NameCensus.

UK surname

Hanby

An English patronymic surname derived from the diminutive form of Henry.

In the 1881 census there were 389 people recorded with the Hanby surname, ranking it #8,122 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 390, ranked #12,089, down from #8,122 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hooton Roberts, Stranton and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Hartlepool and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hanby is 507 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.3%.

1881 census count

389

Ranked #8,122

Modern count

390

2016, ranked #12,089

Peak year

1911

507 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hanby had 389 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,122 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 390 in 2016, ranked #12,089.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 507 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hanby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hanby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hanby 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 311 #7,413
1861 historical 492 #5,307
1881 historical 389 #8,122
1891 historical 395 #8,961
1901 historical 460 #8,564
1911 historical 507 #7,760
1997 modern 447 #10,128
1998 modern 449 #10,428
1999 modern 457 #10,342
2000 modern 454 #10,360
2001 modern 449 #10,254
2002 modern 447 #10,501
2003 modern 431 #10,653
2004 modern 436 #10,581
2005 modern 417 #10,833
2006 modern 419 #10,837
2007 modern 415 #11,047
2008 modern 411 #11,232
2009 modern 429 #11,094
2010 modern 438 #11,140
2011 modern 415 #11,514
2012 modern 401 #11,699
2013 modern 400 #11,915
2014 modern 396 #12,100
2015 modern 391 #12,113
2016 modern 390 #12,089

Geography

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Where Hanbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hooton Roberts, Stranton, Bradford, Sheffield and Rotherham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Hartlepool, County Durham, Doncaster and Blackpool. 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 Hooton Roberts Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Stranton Durham
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 010 Shropshire
2 Hartlepool 014 Hartlepool
3 County Durham 066 County Durham
4 Doncaster 030 Doncaster
5 Blackpool 009 Blackpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hanby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hanby

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hanby 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

Hanby is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hanby falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hanby

The surname Hanby is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the 12th century in the county of Yorkshire. It is derived from the Old English words "hana" meaning "rock" and "by" signifying a farmstead or village, indicating that the name likely originated from a place name referring to a rocky or stony settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hanby surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, where a William de Haneby is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region during the 12th century.

The Domesday Book, an invaluable record compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, does not explicitly list the Hanby name. However, it does reference several place names with similar spellings, such as Hanaburg and Haneberge, which may have been earlier variations of the surname's origin.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Haneby, Hanneby, and Haynby, reflecting the evolving spelling conventions of the time. One notable bearer of the Hanby name was John Hanby, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1301.

In the 16th century, the Hanby surname gained prominence with the birth of William Hanby (1521-1592), a renowned English clergyman and author. He served as the rector of St. Michael's Church in Lichfield and wrote several influential theological works, including "The Book of Christian Discipline."

Another prominent individual with the Hanby surname was Sir John Hanby (1664-1734), a member of the English gentry and a respected politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Thetford in Norfolk during the early 18th century.

The name Hanby has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Hanby Grange in Yorkshire and Hanby Hall in Lincolnshire, further reinforcing its geographical origins.

Other notable bearers of the Hanby surname include Benjamin Hanby (1833-1867), an American composer and educator best known for writing the popular Christmas carol "Up on the Housetop," and Edwin Hanby (1860-1933), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Ohio in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hanby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hanby 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. Yorkshire leads with 239 Hanbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.29x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 239 6.29x
Lancashire 41 0.90x
Durham 20 1.75x
Suffolk 18 3.86x
Surrey 16 0.86x
Gloucestershire 14 1.86x
Lincolnshire 12 1.96x
Essex 5 0.66x
Middlesex 4 0.10x
Sussex 4 0.62x
Hampshire 3 0.38x
Isle of Man 3 4.21x
Bedfordshire 2 1.01x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.86x
Herefordshire 2 1.27x
Cheshire 1 0.12x
Derbyshire 1 0.17x
Flintshire 1 0.97x
Norfolk 1 0.17x
Northumberland 1 0.18x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.19x
Staffordshire 1 0.08x
Worcestershire 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rotherham in Yorkshire leads with 37 Hanbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 172.74x.

