NameCensus.

UK surname

Hamlett

Derived from a place name meaning "high settlement" or "hamlet," referring to a small village.

In the 1881 census there were 355 people recorded with the Hamlett surname, ranking it #8,679 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 792, ranked #6,979, up from #8,679 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Over, Davenham and Charlton Kings. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire West and Chester, Trafford and Mendip.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hamlett is 891 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 123.1%.

1881 census count

355

Ranked #8,679

Modern count

792

2016, ranked #6,979

Peak year

2002

891 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hamlett had 355 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,679 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 792 in 2016, ranked #6,979.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 761 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Hamlett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hamlett surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hamlett 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 265 #8,395
1861 historical 295 #8,555
1881 historical 355 #8,679
1891 historical 410 #8,694
1901 historical 545 #7,575
1911 historical 761 #5,680
1997 modern 807 #6,497
1998 modern 820 #6,632
1999 modern 833 #6,587
2000 modern 861 #6,385
2001 modern 865 #6,253
2002 modern 891 #6,228
2003 modern 863 #6,279
2004 modern 855 #6,321
2005 modern 831 #6,416
2006 modern 825 #6,463
2007 modern 832 #6,485
2008 modern 822 #6,589
2009 modern 847 #6,582
2010 modern 856 #6,652
2011 modern 826 #6,765
2012 modern 793 #6,888
2013 modern 808 #6,892
2014 modern 834 #6,757
2015 modern 806 #6,896
2016 modern 792 #6,979

Geography

Back to top

Where Hamletts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Over, Davenham, Charlton Kings, London parishes and Astbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire West and Chester, Trafford, Mendip and Cheshire East. 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 Over Cheshire
2 Davenham Cheshire
3 Charlton Kings Gloucestershire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Astbury Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire West and Chester 035 Cheshire West and Chester
2 Cheshire West and Chester 038 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Trafford 013 Trafford
4 Mendip 014 Mendip
5 Cheshire East 037 Cheshire East

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hamlett

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hamlett

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Hamlett is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hamlett 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

Hamlett falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hamlett

The surname Hamlett originated in England and can be traced back to the early 14th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ham" meaning a village or homestead, and "læt" meaning a meadow or pasture. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "Hamelat" in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

Hamlett is a locational surname, indicating that the original bearer hailed from a small hamlet or village situated on a meadow or pasture land. It is believed that the name originated in the county of Sussex, where several places bear similar names, such as Hamleden, Hameldon, and Hamelden.

The name appears in several historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Hameleta" in the county of Surrey. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Hamlett, who was mentioned in the Hearth Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1672. Another notable figure was William Hamlett, a writer and poet born in London in 1737 and known for his satirical works.

In the 19th century, several individuals with the surname Hamlett gained prominence. James Hamlett (1819-1891) was a British politician and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. George Hamlett (1825-1888) was a renowned architect and designer responsible for several notable buildings in London.

Another significant figure was Henry Hamlett (1871-1938), a celebrated author and journalist who wrote extensively on social and political issues of his time. His works, such as "The Plight of the Working Class" and "A Critique of Victorian Society," remain influential to this day.

Across various historical periods, the surname Hamlett has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting its longstanding presence in English culture and society.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hamlett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hamlett 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 94 Hamletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.30x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 94 12.30x
Lancashire 70 1.70x
Middlesex 35 1.01x
Shropshire 30 10.03x
Gloucestershire 27 3.98x
Surrey 24 1.42x
Warwickshire 21 2.40x
Staffordshire 20 1.71x
Glamorgan 11 1.82x
Somerset 8 1.44x
Kent 5 0.42x
Wiltshire 3 0.98x
Worcestershire 3 0.66x
Yorkshire 2 0.06x
Denbighshire 1 0.76x
Durham 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Over in Cheshire leads with 47 Hamletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 604.89x.

