NameCensus.

UK surname

Hembrough

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Hembrough.

In the 1881 census there were 116 people recorded with the Hembrough surname, ranking it #18,126 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, down from #18,126 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Hemingborough (Cliff with Lund), Drax (Drax) and Hull Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Bath and North East Somerset and Salford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hembrough is 169 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.4%.

1881 census count

116

Ranked #18,126

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

1911

169 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hembrough had 116 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,126 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 169 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Hembrough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hembrough surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hembrough 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 107 #16,402
1861 historical 102 #20,797
1881 historical 116 #18,126
1891 historical 115 #21,878
1901 historical 141 #18,718
1911 historical 169 #16,564
1997 modern 123 #23,792
1998 modern 132 #23,394
1999 modern 131 #23,709
2000 modern 132 #23,562
2001 modern 129 #23,557
2002 modern 135 #23,398
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 151 #21,720
2005 modern 142 #22,577
2006 modern 138 #23,156
2007 modern 140 #23,231
2008 modern 139 #23,635
2009 modern 142 #23,791
2010 modern 148 #23,697
2011 modern 143 #24,056
2012 modern 143 #24,019
2013 modern 144 #24,323
2014 modern 147 #24,177
2015 modern 143 #24,481
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Hembroughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Hemingborough (Cliff with Lund), Drax (Drax), Hull Holy Trinity, Clifton and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Bath and North East Somerset, Salford, Bristol and South Gloucestershire. 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 Hemingborough (Cliff with Lund), Drax (Drax) Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Clifton Gloucestershire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 061 Cornwall
2 Bath and North East Somerset 001 Bath and North East Somerset
3 Salford 027 Salford
4 Bristol 003 Bristol, City of
5 South Gloucestershire 027 South Gloucestershire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hembrough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hembrough

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Hembrough is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Hembrough 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

Hembrough falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hembrough is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hembrough, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hembrough

The surname Hembrough is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from a place name, possibly derived from the Old English words "hēan" meaning "high" and "burh" meaning "fortified town" or "borough." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a prominent borough or hill fort.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named William de Hembrough is mentioned. This entry suggests that the surname was already well-established by the 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Heynborough, Heyneburgh, and Haynburgh, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that period.

A notable figure bearing this surname was Sir John Hembrough, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War. He is mentioned in the famous Agincourt Roll, a list of English noblemen and soldiers who participated in the battle.

Another historical figure was William Hembrough, a merchant from London who lived in the late 16th century. He is recorded as having traded with the Levant Company, which held a monopoly on trade with the Ottoman Empire.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. One notable individual from this period was Robert Hembrough, a landowner and farmer from Lincolnshire who lived from 1635 to 1702.

During the 18th century, the surname Hembrough continued to be found in various parts of England, with some families migrating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. A notable example is Thomas Hembrough, a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Canada.

In the 19th century, the name became more widespread and can be found in various historical records, such as census data and birth, marriage, and death registers. One notable figure from this period was John Hembrough, a successful industrialist and inventor from Yorkshire who lived from 1810 to 1892.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hembrough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hembrough 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. Yorkshire leads with 37 Hembroughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.30x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 37 3.30x
Gloucestershire 32 14.42x
Lancashire 11 0.82x
Middlesex 9 0.80x
Cheshire 7 2.80x
Durham 5 1.49x
Warwickshire 5 1.75x
Staffordshire 4 1.05x
Devon 3 1.27x
Northumberland 2 1.19x
Lincolnshire 1 0.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clifton in Gloucestershire leads with 10 Hembroughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 89.13x.

Place Total Index
Clifton 10 89.13x
Westbury On Trym 8 106.38x
Partington 7 4117.65x
Sculcoates 7 39.37x
Wick Abson 6 1764.71x
Birmingham 5 5.26x
Monkwearmouth Shore 5 76.10x
Pendleton In Salford 5 31.25x
Sutton Stoneferry 5 155.76x
Drax 4 2857.14x
Harborne 4 32.68x
Hunslet 4 22.88x
Poplar London 4 18.74x
Selby 4 170.94x
Bethnal Green London 3 6.10x
Hook 3 121.46x
Newton 3 28.99x
Rawcliffe In Goole 3 468.75x
Tiverton 3 73.89x
Bristol St James In 2 61.35x
Cawood 2 465.12x
Manchester 2 3.31x
Ruardean 2 400.00x
Tynemouth 2 22.17x
York St George 2 227.27x
Bristol St George 1 9.75x
Bristol St Michael 1 52.63x
Cheltenham 1 5.84x
Heston 1 26.60x
Holy Trinity 1 3.71x
Louth 1 24.10x
Salford 1 2.53x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.02x
Stapleton 1 23.75x
Wakefield 1 11.61x
York St Lawrence 1 85.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 7
Charles 5
James 5
John 5
George 4
Robert 4
Thomas 4
Edward 3
Richard 3
Alfred 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Joseph 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Mark 1
Walter 1
Wathorp 1

FAQ

Hembrough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hembrough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 116 people were recorded with the Hembrough surname. That placed it at #18,126 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hembrough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Hembrough a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Hembrough surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Hembrough.

What does the Hembrough map show?

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