Place Total Index
Rotherham 37 172.74x
Brightside Bierlow 19 25.50x
Hooton Roberts 17 5483.87x
Horton In Bradford 15 25.29x
Stratford St Andrews 11 4400.00x
Holbeck 10 39.73x
Hunslet 10 16.88x
Mexborough 10 132.63x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 9 12.71x
Manchester 9 4.40x
Barrow In Furness 8 12.93x
Saddleworth 8 27.30x
Battersea 7 4.96x
Bowling 7 18.61x
Frodingham 7 321.10x
Catterick 6 705.88x
Layton With Warbreck 6 35.95x
Oldham 6 4.09x
Sheffield 6 4.96x
Shotton 6 212.77x
Snaith Cowick 6 264.32x
West Bretton 6 1304.35x
Camberwell 5 2.04x
Darlington 5 11.36x
Haxey 5 192.31x
St Osyth 5 271.74x
Thorne 5 106.16x
Wingate 5 63.94x
York St Mary 5 31.79x
Darton 4 102.83x
Deerhurst 4 366.97x
Dewsbury 4 10.27x
Gildersome 4 87.53x
Lambeth 4 1.20x
Leiston 4 124.61x
Preston 4 35.43x
Shipley 4 20.29x
Stokesley 4 168.78x
Altofts 3 71.60x
Barnsley 3 7.66x
Burnley 3 7.83x
Crakehall 3 468.75x
Moss Side 3 12.53x
Newport 3 70.42x
Northallerton 3 61.86x
Norton In Malton 3 65.22x
Onchan 3 14.63x
Pollington 3 588.24x
Stockton On Tees 3 5.46x
Walton In Wakefield 3 370.37x
Wortley In Bramley 3 9.97x
Bradford 2 2.17x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 2.77x
Farnham 2 833.33x
Holy Trinity 2 2.19x
Luton 2 5.82x
Manningham 2 4.27x
Ripon 2 22.70x
Seacroft 2 111.11x
Wycombe 2 11.57x
Altrincham 1 6.76x
Birkdale 1 8.69x
Cheetham 1 2.95x
Didsbury 1 16.56x
Dudley 1 1.64x
Ferry Fryston 1 67.57x
Hackney London 1 0.47x
Huddersfield 1 1.81x
Newsham With 1 357.14x
North Duffield 1 204.08x
Pannal 1 27.40x
Peterstow 1 208.33x
Rothwell 1 13.04x
Sarnesfield 1 588.24x
South Lynn 1 15.04x
Southcoates 1 4.74x
Swinton In Rotherham 1 9.96x
Tadcaster West 1 33.22x
West Rounton 1 344.83x
Wirksworth 1 18.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 30
Sarah 23
Elizabeth 14
Ann 12
Jane 11
Hannah 8
Ellen 7
Emma 7
Annie 6
Charlotte 4
Eliza 4
Margaret 4
Ada 3
Alice 3
Catherine 3
Frances 3
Maria 3
Agnes 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Ella 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Polly 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Clarah 1
E. 1
Eleanor 1
Elizath. 1
Elizth. 1
Florance 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Isabel 1
Joannah 1
Julia 1
Juliana 1
Lilly 1
Lucy 1
Mahala 1
Marco 1
Margret 1
Matilda 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 22
John 21
William 19
Thomas 15
James 12
Henry 10
Joseph 8
Charles 7
Robert 6
Walter 6
Fred 3
Frederick 3
Tom 3
Alexander 2
Arthur 2
Christopher 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Jacob 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Benjn. 1
David 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
Hrnry 1
Isaac 1
Jackson 1
Jas.Wm. 1
Joe 1
Jos.I. 1
Mark 1
Michal 1
Miles 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1
Wilfred 1
Willm. 1
Wilson 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Hanby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hanby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 389 people were recorded with the Hanby surname. That placed it at #8,122 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hanby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 390 in 2016. That gives Hanby a modern rank of #12,089.

What does the Hanby surname mean?

An English patronymic surname derived from the diminutive form of Henry.

What does the Hanby map show?

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