NameCensus.

UK surname

Hampton

From a place name meaning "homestead" or "village" in Old English, derived from the elements "ham" (home) and "tun" (enclosure).

In the 1881 census there were 4,577 people recorded with the Hampton surname, ranking it #975 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,568, ranked #1,205, down from #975 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, Dudley and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Letham and Glamis and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hampton is 5,855 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.7%.

1881 census count

4,577

Ranked #975

Modern count

5,568

2016, ranked #1,205

Peak year

1999

5,855 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hampton had 4,577 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #975 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,568 in 2016, ranked #1,205.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,512 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Hampton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hampton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hampton 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 3,151 #919
1861 historical 3,663 #767
1881 historical 4,577 #975
1891 historical 4,910 #951
1901 historical 5,394 #1,040
1911 historical 5,512 #944
1997 modern 5,577 #1,168
1998 modern 5,853 #1,155
1999 modern 5,855 #1,163
2000 modern 5,835 #1,158
2001 modern 5,717 #1,157
2002 modern 5,825 #1,161
2003 modern 5,648 #1,167
2004 modern 5,534 #1,190
2005 modern 5,422 #1,201
2006 modern 5,412 #1,196
2007 modern 5,461 #1,196
2008 modern 5,506 #1,194
2009 modern 5,672 #1,191
2010 modern 5,757 #1,200
2011 modern 5,711 #1,186
2012 modern 5,565 #1,196
2013 modern 5,681 #1,193
2014 modern 5,690 #1,202
2015 modern 5,620 #1,198
2016 modern 5,568 #1,205

Geography

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Where Hamptons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, Dudley and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Letham and Glamis and Wakefield. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 Dudley Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 057 Cornwall
2 Letham and Glamis Angus
3 Cornwall 052 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 067 Cornwall
5 Wakefield 042 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hampton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hampton

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Hampton is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Hampton is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hampton falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hampton

The surname Hampton has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ham" meaning a village or homestead, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement. The name essentially refers to a settlement or village in a low-lying area or by a river bend.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hantone" and "Hantun." These entries refer to various places in Hampshire, Middlesex, and other counties, suggesting that the name was already well-established in different parts of England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often associated with places named Hampton, such as Hampton Court in London, which was originally a manor house belonging to the Knights Hospitallers in the 13th century. Other notable places bearing the name include Hampton in Arden, Warwickshire, and Hampton, Gloucestershire.

Notable individuals with the surname Hampton throughout history include Sir John Hampton (c. 1430-1492), a British soldier and courtier who served as a standard-bearer for King Henry VII during the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Another prominent figure was Sir Richard Hampton (c. 1545-1601), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, John Hampton (1600-1654) was a prominent Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Battersea in London. During the same period, Robert Hampton (1620-1672) was a prominent English theologian and Anglican clergyman who served as the rector of Uppingham in Rutland.

Moving forward, one of the most famous bearers of the name was Wade Hampton III (1818-1902), a prominent American politician and military officer who served as a lieutenant general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. After the war, he became a prominent figure in South Carolina politics, serving as the governor of the state from 1876 to 1879.

These examples illustrate the deep historical roots and widespread presence of the surname Hampton across various regions of England and beyond, spanning multiple centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hampton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hampton 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. Staffordshire leads with 499 Hamptons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.21x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 499 3.21x
Middlesex 460 1.00x
Surrey 433 1.93x
Lancashire 375 0.69x
Worcestershire 327 5.43x
Hampshire 305 3.23x
Cornwall 232 4.44x
Angus 225 5.27x
Gloucestershire 220 2.43x
Isle of Man 136 15.88x
Yorkshire 135 0.30x
Warwickshire 132 1.13x
Essex 127 1.39x
Sussex 105 1.35x
Kent 91 0.58x
Shropshire 83 2.08x
Wiltshire 83 2.03x
Hertfordshire 81 2.55x
Durham 74 0.54x
Cheshire 63 0.62x
Lanarkshire 63 0.42x
Kincardineshire 62 11.04x
Somerset 38 0.51x
Aberdeenshire 30 0.70x
Glamorgan 29 0.36x
Midlothian 28 0.45x
Berkshire 23 0.66x
Norfolk 23 0.32x
Derbyshire 20 0.28x
Devon 20 0.21x
Herefordshire 20 1.06x
Dorset 18 0.59x
Monmouthshire 17 0.51x
Leicestershire 16 0.31x
Nottinghamshire 16 0.26x
Ayrshire 15 0.43x
Northumberland 14 0.20x
Channel Islands 11 0.80x
Cumberland 11 0.28x
Huntingdonshire 8 0.87x
Montgomeryshire 8 0.76x
Perthshire 7 0.34x
Lincolnshire 6 0.08x
Oxfordshire 6 0.21x
Royal Navy 6 1.09x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.32x
Bedfordshire 3 0.13x
Fife 3 0.11x
Renfrewshire 3 0.08x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.11x
Nairnshire 2 1.42x
Northamptonshire 2 0.05x
Suffolk 2 0.04x
Wigtownshire 2 0.33x
Anglesey 1 0.12x
Buteshire 1 0.36x
Radnorshire 1 0.27x
Roxburghshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dudley in Worcestershire leads with 121 Hamptons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.53x.

