NameCensus.

UK surname

Hamper

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English word referring to a maker or seller of baskets or containers.

In the 1881 census there were 147 people recorded with the Hamper surname, ranking it #15,674 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 144, ranked #24,390, down from #15,674 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newhaven, London parishes and Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fareham, Elmbridge and Eastbourne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hamper is 264 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.0%.

1881 census count

147

Ranked #15,674

Modern count

144

2016, ranked #24,390

Peak year

1861

264 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hamper had 147 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,674 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 144 in 2016, ranked #24,390.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 264 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Hamper surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hamper surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hamper 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 110 #16,093
1861 historical 264 #9,385
1881 historical 147 #15,674
1891 historical 221 #13,897
1901 historical 193 #15,469
1911 historical 201 #14,905
1997 modern 150 #21,119
1998 modern 161 #20,754
1999 modern 159 #21,030
2000 modern 158 #21,055
2001 modern 151 #21,375
2002 modern 143 #22,595
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 147 #22,094
2005 modern 140 #22,774
2006 modern 146 #22,320
2007 modern 141 #23,137
2008 modern 145 #22,929
2009 modern 144 #23,577
2010 modern 149 #23,598
2011 modern 147 #23,627
2012 modern 140 #24,376
2013 modern 145 #24,207
2014 modern 144 #24,504
2015 modern 141 #24,723
2016 modern 144 #24,390

Geography

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Where Hampers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newhaven, London parishes, Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner, Portsmouth, Portsea and Hellingly. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fareham, Elmbridge, Eastbourne, Wealden and Richmondshire. 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 Newhaven Sussex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner Hampshire
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 Hellingly Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fareham 008 Fareham
2 Elmbridge 014 Elmbridge
3 Eastbourne 004 Eastbourne
4 Wealden 010 Wealden
5 Richmondshire 006 Richmondshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hamper

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hamper

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Hamper surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hamper household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Hamper is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hamper 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

Hamper falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hamper is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hamper

The surname HAMPER has its origins in England, dating back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hamel-pyrie," which referred to a small enclosure or pen used to house animals, particularly sheep. This term eventually evolved into the word "hamper," which took on a broader meaning of a large basket or wicker container used for carrying various items.

The earliest recorded instances of the HAMPER surname can be found in historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a John Hampyr in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1279. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a Thomas Hamper among the taxpayers.

In the 15th century, the HAMPER surname appeared in several English parish records, including those of Warwickshire and Gloucestershire. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was William Hamper, born around 1420 in the village of Tredington, Warwickshire.

The HAMPER surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England. For instance, the village of Hampreston in Dorset is believed to have derived its name from the Old English words "hamp" and "tun," which collectively meant "the enclosed farmstead."

Notably, the HAMPER surname has been carried by several prominent individuals throughout history. One such figure was Sir Benjamin Hamper (1736-1811), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. Another notable bearer of this surname was William Hamper (1776-1831), an English antiquarian and topographer who authored several works on the history and antiquities of the county of Warwickshire.

Other individuals of note include Thomas Hamper (1766-1846), an English artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings; James Hamper (1805-1869), a British educator and schoolmaster who served as the headmaster of Oakham School in Rutland; and William Hamper (1862-1942), a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hamper families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hamper 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. Sussex leads with 52 Hampers recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.51x.

County Total Index
Sussex 52 21.51x
Hampshire 28 9.53x
Middlesex 14 0.98x
Somerset 12 5.20x
Surrey 11 1.57x
Yorkshire 9 0.63x
Gloucestershire 7 2.49x
Lancashire 6 0.35x
Berkshire 2 1.86x
Hertfordshire 2 2.02x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.15x
Royal Navy 1 5.85x
Shropshire 1 0.81x
Wiltshire 1 0.79x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alverstoke in Hampshire leads with 15 Hampers recorded in 1881 and an index of 140.98x.

Place Total Index
Alverstoke 15 140.98x
Westdean 12 17142.86x
Chiddingly 8 1818.18x
Portsea 8 13.89x
Walcot 7 56.96x
Westmeston 7 4375.00x
Wandsworth 6 43.48x
Wellow 5 735.29x
Brighton 4 8.20x
East Chiltington 4 2000.00x
Fareham 4 113.31x
Hamsey 4 1481.48x
Lewes St Ann 4 487.80x
Newby In Scarborough 4 6666.67x
St Pancras London 4 3.47x
Throxenby 4 6666.67x
Westbury On Trym 4 41.97x
Chiswick 3 38.31x
Cirencester 3 78.74x
Everton 3 5.53x
Hackney London 3 3.73x
Preston 3 6.59x
Bishopstone 2 1428.57x
Camberwell 2 2.18x
Chailey 1 133.33x
Clayton 1 109.89x
Cliffe 1 121.95x
Hampstead London 1 4.48x
Jevington 1 666.67x
Keymer 1 58.48x
Lambeth 1 0.80x
Leeds 1 1.25x
Lewes St John Southover 1 61.73x
Ludlow St Lawrence 1 40.65x
New Windsor 1 27.62x
Newhaven 1 51.02x
Newington 1 1.89x
Purton 1 88.50x
Putney 1 15.29x
Ringwood 1 53.19x
Royal Navy 1 6.84x
St Ann St Agnes London 1 2000.00x
St Clement Danes London 1 33.67x
St Dunstan In West London 1 222.22x
Totteridge 1 322.58x
Upton Cum Chalvey 1 28.99x
Wantage 1 58.14x
Watford 1 13.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 8
John 6
Arthur 5
Frederick 4
James 4
Thomas 4
Charles 3
Richard 3
William 3
David 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Bernard 1
Charley 1
Chas.N. 1
Cornelius 1
Douglas 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ephraim 1
Fredc. 1
Geo. 1
Gregory 1
Guiseppi 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Jacob 1
Jessy 1
Johnathan 1
Percival 1
Sydney 1
Trayton 1

FAQ

Hamper surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hamper surname in 1881?

In 1881, 147 people were recorded with the Hamper surname. That placed it at #15,674 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hamper surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 144 in 2016. That gives Hamper a modern rank of #24,390.

What does the Hamper surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English word referring to a maker or seller of baskets or containers.

What does the Hamper map show?

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