NameCensus.

UK surname

Hedges

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hedge or hedged enclosure.

In the 1881 census there were 3,422 people recorded with the Hedges surname, ranking it #1,334 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,397, ranked #1,242, up from #1,334 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cotswold, Swansea and East Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hedges is 5,784 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.7%.

1881 census count

3,422

Ranked #1,334

Modern count

5,397

2016, ranked #1,242

Peak year

1999

5,784 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hedges had 3,422 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,334 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,397 in 2016, ranked #1,242.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,944 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hedges surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hedges surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hedges 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 2,033 #1,429
1861 historical 2,158 #1,354
1881 historical 3,422 #1,334
1891 historical 3,610 #1,329
1901 historical 4,461 #1,275
1911 historical 4,944 #1,056
1997 modern 5,407 #1,203
1998 modern 5,771 #1,175
1999 modern 5,784 #1,183
2000 modern 5,657 #1,206
2001 modern 5,546 #1,198
2002 modern 5,645 #1,202
2003 modern 5,488 #1,206
2004 modern 5,503 #1,199
2005 modern 5,376 #1,212
2006 modern 5,351 #1,221
2007 modern 5,383 #1,215
2008 modern 5,372 #1,226
2009 modern 5,507 #1,226
2010 modern 5,673 #1,218
2011 modern 5,625 #1,210
2012 modern 5,467 #1,223
2013 modern 5,593 #1,213
2014 modern 5,548 #1,231
2015 modern 5,486 #1,226
2016 modern 5,397 #1,242

Geography

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Where Hedges' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Tring. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cotswold, Swansea, East Cambridgeshire, Cherwell and Braintree. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Tring Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cotswold 002 Cotswold
2 Swansea 001 Swansea
3 East Cambridgeshire 005 East Cambridgeshire
4 Cherwell 016 Cherwell
5 Braintree 015 Braintree

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hedges

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hedges

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Hedges surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hedges household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Hedges is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hedges is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hedges

The surname HEDGES is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "hege," which means "hedge" or "enclosure." It emerged as a toponymic surname, indicating that the original bearers of the name lived near a hedge or lived in an area surrounded by hedges.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname HEDGES can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in counties such as Essex, Hertfordshire, and Kent. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a John de la Hegge, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296 list a Walter atte Hegge.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several references to places with names derived from the Old English word "hege," suggesting that the surname HEDGES may have emerged from these locations.

One notable individual with the surname HEDGES was Sir John Hedges (1629-1704), an English diplomat and politician who served as the Governor of the East India Company's settlements in Bengal from 1682 to 1684. He later became a member of the British Parliament, representing the constituency of Malmesbury.

Another prominent figure was Sir Charles Hedges (1693-1772), an English judge who served as a Justice of the Court of King's Bench from 1735 until his death. He was also a member of the Privy Council and played a significant role in legal affairs during the reign of King George II.

In the realm of literature, the surname HEDGES is associated with Sir Charles Hedges (1846-1926), an English writer, and journalist who authored several books on historical and literary subjects, including "Diary of Walter Yonge, Esq." and "The Rector of Veilstone."

The surname HEDGES can also be found in the United States, where many English immigrants settled in the 17th and 18th centuries. One notable American bearing this surname was Charles Hedges (1797-1865), a lawyer and politician from Maine who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1835 to 1837.

