NameCensus.

UK surname

Hanmer

A locational surname likely referring to a place name in Shropshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 438 people recorded with the Hanmer surname, ranking it #7,465 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 772, ranked #7,122, up from #7,465 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wrexham, Edgmond (Edgmond), Chetwynd, Cheswardine, Hinstock and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Stafford and Wrexham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hanmer is 826 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 76.3%.

1881 census count

438

Ranked #7,465

Modern count

772

2016, ranked #7,122

Peak year

2010

826 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hanmer had 438 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,465 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 772 in 2016, ranked #7,122.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 597 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hanmer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hanmer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hanmer 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 246 #8,891
1861 historical 203 #11,865
1881 historical 438 #7,465
1891 historical 371 #9,405
1901 historical 533 #7,697
1911 historical 597 #6,867
1997 modern 751 #6,874
1998 modern 783 #6,878
1999 modern 796 #6,825
2000 modern 818 #6,657
2001 modern 804 #6,629
2002 modern 814 #6,675
2003 modern 775 #6,831
2004 modern 761 #6,948
2005 modern 760 #6,886
2006 modern 768 #6,857
2007 modern 794 #6,737
2008 modern 800 #6,743
2009 modern 807 #6,837
2010 modern 826 #6,845
2011 modern 802 #6,935
2012 modern 797 #6,851
2013 modern 799 #6,961
2014 modern 794 #7,046
2015 modern 787 #7,026
2016 modern 772 #7,122

Geography

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Where Hanmers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wrexham, Edgmond (Edgmond), Chetwynd, Cheswardine, Hinstock, Manchester, Ellesmere (Ellesmere), Welshampton, Whittington, Halston and Kinnerley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Stafford, Wrexham 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 Wrexham Denbighshire
2 Edgmond (Edgmond), Chetwynd, Cheswardine, Hinstock Shropshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Ellesmere (Ellesmere), Welshampton, Whittington, Halston Shropshire
5 Kinnerley Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 008 Shropshire
2 Shropshire 010 Shropshire
3 Stafford 003 Stafford
4 Wrexham 015 Wrexham
5 Wakefield 013 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hanmer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hanmer

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

Hanmer is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hanmer falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hanmer

The surname HANMER originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "hana" meaning rooster and "mere" meaning a pool or lake. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a pool where roosters gathered.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hanmere" in the county of Shropshire. This suggests the name was well-established in that region by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Hannemere" in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273. There are also references to places named Hanmer in Flintshire, Wales, and Hanmer in Shropshire, England, which may have influenced the spelling and distribution of the surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir David Hanmer (1459-1542), a Welsh lawyer and landowner who served as Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench under Henry VIII. He was born in Hanmer, Flintshire, and played a significant role in the legal affairs of the Tudor period.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Hanmer (1677-1746), an English politician and literary editor who published a renowned edition of Shakespeare's works in 1744. He was born in Hanmer, Flintshire, and served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1714 to 1715.

In the 18th century, Sir John Hanmer (1733-1781) was a British naval officer and Member of Parliament. He was born in Hanmer, Flintshire, and participated in several major naval battles during the American Revolutionary War.

The writer and poet Thomas Hanmer (1766-1833) was also a notable bearer of the name. He was born in Shropshire and published several works, including "The Juvenile Library" and "The Monastic History of the Sixteenth Century."

Another significant figure was Sir John Hanmer (1809-1881), a British diplomat and politician who served as Governor of the British Virgin Islands from 1846 to 1853. He was born in Shropshire and had a long career in colonial administration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hanmer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hanmer 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. Shropshire leads with 90 Hanmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.33x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 90 24.33x
Denbighshire 81 50.07x
Lancashire 69 1.36x
Staffordshire 50 3.46x
Cheshire 40 4.23x
Yorkshire 19 0.45x
Warwickshire 15 1.39x
Middlesex 11 0.26x
Surrey 10 0.48x
Kent 9 0.62x
Suffolk 9 1.73x
Flintshire 7 6.08x
Sussex 7 0.97x
Glamorgan 6 0.80x
Montgomeryshire 4 4.08x
Bedfordshire 3 1.35x
Hertfordshire 2 0.68x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.58x
Cumberland 1 0.27x
Derbyshire 1 0.15x
Gloucestershire 1 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Norfolk 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 1.96x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Esclusham Below in Denbighshire leads with 31 Hanmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2080.54x.

