NameCensus.

UK surname

Hankinson

Derived from a place name meaning "son of Hankin," a diminutive of Hank or John.

In the 1881 census there were 984 people recorded with the Hankinson surname, ranking it #3,955 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,268, ranked #4,719, down from #3,955 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Chilvers Coton, Manchester and Cheadle. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bury, Warrington and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hankinson is 1,396 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.9%.

1881 census count

984

Ranked #3,955

Modern count

1,268

2016, ranked #4,719

Peak year

1911

1,396 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hankinson had 984 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,955 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,268 in 2016, ranked #4,719.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,396 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Hankinson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hankinson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hankinson 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 506 #4,943
1861 historical 507 #5,159
1881 historical 984 #3,955
1891 historical 977 #4,234
1901 historical 1,176 #4,160
1911 historical 1,396 #3,460
1997 modern 1,328 #4,330
1998 modern 1,351 #4,406
1999 modern 1,374 #4,373
2000 modern 1,392 #4,304
2001 modern 1,354 #4,317
2002 modern 1,385 #4,330
2003 modern 1,320 #4,426
2004 modern 1,291 #4,515
2005 modern 1,291 #4,452
2006 modern 1,273 #4,531
2007 modern 1,275 #4,556
2008 modern 1,274 #4,590
2009 modern 1,307 #4,584
2010 modern 1,324 #4,621
2011 modern 1,298 #4,650
2012 modern 1,268 #4,677
2013 modern 1,292 #4,676
2014 modern 1,299 #4,682
2015 modern 1,285 #4,676
2016 modern 1,268 #4,719

Geography

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Where Hankinsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Chilvers Coton, Manchester, Cheadle, Warrington and Prescot. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bury, Warrington, Northumberland and Doncaster. 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 Chilvers Coton Warwickshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Cheadle Cheshire
4 Warrington Lancashire
5 Prescot Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bury 001 Bury
2 Warrington 017 Warrington
3 Northumberland 017 Northumberland
4 Warrington 008 Warrington
5 Doncaster 018 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hankinson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hankinson

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hankinson 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

Hankinson 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

Hankinson 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 Hankinson 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 Hankinson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hankinson

The surname Hankinson is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England during the medieval period, specifically in the areas around Lancashire and Yorkshire.

The name Hankinson is a patronymic surname, meaning it was derived from the given name of an ancestor. It is believed to have originated from the Old English personal name "Hankin" or "Hanekyn," which were diminutive forms of the name "Han," a shortened version of the Germanic name "Johannes" or "John."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hankinson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named "Hanekinus" in Yorkshire. This suggests that the surname was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, records show a "Robert Hankinson" listed in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. Other early spellings of the name include "Hankynson," "Hankynsone," and "Hankynsonn," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation during that time.

One notable figure with the surname Hankinson was Sir John Hankinson (c. 1515-1585), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Liverpool during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the city's governance and was involved in the establishment of Liverpool's first grammar school.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Hankinson (1608-1678), an English clergyman and Puritan minister who served as the Rector of St. Margaret's Church in Lynn, Norfolk. He was known for his strong religious convictions and his support for the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Robert Hankinson (1720-1798) was a notable English clockmaker and inventor from Liverpool. He is credited with several innovations in clock and watch design, and his work was highly regarded in his time.

John Hankinson (1822-1894) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Liverpool, including the Liverpool Collegiate Institution and the Birkenhead Town Hall. He was also involved in the restoration of several historic churches in the region.

Moving into the 19th century, William Hankinson (1864-1949) was a prominent English artist and painter known for his landscapes and seascapes. He was a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and had several successful exhibitions during his lifetime.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hankinson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hankinson 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. Lancashire leads with 515 Hankinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.52x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 515 4.52x
Cheshire 227 10.71x
Warwickshire 91 3.76x
Middlesex 22 0.23x
Hampshire 21 1.07x
Staffordshire 20 0.62x
Surrey 19 0.41x
Kent 13 0.40x
Lincolnshire 11 0.72x
Derbyshire 8 0.53x
Midlothian 8 0.62x
Yorkshire 8 0.08x
Caernarfonshire 6 1.55x
Glamorgan 5 0.30x
Oxfordshire 3 0.51x
Huntingdonshire 2 1.05x
Leicestershire 2 0.19x
Norfolk 2 0.14x
Sussex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Warrington in Lancashire leads with 73 Hankinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.06x.