Another American with the surname HEDGES was Cornelius Hedges (1808-1889), a lawyer and politician from Montana who served as a member of the Montana Territorial Legislature in the 1860s and later became a District Judge.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hedges families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hedges 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 791 Hedges' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.37x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 791 2.37x
Oxfordshire 360 17.44x
Berkshire 297 11.84x
Surrey 222 1.36x
Buckinghamshire 213 10.54x
Wiltshire 203 6.87x
Hampshire 190 2.77x
Gloucestershire 158 2.41x
Hertfordshire 139 6.03x
Somerset 113 2.10x
Kent 97 0.85x
Essex 80 1.21x
Warwickshire 66 0.78x
Lancashire 59 0.15x
Worcestershire 57 1.31x
Glamorgan 53 0.91x
Bedfordshire 45 2.60x
Staffordshire 43 0.38x
Yorkshire 35 0.11x
Devon 33 0.47x
Sussex 31 0.55x
Northamptonshire 28 0.89x
Monmouthshire 20 0.83x
Leicestershire 17 0.46x
Derbyshire 16 0.31x
Suffolk 15 0.37x
Cheshire 14 0.19x
Dorset 8 0.36x
Herefordshire 5 0.36x
Brecknockshire 3 0.45x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.07x
Durham 2 0.02x
Lincolnshire 2 0.04x
Norfolk 2 0.04x
Roxburghshire 2 0.33x
Royal Navy 2 0.50x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 124 Hedges' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.61x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 124 4.61x
Islington London 73 2.25x
Stewkley 50 325.10x
Bromley London 47 6.39x
Tring 43 69.92x
West Ham 42 2.88x
Lambeth 39 1.34x
Paddington London 39 3.17x
Clevedon 37 66.14x
St Marylebone London 36 2.02x
Tottenham 35 6.58x
Bethnal Green London 34 2.34x
Wootton 33 266.77x
Headington 32 99.88x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 31 5.02x
St George Hanover Square 30 5.09x
Kingston On Thames 29 7.41x
Wallingford St Leonard 28 239.73x
Birmingham 27 0.96x
Bradford On Avon 27 28.54x
Kingsclere 27 86.29x
Purton 27 102.66x
Bromsgrove 26 17.70x
Ramsbury 26 97.12x
Hannington 25 694.44x
Wandsworth 25 7.77x
Aylesbury 24 26.81x
Chelsea London 24 2.38x
Shoreditch London 24 1.66x
Cowley 23 35.70x
Hanworth 23 196.08x
Oxford St Thomas 23 23.88x
Leighton Buzzard 22 29.55x
Ensham 21 196.26x
Oxford St Ebbe 21 34.57x
Reading St Mary 21 10.45x
Hungerford 20 58.94x
Oxford St Giles 20 20.31x
Southwark St George Martyr 20 2.97x
Battersea 19 1.55x
Newington 19 1.54x
Chatham 18 5.74x
Hackney London 18 0.96x
Thatcham 18 46.56x
Walsall Foreign 18 3.09x
Watford 18 10.08x
Wingrave 18 173.41x
Pinner 17 58.08x
St George In East London 17 5.41x
Tadley 17 145.80x
Aston 16 0.69x
Deptford St Paul 16 1.82x
Portsea 16 1.19x
Shipton Under Wychwood 16 120.48x
Amesbury 15 116.28x
Eynsham 15 114.85x
Nailsea 15 70.56x
Oxford St Clement 15 28.80x
Swindon 15 6.54x
Cheddington 14 164.51x
Wallingford St Mary Le 14 98.66x
Bedminster 13 2.57x
Bishopstoke 13 73.95x
Hammersmith London 13 1.58x
Hilperton 13 138.00x
Horspath 13 350.40x
Redbourn 13 51.65x
Sandridge 13 134.30x
Westminster St James 13 3.78x
Whitchurch 13 41.31x
Aston Abbotts 12 361.45x
Froxfield 12 240.48x
Great Faringdon 12 33.29x
Heath Reach 12 97.56x
Kensington London 12 0.65x
Braintree 11 18.57x
Cardiff St Mary 11 3.43x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 11 9.17x
Kintbury 11 56.76x
Leicester St Mary 11 3.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 179
Elizabeth 161
Sarah 126
Emily 59
Ann 55
Annie 53
Eliza 53
Emma 53
Ellen 52
Jane 48
Alice 47
Hannah 39
Florence 30
Louisa 30
Ada 28
Kate 28
Caroline 27
Fanny 26
Edith 25
Harriett 25
Martha 25
Maria 24
Charlotte 23
Harriet 20
Rose 19
Amelia 18
Clara 18
Lucy 17
Margaret 16
Anne 13
Catherine 12
Matilda 12
Minnie 12
Isabella 11
Lydia 11
Esther 10
Frances 10
Rosa 10
Elizth. 9
Gertrude 9
Agnes 8
Maud 8
Sophia 8
Susan 8
Beatrice 7
Rebecca 7
Helen 6
Julia 6
Selina 6
Lizzie 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 205
John 165
George 145
Thomas 117
James 110
Henry 97
Charles 89
Alfred 52
Joseph 46
Frederick 43
Arthur 42
Robert 35
Albert 31
Richard 30
Edward 27
Walter 25
Ernest 22
Frank 22
Harry 21
David 19
Edwin 19
Samuel 19
Francis 15
Fredk. 12
Herbert 12
Wm. 11
Thos. 10
Fred 7
Benjamin 6
Daniel 6
Fredrick 6
Geo. 6
Chas. 5
Stephen 5
Willm. 5
Andrew 4
Hubert 4
Matthew 4
Reuben 4
Amos 3
Edmund 3
Elijah 3
Isaac 3
J. 3
Jesse 3
Percy 3
Sidney 3
Tom 3
Archibald 2
Phillip 2

FAQ

Hedges surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hedges surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,422 people were recorded with the Hedges surname. That placed it at #1,334 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hedges surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,397 in 2016. That gives Hedges a modern rank of #1,242.

What does the Hedges surname mean?

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hedge or hedged enclosure.

What does the Hedges map show?

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