NameCensus.

UK surname

Hackworth

An English occupational surname referring to a maker of hacks, a tool used for cutting or chopping.

In the 1881 census there were 134 people recorded with the Hackworth surname, ranking it #16,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 212, ranked #18,843, down from #16,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Newcastle All Saints and Jarrow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hackworth is 252 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 58.2%.

1881 census count

134

Ranked #16,602

Modern count

212

2016, ranked #18,843

Peak year

1861

252 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hackworth had 134 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016, ranked #18,843.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 252 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Hackworth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hackworth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hackworth 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 127 #14,547
1861 historical 252 #9,804
1881 historical 134 #16,602
1891 historical 171 #16,733
1901 historical 186 #15,839
1911 historical 187 #15,600
1997 modern 211 #17,048
1998 modern 222 #16,969
1999 modern 212 #17,611
2000 modern 186 #19,055
2001 modern 185 #18,840
2002 modern 190 #18,889
2003 modern 195 #18,411
2004 modern 186 #19,059
2005 modern 187 #18,924
2006 modern 179 #19,592
2007 modern 182 #19,618
2008 modern 181 #19,875
2009 modern 185 #20,010
2010 modern 191 #20,015
2011 modern 195 #19,610
2012 modern 195 #19,540
2013 modern 204 #19,276
2014 modern 209 #19,128
2015 modern 212 #18,842
2016 modern 212 #18,843

Geography

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Where Hackworths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Newcastle All Saints, Jarrow, Manchester and St John Hampstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Conwy and Richmond upon Thames. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
3 Jarrow Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St John Hampstead London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 040 County Durham
2 Newcastle upon Tyne 020 Newcastle upon Tyne
3 North Tyneside 028 North Tyneside
4 Conwy 011 Conwy
5 Richmond upon Thames 001 Richmond upon Thames

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hackworth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hackworth

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hackworth, 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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Hackworth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hackworth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hackworth is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hackworth is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hackworth falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hackworth is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hackworth

The surname Hackworth is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 16th century. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the place name "Hackworth" or "Hackforth" in County Durham. The name itself is believed to be derived from the Old English words "haecc" meaning a gate or hatch, and "worth" meaning an enclosed settlement or farm.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hackworth can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of County Durham, dated 1595, which lists a John Hackworth. Another early record is from the Parish Registers of Gainford, County Durham, where a William Hackworth was mentioned in 1621.

In the 17th century, the surname appears to have spread beyond County Durham, with records showing Hackworths residing in other parts of northern England, such as Yorkshire and Northumberland. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Hackworth, a renowned English civil engineer and pioneer of steam locomotion, who was born in 1786 in Wylam, Northumberland.

The Hackworth surname also appears in some historical documents from the 18th and 19th centuries. For example, the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Gateshead, County Durham, record the marriage of John Hackworth and Elizabeth Fenwick in 1712. Additionally, the Hearth Tax Returns for County Durham in 1666 list several individuals with the surname Hackworth.

Throughout history, there have been several noteworthy individuals with the Hackworth surname. One such figure was Timothy Hackworth (1786-1850), a renowned English steam locomotive engineer and inventor, who was born in Wylam, Northumberland. Another was John Hackworth (1844-1923), a British civil engineer and surveyor who worked on notable projects such as the Mersey Railway and the Manchester Ship Canal.

Other notable Hackworths include William Hackworth (1888-1962), a British trade unionist and Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wallsend from 1945 to 1950. Additionally, there was John Towill Hackworth (1819-1884), an English mining engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of coal mining technology in the 19th century.

While the surname Hackworth is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the northern counties of England, particularly County Durham and Northumberland. Despite its localized origins, individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions in various fields, including engineering, politics, and trade unionism, over the course of several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hackworth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hackworth 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. Durham leads with 47 Hackworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.09x.

County Total Index
Durham 47 12.09x
Middlesex 27 2.07x
Northumberland 17 8.74x
Surrey 8 1.26x
Lincolnshire 7 3.35x
Sussex 7 3.18x
Yorkshire 6 0.46x
Ayrshire 4 4.09x
Staffordshire 4 0.91x
Norfolk 3 1.49x
Suffolk 2 1.26x
Berkshire 1 1.02x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hampstead London in Middlesex leads with 13 Hackworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 63.85x.

Place Total Index
Hampstead London 13 63.85x
Byker 11 114.46x
Stockton On Tees 11 58.70x
Haswell 10 358.42x
Thornley 8 567.38x
Brighton 7 15.74x
Ecclesall Bierlow 6 22.78x
Grantham 6 220.59x
Easington 5 892.86x
Battersea 4 8.32x
Hackney London 4 5.46x
Islington London 4 3.16x
Kilwinning 4 126.58x
Tipton 4 29.61x
Westoe 4 18.15x
Crossgate 3 176.47x
Heigham 3 27.80x
Lambeth 3 2.63x
Bishopwearmouth 2 5.99x
Jesmond 2 72.99x
Monken Hadley 2 384.62x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 2 17.23x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 19.84x
Rickinghall Superior 2 769.23x
St George Hanover Square 2 8.68x
Trimdon 2 145.99x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.24x
Darlington 1 6.66x
Elston 1 500.00x
Hawthorn 1 769.23x
Hogsthorpe 1 312.50x
Reading St Giles 1 10.38x
Streatham 1 10.31x
Westminster St James 1 7.44x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
George 6
Thomas 6
William 6
Robert 5
Charles 3
Richard 3
Andrew 2
Cuthbert 2
Jackson 2
Percy 2
Walter 2
Adderley 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Edward 1
Emile 1
Geo. 1
James 1
Jane 1
Matthew 1
Pinder 1
Rbt. 1
Richd. 1
Robt. 1
Tam. 1
Timothy 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Hackworth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hackworth surname in 1881?

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

How common is the Hackworth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016. That gives Hackworth a modern rank of #18,843.

What does the Hackworth surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a maker of hacks, a tool used for cutting or chopping.

What does the Hackworth map show?

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