NameCensus.

UK surname

Hallmark

A surname referring to someone who lived near a boundary stone or important landmark.

In the 1881 census there were 196 people recorded with the Hallmark surname, ranking it #13,006 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 326, ranked #13,896, down from #13,006 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Over and Sedgley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Flintshire, Rugby and Preston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hallmark is 339 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.3%.

1881 census count

196

Ranked #13,006

Modern count

326

2016, ranked #13,896

Peak year

2010

339 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hallmark had 196 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,006 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 326 in 2016, ranked #13,896.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 335 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Hallmark surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hallmark surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hallmark 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 99 #17,294
1861 historical 108 #19,856
1881 historical 196 #13,006
1891 historical 232 #13,429
1901 historical 259 #12,848
1911 historical 335 #10,584
1997 modern 298 #13,593
1998 modern 328 #13,100
1999 modern 322 #13,335
2000 modern 324 #13,243
2001 modern 315 #13,291
2002 modern 321 #13,378
2003 modern 320 #13,239
2004 modern 314 #13,473
2005 modern 306 #13,657
2006 modern 313 #13,517
2007 modern 318 #13,503
2008 modern 321 #13,516
2009 modern 333 #13,434
2010 modern 339 #13,523
2011 modern 338 #13,435
2012 modern 325 #13,720
2013 modern 330 #13,777
2014 modern 334 #13,749
2015 modern 327 #13,871
2016 modern 326 #13,896

Geography

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Where Hallmarks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Over, Sedgley, Burslem and Chester St John the Baptist, St Mary-on-the-Hill, St Olave, St Michael, Spittle Boughton, Chester Ca. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Flintshire, Rugby, Preston and South Staffordshire. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Over Cheshire
3 Sedgley Staffordshire
4 Burslem Staffordshire
5 Chester St John the Baptist, St Mary-on-the-Hill, St Olave, St Michael, Spittle Boughton, Chester Ca Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Flintshire 015 Flintshire
2 Rugby 007 Rugby
3 Flintshire 007 Flintshire
4 Preston 013 Preston
5 South Staffordshire 014 South Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hallmark

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hallmark

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Hallmark surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Hallmark 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hallmark is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hallmark 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

Hallmark falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hallmark is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hallmark

The surname Hallmark is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "heal" meaning "nook" or "remote place" and "mearc" meaning "boundary" or "mark." It was likely used to describe someone who lived near a boundary or marker, possibly in a secluded area.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances being William de la Hallemerk in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1293. Other early spellings include Halmark, Halemarke, and Hallemerke.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls for Nottinghamshire in 1327, with a reference to a Thomas de Hallemerk. The surname Hallmark was also found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332, indicating its presence in different parts of England during this period.

One of the notable figures with this surname was Sir John Hallmark (c. 1520-1585), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was a prominent figure in the City of London and served as an alderman and sheriff.

Another significant individual was Robert Hallmark (1589-1659), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, from 1644 to 1659. He was known for his involvement in the religious and political debates of the time.

In the 18th century, William Hallmark (1736-1800) was a notable English engraver and printmaker, known for his landscapes and architectural engravings. He was a member of the Society of Artists and exhibited his works regularly.

The 19th century saw the birth of Charles Hallmark (1823-1897), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Andrew in Stoke Newington.

One of the more recent individuals with this surname was Harold Hallmark (1899-1970), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded Hallmark Cards, one of the largest greeting card companies in the world. Although not directly related to the English origins of the name, his company's success brought widespread recognition to the Hallmark surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hallmark families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hallmark 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. Cheshire leads with 79 Hallmarks recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.72x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 79 18.72x
Lancashire 47 2.07x
Staffordshire 30 4.65x
Flintshire 17 33.08x
Warwickshire 8 1.66x
Shropshire 6 3.63x
Derbyshire 4 1.34x
Middlesex 3 0.16x
Surrey 2 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wolverhampton in Staffordshire leads with 16 Hallmarks recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.25x.

Place Total Index
Wolverhampton 16 32.25x
Chester St Oswald 15 196.34x
Tranmere 13 83.82x
Chester St John Baptist 12 158.10x
Willaston In Nantwich 11 846.15x
Burslem 9 48.68x
Aston 8 6.03x
Beswick 8 137.93x
Kirkdale 8 20.96x
Heaton Norris 7 54.22x
Preston 7 11.53x
Stockport 7 32.23x
Hanmer Bettisfield 6 2500.00x
Hanmer Willington 6 2857.14x
Hodnet 6 465.12x
Hanmer 5 1250.00x
Over 5 116.55x
Tilston 5 2083.33x
Manchester 4 3.92x
Church Gresley 3 63.03x
East Broughton 3 461.54x
Everton 3 4.15x
Monks Coppenhall 3 18.84x
Nantwich 3 61.22x
Sedgley 3 12.52x
Church Coppenhall 2 105.82x
Lambeth 2 1.20x
Urmston 2 136.05x
Wolstanton 2 10.20x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 2.02x
Atherton 1 12.11x
Burnley 1 5.24x
Chester St Martin 1 149.25x
Chester St Michael 1 200.00x
Liverpool 1 0.73x
Norton Folgate London 1 161.29x
Oldham 1 1.37x
South Normanton 1 47.62x
St Marylebone London 1 0.98x
St Pancras London 1 0.65x
Weston In Nantwich 1 294.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Sarah 9
Ann 6
Ellen 6
Martha 6
Elizabeth 4
Hannah 4
Margaret 4
Esther 3
Alice 2
Eliza 2
Jane 2
M.A. 2
Maria 2
Amy 1
Angela 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Catherine 1
Constance 1
Elizth. 1
Elsie 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Hellen 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
May 1
Minnie 1
Phoebe 1
Selina 1
Solian 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 12
John 11
William 11
George 10
Joseph 6
Henry 5
Charles 4
Albert 3
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Paul 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
David 2
Edwin 2
Fredrick 2
James 2
Job 2
Absalom 1
Arther 1
Benj. 1
E.Jos. 1
Ernest 1
Hamnet 1
Henery 1
Herbert 1
Luther 1
Oliver 1
Peter 1
Samson 1
Samuel 1
Wickliffe 1

FAQ

Hallmark surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hallmark surname in 1881?

In 1881, 196 people were recorded with the Hallmark surname. That placed it at #13,006 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hallmark surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 326 in 2016. That gives Hallmark a modern rank of #13,896.

What does the Hallmark surname mean?

A surname referring to someone who lived near a boundary stone or important landmark.

What does the Hallmark map show?

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