NameCensus.

UK surname

Hailstone

A surname derived from the Old English words for "hail" and "stone", possibly denoting someone who lived near a rocky area or geological formation.

In the 1881 census there were 533 people recorded with the Hailstone surname, ranking it #6,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 592, ranked #8,814, down from #6,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Burbage and Pakenham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, Rugby and South Tyneside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hailstone is 720 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.1%.

1881 census count

533

Ranked #6,449

Modern count

592

2016, ranked #8,814

Peak year

1901

720 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hailstone had 533 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 592 in 2016, ranked #8,814.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 720 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hailstone surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hailstone surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hailstone 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 319 #7,273
1861 historical 317 #8,031
1881 historical 533 #6,449
1891 historical 577 #6,605
1901 historical 720 #6,139
1911 historical 707 #6,025
1997 modern 625 #7,916
1998 modern 633 #8,076
1999 modern 662 #7,834
2000 modern 659 #7,852
2001 modern 642 #7,873
2002 modern 650 #7,942
2003 modern 641 #7,902
2004 modern 606 #8,286
2005 modern 602 #8,256
2006 modern 620 #8,082
2007 modern 614 #8,218
2008 modern 606 #8,343
2009 modern 610 #8,488
2010 modern 625 #8,512
2011 modern 617 #8,500
2012 modern 590 #8,715
2013 modern 600 #8,752
2014 modern 601 #8,792
2015 modern 591 #8,828
2016 modern 592 #8,814

Geography

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Where Hailstones are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Burbage, Pakenham, Barningham and Snaith. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, Rugby, South Tyneside, Maldon and East Hampshire. 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 Burbage Wiltshire
3 Pakenham Suffolk
4 Barningham Norfolk
5 Snaith Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 006 Fenland
2 Rugby 001 Rugby
3 South Tyneside 007 South Tyneside
4 Maldon 003 Maldon
5 East Hampshire 008 East Hampshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hailstone

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hailstone

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Hailstone surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hailstone household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Hailstone is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hailstone is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hailstone falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hailstone 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 Hailstone, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hailstone

The surname Hailstone originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old English words "hagol" meaning hail and "stan" meaning stone. It likely referred to someone who lived near a rocky area prone to hailstorms. The name was initially found in various regions across central England, including Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, and Leicestershire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hailstone surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1332, which mention a William Hailston. The name also appears in the Lancashire Inquests from 1486, referencing a John Haylston. These early spellings, such as Hailston and Haylston, reflect the gradual evolution of the name over time.

While the Hailstone surname is not listed in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, it does appear in other historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273 mention a Richard de Halgheston, which may be an early variation of the name linked to a place called Halgheston.

Notable individuals bearing the Hailstone surname include John Hailstone (1759-1847), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Buckingham. Another prominent figure was William Hailstone (1768-1851), a Yorkshire antiquarian and collector of manuscripts and rare books.

In the 19th century, Robert Hailstone (1834-1919) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire who made significant contributions to the development of the town of Huddersfield. Additionally, Charles Hailstone (1820-1885) was a British artist known for his landscape paintings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hailstone name in North America dates back to the 17th century, when Richard Hailstone arrived in Virginia in 1635. This suggests that some members of the family emigrated from England to the American colonies during this period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hailstone families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hailstone 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. Wiltshire leads with 75 Hailstones recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.25x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 75 16.25x
Yorkshire 75 1.45x
Suffolk 67 10.54x
Hampshire 48 4.49x
Norfolk 41 5.11x
Warwickshire 35 2.66x
Surrey 33 1.30x
Middlesex 26 0.50x
Cambridgeshire 23 6.96x
Somerset 12 1.43x
Berkshire 11 2.81x
Lanarkshire 10 0.59x
Lancashire 8 0.13x
Monmouthshire 8 2.12x
Durham 7 0.45x
Gloucestershire 7 0.68x
Kent 7 0.39x
Glamorgan 6 0.66x
Dorset 5 1.46x
Stirlingshire 5 2.60x
Sussex 5 0.57x
Leicestershire 4 0.69x
Worcestershire 4 0.59x
Staffordshire 3 0.17x
Essex 2 0.19x
Northamptonshire 2 0.41x
Oxfordshire 2 0.62x
Lincolnshire 1 0.12x
Midlothian 1 0.14x
Royal Navy 1 1.61x
West Lothian 1 1.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hilgay in Norfolk leads with 25 Hailstones recorded in 1881 and an index of 827.81x.

