NameCensus.

UK surname

Silk

An occupational surname referring to a dealer or manufacturer of silk fabrics.

In the 1881 census there were 1,470 people recorded with the Silk surname, ranking it #2,841 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,010, ranked #3,204, down from #2,841 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Kidderminster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, Dover and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Silk is 2,228 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.7%.

1881 census count

1,470

Ranked #2,841

Modern count

2,010

2016, ranked #3,204

Peak year

2000

2,228 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Silk had 1,470 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,841 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,010 in 2016, ranked #3,204.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,975 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Silk surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Silk surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Silk 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 958 #2,896
1861 historical 898 #3,083
1881 historical 1,470 #2,841
1891 historical 1,528 #2,889
1901 historical 1,796 #2,913
1911 historical 1,975 #2,512
1997 modern 2,081 #2,950
1998 modern 2,165 #2,959
1999 modern 2,209 #2,934
2000 modern 2,228 #2,893
2001 modern 2,131 #2,949
2002 modern 2,164 #2,970
2003 modern 2,087 #3,000
2004 modern 2,074 #3,024
2005 modern 2,007 #3,078
2006 modern 2,015 #3,073
2007 modern 1,988 #3,138
2008 modern 1,991 #3,157
2009 modern 1,985 #3,229
2010 modern 2,078 #3,173
2011 modern 2,076 #3,144
2012 modern 2,044 #3,132
2013 modern 2,074 #3,146
2014 modern 2,066 #3,174
2015 modern 2,031 #3,190
2016 modern 2,010 #3,204

Geography

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Where Silks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Kidderminster and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, Dover, Huntingdonshire, Canterbury and Winchester. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Kidderminster Worcestershire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 022 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Dover 002 Dover
3 Huntingdonshire 006 Huntingdonshire
4 Canterbury 003 Canterbury
5 Winchester 011 Winchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Silk

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Silk

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Silk is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Silk 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

Silk 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 Silk 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 Silk, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Silk

The surname SILK is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "seolc" or "silk", referring to someone who worked with silk, such as a silk merchant or weaver.

The name is found in various early records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it is recorded as "le Silke". It also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1301 as "le Sylke".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SILK is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a Richard Silk is mentioned. The surname is also found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332, with a John Silk listed.

In the 14th century, the name is recorded in various places, such as Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire, suggesting that it was particularly prevalent in the West Midlands region of England.

The surname SILK is also associated with several place names, such as Silk Willoughby and Silk Woodhouse in Lincolnshire, as well as Silkmore in Staffordshire. These place names likely derived from the surname, indicating that individuals with the name SILK were landowners or had established settlements in these areas.

Notable individuals with the surname SILK include:

1. Thomas Silk (c. 1600 - 1666), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton during the English Civil War.

2. John Silk (1784 - 1867), an English cricketer who played for Hampshire and Surrey in the early 19th century.

3. Sir Thomas Silk (1846 - 1922), a British businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Stafford from 1900 to 1906.

4. Daniel Silk (1617 - 1707), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious works.

5. William Silk (1786 - 1852), an English inventor and engineer who is credited with developing the first practical silk-spinning machine in the early 19th century.

