NameCensus.

UK surname

Hand

An occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold gloves or worked as a servant or laborer.

In the 1881 census there were 3,590 people recorded with the Hand surname, ranking it #1,258 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,830, ranked #1,403, down from #1,258 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Newcastle-under Lyne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, West Lindsey and Sedgemoor.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hand is 5,107 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.5%.

1881 census count

3,590

Ranked #1,258

Modern count

4,830

2016, ranked #1,403

Peak year

1999

5,107 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hand had 3,590 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,258 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,830 in 2016, ranked #1,403.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,406 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Hand surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hand surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hand 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 2,486 #1,195
1861 historical 2,702 #1,088
1881 historical 3,590 #1,258
1891 historical 3,647 #1,316
1901 historical 4,184 #1,345
1911 historical 4,406 #1,169
1997 modern 4,836 #1,356
1998 modern 5,066 #1,343
1999 modern 5,107 #1,341
2000 modern 5,066 #1,348
2001 modern 4,946 #1,344
2002 modern 5,029 #1,345
2003 modern 4,866 #1,358
2004 modern 4,869 #1,356
2005 modern 4,811 #1,358
2006 modern 4,767 #1,372
2007 modern 4,790 #1,378
2008 modern 4,806 #1,384
2009 modern 4,894 #1,391
2010 modern 4,989 #1,395
2011 modern 4,882 #1,405
2012 modern 4,812 #1,397
2013 modern 4,904 #1,399
2014 modern 4,903 #1,403
2015 modern 4,867 #1,395
2016 modern 4,830 #1,403

Geography

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Where Hands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Newcastle-under Lyne and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, West Lindsey, Sedgemoor and Barnsley. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
3 Newcastle-under Lyne Staffordshire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 005 Shropshire
2 West Lindsey 004 West Lindsey
3 West Lindsey 006 West Lindsey
4 Sedgemoor 005 Sedgemoor
5 Barnsley 022 Barnsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hand

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hand

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Hand surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Hand 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hand 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

Hand 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

Hand 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 Hand is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hand

The surname HAND has its origins in the English language, deriving from the Old English word "hand," meaning quite literally the part of the body at the end of the arm. It is believed to have emerged as a surname during the late 12th century, initially used as a descriptive name for someone with notable or distinctive hands, perhaps large or skilled hands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HAND can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, England, from the year 1194, which mentions a Thomas Hand. This suggests the surname was already established in certain regions of England by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the surname HAND appears in various records, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a Robert le Hand in Oxfordshire. The prefix "le" was commonly used to distinguish surnames during this period.

The surname HAND has also been linked to certain place names, such as Handsworth, a town in the West Midlands of England. This place name is derived from the Old English words "hand" and "worth," meaning an enclosed settlement or farm belonging to someone named Hand.

One notable figure bearing the surname HAND was Sir John Hand (c. 1470 - c. 1545), an English politician and member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire in 1532.

Another historical figure of note was Thomas Hand (1597 - 1662), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Magdalen College, Oxford, from 1657 until his death.

In the 17th century, the HAND surname was present in the American colonies, with records showing individuals such as John Hand (c. 1615 - 1706), a settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony, and Daniel Hand (1649 - 1721), a Connecticut landowner and magistrate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in Scotland was that of Robert Hand, born in Aberdeen in 1646. He later became a minister and professor of philosophy at the University of Edinburgh.

In Ireland, the HAND surname has been traced back to the 16th century, with records mentioning individuals such as Nicholas Hand, born in Dublin in 1588, who was a merchant and alderman in the city.