Place Total Index
Hilgay 25 827.81x
Barningham 24 3200.00x
Pakenham 22 1286.55x
Aston 19 5.24x
Sculcoates 19 23.17x
Basingstoke 16 130.08x
Burbage 14 595.74x
Holy Trinity 13 10.45x
Hook 10 87.87x
March 10 90.33x
Bixley 9 3103.45x
Abergavenny 8 56.62x
Brading 8 56.26x
Kenilworth 8 107.82x
Shotts 8 39.60x
Alton Barnes 7 2500.00x
Goole 7 80.74x
Kingston On Thames 7 11.46x
Millbrook 7 25.98x
Stockton On Tees 7 9.35x
Thorney 7 190.74x
Westminster St John 7 11.01x
Curdworth 6 495.87x
Frilsham 6 1621.62x
Great Barton 6 408.16x
Idle 6 25.02x
Liverpool 6 1.60x
Sutton 6 32.61x
Tottenham 6 7.22x
Upavon 6 689.66x
Whitchurch 6 122.20x
Brettenham 5 2941.18x
Brightside Bierlow 5 4.93x
Chirton 5 819.67x
Devizes St James 5 81.57x
Durrington 5 714.29x
Hamworthy 5 420.17x
Holdenhurst 5 17.82x
Kington St Michael 5 609.76x
Norton 5 375.94x
Pensford St Thomas 5 1063.83x
Ramsbury 5 119.62x
Reading St Mary 5 15.93x
Slamannan 5 47.44x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 4.76x
Thurston 5 403.23x
Camberwell 4 1.20x
Culford 4 754.72x
Elm 4 123.46x
Leicester St Mary 4 8.56x
Long Ashton 4 95.92x
Manningham 4 6.28x
Milton Lilborne 4 370.37x
Paddington London 4 2.08x
Deptford St Paul 3 2.18x
Handsworth 3 6.91x
Hove 3 7.77x
Leatherhead 3 47.10x
North Newnton 3 447.76x
Richmond 3 8.42x
Shrewton 3 247.93x
Southampton St Mary 3 4.46x
Stapleton 3 15.45x
Beeching Stoke 2 666.67x
Bottisham 2 70.92x
Burghclere 2 147.06x
Chigwell 2 20.58x
Compton 2 408.16x
Great Malvern 2 14.06x
Hastings St Mary 2 9.13x
Hursley 2 80.65x
Kings Norton 2 3.27x
Leconfield Arram 2 350.88x
Oxford St Giles 2 13.00x
Pewsey 2 59.00x
Potterne 2 96.62x
Ramsgate 2 6.88x
Tickhill 2 60.61x
Westbury On Trym 2 5.77x
Wilcott 2 198.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 29
Sarah 23
Elizabeth 15
Jane 15
Emma 11
Eliza 9
Alice 8
Annie 8
Ellen 8
Martha 7
Hannah 6
Ada 5
Edith 5
Emily 5
Fanny 5
Harriet 5
Susan 5
Ann 4
Caroline 4
Louisa 4
Maria 4
Agnes 3
Catherine 3
Matilda 3
Minnie 3
Rose 3
Ruth 3
Anna 2
Helen 2
Hester 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Sophia 2
Alma 1
Amelia 1
Bettes 1
Carroline 1
Elenor 1
Eliz. 1
Elizath. 1
Elizth. 1
Etheldreda 1
Eva 1
Hepzibah 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Katurah 1
Zilla 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 31
John 27
George 22
James 20
Charles 19
Edward 12
Thomas 12
Henry 10
Alfred 9
Arthur 8
Walter 8
Albert 6
Harry 5
Herbert 5
Jesse 3
Oliver 3
Robert 3
Chas.W. 2
David 2
Emmanuel 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Frederic 2
Geo. 2
Job 2
Joseph 2
Percy 2
Tom 2
Chas.G. 1
Elijah 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Horace 1
Howard 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
Ivan 1
Joe 1
Laurence 1
Leonard 1
Morris 1
Nathaniel 1
Reuben 1
Richard 1
Richd. 1
Samuel 1
Solomon 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Hailstone surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hailstone surname in 1881?

In 1881, 533 people were recorded with the Hailstone surname. That placed it at #6,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hailstone surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 592 in 2016. That gives Hailstone a modern rank of #8,814.

What does the Hailstone surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English words for "hail" and "stone", possibly denoting someone who lived near a rocky area or geological formation.

What does the Hailstone map show?

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