Place Total Index
Esclusham Below 31 2080.54x
Cheswardine 18 1139.24x
Ellesmere Cockshutt 18 4000.00x
Wrexham Regis 18 149.88x
Bersham 15 217.39x
Castle Church 15 172.61x
Kinnerley 14 795.45x
Tettenhall 12 135.75x
Penkridge 11 294.91x
Middlesbrough 10 18.10x
Toxteth Park 10 5.81x
Hulme 9 8.48x
Ruabon 9 40.47x
Broughton In Salford 8 17.22x
Liscard 8 46.98x
Liverpool 8 2.59x
Burwash 7 208.96x
Cannock 7 27.76x
Aston 6 2.02x
Birmingham 6 1.67x
Fazakerley 6 759.49x
Pemberton 6 29.62x
Salford 6 4.01x
Chester St John Baptist 5 29.43x
Ellesmere 5 78.74x
Ipswich St Mathew 5 34.20x
Rastrick 5 42.41x
West Derby 5 3.36x
Acton 4 470.59x
Birkenhead 4 5.31x
Camberwell 4 1.46x
Cardiff St Mary 4 9.74x
Chetwynd 4 336.13x
Greenwich 4 5.87x
Hythe St Leonard 4 77.52x
Llansaintffraid 4 338.98x
Llansilin 4 148.70x
St Martin 4 96.62x
Worleston 4 800.00x
Worthen 4 101.78x
Bangor Is Y Coed 3 508.47x
Battersea 3 1.90x
Brymbo 3 53.29x
Chester St Peter St 3 294.12x
Clutton 3 3000.00x
Heath Reach 3 189.87x
Knockin 3 769.23x
Nantwich 3 27.32x
Rainhill 3 92.02x
St George Hanover Square 3 3.98x
Stretford 3 10.73x
Whitchurch 3 41.78x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 3 35.67x
Chester St Martin 2 133.33x
Eccleshall Broughton 2 4000.00x
Marton 2 59.17x
Merthyr Tydfil 2 2.79x
Mortlake 2 21.51x
Oswestry Town 2 16.88x
Paddington London 2 1.27x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 2 18.40x
Shoreditch London 2 1.08x
Stafford St Mary 2 9.78x
Broughton 1 15.72x
Cheadle 1 5.54x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.24x
Ditchingham 1 63.29x
Esclusham Above 1 149.25x
Harthill 1 666.67x
Haughton 1 13.50x
Kensington London 1 0.42x
Llandudno 1 16.21x
Llangollen 1 62.50x
Llangollen Vivod 1 714.29x
Petton 1 1666.67x
Poulton Cum Spital 1 172.41x
Rugby 1 6.84x
St Marylebone London 1 0.44x
Ventnor 1 11.98x
Whittington 1 32.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 32
Elizabeth 23
Sarah 22
Martha 9
Alice 8
Ann 8
Jane 8
Annie 7
Emily 6
Emma 6
Hannah 6
Harriet 5
Amelia 4
Charlotte 4
Clara 4
Edith 4
Anne 3
Esther 3
Lydia 3
Ada 2
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Flora 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Helen 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Charlott 1
Ellin 1
Euphemia 1
H. 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Josephine 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Leah 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 30
John 28
George 17
Edward 16
William 16
James 14
Charles 10
Richard 10
Frederick 6
Samuel 5
Arthur 4
Edwin 4
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Edwd. 2
Fred 2
Llewellyn 2
Alexander 1
Alonzo 1
Carter 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Edmund 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Gorge 1
Hanmer 1
Herbert 1
Job 1
Johm 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Llewelyn 1
Michl. 1
Monty 1
Moses 1
Nathaniel 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Thoma. 1
Thos. 1
Urban 1
Wilfred 1
Wyndham 1

FAQ

Hanmer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hanmer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 438 people were recorded with the Hanmer surname. That placed it at #7,465 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hanmer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 772 in 2016. That gives Hanmer a modern rank of #7,122.

What does the Hanmer surname mean?

A locational surname likely referring to a place name in Shropshire, England.

What does the Hanmer map show?

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