NameCensus.

UK surname

Hains

An English topographic surname referring to a person living by a hain or small meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 509 people recorded with the Hains surname, ranking it #6,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 222, ranked #18,277, down from #6,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Norton St Philip, Wroxham and Kingston-on-Thames. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Dorset, Chichester and Runnymede.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hains is 951 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 56.4%.

1881 census count

509

Ranked #6,690

Modern count

222

2016, ranked #18,277

Peak year

1851

951 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hains had 509 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 222 in 2016, ranked #18,277.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 951 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Hains surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hains surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hains 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 951 #2,921
1861 historical 886 #3,132
1881 historical 509 #6,690
1891 historical 560 #6,775
1901 historical 439 #8,863
1911 historical 316 #11,031
1997 modern 235 #15,895
1998 modern 248 #15,772
1999 modern 256 #15,557
2000 modern 241 #16,146
2001 modern 237 #16,048
2002 modern 237 #16,413
2003 modern 223 #16,905
2004 modern 217 #17,276
2005 modern 199 #18,198
2006 modern 220 #17,204
2007 modern 224 #17,193
2008 modern 223 #17,395
2009 modern 230 #17,382
2010 modern 242 #17,138
2011 modern 227 #17,733
2012 modern 221 #17,979
2013 modern 234 #17,556
2014 modern 226 #18,088
2015 modern 225 #18,050
2016 modern 222 #18,277

Geography

Back to top

Where Hains' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Norton St Philip, Wroxham, Kingston-on-Thames, London parishes and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Dorset, Chichester, Runnymede and South Somerset. 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 Norton St Philip Somerset
2 Wroxham Norfolk
3 Kingston-on-Thames Surrey
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Dorset 005 West Dorset
2 Chichester 014 Chichester
3 Runnymede 009 Runnymede
4 West Dorset 012 West Dorset
5 South Somerset 023 South Somerset

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hains

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hains

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Hains is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hains is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hains falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hains is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hains

The surname Hains is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "haen," which means "dweller at the rocks." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a rocky or stony area.

The name can be found in various historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Haines." This early reference indicates that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is William Haines, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199. Another notable figure with this surname was John Hains, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 14th century.

The surname Hains has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Haines Hill in Berkshire and Haines Farm in Wiltshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Hains. One such figure was William Haines (1900-1973), an American actor and film star who appeared in numerous silent films and early talkies during the 1920s and 1930s.

Another prominent individual was Sir Philip Hains (1909-1992), a British diplomat and civil servant who served as the UK's ambassador to various countries, including Italy and the United States.

In the field of literature, we find Mary Hains (1862-1945), an American writer and educator who published several books on literature and folklore.

The name Hains has also been associated with the military. One example is Major General Charles Hains (1838-1919), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who later served as the Chief of Engineers for the United States Army.

Finally, we have Sir John Russell Hind Hains (1838-1904), a British naval officer and explorer who participated in several Arctic expeditions and served as the Governor of British Honduras (now Belize) from 1884 to 1891.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hains families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hains 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. Lancashire leads with 48 Hains' recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.81x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 48 0.81x
Surrey 48 1.98x
Middlesex 42 0.85x
Wiltshire 40 9.11x
Somerset 38 4.75x
Devon 35 3.39x
Staffordshire 30 1.79x
Gloucestershire 28 2.88x
Norfolk 28 3.67x
Kent 20 1.18x
Dorset 18 5.52x
Hampshire 18 1.77x
Glamorgan 13 1.50x
Warwickshire 10 0.80x
Worcestershire 9 1.39x
Essex 7 0.71x
Shropshire 7 1.63x
Suffolk 7 1.16x
Herefordshire 6 2.95x
Midlothian 6 0.90x
Leicestershire 5 0.91x
Lincolnshire 5 0.63x
Cambridgeshire 4 1.27x
Cheshire 4 0.36x
Pembrokeshire 4 2.53x
Berkshire 3 0.80x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.45x
Oxfordshire 3 0.98x
Sussex 3 0.36x
Bedfordshire 2 0.78x
Cornwall 2 0.36x
Huntingdonshire 2 2.03x
Monmouthshire 2 0.56x
Montgomeryshire 2 1.76x
Yorkshire 2 0.04x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.75x
Hertfordshire 1 0.29x
Northamptonshire 1 0.21x
Northumberland 1 0.14x
Radnorshire 1 2.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sutton Veney in Wiltshire leads with 26 Hains' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2113.82x.

