Kirkman

Kirkman is an English surname of medieval origin. It is typically derived from the word kirk, meaning church, and the element man,-signaling a person associated with a church or a dwelling near a church. The name spread with English-speaking migration and is found in various regions today.

Notable people with the surname include Thomas Kirkman (1806–1885), an English clergyman and amateur mathematician who formulated Kirkman’s schoolgirl problem, a well-known puzzle in combinatorics. The problem asks for a schedule in which 15 schoolgirls can be divided into groups of three for seven days so that every pair of girls meets exactly once. Another prominent bearer is Robert Kirkman (born 1978), an American comic book writer and producer best known for creating The Walking Dead and Invincible, and for his work with Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment.

Kirkman’s schoolgirl problem remains a celebrated example in the study of combinatorial design and has influenced research in related areas such as block designs and scheduling. Beyond these figures, the surname appears across various fields, reflecting its widespread adoption in English-speaking regions. While not tied to a single contemporary institution or place, Kirkman persists as a recognizable surname in literature, science, and entertainment.