Place Total Index
Dudley 121 16.53x
Sedgley 110 19.02x
Montrose 78 30.12x
Camberwell 68 2.31x
Birmingham 63 1.63x
West Bromwich 62 6.96x
Toxteth Park 59 3.18x
St Marylebone London 57 2.31x
Stoke Upon Trent 53 3.21x
Lambeth 48 1.19x
Aston 47 1.47x
Onchan 47 19.05x
Islington London 45 1.01x
St Pancras London 43 1.16x
West Ham 42 2.09x
Richmond 41 13.02x
Laurencekirk 40 122.93x
Southampton St Mary 38 6.39x
Rowley Regis 37 8.53x
Brechin 35 20.84x
Mile End Old Town London 35 3.57x
Limehouse London 34 6.72x
St Erth 34 107.46x
Everton 32 1.83x
Newington 32 1.88x
Southampton All Sts 31 19.11x
Tewkesbury 31 38.40x
Wellington 31 13.84x
Wolverhampton 31 2.59x
Braddan 30 64.13x
Govan 30 0.81x
Potterne 30 164.11x
Illogan 29 20.98x
Milford 29 105.03x
Portsea 29 1.57x
West Dean 29 19.74x
Wandsworth 28 6.31x
Longhope 26 169.27x
Phillack 26 38.58x
Wednesbury 26 6.68x
Woking 26 19.20x
Tipton 25 5.24x
Bishopwearmouth 23 1.95x
Cheltenham 23 3.30x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 23 10.80x
Liverpool 23 0.69x
Broxbourne 22 34.92x
Evesham All Sts 22 78.38x
Evesham St Lawrence 21 65.63x
Claines 20 12.10x
St George In East London 20 4.61x
Bermondsey 18 1.31x
Darlaston 18 8.37x
Esh 18 18.03x
Hulme 18 1.58x
Southwark St George Martyr 18 1.94x
Holy Trinity 17 1.55x
Horsell 17 119.80x
Kingswinford 17 3.01x
Millbrook 17 7.14x
Dundee 16 1.00x
Germoe 16 172.60x
Kidderminster Borough 16 4.54x
Stretford 16 5.31x
Trentham 16 12.08x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 15 1.76x
Dunnichen 15 66.58x
Kensington London 15 0.59x
Kirkdale 15 1.63x
Paddington London 15 0.88x
Redditch 15 12.28x
Redruth 15 10.16x
Wolstanton Chesterton 15 18.85x
Aberdeen Old Machar 14 1.57x
Barony 14 0.37x
Chobham 14 35.29x
Clerkenwell London 14 1.29x
Lymington 14 20.15x
Maughold 14 21.18x
St Vigeans 14 6.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 254
Elizabeth 175
Sarah 131
Ellen 88
Eliza 87
Jane 81
Annie 72
Ann 69
Emily 61
Emma 53
Alice 51
Hannah 41
Margaret 39
Harriet 37
Martha 37
Louisa 31
Caroline 30
Edith 30
Florence 27
Maria 27
Catherine 26
Clara 26
Anne 23
Fanny 23
Kate 23
Lucy 22
Rose 21
Ada 20
Rebecca 19
Frances 18
Charlotte 17
Amy 16
Esther 16
Susan 16
Eleanor 15
Agnes 14
Lydia 14
Sophia 14
Isabella 13
Harriett 11
Gertrude 9
Jessie 9
Minnie 8
Elizth. 7
Laura 7
Phoebe 7
Amelia 6
Ethel 6
Henrietta 6
Lizzie 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 266
John 225
Thomas 145
George 143
James 137
Charles 104
Henry 93
Joseph 89
Edward 61
Robert 50
Frederick 48
Alfred 38
Richard 34
Samuel 33
Arthur 32
Albert 26
Wm. 25
Walter 24
Herbert 23
David 22
Harry 21
Frank 16
Ernest 15
Edwin 13
Francis 13
Thos. 12
Daniel 11
Benjamin 10
Fred 9
Isaac 9
Alexander 8
Fredrick 8
Stephen 7
Chas. 6
Fredk. 6
Clement 5
Edmund 5
Elijah 5
Enoch 5
Job 5
Moses 5
Percy 5
Robt. 5
Abraham 4
Harold 4
Jabez 4
Mark 4
Philip 4
Reuben 4
Richd. 4

FAQ

Hampton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hampton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,577 people were recorded with the Hampton surname. That placed it at #975 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hampton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,568 in 2016. That gives Hampton a modern rank of #1,205.

What does the Hampton surname mean?

From a place name meaning "homestead" or "village" in Old English, derived from the elements "ham" (home) and "tun" (enclosure).

What does the Hampton map show?

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