NameCensus.

UK surname

Pitkin

A diminutive surname derived from a small settlement name.

In the 1881 census there were 296 people recorded with the Pitkin surname, ranking it #9,823 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 419, ranked #11,445, down from #9,823 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Little Horwood, London parishes and Watford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ceredigion, West Oxfordshire and Luton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pitkin is 470 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.6%.

1881 census count

296

Ranked #9,823

Modern count

419

2016, ranked #11,445

Peak year

1999

470 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pitkin had 296 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,823 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 419 in 2016, ranked #11,445.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 443 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pitkin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pitkin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pitkin 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 194 #10,662
1861 historical 150 #15,296
1881 historical 296 #9,823
1891 historical 355 #9,721
1901 historical 408 #9,358
1911 historical 443 #8,611
1997 modern 438 #10,282
1998 modern 458 #10,267
1999 modern 470 #10,120
2000 modern 441 #10,611
2001 modern 427 #10,673
2002 modern 422 #11,002
2003 modern 410 #11,061
2004 modern 407 #11,135
2005 modern 405 #11,078
2006 modern 396 #11,338
2007 modern 420 #10,943
2008 modern 410 #11,245
2009 modern 419 #11,282
2010 modern 431 #11,285
2011 modern 417 #11,462
2012 modern 408 #11,567
2013 modern 420 #11,489
2014 modern 425 #11,432
2015 modern 420 #11,458
2016 modern 419 #11,445

Geography

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Where Pitkins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Little Horwood, London parishes, Watford, Swanbourne and Drayton Parslow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ceredigion, West Oxfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes and South Holland. 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 Little Horwood Buckinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Watford Hertfordshire
4 Swanbourne Buckinghamshire
5 Drayton Parslow Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ceredigion 009 Ceredigion
2 West Oxfordshire 015 West Oxfordshire
3 Luton 001 Luton
4 Milton Keynes 029 Milton Keynes
5 South Holland 003 South Holland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pitkin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pitkin

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Pitkin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Pitkin 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

Pitkin falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pitkin

The surname Pitkin originates from England, where it first appeared in the early 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "pytt" meaning pit or hollow, and "cyning" meaning king, referring to someone who lived near a pit or hollow belonging to a king or lord.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where a William de Pitchenho is mentioned. This spelling variation suggests the name's connection to a place called Pitchenho, which may have been a location with a pit or hollow.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a record of a John de Pyteking, residing in Oxfordshire. This spelling closely resembles the modern form of the surname and provides further evidence of its longstanding presence in England.

The Pitkin name is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John Pytkyn is listed. This document provides an early example of the name's spelling, indicating its evolution over time.

One notable bearer of the Pitkin surname was Sir William Pitkin (1637-1694), an English lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King William III and Queen Mary II.

Another prominent figure was Reverend Caleb Pitkin (1695-1752), an American clergyman and educator who served as the first rector of Christ Church in Stratford, Connecticut, and later became the president of Yale College (now Yale University).

In the 18th century, Roger Pitkin (1711-1794) was a notable American politician who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut from 1766 to 1769 and played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War.

William Pitkin (1725-1787), a lawyer and politician from Connecticut, served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and was a signer of the Articles of Confederation in 1778.

Timothy Pitkin (1766-1847), an American writer and statistician, authored several influential works on political economy and statistics, including "A Statistical View of the Commerce of the United States" (1816) and "A Political and Civil History of the United States" (1828).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pitkin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pitkin 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. Buckinghamshire leads with 101 Pitkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.26x.

County Total Index
Buckinghamshire 101 59.26x
Middlesex 49 1.74x
Hertfordshire 46 23.67x
Bedfordshire 34 23.29x
Essex 14 2.52x
Cambridgeshire 10 5.60x
Devon 7 1.19x
Kent 6 0.62x
Lancashire 6 0.18x
Surrey 4 0.29x
Warwickshire 4 0.56x
Denbighshire 3 2.82x
Dorset 1 0.54x
Glamorgan 1 0.20x
Hampshire 1 0.17x
Royal Navy 1 2.98x
Staffordshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Little Horwood in Buckinghamshire leads with 21 Pitkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 7000.00x.

Place Total Index
Little Horwood 21 7000.00x
Dunstable 19 423.16x
Berkhampstead 17 389.02x
Chesham 15 238.85x
Hemel Hempstead 15 171.23x
West Ham 11 8.95x
St Andrewthe Less 10 49.02x
Bethnal Green London 9 7.35x
Bushey 9 194.38x
Great Missenden 9 428.57x
Luton 9 35.62x
Drayton Parslow 8 1739.13x
Swanbourne 8 1702.13x
Exeter St David 7 139.72x
Stewkley 7 538.46x
East Claydon 6 1818.18x
Great Horwood 6 869.57x
Great Stanmore 6 472.44x
Simpson 6 845.07x
Aldington 5 769.23x
Bromley London 5 8.06x
Hawridge 5 2173.91x
Houghton Regis 5 214.59x
Shoreditch London 5 4.09x
St Botolph Aldersgate 5 154.80x
Aston 4 2.04x
Barrow In Furness 4 8.79x
St Luke London 4 8.85x
Aldbury 3 340.91x
Bletchley 3 600.00x
Leyton Low 3 26.53x
St Asaph 3 277.78x
St Marylebone London 3 1.99x
Weston Turville 3 375.00x
Winslow 3 187.50x
Clerkenwell London 2 3.01x
Hackney London 2 1.27x
Oldham 2 1.85x
Battersea 1 0.96x
Bedford St Paul 1 9.99x
Blandford Forum 1 27.40x
Cardiff St Mary 1 3.70x
Croydon 1 1.31x
Eling 1 17.09x
Hampstead London 1 2.28x
Hampton Wick London 1 48.31x
Hornsey 1 2.81x
Islington London 1 0.37x
Newington 1 0.96x
Northchurch 1 48.31x
Penge 1 5.55x
Plumstead 1 3.12x
Royal Navy 1 3.48x
St Albans 1 25.13x
St Andrew Holborn 1 10.46x
St Pancras London 1 0.44x
Stone 1 75.76x
Teddington London 1 15.65x
Uxbridge 1 31.06x
Wednesfield 1 7.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 12
Ann 8
Annie 7
Alice 6
Sarah 6
Caroline 5
Eliza 5
Jane 5
Emily 4
Florence 4
Martha 4
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Fanny 3
Hannah 3
Harriett 3
Julia 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Ada 2
Angelina 2
Anne 2
Edith 2
Harriet 2
Henrietta 2
Sophia 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Beatrice 1
Carrey 1
Cecilia 1
Dorcas 1
Ellinor 1
Ethel 1
Isabella 1
Jeanette 1
Jemima 1
Lavinea 1
Lilia 1
Lizzie 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Minnie 1
Miriam 1
Money 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
William 16
George 14
Henry 8
Alfred 7
Arthur 7
Thomas 6
Charles 5
Edward 5
Joseph 5
Albert 4
James 4
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Archibald 2
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Horace 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Andrew 1
Barnet 1
Barrington 1
Charlie 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edwd. 1
Edwd.J. 1
Edwin 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Fredrick 1
Harvey 1
Herbert 1
Jesse 1
Joe 1
Montague 1
Owen 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
W.H. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Pitkin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pitkin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 296 people were recorded with the Pitkin surname. That placed it at #9,823 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pitkin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 419 in 2016. That gives Pitkin a modern rank of #11,445.

What does the Pitkin surname mean?

A diminutive surname derived from a small settlement name.

What does the Pitkin map show?

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