NameCensus.

UK surname

Hanks

A surname of English origin, derived from a nickname meaning "gracious" or "God is gracious."

In the 1881 census there were 1,466 people recorded with the Hanks surname, ranking it #2,848 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,281, ranked #2,846, up from #2,848 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Malmesbury St Paul and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cotswold, Gwynedd and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hanks is 2,327 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.6%.

1881 census count

1,466

Ranked #2,848

Modern count

2,281

2016, ranked #2,846

Peak year

2000

2,327 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hanks had 1,466 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,848 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,281 in 2016, ranked #2,846.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,074 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hanks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hanks surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hanks 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 902 #3,052
1861 historical 938 #2,952
1881 historical 1,466 #2,848
1891 historical 1,479 #2,979
1901 historical 1,801 #2,907
1911 historical 2,074 #2,407
1997 modern 2,200 #2,823
1998 modern 2,320 #2,781
1999 modern 2,321 #2,801
2000 modern 2,327 #2,781
2001 modern 2,276 #2,778
2002 modern 2,294 #2,819
2003 modern 2,245 #2,809
2004 modern 2,263 #2,785
2005 modern 2,220 #2,811
2006 modern 2,207 #2,833
2007 modern 2,215 #2,844
2008 modern 2,199 #2,885
2009 modern 2,260 #2,881
2010 modern 2,305 #2,888
2011 modern 2,254 #2,916
2012 modern 2,225 #2,892
2013 modern 2,300 #2,855
2014 modern 2,305 #2,860
2015 modern 2,278 #2,859
2016 modern 2,281 #2,846

Geography

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Where Hanks' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Malmesbury St Paul, London parishes and Horsley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cotswold, Gwynedd and Cornwall. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Malmesbury St Paul Wiltshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Horsley Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cotswold 003 Cotswold
2 Gwynedd 006 Gwynedd
3 Gwynedd 008 Gwynedd
4 Cornwall 035 Cornwall
5 Cotswold 002 Cotswold

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hanks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hanks

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hanks is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hanks 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hanks

The surname Hanks originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the male given name Han, a diminutive form of Johannes, which is the medieval English variation of John. The name Han was often combined with the diminutive suffix "-kin" to form Hankin or Hankins. Over time, this evolved into the surname Hanks.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Hanks can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, where it is listed as Hanekinus. This suggests that the name was already established in certain regions of England by the 13th century. Other early spellings include Hankyns, Hankyn, and Hankyn.

Historically, the surname Hanks was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas, as these counties have a high concentration of early records of individuals bearing the surname.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners in England, there are no direct mentions of the surname Hanks. However, the name Johannes, from which Hanks is derived, appears frequently throughout the record.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Hanks was John Hanks, who was born in Worcestershire around 1490. Another notable figure was Sir Michael Hanks, a wealthy merchant and alderman in London during the 16th century.

During the 17th century, the Hanks surname gained prominence with the birth of Benjamin Hanks (1644-1687), a prominent Quaker leader and author from Pennsylvania. His son, William Hanks (1668-1744), was a respected minister and helped establish several Quaker meetings in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

In the 18th century, John Hanks (1733-1806) served as a soldier in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Kentucky, where he became a respected frontier settler and farmer.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Hanks was Abraham Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks (1784-1818). Her family had roots in England, and she was born in Virginia before later moving to Kentucky.

