NameCensus.

UK surname

Smirk

In the 1881 census there were 85 people recorded with the Smirk surname, ranking it #21,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 185, ranked #20,652, up from #21,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to South Stoneham, Newcastle All Saints and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull, Manchester and Eastleigh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Smirk is 205 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 117.6%.

1881 census count

85

Ranked #21,573

Modern count

185

2016, ranked #20,652

Peak year

2011

205 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Smirk had 85 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016, ranked #20,652.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 100 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Smirk surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Smirk surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Smirk 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 30 #30,188
1881 historical 85 #21,573
1891 historical 70 #28,073
1901 historical 78 #25,500
1911 historical 100 #22,717
1997 modern 169 #19,578
1998 modern 176 #19,584
1999 modern 179 #19,539
2000 modern 183 #19,239
2001 modern 182 #19,039
2002 modern 197 #18,474
2003 modern 187 #18,856
2004 modern 189 #18,855
2005 modern 194 #18,512
2006 modern 184 #19,254
2007 modern 196 #18,737
2008 modern 195 #18,958
2009 modern 202 #18,896
2010 modern 198 #19,577
2011 modern 205 #18,965
2012 modern 204 #18,973
2013 modern 204 #19,276
2014 modern 202 #19,575
2015 modern 192 #20,138
2016 modern 185 #20,652

Geography

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Where Smirks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around South Stoneham, Newcastle All Saints, Wigan, Manchester and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull, Manchester and Eastleigh. 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 South Stoneham Hampshire
2 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 002 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 Kingston upon Hull 006 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Kingston upon Hull 001 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Manchester 049 Manchester
5 Eastleigh 005 Eastleigh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Smirk

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Smirk

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Smirk surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Smirk household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Smirk 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

Smirk 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

Smirk falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Smirk is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Smirk families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Smirk 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 40 Smirks recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.02x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 40 4.02x
Northumberland 14 11.22x
Durham 12 4.81x
Middlesex 7 0.83x
Surrey 7 1.71x
Hertfordshire 4 6.92x
Kent 2 0.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Salford in Lancashire leads with 15 Smirks recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.25x.

Place Total Index
Salford 15 51.25x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 14 187.92x
Newton 8 104.30x
Wigan 8 57.51x
Norton 7 760.87x
Preston 6 22.53x
Harraton 5 1020.41x
Cheshunt 4 198.02x
Mile End Old Town 4 30.21x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 23.70x
Lea Ashton Ingol 3 454.55x
West Moulsey 3 1578.95x
Chatham 2 25.41x
Clerkenwell London 2 10.10x
St Marylebone London 1 2.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 7
James 4
Thomas 4
Edward 3
Frederick 3
George 3
Joseph 3
Robert 2
Chas. 1
Edgar 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Jos. 1
Nelson 1
Sidney 1
Walter 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 Smirk households.

FAQ

Smirk surname: questions and answers

How common was the Smirk surname in 1881?

In 1881, 85 people were recorded with the Smirk surname. That placed it at #21,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Smirk surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016. That gives Smirk a modern rank of #20,652.

What does the Smirk map show?

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