Armenians in the United Kingdom

British Armenians

David Dickinson, Calouste Gulbenkian Andy Serkis, Ara Darzi
Total population
Full or partial Armenian descent 18,000 Armenia-born 589
Regions with significant populations
London, Manchester, Liverpool Glasgow, Birmingham, Edinburgh
Languages
English, Armenian, Turkish French, Greek
Religion
Armenian Apostolic Church Armenian Catholic Church Armenian Evangelical Church Agnostic Atheism

There has been sporadic emigration from Armenia to the UK since the 18th century, with the biggest influx coming after the Second World War. The majority are based in the major cities of London and Manchester. The 2001 UK Census recorded 589 Armenian-born people living in the UK, although there are up to 18,000 ethnic Armenians including those who are British-born, and of part Armenian descent, living in the UK.

History

The first Armenian community in Britain was formed in Manchester in the 19th century. A mixture of textile traders, small manufacturers and retailers, in 1870 they opened the first Armenian church in Britain.

Population distribution

According to Vered Amit's Armenians in London: The Management of Social Boundaries, published in 1989, around 10,000 Armenians were living in Greater London at the time. The majority were thought to be first-generation immigrants from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Cyprus. They also include Armenians from Ethiopia, India, Egypt, Israel, as well as individuals from other countries.

Manchester has been home to an Armenian population since 1835, with 30 Armenian businesses thought to have been operating in the city by 1862.

Media

The Tekeyan Cultural Union published "Erebuni" from 1979 to 1996. From 1979 to 1987, it was a bilingual Armenian/English monthly, turning into a biweekly from 1987 to 1996. For a brief period in 1993, it was published solely in English before reverting into a bilingual edition. It ceased publication in 1996.^{[citation needed]}

List of notable British Armenians

• Andy Serkis, actor, director, and author best known for playing Sméagol/Gollum, in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy
• David Dickinson, antiques expert and television presenter
• Levon Chilingirian OBE, musician#
• Ara Darzi, Baron Darzi of Denham KBE, surgeon and first British-Armenian peer
• Calouste Gulbenkian, one of the founders of Royal Dutch Shell and oil magnate
• Kevork Malikyan, actor, various TV roles including Mind Your Language, and films including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Flight of the Phoenix
• Roland Manookian, actor, major role in the Football Factory by Nick Love
• Kev Orkian, musician, comedian, actor
• Alexander Raphael, first person of Armenian descent to become a member of the House of Commons
• Dikran Tahta, mathematician and teacher
• Robert Istepanian, professor of Data Communication at Kingston University
• Vatche Manoukian

See also

• Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom
• List of Armenian-Iranians
• List of Armenian-Russians
• List of Armenian-French people
• List of Armenians
• Armenian diaspora

Further reading

• Talai, Vered Amit (1986). "The circumscription of ethnicity: a case study of the London Armenian community". Ethnic and Racial Studies 9 (2): 211–18. doi:10.1080/01419870.1986.9993523. 
• Talai, Vered Amit (1989). Armenians in London: the management of social boundaries. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719029271. 
• Malik, Farah (1990). A Survey of the Armenian Community in London. London Research Centre. ISBN 9781852611002. 

External links

• Armenian Community and Church Council of Great Britain
• Centre for Armenian Information and Advice
• Homenetmen London Armenian Community