Place Total Index
Sutton Veney 26 2113.82x
East Stonehouse 12 58.94x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 12 52.36x
Camberwell 10 3.15x
Everton 10 5.33x
St Pancras London 10 2.50x
Ystradyfodwg 10 13.19x
Lambeth 9 2.08x
Stoke Damerel 9 12.44x
Whatley 9 1232.88x
Greenwich 8 10.12x
Hunstanton 8 310.08x
Kingston On Thames 8 13.76x
Walton On Hill 8 25.06x
West Dean 8 50.57x
Aston 7 2.03x
Hackney London 7 2.51x
Melton 7 294.12x
Oldham 7 3.68x
Plymouth Charles The 7 15.37x
Radstock 7 133.08x
Wroxham 7 1093.75x
Cheddleton 6 170.94x
Corscombe 6 540.54x
Edinburgh New 6 116.05x
Edington 6 377.36x
Farnham 6 31.90x
Kensington London 6 2.17x
Pendleton In Salford 6 8.55x
Pontesbury 6 114.94x
Tipton 6 11.69x
Wellow 6 255.32x
Wigan 6 7.29x
Millbrook 5 19.51x
Almeley 4 388.35x
Blockley 4 108.99x
Bristol St Augustine 4 25.46x
Carshalton 4 43.20x
Fontmell Magna 4 322.58x
Hartpury 4 291.97x
Langriville 4 701.75x
Lewisham 4 4.43x
Pembroke St Mary 4 19.69x
Salford 4 2.31x
Stoke 4 35.03x
Stourbridge 4 23.98x
Wolverhampton 4 3.10x
Allington 3 103.09x
Bedminster 3 3.99x
Birmingham 3 0.72x
Burton Upon Trent 3 7.65x
Clapham 3 4.83x
Eye Dunsden 3 202.70x
Longstock 3 405.41x
Newnham 3 120.00x
Norton Sub Hamdon 3 326.09x
Nottingham St Mary 3 1.73x
Ragdale 3 1764.71x
Rowley Regis 3 6.42x
Semley 3 256.41x
Stapleton 3 16.24x
Tolleshunt Knights 3 384.62x
Blandford Forum 2 31.10x
Chelsea London 2 1.34x
Dorchester St Peter 2 84.75x
Downham 2 59.88x
Dummer 2 303.03x
Folkestone 2 6.09x
Hampstead London 2 2.59x
Handsworth 2 4.84x
Lower Bebington 2 30.72x
Offord D Arcy 2 338.98x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 2.51x
Poplar London 2 2.13x
Richmond 2 5.90x
Shenstone 2 46.95x
Standish With Langtree 2 27.55x
Tonbridge 2 3.27x
Totnes 2 33.06x
Tottenham 2 2.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Elizabeth 24
Sarah 16
Emma 12
Eliza 10
Ellen 10
Emily 9
Ann 8
Jane 7
Harriet 6
Annie 5
Edith 5
Maria 5
Caroline 4
Catherine 4
Kate 4
Alice 3
Anne 3
Charlotte 3
Florence 3
Harriett 3
Lucy 3
Martha 3
Ruth 3
Ada 2
Anna 2
Clara 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Laura 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Marey 2
Mariah 2
Maud 2
Maude 2
Rebecca 2
Susan 2
Bridgett 1
C. 1
Carol 1
Eleen 1
Elen 1
Elizat. 1
Elizth. 1
Hellen 1
Hester 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 36
John 26
Thomas 19
George 18
Henry 14
James 13
Edward 8
Joseph 8
Alfred 7
Charles 7
Albert 5
Robert 5
Samuel 5
Arthur 4
Frederick 4
Herbert 4
Richard 4
Edwin 3
Philip 3
Wm. 3
Andrew 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Walter 2
Ashton 1
Clarence 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Gilbert 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Joshua 1
Kenny 1
Laland 1
Louisa 1
Norman 1
Otto 1
Percival 1
Petter 1
Phillip 1
Roger 1
Rose 1
Simeon 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Hains surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hains surname in 1881?

In 1881, 509 people were recorded with the Hains surname. That placed it at #6,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hains surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 222 in 2016. That gives Hains a modern rank of #18,277.

What does the Hains surname mean?

An English topographic surname referring to a person living by a hain or small meadow.

What does the Hains map show?

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