NameCensus.

UK surname

Yorkston

In the 1881 census there were 134 people recorded with the Yorkston surname, ranking it #16,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 246, ranked #16,993, down from #16,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Larbert, Dunbar and Haddington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ07, IZ08 and Niddrie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Yorkston is 253 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 83.6%.

1881 census count

134

Ranked #16,602

Modern count

246

2016, ranked #16,993

Peak year

2010

253 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Yorkston had 134 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016, ranked #16,993.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 199 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Yorkston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Yorkston surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Yorkston 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 103 #16,835
1861 historical 139 #16,263
1881 historical 134 #16,602
1891 historical 142 #18,995
1901 historical 199 #15,173
1911 historical 14 #32,045
1997 modern 213 #16,948
1998 modern 220 #17,074
1999 modern 228 #16,790
2000 modern 238 #16,290
2001 modern 229 #16,467
2002 modern 244 #16,085
2003 modern 224 #16,859
2004 modern 233 #16,471
2005 modern 236 #16,286
2006 modern 236 #16,384
2007 modern 243 #16,243
2008 modern 242 #16,432
2009 modern 250 #16,421
2010 modern 253 #16,652
2011 modern 253 #16,493
2012 modern 245 #16,745
2013 modern 248 #16,877
2014 modern 248 #16,991
2015 modern 245 #17,040
2016 modern 246 #16,993

Geography

Back to top

Where Yorkstons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Larbert, Dunbar, Haddington, Edinburgh and Dirleton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ07, IZ08, Niddrie, IZ21 and IZ10. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Larbert Stirling
2 Dunbar Haddington
3 Haddington Haddington
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dirleton Haddington

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ07 East Lothian
2 IZ08 East Lothian
3 Niddrie City of Edinburgh
4 IZ21 East Lothian
5 IZ10 East Lothian

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Yorkston

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Yorkston

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Yorkston, 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 Yorkston surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Yorkston 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, Yorkston 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

Yorkston is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Yorkston 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 Yorkston is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Yorkston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Yorkston 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. East Lothian leads with 41 Yorkstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 236.86x.

County Total Index
East Lothian 41 236.86x
Lanarkshire 34 8.04x
Midlothian 24 13.71x
Stirlingshire 20 41.49x
Ayrshire 5 5.11x
Lancashire 4 0.26x
West Lothian 3 15.24x
Durham 1 0.26x
Northumberland 1 0.51x
Orkney 1 6.95x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 20 Yorkstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.70x.

Place Total Index
Barony 20 18.70x
Larbert 20 694.44x
Edinburgh Greenside S 9 1428.57x
Glasgow 9 11.99x
Berwick North 8 661.16x
Prestonpans 8 689.66x
Tranent 8 341.88x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 9.94x
Dalmellington 5 173.61x
Inveresk 5 105.49x
Spott 5 1923.08x
Broughton In Salford 4 28.21x
Dirleton 4 588.24x
Dunbar 4 164.61x
Govan 4 3.83x
Aberlady 3 666.67x
Linlithgow 3 119.05x
Cockpen 1 48.78x
Conside Knitsley 1 33.11x
Dalserf 1 23.70x
Edinburgh New North 1 65.79x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 28.99x
Haddington 1 39.06x
Lady 1 232.56x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 9.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Jane 1
Maggie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 1
John 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 Yorkston households.

FAQ

Yorkston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Yorkston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 134 people were recorded with the Yorkston surname. That placed it at #16,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Yorkston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016. That gives Yorkston a modern rank of #16,993.

What does the Yorkston map show?

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