NameCensus.

UK surname

Hambley

A surname derived from an English place name referring to an area of flat meadowland.

In the 1881 census there were 258 people recorded with the Hambley surname, ranking it #10,836 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 376, ranked #12,437, down from #10,836 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Illogan, Phillack and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, Cornwall and Shepway.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hambley is 426 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.7%.

1881 census count

258

Ranked #10,836

Modern count

376

2016, ranked #12,437

Peak year

1911

426 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hambley had 258 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,836 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 376 in 2016, ranked #12,437.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 426 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Hambley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hambley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hambley 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 143 #13,343
1861 historical 267 #9,290
1881 historical 258 #10,836
1891 historical 349 #9,857
1901 historical 407 #9,374
1911 historical 426 #8,856
1997 modern 396 #11,086
1998 modern 421 #10,954
1999 modern 413 #11,180
2000 modern 401 #11,382
2001 modern 400 #11,229
2002 modern 393 #11,587
2003 modern 380 #11,689
2004 modern 392 #11,453
2005 modern 388 #11,437
2006 modern 374 #11,822
2007 modern 397 #11,433
2008 modern 394 #11,622
2009 modern 408 #11,541
2010 modern 403 #11,925
2011 modern 400 #11,865
2012 modern 383 #12,099
2013 modern 392 #12,100
2014 modern 384 #12,362
2015 modern 378 #12,405
2016 modern 376 #12,437

Geography

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Where Hambleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Illogan, Phillack, London parishes, Brotton and Holyhead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, Cornwall and Shepway. 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 Illogan Cornwall
2 Phillack Cornwall
3 London parishes London 3
4 Brotton Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Holyhead Anglesey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 012 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Cornwall 001 Cornwall
3 Shepway 013 Shepway
4 Redcar and Cleveland 005 Redcar and Cleveland
5 Cornwall 015 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hambley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hambley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hambley, 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 Hambley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hambley 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, Hambley 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

Hambley is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hambley 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 Hambley 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 Hambley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hambley

The surname Hambley is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "ham" meaning a homestead or village, and "ley" meaning a meadow or clearing. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, possibly as early as the 11th century.

The name is thought to have originated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where many early recordings of the name can be found. It was likely first used as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived in a meadow or clearing near a village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hambley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a Robert de Hameleia. The Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332 also list a John de Hameley.

In the 13th century, the Hambley family is believed to have held lands in the village of Hambley, near Burnley in Lancashire. This village name, which shares its roots with the surname, may have been derived from the Old English words "ham" and "leah" meaning a woodland clearing.

Notable historical figures with the surname Hambley include John Hambley (1556-1624), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reign of King James I. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Hambley (1600-1674), a Member of Parliament and Justice of the Peace for Yorkshire during the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, the Hambleys were well-established landed gentry in Yorkshire, with estates in the villages of Bramham and Wetherby. William Hambley (1630-1704) was a prominent landowner and magistrate in this region.

The name Hambley also appears in various historical records from Scotland and Ireland, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have migrated to these regions over the centuries. For example, the Scottish Retours (records of land inheritance) mention a James Hambley in Fife in 1643.

Other notable individuals bearing the Hambley surname include Sir John Hambley (1780-1856), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars, and Reverend James Hambley (1822-1901), an Anglican priest and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hambley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hambley 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. Cornwall leads with 63 Hambleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.86x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 63 21.86x
Devon 41 7.74x
Surrey 32 2.58x
Yorkshire 32 1.27x
Middlesex 20 0.79x
Lanarkshire 10 1.21x
Lancashire 9 0.30x
Anglesey 8 17.73x
Sussex 8 1.86x
Berkshire 7 3.66x
Kent 6 0.69x
Warwickshire 6 0.93x
Hampshire 5 0.96x
Suffolk 5 1.61x
Royal Navy 3 9.89x
Lincolnshire 2 0.49x
Monmouthshire 2 1.09x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.93x
Derbyshire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lanivet in Cornwall leads with 20 Hambleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2222.22x.

Place Total Index
Lanivet 20 2222.22x
Battersea 18 19.21x
Plymouth Charles The 15 64.24x
Blantyre 10 116.69x
Tywardreath 10 540.54x
Lambeth 9 4.05x
Tintagel 9 1153.85x
Hastings St Mary 8 74.91x
Holyhead 8 95.12x
Wolborough 8 119.40x
Brotton 7 212.77x
Hungerford 7 271.32x
Linthorpe 7 46.48x
Kirkleatham 6 175.95x
Mevagissey 6 312.50x
Aston 5 2.83x
Greenwich 5 12.34x
Kirkley 5 193.05x
Manaton 5 1724.14x
Portsea 5 4.89x
Sharlston 5 303.03x
Great Mitton 4 2666.67x
Sunbury 4 130.72x
Bridgerule West 3 1500.00x
Camberwell 3 1.84x
Chelsea London 3 3.91x
Great Bolton 3 7.50x
Holsworthy 3 200.00x
Manchester 3 2.21x
Ratcliffe London 3 21.34x
Royal Navy 3 11.57x
St Austell 3 30.46x
St Germans 3 149.25x
Stratton 3 192.31x
Bow London 2 6.17x
Camborne 2 16.84x
Newington 2 2.13x
Ormesby 2 29.50x
Owston 2 172.41x
Plympton St Mary 2 65.36x
St Marylebone London 2 1.47x
Barnstaple 1 12.02x
Bedwellty 1 3.08x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.66x
Compton Gifford 1 60.24x
Edmonton 1 4.88x
Fairfield 1 37.45x
Frindsbury 1 30.58x
Kensington London 1 0.71x
Kenwyn 1 13.26x
Kirkdale 1 1.97x
Lanhydrock 1 625.00x
Lanreath 1 204.08x
Lanteglos By Fowey 1 85.47x
Lezant 1 156.25x
Liverpool 1 0.55x
Llangan East 1 200.00x
Penketh 1 91.74x
Redruth 1 12.27x
Roche 1 68.49x
Shaugh Prior 1 163.93x
Solihull 1 21.65x
Southcoates 1 7.14x
St Pancras London 1 0.49x
St Sepulchre London 1 26.81x
Stoke Damerel 1 2.70x
Tormoham 1 4.46x
Trevethin 1 5.75x
Whitechapel London 1 3.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Elizabeth 7
Jane 6
Alice 5
Eliza 5
Emma 5
Ellen 4
Hannah 4
Maria 4
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Emily 3
Kate 3
Caroline 2
Elisabeth 2
Fanny 2
Martha 2
Rebecca 2
Amy 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Blanche 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Edith 1
Elizth.Beatrice 1
Emley 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Jennie 1
Julia 1
Lilian 1
Lilley 1
Louisa 1
Mahola 1
Margerate 1
Margt. 1
Marian 1
Maud 1
Rose 1
Rosetta 1
Silina 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 22
William 18
Richard 13
Thomas 13
James 11
George 8
Charles 5
Henry 4
Francis 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Harry 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Cecil 1
Charley 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Egbert 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Jas.Hugh 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Rd. 1
Reuben 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Sam 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Tho. 1
Will.H. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Hambley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hambley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 258 people were recorded with the Hambley surname. That placed it at #10,836 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hambley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 376 in 2016. That gives Hambley a modern rank of #12,437.

What does the Hambley surname mean?

A surname derived from an English place name referring to an area of flat meadowland.

What does the Hambley map show?

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