NameCensus.

UK surname

Hamil

Derived from the Old English "hamel," referring to someone who lived in a crooked or bent valley.

In the 1881 census there were 142 people recorded with the Hamil surname, ranking it #16,012 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 152, ranked #23,516, down from #16,012 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and Middlesborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mearns North and Inverbervie, Greenock Upper Central and Coventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hamil is 187 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.0%.

1881 census count

142

Ranked #16,012

Modern count

152

2016, ranked #23,516

Peak year

1891

187 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hamil had 142 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,012 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016, ranked #23,516.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 187 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hamil surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hamil surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hamil 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 56 #23,235
1861 historical 115 #18,880
1881 historical 142 #16,012
1891 historical 187 #15,679
1901 historical 130 #19,649
1911 historical 25 #30,654
1997 modern 127 #23,352
1998 modern 116 #25,332
1999 modern 117 #25,362
2000 modern 113 #25,843
2001 modern 105 #26,620
2002 modern 115 #25,749
2003 modern 112 #25,948
2004 modern 110 #26,451
2005 modern 109 #26,583
2006 modern 119 #25,413
2007 modern 126 #24,860
2008 modern 127 #25,020
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 137 #24,716
2012 modern 139 #24,485
2013 modern 145 #24,207
2014 modern 153 #23,537
2015 modern 152 #23,507
2016 modern 152 #23,516

Geography

Back to top

Where Hamils are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Govan Combination, Middlesborough, Glasgow and Stevenston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mearns North and Inverbervie, Greenock Upper Central, Coventry, Inverkip and Wemyss Bay and Partick. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Middlesborough Durham
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Stevenston Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mearns North and Inverbervie Aberdeenshire
2 Greenock Upper Central Inverclyde
3 Coventry 002 Coventry
4 Inverkip and Wemyss Bay Inverclyde
5 Partick Glasgow City

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hamil

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hamil

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

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Hamil surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hamil household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hamil 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

Hamil 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

Hamil 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 Hamil is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hamil

The surname Hamil is believed to have originated in Scotland, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be a variation of the name Hamilton, which was derived from the Old English words "hamel" and "tun," meaning "homestead" and "town," respectively. The name was likely given to someone who lived near a homestead or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hamil can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish nobles and landowners who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. The document lists a "Thomas de Hameldun," which may have been an early spelling of the name.

In the 14th century, a branch of the Hamil family settled in the Scottish Borders region, where they became prominent landowners. Records from this period show the name spelled in various ways, including "Hamill," "Hameill," and "Hamyll."

During the 16th century, the Hamils played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. Sir John Hamil (c. 1510-1572) was a prominent Protestant reformer and member of the Scottish Parliament. He was instrumental in establishing the Presbyterian Church of Scotland and advocating for religious reform.

Another notable figure in the history of the Hamil surname was Sir William Hamil (1655-1723), a Scottish writer and poet. He was born in Lanarkshire and is best known for his satirical works, which critiqued the social and political climate of his time.

In the 18th century, the Hamil family had a presence in both Scotland and Ireland. James Hamil (1712-1788), a Scottish-born philosopher and educator, was a prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment movement. He served as a professor at the University of Glasgow and made significant contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics.

The name Hamil also has a long-standing connection to the Scottish town of Hamilton, which was named after the Hamilton family, who were once the feudal lords of the area. The town's coat of arms features a symbol that represents the "hamel" or homestead, further reinforcing the name's historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hamil families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hamil 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. Lanarkshire leads with 47 Hamils recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.49x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 47 10.49x
Renfrewshire 20 18.63x
Durham 18 4.37x
Midlothian 11 5.93x
Yorkshire 11 0.80x
Lancashire 8 0.49x
Northumberland 7 3.40x
Ayrshire 6 5.79x
Surrey 6 0.89x
Dunbartonshire 3 8.06x
Cumberland 2 1.68x
Middlesex 2 0.14x
Staffordshire 1 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. New Monkland in Lanarkshire leads with 13 Hamils recorded in 1881 and an index of 98.19x.

Place Total Index
New Monkland 13 98.19x
Barony 10 8.82x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 10 56.02x
Paisley High Church 9 105.26x
West Calder 9 245.90x
Govan 8 7.22x
Huddersfield 8 40.00x
Old Monkland 7 39.37x
Tynemouth 7 63.41x
Bermondsey 6 14.55x
Renfrew 6 169.49x
Glasgow 5 6.29x
Haswell 5 169.49x
Stevenston 5 185.19x
Salford 4 8.27x
Dalziel 3 62.24x
Neilston 3 55.66x
Azerley 2 606.06x
Bonhill 2 33.50x
North Leith 2 23.28x
St Cuthbert W O 2 34.42x
Barrow In Furness 1 4.47x
Bridewell Precinct London 1 769.23x
Escomb 1 52.91x
Gorbals 1 37.59x
Holbeck 1 11.00x
Kensington London 1 1.30x
Kilwinning 1 29.85x
Manchester 1 1.35x
Middle Greenock 1 34.13x
Monkwearmouth Shore 1 12.44x
Old Kilpatrick 1 22.73x
Toxteth Park 1 1.80x
West Derby 1 2.08x
West Greenock 1 5.19x
Willington 1 42.02x
Wolverhampton 1 2.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Catherine 2
Jane 2
Anna 1
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Hallen 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Nancy 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Aurther 2
Charles 2
Ghon 2
Hugh 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Patrick 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Fred 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Hamil surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hamil surname in 1881?

In 1881, 142 people were recorded with the Hamil surname. That placed it at #16,012 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hamil surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016. That gives Hamil a modern rank of #23,516.

What does the Hamil surname mean?

Derived from the Old English "hamel," referring to someone who lived in a crooked or bent valley.

What does the Hamil map show?

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