NameCensus.

UK surname

Sin

A Chinese surname derived from the state of Sin in the Zhou dynasty, or referring to the god of the wind.

In the 1881 census there were 12 people recorded with the Sin surname, ranking it #31,914 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 320, ranked #14,096, up from #31,914 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tower Hamlets, South Bucks and Southwark.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sin is 320 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 2566.7%.

1881 census count

12

Ranked #31,914

Modern count

320

2016, ranked #14,096

Peak year

2016

320 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sin had 12 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,914 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 320 in 2016, ranked #14,096.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Student Living and Professional Footholds.

Sin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Sin 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 1 #33,412
1881 historical 12 #31,914
1891 historical 3 #34,257
1901 historical 11 #32,907
1997 modern 165 #19,861
1998 modern 178 #19,452
1999 modern 178 #19,592
2000 modern 179 #19,494
2001 modern 178 #19,288
2002 modern 185 #19,212
2003 modern 198 #18,252
2004 modern 227 #16,778
2005 modern 241 #16,036
2006 modern 249 #15,784
2007 modern 259 #15,519
2008 modern 269 #15,260
2009 modern 278 #15,230
2010 modern 299 #14,769
2011 modern 304 #14,475
2012 modern 296 #14,635
2013 modern 313 #14,299
2014 modern 305 #14,678
2015 modern 308 #14,463
2016 modern 320 #14,096

Geography

Back to top

Where Sins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tower Hamlets, South Bucks, Southwark, Tameside and Dudley. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tower Hamlets 032 Tower Hamlets
2 South Bucks 004 South Bucks
3 Southwark 027 Southwark
4 Tameside 017 Tameside
5 Dudley 009 Dudley

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Sin

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Sin

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Student Living and Professional Footholds

Nationally, the Sin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Student Living and Professional Footholds, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Sin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

The Group includes many students, some of whom reside in communal residences. Single-person households are the most prevalent and the modal age band is 25 to 44. There are few families with dependent children. A significant number of White residents were born in EU countries (although UK-born residents are more common than in the rest of the Group), and households reflect a diversity of ethnic groups. Residential turnover is exceptionally high and, communal properties aside, flats are the norm. Some properties, including those in the private rental sector, are over-crowded. Many residents are professionals and technicians educated to degree level, and the Group is particularly common near the campuses of established university towns and cities.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Sin is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sin is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sin falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sin 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
Asian - Chinese

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

Meaning and origin of Sin

The surname Sin is believed to have originated in China, where it is a common family name with a long history dating back centuries. The name Sin is derived from the Chinese characters 辛 (xīn), which has various meanings including "bitter," "arduous," "laborious," and "hard work."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sin can be found in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 CE) text "Yuan Shi" (History of the Yuan Dynasty), which mentions individuals with the surname Sin who held official positions during that era. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE), the surname Sin was particularly prevalent in the regions of Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang provinces.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Sin Sukju (1314-1395) from Shandong Province served as a high-ranking official and scholar during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. Another notable individual was Sin Guanren (1513-1599), a renowned philosopher, poet, and calligrapher from Zhejiang Province during the Ming Dynasty.

The surname Sin has also been associated with various place names in China, such as Sin County in Hebei Province and Sin Village in Guangdong Province. These place names may have influenced the spread and adoption of the surname Sin in those regions.

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), a famous general named Sin Renmei (601-680) played a crucial role in suppressing the Xuanwu Uprising, earning him recognition and likely contributing to the prominence of the surname Sin during that period.

Another historical figure bearing the surname Sin was Sin Guiyuan (1002-1060), a renowned scholar and official who served as the Grand Chancellor during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE). His works on Confucian philosophy and literature were highly influential and helped establish the reputation of the Sin family name.

It is important to note that while the surname Sin has a long history in China, its prevalence and distribution may have varied across different regions and time periods, reflecting the complex cultural and demographic changes that have shaped the country over centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Sin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sin 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. Lancashire leads with 9 Sins recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.07x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 9 7.07x
Lanarkshire 1 2.88x
Middlesex 1 0.93x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 8 Sins recorded in 1881 and an index of 194.65x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 8 194.65x
Liverpool 1 12.94x
Maryhill 1 147.06x
Wapping London 1 1250.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elenor 1
Emma 1
Martha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Bowman 1
Byron 1
Dake 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 Sin households.

FAQ

Sin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12 people were recorded with the Sin surname. That placed it at #31,914 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 320 in 2016. That gives Sin a modern rank of #14,096.

What does the Sin surname mean?

A Chinese surname derived from the state of Sin in the Zhou dynasty, or referring to the god of the wind.

What does the Sin map show?

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