NameCensus.

UK surname

Rudkin

An English surname derived from a nickname describing a ruddy or red-faced person.

In the 1881 census there were 1,181 people recorded with the Rudkin surname, ranking it #3,410 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,515, ranked #4,086, down from #3,410 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Braintree, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Charnwood and South Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rudkin is 1,723 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.3%.

1881 census count

1,181

Ranked #3,410

Modern count

1,515

2016, ranked #4,086

Peak year

1998

1,723 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rudkin had 1,181 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,410 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,515 in 2016, ranked #4,086.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,718 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rudkin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rudkin surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rudkin 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 644 #4,032
1861 historical 660 #4,061
1881 historical 1,181 #3,410
1891 historical 1,302 #3,327
1901 historical 1,583 #3,259
1911 historical 1,718 #2,853
1997 modern 1,649 #3,600
1998 modern 1,723 #3,596
1999 modern 1,720 #3,622
2000 modern 1,709 #3,625
2001 modern 1,665 #3,641
2002 modern 1,675 #3,688
2003 modern 1,611 #3,736
2004 modern 1,640 #3,690
2005 modern 1,583 #3,762
2006 modern 1,565 #3,800
2007 modern 1,553 #3,866
2008 modern 1,563 #3,876
2009 modern 1,617 #3,846
2010 modern 1,616 #3,923
2011 modern 1,584 #3,946
2012 modern 1,514 #4,054
2013 modern 1,525 #4,099
2014 modern 1,540 #4,085
2015 modern 1,523 #4,079
2016 modern 1,515 #4,086

Geography

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Where Rudkins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Braintree, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Blaby and Barrow-on-Soar (Barrow-on-Soar, Mountsorrel, Woodhouse, Woodhouse Eaves, Maplewell), Beaumanor, Roth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Charnwood, South Kesteven and North Kesteven. 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 Braintree Essex
2 London parishes London 1
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Blaby Leicestershire
5 Barrow-on-Soar (Barrow-on-Soar, Mountsorrel, Woodhouse, Woodhouse Eaves, Maplewell), Beaumanor, Roth Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 036 County Durham
2 Charnwood 015 Charnwood
3 South Kesteven 015 South Kesteven
4 South Kesteven 016 South Kesteven
5 North Kesteven 010 North Kesteven

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rudkin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rudkin

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Rudkin is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Rudkin is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rudkin falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Rudkin

The surname Rudkin is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from a medieval place name, either Rudkyn or Ruckinge, both located in Kent, England. The name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or came from one of these places.

Rudkin is thought to be a variant spelling of the Old English word "rudding," meaning a clearing or assart in a woodland area. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived in or near a cleared area within a forest.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Rudkin can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Rudekyn." The Hundred Rolls were administrative records that documented the names of landowners and residents in various counties across England.

In the 14th century, the surname Rudkin is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, dated 1327. These rolls were tax records that listed individuals who were required to pay a subsidy or tax to the Crown.

A notable historical figure with the surname Rudkin was John Rudkin, a merchant and Member of Parliament for Colchester in the late 16th century. He was born around 1545 and served in the Parliament of 1589.

Another individual of note was William Rudkin, a clergyman and author from the 17th century. He was born in 1620 and published several religious works, including "The Christian's Morning Sacrifice" in 1663.

In the 18th century, Thomas Rudkin, a Yorkshire-born inventor and engineer, lived from 1734 to 1811. He is credited with inventing a method for making iron rails for early railways.

Sarah Rudkin, born in 1792, was a notable poet and writer from Leicestershire, England. She published a collection of poems titled "Poems on Various Subjects" in 1824.

