NameCensus.

UK surname

Hastings

Derived from a place name meaning "Hæsta's people," referring to a settlement associated with a person named Hæsta.

In the 1881 census there were 3,809 people recorded with the Hastings surname, ranking it #1,197 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,390, ranked #1,243, down from #1,197 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Morton, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Nithsdale, Dalbeattie Rural and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hastings is 5,576 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.5%.

1881 census count

3,809

Ranked #1,197

Modern count

5,390

2016, ranked #1,243

Peak year

2010

5,576 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hastings had 3,809 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,197 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,390 in 2016, ranked #1,243.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,744 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Hastings surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hastings surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hastings 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 2,040 #1,421
1861 historical 2,238 #1,313
1881 historical 3,809 #1,197
1891 historical 3,976 #1,205
1901 historical 4,744 #1,191
1911 historical 3,874 #1,332
1997 modern 5,230 #1,246
1998 modern 5,428 #1,251
1999 modern 5,500 #1,245
2000 modern 5,505 #1,239
2001 modern 5,369 #1,239
2002 modern 5,526 #1,234
2003 modern 5,448 #1,216
2004 modern 5,405 #1,230
2005 modern 5,321 #1,228
2006 modern 5,338 #1,225
2007 modern 5,340 #1,228
2008 modern 5,374 #1,225
2009 modern 5,500 #1,230
2010 modern 5,576 #1,243
2011 modern 5,470 #1,251
2012 modern 5,334 #1,254
2013 modern 5,394 #1,263
2014 modern 5,463 #1,250
2015 modern 5,411 #1,250
2016 modern 5,390 #1,243

Geography

Back to top

Where Hastings' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Morton, London parishes, Edinburgh and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Nithsdale, Dalbeattie Rural, Wigan, Thornhill and Kensington and Chelsea. 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 Morton Dumfries
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Nithsdale Dumfries and Galloway
2 Dalbeattie Rural Dumfries and Galloway
3 Wigan 005 Wigan
4 Thornhill Dumfries and Galloway
5 Kensington and Chelsea 013 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hastings

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hastings

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

Hastings 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

Hastings falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hastings

The surname Hastings is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the town of Hastings in East Sussex, England. The name can be traced back to the 11th century and the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Hastings was originally a Saxon settlement known as Hastingaceaster or Hastingacaestra, meaning "the castle or fort of Hastings." The name likely referred to a fortified settlement established by a Saxon leader named Hæsta or Hæsting.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hastings appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation initiated by William the Conqueror. The book mentions a landowner named Ralph de Hastings, who held substantial estates in Yorkshire and Leicestershire.

In the 12th century, a prominent figure named Henry de Hastings (c. 1130-1195) served as Sheriff of Yorkshire and Constable of Richmond Castle. He was a loyal supporter of King Henry II and played a significant role in the suppression of the Great Revolt of 1173-1174.

During the 13th century, Sir Henry Hastings (c. 1235-1269) was a notable English knight who accompanied King Edward I on the Eighth Crusade to the Holy Land. He died in Acre, Palestine, during the crusade.

The Hastings family continued to rise in prominence, and in the 14th century, Sir John Hastings (c. 1347-1389) served as a military commander and diplomat under King Edward III. He was appointed Earl of Pembroke in 1368 and participated in several military campaigns against France during the Hundred Years' War.

Another notable figure was Sir William Hastings (c. 1431-1483), who served as Lord Chamberlain to King Edward IV. He was a loyal supporter of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses and played a crucial role in the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. However, he was later executed by King Richard III, marking a tragic end to his influential career.

Throughout the centuries, the Hastings surname has been associated with various place names and localities in England, such as Hastings in East Sussex, Hastings in Northamptonshire, and Hastings in Worcestershire. The name has also been recorded with slight variations in spelling, such as Hastyngs, Hastinges, and Hastingis.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hastings families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hastings 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. Middlesex leads with 464 Hastings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.25x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 464 1.25x
Lancashire 311 0.70x
Yorkshire 259 0.70x
Norfolk 221 3.86x
Warwickshire 213 2.27x
Surrey 207 1.14x
Dumfriesshire 197 23.97x
Ayrshire 154 5.53x
Lanarkshire 150 1.25x
Lincolnshire 108 1.82x
Kirkcudbrightshire 91 16.90x
Sussex 91 1.45x
Midlothian 89 1.79x
Northumberland 87 1.57x
Oxfordshire 82 3.57x
Kent 77 0.61x
Leicestershire 70 1.70x
Durham 69 0.62x
Nottinghamshire 64 1.28x
Cumberland 55 1.72x
Staffordshire 54 0.43x
Berkshire 52 1.86x
Angus 48 1.39x
Gloucestershire 46 0.63x
Stirlingshire 46 3.35x
Worcestershire 46 0.95x
Cheshire 43 0.52x
Essex 36 0.49x
Suffolk 35 0.77x
Renfrewshire 28 0.97x
Hampshire 27 0.35x
West Lothian 24 4.28x
Derbyshire 23 0.39x
Dunbartonshire 22 2.20x
Aberdeenshire 17 0.49x
Buteshire 17 7.54x
Wigtownshire 15 3.04x
Buckinghamshire 13 0.58x
Devon 12 0.15x
Pembrokeshire 12 1.01x
Somerset 11 0.18x
Wiltshire 10 0.30x
Bedfordshire 9 0.47x
Hertfordshire 9 0.35x
Northamptonshire 9 0.26x
Nairnshire 8 7.04x
Selkirkshire 8 2.38x
Royal Navy 7 1.58x
Argyllshire 6 0.58x
Clackmannanshire 6 1.95x
Denbighshire 6 0.43x
Dorset 5 0.20x
Shropshire 5 0.16x
Fife 4 0.18x
Herefordshire 4 0.26x
Isle of Man 4 0.58x
Perthshire 4 0.24x
East Lothian 3 0.61x
Monmouthshire 3 0.11x
Peeblesshire 3 1.71x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.08x
Roxburghshire 2 0.30x
Rutland 2 0.73x
Westmorland 2 0.24x
Anglesey 1 0.15x
Channel Islands 1 0.09x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Flintshire 1 0.10x
Glamorgan 1 0.02x
Kincardineshire 1 0.22x
Ross-shire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Morton in Dumfriesshire leads with 75 Hastings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 274.93x.

