Elkin Surname Distribution

This map shows all sources of information for the Elkin surname. The sources used include; all entries from the 1881 census for England, Scotland and Wales, all civil registration records 1837-1910 for England and Wales, all entries from the IGI, some entries from 1851 and other censuses.
The largest concentrations occur in the parishes/districts around Stoke-on-Trent in north Staffordshire, and Birmingham in Warwickshire.

This map shows all sources of information for the Elkins surname. The sources used include; all entries from the IGI, some entries from 1881 and other censuses and civil registrations.
The largest concentrations occur in the southern counties, particularly in Wiltshire and London.
From the dis-similarities between these distributions I conclude that the surnames Elkin and Elkins originate in different areas of the country.

The following maps show the distributions for Elkin derived from each source of data.

All entries from the 1881 census for England, Scotland and Wales.
This should provide an accurate picture of where the name was found in 1881.

All entries from the International Genealogical Index, points represent individual parishes.
These cover a wide time period from the 1530's to the late 19th century, although the majority occur in the 17th and 18th centuries. Coverage varies widely by county, so this may not be a true representation of the surname distribution, however it is clear that significant movements have occurred when compared with the 1881 census data.


These entries are taken from the civil registration indexes for England and Wales, now stored at the Family Records Centre in London, and previously at St Catherine's House. The period covered is from 1837 (when civil registration started) until 1910. Each point represents a Registration District. The distributions for Births, Marriages and Deaths are very similar, although there is slightly more dispersal for deaths, indicating, perhaps, the greater likelihood for deaths to occur away from the family's "home ground". Registration data for Scotland has not yet been obtained, although it is expected that there will be very few entries, due to the absence of Scottish entries in other sources used.

Other Countries

The Elkin name is found in many countries. Occurences in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States of America have in many cases been traced back to England.

The name (or variants such as Elkan) also occurs in Jewish families, as both a first name and a family name. One such Elkin family in the United States has emigrated there from Belarus. The origin of the name is thought to be derived from Yiddish.

Last updated: 5th Feb 2001