Place Total Index
Over 47 604.89x
Aston 18 7.49x
Wem 13 292.13x
Salford 12 9.93x
Wharton 12 288.46x
Battersea 10 7.85x
Hulme 10 11.66x
Ardwick 9 24.28x
Pendleton In Salford 9 18.38x
Cardiff St Mary 8 24.09x
Finchley 8 60.24x
Latchford 8 157.48x
Little Bolton 8 15.14x
Frome 7 52.51x
Islington London 7 2.09x
Odd Rode 7 184.70x
Wolstanton Thursfield 7 492.96x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 9.38x
Hackney London 6 3.09x
Madeley 6 54.69x
Reigate Foreign 6 32.84x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 5 40.23x
Gloucester Longford St 5 543.48x
Hatherton 5 1000.00x
Hinstock 5 485.44x
Cheltenham 4 7.63x
Gorton 4 10.35x
Mile End Old Town London 4 5.43x
Mobberley 4 229.89x
Monks Coppenhall 4 13.86x
Pilkington 4 25.62x
St Luke London 4 7.20x
Stockport 4 10.17x
Streatham 4 15.57x
Birkenhead 3 4.92x
Birmingham 3 1.03x
Faversham 3 26.62x
Llandaff 3 14.96x
Shrewsbury St Chad 3 28.57x
Southwark St Saviour 3 16.85x
St Pancras London 3 1.08x
Swindon 3 12.63x
Willenhall 3 13.70x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 3.06x
Horton Kirby 2 109.29x
Kirkdale 2 2.89x
Stretford 2 8.85x
Urmston 2 74.91x
Westminster St John 2 4.74x
Withington 2 15.11x
Wolstanton 2 5.63x
Wolverhampton 2 2.23x
Altrincham 1 7.49x
Aston Blank 1 277.78x
Berrington 1 85.47x
Blatchinworth 1 10.68x
Bristol 1 156.25x
Donington 1 212.77x
Dudley 1 1.82x
East Brent 1 119.05x
Fulham London 1 1.99x
Gloucester St John Baptist 1 22.78x
Hunslet 1 1.87x
Kingstanley 1 39.84x
Leckhampton 1 23.92x
Macclesfield 1 2.94x
Manchester 1 0.54x
Marton In Whitegate 1 121.95x
Matson 1 1111.11x
Minchinhampton 1 18.48x
Newton 1 3.16x
Putney 1 6.34x
Shifnal 1 12.32x
Southwick 1 10.25x
Tyrley 1 109.89x
Walkington 1 86.21x
Wardle 1 555.56x
Warrington 1 2.05x
Worcester St Martin 1 16.39x
Wrexham Regis 1 10.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Elizabeth 17
Sarah 15
Martha 8
Alice 7
Annie 7
Eliza 7
Jane 7
Emily 5
Fanny 5
Hannah 5
Louisa 5
Margaret 4
Ann 3
Clara 3
Elizth. 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Agnes 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Florence 2
Harriett 2
Jeanette 2
Kate 2
Ada 1
Agness 1
Bertha 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Hariet 1
Harriet 1
Jamima 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Maggie 1
Maria 1
Phoebe 1
Polly 1
Roda 1
Susan 1
Unregistered 1
Zilphah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 25
James 19
George 16
John 15
Thomas 14
Charles 8
Henry 7
Joseph 7
Richard 6
Samuel 6
Frederick 5
Alfred 4
Arthur 4
Robert 4
Edwin 3
Wm. 3
Andrew 2
Edward 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Jno. 2
Sydney 2
T. 2
Abel 1
Abraham 1
Amos 1
Cliff 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Fredick 1
Herbert 1
Horatio 1
Humphrey 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
Jesse 1
Oliver 1
Oswald 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Ralfe 1
Ralph 1
Richd. 1
Sam 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Hamlett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hamlett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 355 people were recorded with the Hamlett surname. That placed it at #8,679 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hamlett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 792 in 2016. That gives Hamlett a modern rank of #6,979.

What does the Hamlett surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "high settlement" or "hamlet," referring to a small village.

What does the Hamlett map show?

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