NameCensus.

UK surname

Hansard

English surname denoting a person from Handsard in Staffordshire.

In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Hansard surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 176, ranked #21,298, down from #19,877 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Hyckham, North and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Three Rivers, North Lincolnshire and Watford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hansard is 182 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 77.8%.

1881 census count

99

Ranked #19,877

Modern count

176

2016, ranked #21,298

Peak year

1999

182 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hansard had 99 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,877 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 176 in 2016, ranked #21,298.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 143 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Hansard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hansard surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hansard 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 78 #19,840
1861 historical 76 #24,114
1881 historical 99 #19,877
1891 historical 83 #26,376
1901 historical 133 #19,372
1911 historical 143 #18,401
1997 modern 166 #19,797
1998 modern 172 #19,883
1999 modern 182 #19,317
2000 modern 178 #19,570
2001 modern 175 #19,484
2002 modern 177 #19,759
2003 modern 181 #19,277
2004 modern 178 #19,603
2005 modern 175 #19,727
2006 modern 179 #19,592
2007 modern 168 #20,634
2008 modern 171 #20,595
2009 modern 168 #21,290
2010 modern 180 #20,812
2011 modern 172 #21,248
2012 modern 173 #21,135
2013 modern 171 #21,654
2014 modern 177 #21,340
2015 modern 177 #21,220
2016 modern 176 #21,298

Geography

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Where Hansards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Hyckham, North, London parishes, Leake and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Three Rivers, North Lincolnshire, Watford, Sedgemoor and Lincoln. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Hyckham, North Lincolnshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Leake Lincolnshire
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Three Rivers 001 Three Rivers
2 North Lincolnshire 005 North Lincolnshire
3 Watford 002 Watford
4 Sedgemoor 002 Sedgemoor
5 Lincoln 003 Lincoln

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hansard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hansard

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Hansard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Hansard household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Hansard is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hansard 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hansard

The surname Hansard originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "hana" meaning rooster and "geard" meaning yard or enclosure, suggesting it may have initially referred to a person who kept roosters or lived near a rooster yard.

The earliest known record of the name Hansard dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared as "Hansardus" and "Haunsard" in various counties across England, indicating its widespread use at the time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Hansard was William Hansard, a landowner in Worcestershire, England, who lived in the 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir John Hansard (c. 1370-1436), a Member of Parliament and Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of Henry VI.

In the 16th century, the name was sometimes spelled as "Hansert" or "Haundsert," reflecting its phonetic variations. During this time, one of the most prominent Hansards was John Hansard (c. 1530-1594), a Member of Parliament and Lord of the Manor of Beverstone in Gloucestershire.

The Hansard family also had connections to the printing industry, with Luke Hansard (1752-1828) and his son Thomas Curson Hansard (1776-1833) being renowned printers and publishers who produced the official parliamentary records known as "Hansard" in the early 19th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Hansard include Sir Courtenay Honeywood Honeywood-Hansard (1825-1914), a British politician and member of the Privy Council, and Sir William Hansard (1872-1948), a British army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross for his bravery during the Second Boer War.

While the name Hansard has remained relatively uncommon, it has a rich history spanning several centuries, with references in various historical records and notable individuals who have carried the name throughout England's past.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hansard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hansard 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. Lincolnshire leads with 41 Hansards recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.27x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 41 28.27x
Middlesex 14 1.54x
Glamorgan 8 5.06x
Surrey 5 1.13x
Yorkshire 5 0.56x
Carmarthenshire 4 10.46x
Sussex 4 2.62x
Warwickshire 3 1.31x
Kent 2 0.65x
Devon 1 0.53x
Dorset 1 1.68x
Essex 1 0.56x
Gloucestershire 1 0.56x
Hampshire 1 0.54x
Leicestershire 1 0.99x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.82x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leake in Lincolnshire leads with 9 Hansards recorded in 1881 and an index of 1363.64x.

Place Total Index
Leake 9 1363.64x
St Pancras London 8 10.96x
Swansea Town 8 61.78x
North Hyckeham 7 5000.00x
Pinchbeck 7 752.69x
Bethnal Green London 5 12.69x
Greasbrough 4 336.13x
Llanelly 4 46.46x
Thorpe On The Hill 4 4444.44x
Aston 3 4.76x
Carrington 3 3333.33x
Donington 3 576.92x
Frieston 3 882.35x
Hove 3 44.71x
Croydon 2 8.15x
Fishtoft 2 714.29x
Boston 1 22.73x
Brightside Bierlow 1 5.67x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 16.86x
Dunsby 1 1428.57x
Folkestone 1 16.67x
Godshill 1 232.56x
Great Bookham 1 294.12x
Hastings St Mary In The 1 30.67x
Kingston On Thames 1 9.42x
Maldon St Peter 1 109.89x
Melton Mowbray 1 55.25x
Newington 1 2.98x
Skirbeck 1 123.46x
St Martin In Fields 1 18.42x
Tormoham 1 12.52x
Woolwich 1 8.75x
Worksop 1 27.55x
Wyke Regis 1 117.65x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 6
Charles 4
James 4
John 4
Arthur 3
Frederick 2
Luke 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Arnold 1
Cecil 1
Clifford 1
Earnest 1
Eliza 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Montague 1
Newby 1
Ruben 1
Samuel 1
Septimus 1
Solomon 1
Walter 1
William 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Hansard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hansard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Hansard surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hansard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 176 in 2016. That gives Hansard a modern rank of #21,298.

What does the Hansard surname mean?

English surname denoting a person from Handsard in Staffordshire.

What does the Hansard map show?

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