NameCensus.

UK surname

Hamblin

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "the home of Hamel's people."

In the 1881 census there were 1,352 people recorded with the Hamblin surname, ranking it #3,029 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,207, ranked #2,938, up from #3,029 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Newbury and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, West Dorset and Bridgend.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hamblin is 2,264 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 63.2%.

1881 census count

1,352

Ranked #3,029

Modern count

2,207

2016, ranked #2,938

Peak year

2002

2,264 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hamblin had 1,352 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,029 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,207 in 2016, ranked #2,938.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,120 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hamblin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hamblin surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hamblin 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 849 #3,203
1861 historical 792 #3,479
1881 historical 1,352 #3,029
1891 historical 1,583 #2,807
1901 historical 1,928 #2,738
1911 historical 2,120 #2,364
1997 modern 2,148 #2,877
1998 modern 2,229 #2,889
1999 modern 2,247 #2,882
2000 modern 2,243 #2,873
2001 modern 2,207 #2,862
2002 modern 2,264 #2,856
2003 modern 2,241 #2,817
2004 modern 2,214 #2,853
2005 modern 2,146 #2,893
2006 modern 2,150 #2,889
2007 modern 2,149 #2,913
2008 modern 2,165 #2,924
2009 modern 2,171 #2,990
2010 modern 2,220 #2,990
2011 modern 2,238 #2,934
2012 modern 2,177 #2,942
2013 modern 2,228 #2,930
2014 modern 2,238 #2,934
2015 modern 2,215 #2,929
2016 modern 2,207 #2,938

Geography

Back to top

Where Hamblins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Newbury, London parishes and Sherborne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, West Dorset, Bridgend, Purbeck and Brentwood. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Newbury Berkshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Sherborne Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 002 Mendip
2 West Dorset 001 West Dorset
3 Bridgend 010 Bridgend
4 Purbeck 003 Purbeck
5 Brentwood 003 Brentwood

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hamblin

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hamblin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hamblin, 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 Hamblin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hamblin 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hamblin 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

Hamblin 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

Hamblin falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hamblin

The surname Hamblin is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ham" meaning a homestead or village, and "dun" meaning a hill. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a homestead on a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hamblin can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a William de Hameldon is mentioned. This early spelling variation suggests the name may have originated in the area around Gloucestershire.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as Hameldon, Hameldon, and Hameldon. These spellings indicate the name's connection to a place name, possibly a now-lost village or hamlet.

The Domesday Book of 1086 does not appear to contain any direct references to the surname Hamblin, but it does mention several places with similar names, such as Hameldon in Somerset and Hameldon in Wiltshire. These place names may have contributed to the development of the surname over time.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Hamblin, who lived in the 14th century and was a member of the English gentry. He is mentioned in records from the reign of Edward III, suggesting the Hamblin family had established itself as part of the landed class by that time.

Another historically significant individual with the surname Hamblin was Thomas Hamblin, a 16th-century English philosopher and author. He was born in 1548 and wrote several works on ethics and moral philosophy.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records and court documents, indicating its widespread use across England. One example is William Hamblin, a prominent merchant from Bristol who lived from 1623 to 1687.

The 18th century saw the rise of the Hamblin family in the West Country, with several members holding positions of influence in local government and the church. One notable figure was Reverend John Hamblin, who served as the vicar of Taunton from 1721 to 1775.

In the 19th century, the name Hamblin became associated with the arts and sciences. Joseph Hamblin, born in 1812, was a renowned English painter known for his landscapes and portraits. Another notable figure was William Hamblin, a geologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossils in the mid-1800s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hamblin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hamblin 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. Berkshire leads with 292 Hamblins recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.43x.

County Total Index
Berkshire 292 29.43x
Somerset 269 12.64x
Middlesex 148 1.12x
Surrey 111 1.72x
Gloucestershire 107 4.13x
Dorset 95 10.95x
Essex 44 1.69x
Kent 40 0.89x
Lancashire 28 0.18x
Wiltshire 28 2.40x
Suffolk 22 1.37x
Hampshire 21 0.78x
Northumberland 19 0.97x
Sussex 16 0.72x
Glamorgan 15 0.65x
Worcestershire 15 0.87x
Durham 12 0.31x
Buckinghamshire 11 1.38x
Devon 8 0.29x
Oxfordshire 8 0.98x
Staffordshire 8 0.18x
Warwickshire 7 0.21x
Derbyshire 4 0.19x
Bedfordshire 2 0.29x
Denbighshire 2 0.40x
Leicestershire 2 0.14x
Monmouthshire 2 0.21x
Norfolk 2 0.10x
Northamptonshire 2 0.16x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.11x
Royal Navy 2 1.27x
Shropshire 2 0.18x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.12x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.18x
Channel Islands 1 0.26x
Cornwall 1 0.07x
Herefordshire 1 0.18x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.24x
Rutland 1 1.03x
Stirlingshire 1 0.21x
Yorkshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kilmersdon in Somerset leads with 62 Hamblins recorded in 1881 and an index of 589.91x.

