenced the name's development.

Among notable historical figures with the surname Pipkin, one can mention:

1. John Pipkin (c. 1580-1644), an English colonist who settled in Virginia and was granted land in the early 17th century. 2. William Pipkin (1728-1809), a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a prominent landowner in South Carolina. 3. Mary Ann Pipkin (1795-1876), an American author and educator who wrote several instructional books for children in the mid-19th century. 4. Robert Pipkin (1845-1923), a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and later a successful businessman in Ohio. 5. Horace Pipkin (1888-1946), an African American painter and educator from Pennsylvania, known for his naïve style and depictions of rural life.

The Pipkin surname has a long history in England, with roots dating back to the medieval era. Its origins are closely tied to the pipe-making trade and may have also been associated with those who played wind instruments. While not as widespread as some other surnames, the name Pipkin has left its mark across various historical records and notable individuals over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Pipkin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pipkin 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. Middlesex leads with 45 Pipkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.28x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 45 2.28x
Hertfordshire 44 32.40x
Buckinghamshire 21 17.63x
Bedfordshire 17 16.66x
Warwickshire 16 3.22x
Wiltshire 15 8.61x
Oxfordshire 14 11.50x
Surrey 11 1.15x
Kent 9 1.34x
Northumberland 3 1.02x
Berkshire 2 1.35x
Essex 2 0.51x
Northamptonshire 2 1.08x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.80x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire leads with 23 Pipkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 375.82x.

Place Total Index
Hemel Hempstead 23 375.82x
Eaton Bray 14 1359.22x
Cowley 13 342.11x
Highworth 12 538.12x
Tottenham 11 35.05x
Edmonton 9 56.68x
Shoreditch London 9 10.54x
Ware 9 231.36x
Hartwell 8 8000.00x
Lewisham 8 22.32x
Paddington London 7 9.66x
Aston 6 4.38x
Berkhampstead 5 163.93x
Layston 5 694.44x
Stone 5 543.48x
Birmingham 4 2.42x
Egham 4 67.91x
Aylesbury 3 56.82x
Elswick 3 12.82x
Hendon 3 42.31x
Waddesdon 3 526.32x
Warwick St Mary 3 69.61x
Battersea 2 2.76x
Bremhill 2 253.16x
Chertsey 2 32.26x
Church Lawford 2 1111.11x
Croughton 2 487.80x
Isleworth 2 22.83x
Lambeth 2 1.16x
Leighton Buzzard 2 45.56x
Walthamstow 2 14.29x
Bray 1 22.99x
Bushey 1 30.96x
Draycot Moor 1 666.67x
East Claydon 1 434.78x
Farnborough 1 400.00x
Great Shelford 1 151.52x
Hackney London 1 0.91x
Hannington 1 476.19x
Hillingdon 1 15.92x
Iffley 1 97.09x
Kings Langley 1 101.01x
Luton 1 5.66x
Maidstone 1 4.99x
Newington 1 1.37x
St Marylebone London 1 0.95x
St Pancras London 1 0.63x
Stony Stratford East 1 204.08x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 17
George 9
John 9
Charles 8
James 7
Thomas 6
Edward 5
Joseph 4
Ernest 3
Henry 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Jesse 2
Samuel 2
David 1
Denis 1
Edmund 1
Jas. 1
Martha 1
Philip 1
Phillip 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Saml.Jas. 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Pipkin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pipkin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 202 people were recorded with the Pipkin surname. That placed it at #12,753 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pipkin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 233 in 2016. That gives Pipkin a modern rank of #17,625.

What does the Pipkin surname mean?

A diminutive of the given name Philip, or an occupational surname for a maker or seller of clay pipes.

What does the Pipkin map show?

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