Kirkman
An English surname meaning “church keeper” or “man of the kirk,” originally for someone who guarded or worked at a church.
The #5,611 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 49,822 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kirkman is built from kirk, a northern English and Scots word for “church,” ultimately from Old Norse kirkja, plus man. The name likely began as an occupational byname for someone connected with the care, custody, or guarding of a church. In older sources it is glossed alongside Churchman and described as “the keeper or guardian of the church.”
History
The surname is especially associated with northern England, where kirk was the ordinary word for church. Medieval records cited by older surname writers include forms such as Roger le Kyrkeman in Lincolnshire in the 13th century. It later remained in use as a hereditary surname and also crossed to North America with English migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname books often pair Kirkman with Churchman: the two names mean much the same thing, but reflect different regional words for “church.”
From the historical record
“Churohman. — Official, ' the churchman,' the custodian or keeper of a church ; v. Kirkman for several instances. It is interest- ing to notice that Churchman first appears in Cambridgeshire. In the neighbouring counties it still exists.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)