Place Total Index
Kilmersdon 62 589.91x
Sherborne 47 183.95x
Newbury 45 141.60x
Bradfield 43 819.05x
Reading St Mary 39 49.08x
Maisemore 31 1390.13x
Bridgewater 25 43.28x
Caundle Purse 24 2727.27x
St Pancras London 23 2.16x
Kintbury 22 287.21x
West Shefford 22 1004.57x
Bedminster 21 10.50x
West Ham 21 3.65x
Reading St Giles 20 20.55x
Castle Cary 18 194.17x
Kensington London 18 2.45x
Camberwell 17 2.01x
Brighton 14 3.11x
Brixton Deverill 14 1917.81x
Clapham 12 7.26x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 12 7.05x
Poplar London 12 4.81x
Aldershot 11 12.12x
Cullercoates 11 177.99x
West Cranmore 11 852.71x
Shoreditch London 10 1.75x
Ashbury 9 291.26x
Chiselborough 9 552.15x
Dorking 9 20.81x
Eton 9 49.67x
Holcombe 9 370.37x
Lyncombe Widcombe 9 16.16x
Othery 9 343.51x
Radstock 9 64.33x
Shepton Mallet 9 37.70x
Bucklebury 8 154.74x
Burnham 8 49.32x
Dunkerton 8 173.54x
Hampton London 8 36.82x
Hempstead 8 252.37x
Mitcham 8 19.65x
Prestbury 8 124.61x
Seale 8 193.70x
Sevenhampton 8 349.35x
Westminster St Margaret 8 12.55x
Battersea 7 1.44x
Chelsea London 7 1.76x
Deptford St Paul 7 2.01x
Gloucester Barton St 7 46.08x
Inkpen 7 223.64x
Islington London 7 0.55x
Lambeth 7 0.61x
Speen 7 43.13x
St George Hanover Square 7 3.01x
West Woodhay 7 1346.15x
Westbury On Severn East 7 11.94x
Widnes 7 6.19x
Almsford 6 447.76x
Bermondsey 6 1.52x
Blandford Forum 6 35.05x
Bray 6 20.58x
Catmore 6 1538.46x
Hampstead London 6 2.91x
Handsworth 6 5.46x
Little Malvern 6 1250.00x
Paddington London 6 1.23x
Rickinghall Inferior 6 361.45x
Ulgham 6 183.49x
Westley 6 833.33x
Witham 6 44.64x
Worsley 6 6.21x
Ashford 5 11.38x
Barwick 5 233.64x
Bletchingley 5 59.52x
Chester St Nicholas 5 268.82x
Croydon 5 1.40x
Great Badminton 5 225.23x
Greenwich 5 2.38x
Hampstead Marshall 5 442.48x
Ipswich St Mathew 5 11.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 78
John 63
George 48
Henry 40
Thomas 39
James 36
Charles 33
Albert 20
Walter 19
Frederick 17
Alfred 15
Edward 14
Arthur 12
Harry 10
Herbert 10
Isaac 10
Joseph 10
Samuel 9
Ernest 7
Francis 7
Richard 7
Robert 7
Stephen 7
Frank 6
Fredrick 6
Geo. 5
Thos. 4
Daniel 3
David 3
Edwin 3
Fredk. 3
Jesse 3
Nathan 3
Abraham 2
Benjamin 2
Bertie 2
Ebenezer 2
Edmund 2
Fred 2
Jno. 2
Joel 2
Nathaniel 2
Oliver 2
Reuben 2
Vincent 2
Wm. 2
D. 1
E.T. 1
Edgar 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Hamblin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hamblin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,352 people were recorded with the Hamblin surname. That placed it at #3,029 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hamblin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,207 in 2016. That gives Hamblin a modern rank of #2,938.

What does the Hamblin surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "the home of Hamel's people."

What does the Hamblin map show?

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