Place Total Index
Warrington 73 54.06x
Rixton With Glazebrook 38 1310.34x
Chilvers Coton 32 321.29x
Parr 29 71.17x
Barrow In Furness 26 16.78x
Stockport Etchells 21 465.63x
Cheadle 20 49.42x
Preston 17 5.58x
Birmingham 16 1.98x
Stockport 16 14.67x
Woolston With 16 963.86x
Worsley 16 22.79x
Runcorn 15 30.71x
Salford 15 4.48x
Macclesfield 14 14.87x
Congleton 13 35.51x
Hartshill 13 722.22x
Heaton Norris 13 20.05x
Kirkham 13 86.32x
Oldham 13 3.54x
Pendleton In Salford 13 9.58x
Widnes 13 15.82x
Liverpool 12 1.73x
Monks Coppenhall 12 15.01x
North Stoneham 12 268.46x
Burgh Upon Bain 11 1964.29x
Chorlton On Medlock 11 6.08x
Thelwall 11 674.85x
Warton 11 839.69x
Windle 11 17.16x
Bollington In 10 53.02x
Garston 10 29.74x
Nuneaton 10 35.66x
Polesworth 10 87.03x
Timperley 10 135.69x
Plumstead 9 8.24x
Stoke Upon Trent 9 2.62x
Chester St John Baptist 8 21.01x
Chester St Oswald 8 20.85x
Hale 8 425.53x
Lymm 8 51.95x
Moss Side 8 13.35x
Pownall Fee 8 84.39x
Altrincham 7 18.91x
Scarborough 7 8.10x
Upper Lower 7 958.90x
Ardwick 6 5.84x
Broughton In Salford 6 5.76x
Edgbaston 6 7.99x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 1.16x
Everton 6 1.65x
Great Lever 6 49.67x
Little Bolton 6 4.10x
Llanbeblig 6 15.23x
Lytham 6 34.50x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 3.11x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 2.01x
Atherton 5 12.06x
Barton Upon Irwell 5 5.83x
Billinge Chapel End 5 78.25x
Birkenhead 5 2.96x
Chelsea London 5 1.73x
Claylane 5 23.93x
Hale 5 68.40x
Handforth 5 206.61x
Higher Bebington 5 36.87x
Holdenhurst 5 9.69x
Northen Etchells 5 201.61x
Openshaw 5 9.37x
Roath 5 6.59x
Southworth With Croft 5 147.06x
Lambeth 4 0.48x
Latchford 4 28.41x
Manchester 4 0.78x
Newton 4 4.56x
Poulton Le Fylde 4 99.01x
Southwark St Saviour 4 8.11x
Thornton In Fylde 4 16.05x
Upper Penn 4 49.26x
Wolverhampton 4 1.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 75
Elizabeth 50
Sarah 42
Jane 24
Ellen 22
Martha 20
Ann 19
Alice 16
Emma 15
Margaret 13
Annie 11
Hannah 10
Harriet 9
Eliza 7
Emily 7
Frances 7
Lucy 7
Ada 6
Catherine 6
Eleanor 6
Elizth. 6
Anne 5
Charlotte 5
Edith 5
Fanny 5
Louisa 4
Nancy 4
Agnes 3
Amy 3
Clara 3
Florence 3
Isabella 3
Amelia 2
Bertha 2
Christina 2
Dinah 2
Elisabeth 2
Elizth.A. 2
Harriett 2
Julia 2
Lilie 2
Lizzie 2
M. 2
Nellie 2
Rachel 2
Barbara 1
Berth 1
Edeth 1
Henrietta 1
Sussanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 63
William 57
James 42
Thomas 40
Charles 25
George 23
Joseph 20
Robert 16
Edward 14
Henry 14
Richard 14
Peter 13
Samuel 12
Isaac 10
Arthur 9
Harry 7
Thos. 7
Alfred 6
Herbert 6
Walter 6
Wm. 6
Frank 5
Frederick 5
David 4
Jas. 4
Albert 3
Paul 3
Willm. 3
Charlie 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Jame 2
Josiah 2
Tom 2
Amos 1
Christian 1
Colin 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Hamblet 1
Herbt.A. 1
Jonathan 1
Josh. 1
Kyrle 1
Mark 1
Nathaniel 1
Oliver 1
Percy 1
Zacariah 1

FAQ

Hankinson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hankinson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 984 people were recorded with the Hankinson surname. That placed it at #3,955 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hankinson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,268 in 2016. That gives Hankinson a modern rank of #4,719.

What does the Hankinson surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "son of Hankin," a diminutive of Hank or John.

What does the Hankinson map show?

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