NameCensus.

UK surname

Stirland

From the old English place name referring to a farm on stony land.

In the 1881 census there were 215 people recorded with the Stirland surname, ranking it #12,249 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 650, ranked #8,181, up from #12,249 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Bulwell and Workington (Workington), Clossocks. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Broxtowe, Amber Valley and Ashfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stirland is 692 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 202.3%.

1881 census count

215

Ranked #12,249

Modern count

650

2016, ranked #8,181

Peak year

1998

692 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stirland had 215 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,249 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 650 in 2016, ranked #8,181.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 543 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Stirland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stirland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stirland 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 98 #21,388
1881 historical 215 #12,249
1891 historical 278 #11,746
1901 historical 376 #9,899
1911 historical 543 #7,365
1997 modern 653 #7,633
1998 modern 692 #7,552
1999 modern 683 #7,659
2000 modern 666 #7,788
2001 modern 657 #7,732
2002 modern 659 #7,864
2003 modern 659 #7,749
2004 modern 652 #7,813
2005 modern 634 #7,932
2006 modern 630 #7,995
2007 modern 642 #7,940
2008 modern 628 #8,121
2009 modern 648 #8,093
2010 modern 663 #8,114
2011 modern 663 #8,031
2012 modern 650 #8,072
2013 modern 663 #8,082
2014 modern 657 #8,185
2015 modern 655 #8,145
2016 modern 650 #8,181

Geography

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Where Stirlands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Bulwell, Workington (Workington), Clossocks, Church Gresley and Ilkeston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Broxtowe, Amber Valley, Ashfield and Mansfield. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Bulwell Nottinghamshire
3 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
4 Church Gresley Staffordshire
5 Ilkeston Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Broxtowe 016 Broxtowe
2 Amber Valley 017 Amber Valley
3 Ashfield 014 Ashfield
4 Ashfield 016 Ashfield
5 Mansfield 003 Mansfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stirland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stirland

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Stirland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Stirland 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Stirland is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stirland 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

Stirland falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Stirland is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Stirland

The surname Stirland is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "styrian" meaning to stir or disturb, and "land" referring to an area or territory. It is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire, during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stirland can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where a person named Robertus de Stirland is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have been associated with a specific place or landholding in that region.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various legal documents and records, often spelled as "Stirelaund" or "Styrland." One notable figure from this era was John Stirland, a landowner and nobleman who lived in the village of Settle, Yorkshire, in the mid-1200s.

By the 14th century, the name had spread to other parts of England, with records showing Stirlands residing in counties such as Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. One prominent individual was William Stirland, a merchant and burgess of Nottingham, who was recorded in the borough records in the late 1300s.

In the 16th century, the name Stirland appeared in the parish records of several villages in Yorkshire, including Skipton and Keighley. One notable bearer of the name during this time was Thomas Stirland, a yeoman farmer from Keighley, who was mentioned in the will of a local landowner in 1578.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Stirland surname gained further recognition, with several individuals achieving notable positions and roles. One such person was Robert Stirland, a successful merchant and alderman of the city of York, who lived from 1640 to 1712.

Another prominent figure was Elizabeth Stirland, a wealthy heiress and landowner from Derbyshire, who was born in 1675 and inherited substantial estates from her father. Her marriage to Sir John Gell in 1699 brought the Stirland name into a notable aristocratic family.

In the 19th century, the Stirland name continued to be found in various parts of England, with several individuals making their mark in different fields. One notable example was William Stirland, a renowned architect from Yorkshire, who was responsible for designing several prominent buildings in the region, including the Wakefield Town Hall, which was completed in 1835.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stirland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stirland 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. Derbyshire leads with 114 Stirlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.72x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 114 34.72x
Nottinghamshire 91 32.19x
Lancashire 8 0.32x
Yorkshire 2 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Greasley in Nottinghamshire leads with 57 Stirlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 893.42x.

Place Total Index
Greasley 57 893.42x
Heanor 29 590.63x
Ilkeston 18 195.44x
Bulwell 12 195.12x
Church Gresley 11 210.73x
Dronfield 10 237.53x
Long Eaton 10 230.95x
Stretton 8 1777.78x
Selston 7 221.52x
Annesley 6 566.04x
Barlow 6 909.09x
Brampton 6 130.72x
Shirland 6 243.90x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 25.30x
Hartshorn 4 322.58x
Basford 3 23.02x
Nottingham St Mary 2 2.74x
Nottingham St Nicholas 2 51.95x
Pinxton 2 119.76x
Alfreton 1 10.02x
Ashover 1 61.35x
Barlborough 1 82.64x
Claylane 1 21.93x
Codnor Loscoe 1 38.46x
Ingleton 1 85.47x
Manchester 1 0.89x
Nether Hallam 1 3.56x
Preston 1 1.50x
Tibshelf 1 62.11x
West Derby 1 1.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Ann 11
Sarah 11
Elizabeth 6
Annie 5
Hannah 5
Eliza 4
Betsy 3
Charlotte 3
Alice 2
Harriet 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Millicent 2
Agnes 1
Catherina 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Gravilener 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lavinia 1
Lottie 1
Louisa 1
Madeline 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Milicent 1
Rosahannah 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
William 14
Thomas 12
Joseph 11
Samuel 11
George 6
Henry 4
Herbert 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
James 3
Albert 2
Ezekiel 2
Isaac 2
Moses 2
Wm. 2
Absalom 1
Charles 1
Chas.Hy. 1
Daniel 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Flint 1
Frederick 1
Granville 1
Harry 1
Hary 1
Henery 1
Jacob 1
Josph 1
Luther 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Peter 1
Will. 1
Zacheus 1
Zecharia 1

FAQ

Stirland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stirland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 215 people were recorded with the Stirland surname. That placed it at #12,249 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stirland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 650 in 2016. That gives Stirland a modern rank of #8,181.

What does the Stirland surname mean?

From the old English place name referring to a farm on stony land.

What does the Stirland map show?

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