NameCensus.

UK surname

Hansbury

A habitational name derived from a place name containing Old English "hangra" meaning a hanger or wooded hill slope.

In the 1881 census there were 60 people recorded with the Hansbury surname, ranking it #25,133 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 147, ranked #24,071, up from #25,133 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wigan and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hansbury is 147 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 145.0%.

1881 census count

60

Ranked #25,133

Modern count

147

2016, ranked #24,071

Peak year

2004

147 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hansbury had 60 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,133 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016, ranked #24,071.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 132 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hansbury surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hansbury surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hansbury 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 22 #29,378
1861 historical 132 #16,957
1881 historical 60 #25,133
1891 historical 90 #25,399
1901 historical 92 #23,800
1911 historical 101 #22,589
1997 modern 112 #25,244
1998 modern 139 #22,720
1999 modern 140 #22,789
2000 modern 141 #22,648
2001 modern 137 #22,740
2002 modern 142 #22,687
2003 modern 141 #22,549
2004 modern 147 #22,094
2005 modern 140 #22,774
2006 modern 140 #22,948
2007 modern 139 #23,377
2008 modern 136 #24,004
2009 modern 141 #23,907
2010 modern 146 #23,921
2011 modern 140 #24,395
2012 modern 147 #23,567
2013 modern 146 #24,107
2014 modern 146 #24,274
2015 modern 146 #24,148
2016 modern 147 #24,071

Geography

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Where Hansburys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wigan, Manchester, St Marylebone and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Wigan Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 013 Stoke-on-Trent
2 Stoke-on-Trent 010 Stoke-on-Trent
3 Stoke-on-Trent 006 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Stoke-on-Trent 003 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Stoke-on-Trent 004 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hansbury

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hansbury

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Hansbury surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hansbury household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hansbury 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

Hansbury 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hansbury

The surname Hansbury is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "han" meaning rock or stone and "bury" meaning a fortified town or settlement. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name referring to a rocky or stony town or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Richard de Hanbury. This provides evidence that the name was in use during the medieval period. Another early reference can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a John de Hannebury.

The Hansbury name is closely associated with the village of Hanbury in Worcestershire, England. This place name is believed to have been derived from the same Old English roots as the surname, indicating a strong connection between the name and the geographical location.

Notable individuals with the surname Hansbury include Sir John Hansbury (1470-1534), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1522. He was a prominent merchant and alderman during the reign of Henry VIII. Another significant figure was Sir Michael Hansbury (1543-1610), a member of the English Parliament and a landowner in Gloucestershire.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various records such as the Protestation Returns of 1642, which listed several individuals with the Hansbury surname in the county of Warwickshire. The Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662 also mention a Thomas Hansbury in the parish of Hanbury, Worcestershire.

A notable family with the Hansbury name was the Hansburys of Hanbury Hall in Worcestershire. This ancestral home was built in the early 18th century and remained in the Hansbury family for several generations. William Hansbury (1725-1779) was a prominent member of this family and served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire.

The Hansbury surname has also been associated with other place names in England, such as Hanbury in Staffordshire and Hanbury in Cheshire. These locations may have contributed to the spread and variations of the name throughout different regions of the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hansbury families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hansbury 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 22 Hansburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.17x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 22 3.17x
Yorkshire 21 3.62x
Middlesex 6 1.03x
Surrey 4 1.40x
Warwickshire 4 2.71x
Cheshire 2 1.55x
Devon 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. Warley in Yorkshire leads with 8 Hansburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 476.19x.

Place Total Index
Warley 8 476.19x
Halliwell 6 237.15x
Huddersfield 5 59.17x
Sheffield 5 27.09x
St Marylebone London 5 16.01x
Aston 4 9.84x
Warrington 4 48.60x
Bedford 3 206.90x
Westleigh 3 189.87x
Battersea 2 9.29x
Clapham 2 27.32x
Crumpsall 2 121.95x
Liverpool 2 4.74x
Lockwood 2 95.69x
Stretton In Runcorn 2 2500.00x
West Derby 2 9.85x
Brampton Bierlow 1 135.14x
Lidford 1 181.82x
St George Martyr London 1 84.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 6
John 4
Thomas 4
William 3
Patrick 2
Richard 2
Antony 1
Edward 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Michael 1
Pat 1
Thos 1
Thos. 1
Tim 1

FAQ

Hansbury surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hansbury surname in 1881?

In 1881, 60 people were recorded with the Hansbury surname. That placed it at #25,133 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hansbury surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016. That gives Hansbury a modern rank of #24,071.

What does the Hansbury surname mean?

A habitational name derived from a place name containing Old English "hangra" meaning a hanger or wooded hill slope.

What does the Hansbury map show?

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