NameCensus.

UK surname

Hathorn

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "hawthorn enclosure" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 89 people recorded with the Hathorn surname, ranking it #21,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 151, ranked #23,615, down from #21,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Anne Soho, St Saviour Southwark and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Lakeland, Islington and Basildon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hathorn is 170 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 69.7%.

1881 census count

89

Ranked #21,091

Modern count

151

2016, ranked #23,615

Peak year

1998

170 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hathorn had 89 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016, ranked #23,615.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 111 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hathorn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hathorn surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hathorn 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 72 #20,720
1861 historical 111 #19,429
1881 historical 89 #21,091
1891 historical 99 #24,200
1901 historical 101 #22,726
1911 historical 101 #22,589
1997 modern 149 #21,214
1998 modern 170 #20,030
1999 modern 153 #21,551
2000 modern 148 #21,971
2001 modern 150 #21,482
2002 modern 153 #21,609
2003 modern 156 #21,115
2004 modern 152 #21,628
2005 modern 141 #22,688
2006 modern 141 #22,833
2007 modern 135 #23,824
2008 modern 146 #22,822
2009 modern 149 #23,031
2010 modern 144 #24,147
2011 modern 149 #23,408
2012 modern 145 #23,780
2013 modern 151 #23,529
2014 modern 151 #23,745
2015 modern 149 #23,817
2016 modern 151 #23,615

Geography

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Where Hathorns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Anne Soho, St Saviour Southwark, London parishes, Battersea and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Lakeland, Islington, Basildon, Barking and Dagenham and Blackford, West Mains and Mayfield Road. 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 St Anne Soho London (Central Districts)
2 St Saviour Southwark London (South Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Battersea London (South Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Lakeland 013 South Lakeland
2 Islington 002 Islington
3 Basildon 016 Basildon
4 Barking and Dagenham 006 Barking and Dagenham
5 Blackford, West Mains and Mayfield Road City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hathorn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hathorn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hathorn, 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 Hathorn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hathorn 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hathorn 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.

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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

Hathorn is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hathorn

The surname Hathorn has its origins in England, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English words "hæth" meaning a heathland or uncultivated area, and "horn" denoting a small promontory or outcrop of land. This suggests that the name initially referred to a topographical feature, indicating that the earliest bearers of this surname resided near a heathland with a distinctive horn-shaped protrusion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297, where it appears as "William de Hathorne." This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surname spellings during that era, as they often evolved based on local dialects and scribal interpretations.

The name Hathorn is also mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1385, which were legal records documenting property transactions. This suggests that by the 14th century, the surname had become well-established and associated with landholdings in various regions of England.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Hathorn surname was Sir Christopher Hathorn (c. 1540-1619), an English politician and diplomat who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1589. He was also a member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers, a prominent livery company in the City of London.

Another individual of historical significance was John Hathorn (c. 1610-1670), a colonial magistrate and military leader in Massachusetts Bay Colony. He played a crucial role in the Salem Witch Trials, serving as one of the judges who presided over the examinations and trials of accused witches.

The Hathorn surname also gained prominence in the literary world with the American author Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), who was a descendant of John Hathorn. Hawthorne's works, such as "The Scarlet Letter" and "The House of the Seven Gables," have become classics of American literature.

In the realm of military service, Colonel Henry Hathorn (1719-1794) distinguished himself during the American Revolutionary War, serving as a member of the New Jersey militia and participating in several key battles, including the Battle of Monmouth.

As the centuries passed, the spelling of the surname evolved, with variations such as Hathorne, Haythorne, and Hawthorn appearing in various records. These changes reflect the influence of local dialects and the gradual standardization of English spelling over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hathorn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hathorn 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. Surrey leads with 35 Hathorns recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.28x.

County Total Index
Surrey 35 8.28x
Middlesex 21 2.42x
Wigtownshire 15 130.21x
Kent 6 2.03x
Lanarkshire 3 1.07x
Renfrewshire 3 4.46x
Devon 2 1.11x
Hampshire 2 1.12x
Cheshire 1 0.52x
Hertfordshire 1 1.67x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whithorn in Wigtownshire leads with 12 Hathorns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1363.64x.

Place Total Index
Whithorn 12 1363.64x
St Anne Soho London 9 181.45x
Battersea 8 25.05x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 40.07x
Camberwell 6 10.82x
Southwark St Saviour 6 134.53x
Chiswick 5 105.49x
Lambeth 5 6.61x
Kensington London 3 6.22x
Newington 3 9.36x
Tonbridge 3 28.09x
Barnstaple 2 70.42x
Barony 2 2.82x
Cathcart 2 54.95x
Lewisham 2 12.67x
Mochrum 2 289.86x
Whitefriars Precinct 2 1428.57x
Greenwich 1 7.24x
Hamilton 1 12.77x
Hatfield 1 82.64x
Holdenhurst 1 21.41x
Inch 1 89.29x
Portsmouth 1 24.39x
Runcorn 1 22.62x
St George Bloomsbury 1 20.08x
St George Hanover Square 1 6.54x
West Greenock 1 8.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 4
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Emily 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Charlotte 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Johanna 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Rebecca 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
William 6
George 4
Hugh 3
James 3
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Bertie 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Henry 1
Lilian 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Hathorn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hathorn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 89 people were recorded with the Hathorn surname. That placed it at #21,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hathorn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016. That gives Hathorn a modern rank of #23,615.

What does the Hathorn surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "hawthorn enclosure" in Old English.

What does the Hathorn map show?

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