NameCensus.

UK surname

Hawthorn

A locational surname derived from a place with hawthorn trees or bushes.

In the 1881 census there were 1,735 people recorded with the Hawthorn surname, ranking it #2,491 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,579, ranked #3,930, down from #2,491 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tipton otherwise Tibington, Wolstanton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle upon Tyne, Kettering and Machars South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hawthorn is 1,735 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.0%.

1881 census count

1,735

Ranked #2,491

Modern count

1,579

2016, ranked #3,930

Peak year

1881

1,735 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hawthorn had 1,735 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,491 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,579 in 2016, ranked #3,930.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,735 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Hawthorn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hawthorn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hawthorn 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 1,084 #2,591
1861 historical 1,073 #2,625
1881 historical 1,735 #2,491
1891 historical 1,655 #2,712
1901 historical 1,683 #3,066
1911 historical 1,267 #3,751
1997 modern 1,569 #3,760
1998 modern 1,617 #3,807
1999 modern 1,588 #3,897
2000 modern 1,584 #3,887
2001 modern 1,551 #3,887
2002 modern 1,606 #3,838
2003 modern 1,579 #3,816
2004 modern 1,573 #3,837
2005 modern 1,557 #3,830
2006 modern 1,542 #3,855
2007 modern 1,551 #3,875
2008 modern 1,598 #3,795
2009 modern 1,631 #3,821
2010 modern 1,680 #3,800
2011 modern 1,661 #3,795
2012 modern 1,615 #3,815
2013 modern 1,634 #3,849
2014 modern 1,642 #3,855
2015 modern 1,609 #3,887
2016 modern 1,579 #3,930

Geography

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Where Hawthorns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tipton otherwise Tibington, Wolstanton, London parishes, St Marylebone and Kettering. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle upon Tyne, Kettering and Machars South. 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 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Kettering Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle upon Tyne 025 Newcastle upon Tyne
2 Kettering 004 Kettering
3 Newcastle upon Tyne 004 Newcastle upon Tyne
4 Machars South Dumfries and Galloway
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 003 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hawthorn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hawthorn

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

Hawthorn 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hawthorn

The surname Hawthorn has its origins in England, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is a locational name derived from various places in Britain called Hawthorn, which is a combination of the Old English words "hæg" meaning hedge and "thorn" referring to the prickly hawthorn shrub.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named Alwine de Hawethorn is listed as a landowner in Nottinghamshire. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Hauethorn, Hawthorn, and Haythorne, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation at the time. In 1273, a record mentions a William de Hawthorn from Yorkshire, indicating the name's presence in northern England.

The name Hawthorn was also associated with several notable historical figures. One example is John Hawthorn (c. 1510-1575), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Salisbury during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent individual was Sir Robert Hawthorn (1564-1631), an English landowner and Member of Parliament who played a role in the settlement of Virginia in the early 17th century.

In the realm of literature, Nathaniel Hawthorn (1804-1864) was a renowned American novelist and short story writer, best known for his works such as "The Scarlet Letter" and "The House of the Seven Gables."

Other notable individuals with the surname Hawthorn include Charles Hawthorn (1824-1890), an English architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings, and William Hawthorn (1853-1920), a Scottish engineer and inventor who contributed to the development of steam turbines.

The Hawthorn surname continues to be present in various parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and historical movements of people bearing this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hawthorn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hawthorn 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. Staffordshire leads with 236 Hawthorns recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.13x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 236 4.13x
Middlesex 209 1.24x
Lanarkshire 169 3.09x
Lancashire 162 0.81x
Northamptonshire 84 5.28x
Yorkshire 82 0.49x
Worcestershire 78 3.53x
Ayrshire 76 6.00x
Surrey 58 0.70x
Renfrewshire 50 3.81x
Berkshire 49 3.86x
Northumberland 48 1.91x
Durham 47 0.93x
Cheshire 36 0.96x
Warwickshire 34 0.80x
Kent 31 0.54x
Wigtownshire 30 13.36x
Midlothian 29 1.28x
Angus 25 1.60x
Essex 25 0.75x
Leicestershire 23 1.23x
Devon 12 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.53x
Bedfordshire 10 1.14x
Hampshire 10 0.29x
Rutland 9 7.25x
Stirlingshire 9 1.44x
West Lothian 9 3.53x
Cumberland 8 0.55x
Kirkcudbrightshire 7 2.86x
Lincolnshire 7 0.26x
Selkirkshire 7 4.57x
Dunbartonshire 6 1.32x
Morayshire 6 2.28x
Gloucestershire 5 0.15x
Hertfordshire 5 0.43x
Shropshire 5 0.34x
Oxfordshire 4 0.38x
Perthshire 3 0.40x
Sussex 3 0.11x
Anglesey 2 0.67x
Cornwall 2 0.10x
Flintshire 2 0.44x
Norfolk 2 0.08x
Somerset 2 0.07x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.10x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.09x
Derbyshire 1 0.04x
Dorset 1 0.09x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.27x
Suffolk 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kettering in Northamptonshire leads with 73 Hawthorns recorded in 1881 and an index of 113.44x.