Throughout history, the surname Hanks has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, religious leaders, soldiers, and pioneers. While the exact origins of the name may be difficult to pinpoint, its enduring presence in English and American history is a testament to its longevity and significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hanks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hanks 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. Gloucestershire leads with 237 Hanks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.49x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 237 8.49x
Middlesex 236 1.66x
Warwickshire 122 3.40x
Wiltshire 118 9.37x
Yorkshire 111 0.79x
Surrey 99 1.43x
Oxfordshire 76 8.65x
Somerset 59 2.58x
Lancashire 54 0.32x
Hampshire 40 1.37x
Worcestershire 37 1.99x
Essex 36 1.28x
Staffordshire 31 0.65x
Lincolnshire 30 1.32x
Kent 22 0.45x
Monmouthshire 19 1.85x
Berkshire 17 1.59x
Northumberland 13 0.61x
Shropshire 12 0.98x
Caernarfonshire 11 1.91x
Sussex 11 0.46x
Derbyshire 10 0.45x
Cheshire 8 0.25x
Durham 8 0.19x
Leicestershire 7 0.44x
Lanarkshire 6 0.13x
Suffolk 5 0.29x
Herefordshire 4 0.69x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.35x
Dorset 3 0.32x
Brecknockshire 2 0.70x
Devon 2 0.07x
Hertfordshire 2 0.20x
Norfolk 2 0.09x
Royal Navy 2 1.18x
Berwickshire 1 0.58x
Glamorgan 1 0.04x
Northamptonshire 1 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 63 Hanks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.27x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 63 5.27x
Horsley 44 355.99x
St Pancras London 41 3.58x
Aston 39 3.95x
Malmesbury St Paul 39 360.11x
Westport St Mary 38 416.67x
Islington London 23 1.67x
Naunton 22 852.71x
Southwark St George Martyr 22 7.68x
Hammersmith London 21 5.99x
Bedminster 20 9.29x
Bethnal Green London 19 3.07x
Wolverhampton 18 4.87x
Frampton Cotterell 17 173.47x
Stonesfield 16 561.40x
Bromsgrove 15 23.98x
Painswick 14 70.92x
Algarkirk 13 513.83x
Cheltenham 13 6.04x
Croydon 13 3.38x
Hackney London 13 1.63x
Kensington London 13 1.64x
Kingston On Thames 13 7.80x
Swindon 13 13.32x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 12 4.57x
Chelsea London 12 2.80x
Lambeth 12 0.97x
Portskewett 12 502.09x
St Giles Cripplegate 12 63.53x
Walthamstow 12 11.87x
Bangor 11 19.82x
Avening 10 101.42x
Compton Abdale 10 980.39x
Glass Houghton 10 195.31x
Paddington London 10 1.91x
Ardwick 9 5.91x
Camberwell 9 0.99x
Clerkenwell London 9 2.68x
Doncaster 9 8.73x
Frimley 9 45.55x
Ilkeston 9 14.41x
Normanby In 9 23.87x
Purston Jaglin 9 261.63x
St Marylebone London 9 1.18x
Toxteth Park 9 1.57x
Walcot 9 7.38x
Birkenhead 8 3.19x
Butterwick 8 307.69x
Eynsham 8 143.88x
Harborne 8 5.20x
Malmesbury The Abbey 8 1095.89x
Portsea 8 1.40x
Salperton 8 1126.76x
Wanstead 8 16.26x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 1.90x
Asthall 7 382.51x
Bath St James 7 29.29x
Bisley 7 27.68x
Elswick 7 4.14x
Ince In Makerfield 7 8.91x
Leicester St Margaret 7 1.82x
Lyncombe Widcombe 7 11.67x
Middlesbrough 7 3.81x
Minchinhampton 7 31.47x
Newington 7 1.33x
Peopleton 7 526.32x
Prees 7 46.73x
Shoreditch London 7 1.13x
Stockton On Tees 7 3.43x
Witney 7 47.62x
Woodford 7 22.01x
Wychwood 7 673.08x
Acomb 6 81.41x
Beckenham 6 9.45x
Charlton Abbotts 6 1071.43x
Englishcombe 6 235.29x
Rothwell 6 21.06x
Southampton St Mary 6 3.27x
St Mary Extra 6 25.55x
Whitchurch 6 64.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 80
Elizabeth 55
Sarah 47
Annie 30
Eliza 29
Emma 28
Ellen 25
Ann 23
Jane 23
Alice 21
Emily 19
Hannah 16
Louisa 16
Ada 15
Florence 15
Harriet 14
Caroline 11
Maria 11
Charlotte 10
Martha 10
Fanny 9
Catherine 8
Edith 8
Rosa 8
Elizth. 7
Harriett 7
Lucy 7
Rose 7
Beatrice 6
Clara 6
Gertrude 6
Sophia 6
Agnes 5
Frances 5
Amelia 4
Anna 4
Eleanor 4
Esther 4
Grace 4
Helen 4
Julia 4
Margaret 4
Phoebe 4
Selina 4
Susan 4
Adelaide 3
Anne 3
Eva 3
Matilda 3
Angelina 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 93
John 73
George 58
Thomas 47
Henry 42
Charles 34
Frederick 30
James 30
Joseph 24
Robert 22
Albert 20
Edward 20
Alfred 15
Walter 15
Arthur 13
Harry 11
Ernest 8
Herbert 8
Richard 7
Frank 6
Matthew 5
Samuel 5
Daniel 4
Thos. 4
Benjamin 3
Fredk. 3
Horace 3
Isaac 3
Josiah 3
Stephen 3
Tom 3
Amos 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Geo. 2
Harold 2
Job 2
Leonard 2
Luke 2
Mark 2
Moses 2
Orlando 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Reginald 2
Thos.H. 2
Wm. 2
David 1
Geo.W. 1
Wm.S. 1

FAQ

Hanks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hanks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,466 people were recorded with the Hanks surname. That placed it at #2,848 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hanks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,281 in 2016. That gives Hanks a modern rank of #2,846.

What does the Hanks surname mean?

A surname of English origin, derived from a nickname meaning "gracious" or "God is gracious."

What does the Hanks map show?

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