The surname SILK has been found in various historical records, including parish registers, tax rolls, and legal documents, attesting to its long-standing presence in England and its association with the silk trade and textile industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Silk families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Silk 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 303 Silks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.11x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 303 2.11x
Kent 166 3.38x
Surrey 120 1.71x
Lancashire 115 0.67x
Worcestershire 108 5.75x
Staffordshire 98 2.02x
Warwickshire 90 2.48x
Hampshire 65 2.21x
Somerset 52 2.25x
Wiltshire 49 3.85x
Cambridgeshire 47 5.16x
Gloucestershire 40 1.42x
Yorkshire 33 0.23x
Huntingdonshire 28 9.81x
Devon 22 0.74x
Dorset 15 1.59x
Essex 15 0.53x
Sussex 13 0.54x
Northumberland 12 0.56x
Hertfordshire 11 1.11x
Monmouthshire 9 0.87x
Northamptonshire 8 0.59x
Lanarkshire 7 0.15x
Oxfordshire 6 0.68x
Angus 5 0.38x
Glamorgan 5 0.20x
Norfolk 4 0.18x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.21x
Berkshire 3 0.28x
Durham 3 0.07x
Cheshire 2 0.06x
Derbyshire 2 0.09x
Flintshire 2 0.52x
Leicestershire 2 0.13x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.44x
Royal Navy 2 1.17x
Cardiganshire 1 0.29x
Channel Islands 1 0.23x
Cornwall 1 0.06x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.26x
Suffolk 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kidderminster Borough in Worcestershire leads with 71 Silks recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.60x.

Place Total Index
Kidderminster Borough 71 64.60x
Aston 59 5.91x
West Bromwich 48 17.27x
Hackney London 40 4.96x
Manchester 32 4.17x
Bethnal Green London 28 4.48x
Portsea 28 4.85x
Islington London 26 1.87x
Southwark St George Martyr 22 7.60x
Calne 19 72.57x
East Meon 19 247.07x
Shoreditch London 19 3.05x
Swalecliffe 19 2714.29x
Westminster St John 19 10.85x
Camberwell 18 1.96x
St Marylebone London 17 2.21x
St Pancras London 17 1.47x
Whitstable 16 66.50x
Bermondsey 15 3.50x
Minster In Thanet 15 146.91x
Axminster 14 99.79x
Lambeth 14 1.12x
St Andrewthe Less 14 13.46x
Dudley 13 5.70x
Liverpool 13 1.25x
Pidley Cum Fenton 13 588.24x
Walton On Hill 13 14.06x
Bromley London 12 3.79x
Cheltenham 12 5.52x
Salisbury St Martin 12 90.70x
Barkway 11 282.05x
Bedminster 11 5.06x
Hammersmith London 11 3.11x
Kidderminster Foreign 11 41.43x
Kingswinford 11 6.24x
Nether Whitacre 11 380.62x
Birmingham 10 0.83x
Kings Norton 10 5.94x
Mile End Old Town 10 4.41x
Rotherhithe 10 5.63x
St Peters 10 44.07x
Warrington 10 4.94x
West Ham 10 1.60x
Battersea 9 1.70x
Bromley 9 12.04x
Cannock 9 10.63x
Charlton 9 27.62x
Dewsbury 9 6.16x
Lavant Mid 9 450.00x
Nunney 9 179.64x
Over 9 166.36x
St Clement Danes 9 38.66x
Charlton Next Woolwich 8 15.64x
Dry Drayton 8 432.43x
Everton 8 1.47x
Handsworth 8 6.69x
Milton In Gravesend 8 10.87x
Paddington London 8 1.51x
Saffron Hill London 8 258.90x
South Stoke 8 418.85x
St Andrew Holborn 8 16.41x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 2.58x
Dartford 7 13.96x
Fulham London 7 3.36x
Iwerne Courtnay 7 110.24x
Kensington London 7 0.88x
Newington 7 1.32x
Parr 7 11.47x
Poplar London 7 2.58x
Prestwich 7 16.45x
Sheffield 7 1.54x
Turkdean 7 472.97x
Walsall Borough 7 18.58x
Benwell 6 25.66x
Chesterton 6 21.37x
Croydon 6 1.54x
Harborne 6 3.86x
Leeds 6 0.75x
Littlebourne 6 160.86x
Solihull 6 23.02x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Silk surname: questions and answers

How common was the Silk surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,470 people were recorded with the Silk surname. That placed it at #2,841 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Silk surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,010 in 2016. That gives Silk a modern rank of #3,204.

What does the Silk surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a dealer or manufacturer of silk fabrics.

What does the Silk map show?

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