During the 19th century, James Rudkin, a British architect, made significant contributions to the field of architecture. He was born in 1845 and designed several notable buildings, including the Shire Hall in Nottingham, which was completed in 1887.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rudkin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rudkin 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. Leicestershire leads with 264 Rudkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.65x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 264 20.65x
Lincolnshire 205 11.12x
Middlesex 147 1.27x
Essex 121 5.32x
Rutland 72 85.05x
Yorkshire 60 0.53x
Derbyshire 40 2.22x
Lancashire 40 0.29x
Surrey 35 0.62x
Durham 31 0.90x
Northamptonshire 24 2.21x
Kent 23 0.58x
Warwickshire 23 0.79x
Nottinghamshire 21 1.35x
Staffordshire 19 0.49x
Shropshire 9 0.90x
Hertfordshire 8 1.01x
Hampshire 7 0.30x
Devon 6 0.25x
Gloucestershire 6 0.27x
Flintshire 5 1.61x
Norfolk 3 0.17x
Berkshire 2 0.23x
Cumberland 2 0.20x
Midlothian 2 0.13x
Cardiganshire 1 0.36x
Cheshire 1 0.04x
Cornwall 1 0.08x
East Lothian 1 0.65x
Suffolk 1 0.07x
Wiltshire 1 0.10x
Worcestershire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 96 Rudkins recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.79x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 96 30.79x
Barrow Upon Soar 30 284.09x
Hammersmith London 29 10.21x
Braintree 25 122.31x
Toxteth Park 25 5.40x
Market Deeping 23 481.17x
Empingham 20 615.38x
Blaby 19 368.93x
Aston 17 2.12x
Islington London 17 1.52x
Witham 16 136.52x
Harringworth 15 1041.67x
Leicester St Mary 15 14.52x
Helmington Row 14 87.61x
Ridlington 14 1521.74x
Stainby 14 2333.33x
Mile End Old Town 13 7.14x
Nottingham St Mary 13 3.23x
Paddington London 13 3.07x
Penshaw 13 126.09x
Colchester St James 12 130.15x
Great Coggeshall 12 101.35x
Little Bytham 12 991.74x
Spalding 11 30.06x
St Pancras London 11 1.19x
Syston 11 91.90x
Aunby 10 4000.00x
Colchester St Mary At 10 123.92x
Skellingthorpe 10 350.88x
Cold Overton 9 2647.06x
Holy Trinity 9 3.27x
Kensington London 9 1.40x
Stamford All Sts 9 87.21x
Staveley 9 28.09x
Surfleet 9 234.99x
Armley 8 15.88x
Blackwell 8 90.19x
Cheshunt 8 28.80x
Croydon 8 2.57x
Ecclesfield 8 9.55x
Exton 8 310.08x
Stamford St George 8 96.62x
West Ham 8 1.59x
Barholm 7 985.92x
Erith 7 18.06x
Ferry Fryston 7 157.30x
Hampstead London 7 3.90x
Loughborough 7 12.07x
Newcastle Under Lyme 7 10.16x
Rotherhithe 7 4.91x
St George Hanover 7 4.65x
West Bergholt 7 164.71x
Weston 7 209.58x
Whitchurch 7 36.21x
Willesden 7 6.44x
Wortley In Bramley 7 7.74x
Battersea 6 1.41x
Camberwell 6 0.81x
Deeping St James 6 92.02x
East Teignmouth 6 61.10x
Great Grimsby 6 5.13x
Horsley 6 59.88x
Oakham Deanshold 6 158.73x
Quarrington 6 416.67x
Rothley 6 144.23x
St Marylebone London 6 0.97x
Whitwick 6 36.92x
Allestree 5 216.45x
Ancaster 5 193.80x
Bolehall Glascote 5 40.58x
Cosby 5 126.26x
Cossington 5 314.47x
Denaby 5 77.40x
Leicester St Martin 5 58.28x
Little Ponton 5 555.56x
Oakham Lordshold 5 56.43x
Rhuddlan 5 18.33x
Shoreditch London 5 1.00x
Whaplode 5 79.62x
Witham On Hill 5 649.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 75
Sarah 51
Elizabeth 33
Eliza 30
Annie 18
Emma 17
Jane 15
Ann 14
Louisa 14
Martha 14
Ellen 13
Alice 12
Charlotte 12
Florence 11
Hannah 11
Kate 11
Ada 10
Clara 10
Edith 10
Emily 10
Harriet 10
Catherine 9
Caroline 7
Maria 7
Amy 6
Fanny 6
Frances 6
Betsy 5
Lucy 5
Sophia 5
Anna 4
Anne 4
Isabella 4
Margaret 4
Rebecca 4
Rose 4
Elizth. 3
Gertrude 3
Henrietta 3
Minnie 3
Susan 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Bertha 2
Esther 2
Letitia 2
Lily 2
Marian 2
Rachael 2
Ruth 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 96
John 77
Thomas 43
Henry 39
Joseph 31
George 27
Charles 24
James 20
Walter 16
Arthur 14
Frederick 13
Robert 13
Samuel 12
Edward 11
Alfred 10
Frank 10
Richard 8
Ernest 7
Benjamin 5
Harry 5
Albert 4
Edwin 4
Horace 4
Chas. 3
Daniel 3
David 3
Tom 3
Dan 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Fredk. 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Joe 2
Leonard 2
Levi 2
Matthew 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Alexander 1
Amos 1
Arabella 1
Brown 1
Burton 1
Elizabeth 1
Everard 1
Infant 1
Isaiah 1
Wm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Rudkin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rudkin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,181 people were recorded with the Rudkin surname. That placed it at #3,410 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rudkin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,515 in 2016. That gives Rudkin a modern rank of #4,086.

What does the Rudkin surname mean?

An English surname derived from a nickname describing a ruddy or red-faced person.

What does the Rudkin map show?

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