Place Total Index
Kettering 73 113.44x
Barony 58 4.19x
St Marylebone London 38 4.21x
Stoke Upon Trent 37 6.11x
Govan 35 2.59x
Glasgow 33 3.40x
Tipton 29 16.59x
Dalry 27 45.32x
Dundee 23 3.93x
Elswick 23 11.45x
Feckenham 21 83.07x
Sunninghill 20 113.57x
Wolverhampton 20 4.56x
Islington London 19 1.16x
Wednesfield 19 22.61x
Chobham 18 123.71x
Paisley High Church 18 17.25x
Bethnal Green London 17 2.31x
St Luke London 17 6.27x
Birmingham 16 1.13x
West Greenock 16 6.80x
Aston 15 1.28x
Barrow In Furness 15 5.49x
Bromley London 15 4.03x
Everton 15 2.34x
Marchington 15 572.52x
Uttoxeter 15 51.32x
West Bromwich 15 4.59x
Disley Stanley 14 72.84x
Oldbury 14 12.88x
Poplar London 14 4.39x
Salford 14 2.37x
St Pancras London 14 1.03x
Wednesbury 14 9.81x
Coylton 13 72.38x
Crook Billy Row 13 20.17x
Dalserf 13 23.81x
Burslem 12 7.34x
Cheadle 12 16.83x
Hugglescote 12 43.49x
Mochrum 12 89.49x
Newton On Ayr 12 31.65x
Bradford 11 2.71x
Gateshead 11 2.92x
Liverpool 11 0.90x
Manchester 11 1.22x
Nottingham St Mary 11 1.87x
Padiham 11 22.69x
West Ham 11 1.49x
Essington 10 132.80x
Wombourn 10 94.34x
Battersea 9 1.45x
Boness 9 25.63x
Chadderton 9 9.17x
Charlton Next Woolwich 9 14.95x
Newton 9 5.82x
Redditch 9 20.09x
Uppingham 9 60.77x
West Derby 9 1.53x
Gorton 8 4.24x
Hamilton 8 5.24x
Middlesbrough 8 3.67x
Neilston 8 12.16x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 8 5.32x
South Leith 8 3.14x
St George Bloomsbury 8 8.24x
St George Hanover Square 8 2.68x
West Ardsley 8 39.66x
Wigtown 8 62.40x
Winkfield 8 37.97x
Bothwell 7 4.72x
Brading 7 15.19x
Cambusnethan 7 5.76x
Corstorphine 7 56.00x
Finedon 7 50.22x
Margate St John Baptist 7 6.62x
Mexborough 7 21.04x
Shadwell London 7 14.79x
Slamannan 7 20.49x
Westoe 7 2.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 81
William 75
Thomas 43
James 41
George 37
Henry 32
Joseph 28
Charles 22
Robert 20
Alfred 16
Frederick 15
Arthur 14
Daniel 8
Richard 8
Samuel 8
Edward 7
Frank 7
Harry 7
Herbert 7
David 6
Albert 5
Edwin 5
Ernest 5
Francis 5
Ralph 5
Hugh 4
Peter 4
Robt. 4
Stephen 4
Walter 4
Willie 4
Alexander 3
Benjamin 3
Enoch 3
Fredrick 3
Isaac 3
J. 3
Andrew 2
Ebenezer 2
Edmund 2
Harold 2
Percy 2
Reuben 2
Saml. 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Danl. 1
Elwin 1
Emmanuel 1
Fountain 1

FAQ

Hawthorn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hawthorn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,735 people were recorded with the Hawthorn surname. That placed it at #2,491 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hawthorn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,579 in 2016. That gives Hawthorn a modern rank of #3,930.

What does the Hawthorn surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place with hawthorn trees or bushes.

What does the Hawthorn map show?

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