NameCensus.

UK surname

Hamill

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hAdhmaill, meaning "descendant of Adhmall," derived from a personal name meaning "honor."

In the 1881 census there were 508 people recorded with the Hamill surname, ranking it #6,704 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,991, ranked #2,251, up from #6,704 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirkshaws, Oakley Comrie and Blairhall and Blackburn with Darwen.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hamill is 3,021 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 488.8%.

1881 census count

508

Ranked #6,704

Modern count

2,991

2016, ranked #2,251

Peak year

2014

3,021 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hamill had 508 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,704 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,991 in 2016, ranked #2,251.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 928 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hamill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hamill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hamill 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 146 #13,157
1861 historical 202 #11,906
1881 historical 508 #6,704
1891 historical 659 #5,897
1901 historical 928 #5,023
1911 historical 574 #7,069
1997 modern 2,667 #2,391
1998 modern 2,787 #2,382
1999 modern 2,826 #2,378
2000 modern 2,799 #2,382
2001 modern 2,725 #2,391
2002 modern 2,796 #2,392
2003 modern 2,734 #2,389
2004 modern 2,771 #2,369
2005 modern 2,787 #2,335
2006 modern 2,812 #2,314
2007 modern 2,871 #2,286
2008 modern 2,910 #2,267
2009 modern 2,945 #2,300
2010 modern 3,006 #2,300
2011 modern 2,972 #2,296
2012 modern 2,927 #2,289
2013 modern 2,988 #2,280
2014 modern 3,021 #2,270
2015 modern 2,985 #2,269
2016 modern 2,991 #2,251

Geography

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Where Hamills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, Wigan, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirkshaws, Oakley Comrie and Blairhall, Blackburn with Darwen, IZ13 and Drumgelloch. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirkshaws North Lanarkshire
2 Oakley Comrie and Blairhall Fife
3 Blackburn with Darwen 008 Blackburn with Darwen
4 IZ13 West Dunbartonshire
5 Drumgelloch North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hamill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hamill

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hamill, 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 Hamill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hamill 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, Hamill 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

Hamill 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

Hamill 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 Hamill 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Hamill

The surname Hamill has its origins in the British Isles, specifically in Ireland and Scotland. It is derived from the Gaelic word "camas," meaning "crooked or winding," which was often used to describe a river or stream. The name likely referred to someone who lived near such a waterway.

In Ireland, the name first appeared in County Armagh, where it was recorded as early as the 12th century. One of the earliest references to the name is found in the Annals of Ulster, a medieval chronicle that mentions a "Gillamurry Hamill" in 1178.

The name also has a strong presence in Scotland, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. In Scotland, it was often spelled as "Hammill" or "Hammil." One notable bearer of the name was John Hamill, a Scottish soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of instruments recording the submission of Scottish nobles and landowners to Edward I of England. The name "Hamill" is listed among those who swore fealty to the English king.

The name Hamill has also been associated with several places in Ireland and Scotland, such as Hamiltonbawn in County Armagh and Hamiltonhill in Glasgow. These place names likely derived from the surname, indicating areas where families with the name settled or held land.

Some notable individuals with the surname Hamill throughout history include:

