NameCensus.

UK surname

Wilkins

An English occupational surname referring to the son of Wilkin, a diminutive of William, meaning "resolute protector."

In the 1881 census there were 13,205 people recorded with the Wilkins surname, ranking it #311 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 16,307, ranked #383, down from #311 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stroud, Stratford-on-Avon and North Warwickshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wilkins is 17,778 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.5%.

1881 census count

13,205

Ranked #311

Modern count

16,307

2016, ranked #383

Peak year

1911

17,778 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wilkins had 13,205 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #311 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 16,307 in 2016, ranked #383.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 17,778 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wilkins surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wilkins surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wilkins 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 8,574 #310
1861 historical 8,900 #307
1881 historical 13,205 #311
1891 historical 13,804 #308
1901 historical 16,205 #314
1911 historical 17,778 #264
1997 modern 16,447 #364
1998 modern 17,174 #362
1999 modern 17,152 #365
2000 modern 17,038 #368
2001 modern 16,637 #366
2002 modern 16,862 #369
2003 modern 16,597 #365
2004 modern 16,494 #367
2005 modern 16,138 #369
2006 modern 15,974 #372
2007 modern 16,054 #377
2008 modern 16,024 #380
2009 modern 16,413 #380
2010 modern 16,673 #381
2011 modern 16,547 #378
2012 modern 16,089 #383
2013 modern 16,454 #381
2014 modern 16,590 #381
2015 modern 16,398 #382
2016 modern 16,307 #383

Geography

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Where Wilkins' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stroud, Stratford-on-Avon and North Warwickshire. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stroud 004 Stroud
2 Stroud 005 Stroud
3 Stroud 006 Stroud
4 Stratford-on-Avon 014 Stratford-on-Avon
5 North Warwickshire 003 North Warwickshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wilkins

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wilkins

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

Wilkins is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wilkins falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wilkins

The surname Wilkins is of English origin, derived from the personal name William combined with the diminutive suffix "-kin," essentially meaning "little William." This name can be traced back to the 12th century in various English counties, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Suffolk.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wilkins can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Willechin." This historical record, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames in England during the Norman period.

The name Wilkins has evolved over time, with various spellings such as Wilkyn, Wilkyne, and Wilkynson appearing in medieval records. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling conventions during that era.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Wilkins was Sir John Wilkins (c. 1230-1292), a prominent English landowner and knight who served under King Edward I. He is mentioned in several historical documents, including the Patent Rolls of 1272.

Another significant individual with the surname Wilkins was John Wilkins (1614-1672), an English clergyman, natural philosopher, and one of the founders of the Royal Society. He was a prolific writer and is best known for his work "An Essay Towards a Real Character and a Philosophical Language," which proposed a universal language based on philosophical principles.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Wilkins was also associated with several place names, such as Wilkins Green in Oxfordshire and Wilkins Farm in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname Wilkins who owned or lived in those areas.

Another notable figure was Sir George Hubert Wilkins (1888-1958), an Australian explorer, aviator, and photographer. He was a pioneer in polar exploration and made significant contributions to the understanding of Arctic and Antarctic regions through his expeditions and aerial reconnaissance.

In the literary world, Maurice Wilkins (1916-2004), a British biophysicist, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962 for his contributions to the discovery of the molecular structure of DNA, along with James Watson and Francis Crick.

The surname Wilkins has been carried by numerous individuals throughout history, spanning various fields and regions, and continues to be a prominent surname in English-speaking countries today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wilkins families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wilkins 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 1,936 Wilkins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.50x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,936 1.50x
Gloucestershire 1,095 4.32x
Surrey 1,020 1.62x
Warwickshire 975 2.99x
Somerset 915 4.40x
Wiltshire 655 5.74x
Kent 645 1.46x
Hampshire 619 2.34x
Staffordshire 428 0.98x
Lancashire 390 0.25x
Oxfordshire 385 4.83x
Glamorgan 309 1.37x
Northamptonshire 307 2.53x
Sussex 270 1.24x
Berkshire 260 2.68x
Worcestershire 259 1.54x
Yorkshire 246 0.19x
Essex 227 0.89x
Leicestershire 220 1.54x
Hertfordshire 181 2.03x
Derbyshire 174 0.86x
Norfolk 159 0.80x
Dorset 154 1.82x
Carmarthenshire 151 2.77x
Buckinghamshire 145 1.86x
Monmouthshire 139 1.49x
Nottinghamshire 123 0.71x
Devon 108 0.40x
Durham 102 0.27x
Cornwall 94 0.64x
Pembrokeshire 65 1.58x
Cheshire 63 0.22x
Cambridgeshire 56 0.68x
Suffolk 48 0.31x
Herefordshire 45 0.85x
Lanarkshire 30 0.07x
Bedfordshire 27 0.40x
Lincolnshire 26 0.13x
Midlothian 25 0.14x
Channel Islands 22 0.58x
Cumberland 21 0.19x
Huntingdonshire 19 0.74x
Royal Navy 19 1.23x
Brecknockshire 16 0.62x
Northumberland 15 0.08x
Montgomeryshire 9 0.30x
Shropshire 9 0.08x
Caernarfonshire 8 0.15x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.03x
Denbighshire 3 0.06x
Westmorland 3 0.11x
Ayrshire 2 0.02x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.06x
Fife 2 0.03x
Merionethshire 2 0.08x
Renfrewshire 2 0.02x
Stirlingshire 2 0.04x
Isle of Man 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 241 Wilkins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.69x.