Throughout history, the HAND surname has been prominently represented across various fields, including politics, religion, academia, and business, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark on numerous communities and societies.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hand families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hand 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 656 Hands recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.54x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 656 5.54x
Lancashire 413 0.99x
Middlesex 302 0.86x
Warwickshire 166 1.88x
Surrey 148 0.87x
Yorkshire 146 0.42x
Derbyshire 139 2.53x
Leicestershire 135 3.47x
Cheshire 132 1.71x
Lincolnshire 132 2.36x
Nottinghamshire 131 2.77x
Wiltshire 128 4.13x
Durham 97 0.93x
Shropshire 96 3.17x
Worcestershire 90 1.97x
Northumberland 77 1.48x
Kent 70 0.59x
Northamptonshire 51 1.55x
Gloucestershire 45 0.65x
Somerset 44 0.78x
Cornwall 41 1.03x
Hampshire 37 0.52x
Dorset 35 1.52x
Lanarkshire 35 0.31x
Essex 29 0.42x
Bedfordshire 28 1.54x
Devon 21 0.29x
Midlothian 20 0.43x
Berkshire 19 0.72x
Cumberland 15 0.50x
Sussex 14 0.24x
Angus 13 0.40x
Huntingdonshire 10 1.44x
Ayrshire 9 0.34x
Royal Navy 7 1.68x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.28x
Flintshire 6 0.64x
Anglesey 5 0.81x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.34x
Clackmannanshire 5 1.73x
Oxfordshire 5 0.23x
Rutland 5 1.94x
Brecknockshire 4 0.57x
Glamorgan 4 0.07x
Denbighshire 3 0.23x
Norfolk 3 0.06x
Cardiganshire 2 0.23x
Hertfordshire 2 0.08x
Suffolk 2 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.07x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.05x
Herefordshire 1 0.07x
Monmouthshire 1 0.04x
Montgomeryshire 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. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 140 Hands recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.16x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 140 11.16x
Aston 73 3.00x
Birmingham 60 2.04x
Manchester 57 3.05x
Kingswinford 56 13.04x
Newcastle Under Lyme 52 24.84x
Derby St Werburgh 43 13.57x
Liverpool 43 1.70x
Bethnal Green London 39 2.56x
Barkestone 32 883.98x
Ludgvan 29 91.69x
Macclesfield 29 8.43x
Wolverhampton 29 3.19x
Shoreditch London 28 1.84x
Stourbridge 28 23.78x
West Derby 28 2.30x
Walsall Foreign 27 4.42x
Grantham 26 35.60x
Leicester St Margaret 26 2.74x
Puddletown 26 184.40x
Camberwell 24 1.07x
Stafford St Mary 24 14.33x
Amblecote 23 68.19x
Kensington London 23 1.18x
Nottingham St Mary 23 1.88x
St Pancras London 23 0.82x
Eaton Socon 22 77.25x
Wednesfield 22 12.64x
Islington London 21 0.62x
Newark Upon Trent 21 12.37x
Wolstanton 21 5.84x
Clerkenwell London 20 2.42x
Lambeth 20 0.65x
Newington 20 1.54x
Mile End Old Town London 19 2.55x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 19 6.10x
Burslem 18 5.31x
Hulme 18 2.07x
Sedgley 18 4.10x
Battersea 17 1.32x
Calne 17 26.64x
Hyde 17 7.45x
Peterborough 17 7.12x
Bremhill 16 114.53x
Caverswall 16 26.02x
Linthorpe 16 7.72x
Plumstead 16 4.01x
Southwark St George Martyr 16 2.27x
Broughton In Salford 15 3.94x
Chelsea London 15 1.42x
Cropwell Bishop 15 196.59x
Kidderminster Foreign 14 21.63x
Middlesbrough 14 3.10x
Audlem 13 71.27x
Bristol St George 13 4.09x
Cowpen 13 10.83x
Esh 13 17.13x
Eston 13 17.19x
Gorton 13 3.33x
Heworth 13 6.33x
Manthorpe Cum Little 13 30.35x
Nunton With Bodenham 13 366.20x
Old Monkland 13 2.89x
Prees 13 35.25x
Blackburn 12 1.08x
Chadderton 12 5.90x
Cheetham 12 3.87x
Everton 12 0.91x
Moss Side 12 5.48x
Backworth 11 79.59x
Basford 11 5.05x
Burwarton 11 628.57x
Chester St Mary On Hill 11 16.57x
Downton 11 27.12x
Failsworth 11 11.56x
Halifax 11 2.16x
Monckton Combe 11 61.01x
Selston 11 20.85x
Stapleton 11 8.44x
West Ham 11 0.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 276
Elizabeth 131
Sarah 106
Jane 91
Emma 62
Eliza 52
Ellen 51
Ann 50
Alice 49
Annie 44
Hannah 38
Margaret 36
Martha 35
Emily 33
Catherine 31
Edith 27
Louisa 27
Fanny 24
Harriet 23
Florence 22
Maria 21
Lucy 19
Charlotte 18
Caroline 15
Kate 15
Frances 13
Rose 13
Susan 13
Anne 12
Ada 11
Amelia 11
Clara 11
Isabella 11
Jessie 11
Harriett 10
Agnes 9
Minnie 9
Rebecca 9
Susannah 9
Bridget 8
Eleanor 8
Esther 8
Julia 8
Lizzie 8
Amy 7
Betsy 7
Ethel 7
Gertrude 7
Helen 7
Selina 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 232
John 195
Thomas 158
James 115
George 113
Henry 76
Joseph 71
Charles 69
Alfred 36
Arthur 33
Samuel 32
Edward 31
Frederick 31
Richard 28
Walter 26
Robert 24
Harry 21
Albert 18
Edwin 18
Herbert 18
Frank 15
Patrick 15
Ernest 13
Peter 13
Francis 12
Christopher 9
Michael 9
Thos. 9
Isaac 7
Tom 6
David 5
Fredrick 5
Matthew 5
Owen 5
Percy 5
Chas. 4
Enoch 4
Fredk. 4
Geo. 4
Jacob 4
Mathew 4
Nicholas 4
Sidney 4
Stephen 4
Abraham 3
Cecil 3
Harold 3
Leonard 3
Lewis 3
Saml. 3

FAQ

Hand surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hand surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,590 people were recorded with the Hand surname. That placed it at #1,258 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hand surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,830 in 2016. That gives Hand a modern rank of #1,403.

What does the Hand surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold gloves or worked as a servant or laborer.

What does the Hand map show?

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