Place Total Index
Morton 75 274.93x
Great Yarmouth 63 13.30x
Aston 62 2.40x
Birmingham 56 1.79x
Islington London 49 1.36x
St Pancras London 43 1.44x
Camberwell 42 1.77x
Hailsham 37 97.47x
Glencairn 35 158.37x
Barony 33 1.08x
Leicester St Margaret 33 3.28x
Kensington London 32 1.55x
Coleshill 31 103.06x
Hackney London 31 1.49x
Manchester 31 1.56x
Bermondsey 30 2.71x
Glasgow 30 1.40x
Falkirk 29 9.03x
Everton 28 1.99x
Brightside Bierlow 27 3.73x
St George Hanover Square 27 4.12x
Ayr 26 19.78x
Lambeth 26 0.80x
Cheltenham 25 4.44x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 25 1.25x
Nottingham St Mary 25 1.93x
Forfar 24 12.86x
South Creake 24 184.76x
Hampstead London 23 3.97x
St Marylebone London 23 1.16x
Govan 22 0.74x
Toxteth Park 22 1.47x
Chelsea London 21 1.87x
West Ham 21 1.30x
Sprowston 20 79.24x
East Kilbride 19 36.87x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 19 11.06x
Liverpool 19 0.71x
Longbenton 19 8.10x
Bethnal Green London 18 1.11x
Battersea 17 1.24x
Bow London 17 3.59x
Maybole 17 20.05x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 17 5.14x
Walton On Hill 17 7.11x
Abingdon St Helen 16 19.60x
Byker 16 5.85x
Croydon 16 1.59x
South Leith 16 2.85x
West Derby 16 1.24x
Westminster St James 16 4.18x
Arbroath 15 13.13x
Carsphairn 15 243.51x
Wainfleet All Sts 15 86.61x
Wytham 15 595.24x
Bromley 14 7.24x
Heigham 14 4.56x
Paddington London 14 1.02x
Westgate 14 4.08x
Yardley 14 11.26x
Beith 13 15.65x
Blackburn 13 1.11x
Bothwell 13 3.98x
Closeburn 13 67.81x
Gorleston 13 11.29x
Plumstead 13 3.07x
Radford 13 5.10x
Salford 13 1.00x
Woolwich 13 2.77x
Barrow In Furness 12 2.00x
Dumfries 12 14.80x
Easton 12 430.11x
Egham 12 10.78x
Kells 12 97.17x
Larbert 12 14.63x
Misterton 12 77.32x
New Cumnock 12 24.86x
Thame 12 28.72x
Westminster St John 12 2.65x
Woolvercot 12 128.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 192
Elizabeth 124
Sarah 78
Jane 62
Eliza 49
Emma 45
Margaret 43
Alice 42
Ann 42
Ellen 40
Annie 38
Emily 33
Florence 26
Charlotte 24
Hannah 21
Martha 21
Louisa 19
Caroline 18
Edith 17
Catherine 16
Harriet 16
Maria 15
Ada 14
Clara 14
Frances 14
Agnes 13
Harriett 13
Fanny 12
Anne 11
Esther 11
Anna 10
Isabella 10
Matilda 10
Kate 9
Lucy 9
Rose 9
Susan 9
Ethel 8
Jessie 8
Julia 8
Eleanor 7
Flora 7
Gertrude 6
Helen 6
Laura 6
Sophia 6
Lavinia 5
Mabel 5
Maud 5
Minnie 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 195
William 182
George 92
Thomas 92
James 88
Charles 68
Henry 68
Robert 43
Alfred 37
Joseph 33
Edward 32
Albert 22
David 18
Arthur 17
Walter 15
Samuel 14
Harry 13
Edwin 11
Ernest 11
Frederick 11
Herbert 11
Richard 11
Francis 10
Wm. 10
Benjamin 9
Patrick 9
Alexander 8
Chas. 8
Daniel 7
Frank 7
Fredrick 7
Michael 6
Peter 6
Warren 6
Edmund 5
Harold 5
Tom 5
Emanuel 4
Fredk. 4
Geo. 4
Hugh 4
Joshua 4
Leonard 4
Philip 4
Sydney 4
Cuthbert 3
Isaac 3
Jno. 3
Nicholas 3
Matthew 2

FAQ

Hastings surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hastings surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,809 people were recorded with the Hastings surname. That placed it at #1,197 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hastings surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,390 in 2016. That gives Hastings a modern rank of #1,243.

What does the Hastings surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "Hæsta's people," referring to a settlement associated with a person named Hæsta.

What does the Hastings map show?

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