Place Total Index
Aston 241 2.69x
Birmingham 221 2.04x
Islington London 204 1.63x
Portsea 180 3.47x
Lambeth 163 1.45x
Kensington London 148 2.06x
Camberwell 139 1.69x
St Pancras London 127 1.22x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 122 5.12x
Hackney London 118 1.63x
St Marylebone London 88 1.28x
Newington 87 1.82x
Brighton 85 1.94x
West Ham 85 1.51x
Chelsea London 74 1.90x
Trowbridge 74 14.66x
West Bromwich 73 2.93x
Bethnal Green London 72 1.28x
Mile End Old Town 71 3.48x
St Luke London 71 3.43x
Tring 71 29.88x
Battersea 68 1.43x
Croydon 66 1.89x
Cheltenham 62 3.17x
Paddington London 62 1.31x
Bedminster 61 3.12x
Poplar London 58 2.38x
Southampton St Mary 58 3.49x
Bristol St James St Paul 57 6.75x
Clapham 57 3.53x
Shoreditch London 57 1.02x
Southwark St George Martyr 57 2.19x
Hammersmith London 54 1.70x
Clerkenwell London 52 1.71x
Wrington 52 74.56x
St George Hanover 51 3.03x
Bermondsey 50 1.30x
Derby St Werburgh 49 4.20x
Great Missenden 49 50.95x
Frome 48 9.66x
Lewisham 47 2.00x
Box 46 47.24x
Stapleton 46 9.58x
Walsall Foreign 46 2.04x
Bristol St George 45 3.84x
Stroud 44 8.93x
Westminster St John 44 2.80x
Bradford On Avon 43 11.76x
Deptford St Paul 43 1.27x
Leamington Priors 43 5.37x
Ystradyfodwg 43 2.18x
Handsworth 42 3.91x
Maidstone 42 3.20x
Chatham 40 3.30x
Greenwich 40 1.95x
Alverstoke 39 4.07x
Coventry Holy Trinity 39 4.01x
Long Whatton 39 125.68x
Chalcombe 38 192.31x
Eglwysilan 38 9.74x
Walthamstow 38 4.14x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 37 7.99x
Harborne 37 2.65x
Nottingham St Mary 37 0.82x
Bromley London 36 1.27x
Downton 36 24.09x
Oxford St Ebbe 36 15.34x
Ardington 35 206.73x
Clewer 35 8.82x
Tottenham 35 1.70x
Plumstead 34 2.32x
Reigate Foreign 34 4.99x
Toxteth Park 34 0.66x
Hampstead London 33 1.64x
Limehouse London 33 2.33x
Liverpool 33 0.35x
Llanelly 33 2.69x
Lyncombe Widcombe 33 6.06x
Ambrosden 32 100.98x
Leicester St Mary 32 2.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 781
Elizabeth 480
Sarah 450
Ann 269
Jane 232
Eliza 229
Emma 222
Alice 218
Ellen 188
Emily 186
Annie 183
Hannah 130
Louisa 117
Edith 115
Caroline 107
Charlotte 99
Martha 97
Maria 91
Fanny 90
Harriet 90
Florence 87
Clara 78
Margaret 78
Ada 77
Kate 76
Lucy 61
Catherine 58
Anne 56
Rose 49
Amelia 48
Frances 47
Harriett 47
Agnes 39
Susan 38
Esther 36
Matilda 36
Elizth. 31
Julia 31
Minnie 31
Rebecca 31
Sophia 29
Laura 28
Isabella 27
Rosa 26
Gertrude 25
Lydia 25
Selina 25
Eleanor 22
Ethel 22
Ruth 22

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 812
John 657
George 512
Thomas 426
James 381
Henry 357
Charles 348
Joseph 172
Frederick 170
Alfred 159
Edward 139
Robert 136
Walter 130
Albert 125
Arthur 125
Richard 97
Harry 90
Frank 80
Ernest 65
Samuel 61
Herbert 58
Edwin 52
David 43
Stephen 33
Francis 31
Daniel 29
Benjamin 26
Edmund 24
Geo. 24
Fredrick 23
Wm. 23
Chas. 22
Sidney 21
Thos. 21
Fred 20
Fredk. 20
Percy 20
Tom 18
Isaac 17
Reuben 15
Mark 14
Willm. 14
Sydney 12
Jacob 11
Jesse 11
Joshua 11
Amos 10
Christopher 10
Horace 10
Oliver 10

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 Wilkins households.

FAQ

Wilkins surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wilkins surname in 1881?

In 1881, 13,205 people were recorded with the Wilkins surname. That placed it at #311 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wilkins surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 16,307 in 2016. That gives Wilkins a modern rank of #383.

What does the Wilkins surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to the son of Wilkin, a diminutive of William, meaning "resolute protector."

What does the Wilkins map show?

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