1. Patrick Hamill (1512-1589), an Irish Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Elizabeth I. 2. John Hamill (1755-1820), a Scottish poet and essayist known for his works on Scottish history and culture. 3. Dorothy Hamill (born 1956), an American figure skater who won a gold medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics. 4. Pete Hamill (1935-2020), an American journalist, novelist, and editor known for his works on New York City life. 5. Mark Hamill (born 1951), an American actor best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars film franchise.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hamill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hamill 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 150 Hamills recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.53x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 150 2.53x
Lanarkshire 145 8.98x
Durham 46 3.10x
Stirlingshire 26 14.11x
Yorkshire 26 0.53x
Renfrewshire 23 5.94x
Dunbartonshire 22 16.39x
Kent 14 0.82x
Northumberland 12 1.61x
Cumberland 11 2.56x
Middlesex 9 0.18x
Midlothian 8 1.20x
Channel Islands 3 2.03x
Cornwall 3 0.53x
Cheshire 2 0.18x
Dumfriesshire 2 1.81x
Royal Navy 2 3.36x
Ayrshire 1 0.27x
Devon 1 0.10x
Essex 1 0.10x
Fife 1 0.34x
Glamorgan 1 0.12x
Somerset 1 0.12x
Wigtownshire 1 1.51x
Worcestershire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 61 Hamills recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.27x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 61 21.27x
Liverpool 43 11.95x
Govan 32 8.01x
Barony 30 7.34x
Wigan 18 21.73x
Dumbarton 13 69.59x
Toxteth Park 13 6.48x
Bishopwearmouth 12 9.41x
Strathblane 12 521.74x
Barrow In Furness 11 13.65x
Eastwood 9 37.75x
Linthorpe 9 30.47x
Manchester 9 3.38x
Conside Knitsley 8 69.26x
Everton 8 4.24x
Great Crosby 8 49.51x
Gillingham 7 19.93x
Slamannan 7 69.38x
Ulverston 7 40.56x
West Derby 7 4.04x
Abbey 6 10.16x
Bedlington 6 24.18x
Cambusnethan 6 16.73x
Crosscanonby 6 42.19x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 2.23x
Falkirk 6 13.91x
Hawkshead Monk Coniston 6 289.86x
Leeds 6 2.15x
Whickham 6 43.89x
Blantyre 5 29.73x
East Kilbride 5 72.25x
Huddersfield 5 6.93x
Kirkdale 5 5.02x
Sunderland 5 19.05x
Bury 4 5.91x
Erith 4 23.82x
Gateshead 4 3.60x
Newcastle On Tyne St 4 10.38x
Workington 4 16.25x
Bonhill 3 13.93x
Bradford 3 2.50x
Cadder 3 25.15x
Camborne 3 12.88x
Cornsay 3 75.00x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 4.66x
St Pancras London 3 0.75x
St Peter 3 70.26x
West Greenock 3 4.32x
Batley 2 4.25x
Birkenhead 2 2.28x
Boldon 2 37.74x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 4.25x
Broughton In Salford 2 3.69x
Cardross 2 12.41x
Hackney London 2 0.71x
Heworth 2 6.83x
Kirkintilloch 2 10.97x
Maryhill 2 6.33x
Middle Greenock 2 18.94x
Old Kilpatrick 2 12.61x
Walton On Hill 2 6.23x
Birtley 1 16.50x
Bothkennar 1 18.18x
Broadway 1 35.59x
Canterbury St Mary 1 8.74x
Cardiff St John 1 3.52x
Duddingston 1 7.45x
Garston 1 5.72x
Hampstead London 1 1.29x
Kirkmaiden 1 23.81x
Lanark 1 7.69x
Minster In Sheppey 1 3.54x
Port Glasgow 1 5.34x
Prudhoe 1 19.34x
Renfrew 1 7.82x
Riccarton Hurlford 1 15.24x
Salford 1 0.57x
Sanquhar 1 25.77x
West Ham 1 0.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 30
Catherine 12
Elizabeth 12
Ann 9
Ellen 9
Margaret 6
Alice 5
Jane 4
Anne 3
Annie 3
Martha 3
Rose 3
Catharine 2
Cathrine 2
Charlotte 2
Fanny 2
Francis 2
Isabella 2
Margret 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Catheran 1
Christine 1
Elenor 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.M. 1
Ella 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Letitia 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Margt. 1
Rabina 1
Rachel 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1
Sushanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 30
James 24
Patrick 10
Henry 7
William 7
Thomas 5
Bernard 3
Francis 3
George 3
Joseph 3
Michael 3
Robert 3
Archibald 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
David 2
Edward 2
Hugh 2
Owen 2
Roger 2
Samuel 2
A. 1
Alexander 1
Alexandrew 1
Anthony 1
Antony 1
Aron 1
Corneilius 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
Edgar 1
Felix 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Josiph 1
Marthy 1
Matthew 1
Moses 1
Palmer 1
Richd. 1
Robt. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Hamill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hamill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 508 people were recorded with the Hamill surname. That placed it at #6,704 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hamill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,991 in 2016. That gives Hamill a modern rank of #2,251.

What does the Hamill surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hAdhmaill, meaning "descendant of Adhmall," derived from a personal name meaning "honor."

What does the Hamill map show?

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