NameCensus.

UK surname

Hemming

A surname meaning a "garment maker" or "sewer" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 2,666 people recorded with the Hemming surname, ranking it #1,665 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,352, ranked #2,026, down from #1,665 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, Kings Norton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stratford-on-Avon, Wychavon and Worcester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hemming is 3,504 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.7%.

1881 census count

2,666

Ranked #1,665

Modern count

3,352

2016, ranked #2,026

Peak year

1998

3,504 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hemming had 2,666 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,665 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,352 in 2016, ranked #2,026.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,319 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hemming surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hemming surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hemming 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 1,694 #1,704
1861 historical 1,737 #1,657
1881 historical 2,666 #1,665
1891 historical 2,691 #1,766
1901 historical 3,095 #1,809
1911 historical 3,319 #1,573
1997 modern 3,385 #1,914
1998 modern 3,504 #1,921
1999 modern 3,481 #1,951
2000 modern 3,461 #1,951
2001 modern 3,390 #1,949
2002 modern 3,497 #1,940
2003 modern 3,396 #1,952
2004 modern 3,421 #1,932
2005 modern 3,339 #1,955
2006 modern 3,307 #1,980
2007 modern 3,301 #2,012
2008 modern 3,315 #2,017
2009 modern 3,386 #2,026
2010 modern 3,430 #2,034
2011 modern 3,411 #2,022
2012 modern 3,371 #1,999
2013 modern 3,400 #2,018
2014 modern 3,423 #2,020
2015 modern 3,398 #2,012
2016 modern 3,352 #2,026

Geography

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Where Hemmings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, Kings Norton, London parishes, Tardebigg and Studley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stratford-on-Avon, Wychavon and Worcester. 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 Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick Worcestershire
2 Kings Norton Worcestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Tardebigg Worcestershire
5 Studley Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stratford-on-Avon 006 Stratford-on-Avon
2 Stratford-on-Avon 003 Stratford-on-Avon
3 Stratford-on-Avon 012 Stratford-on-Avon
4 Wychavon 012 Wychavon
5 Worcester 010 Worcester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hemming

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hemming

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hemming 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

Hemming 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

Hemming falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hemming

The surname Hemming is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English personal name Hemming, which itself is a compound of the elements "hæm" meaning "home" and "ing" meaning "a son or descendant of". It is believed to have originated in England sometime in the 5th or 6th century AD.

The name Hemming was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property ownership in England and Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the surname Hemming, indicating that the name was already well-established by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Hemming was Hemming of Worcester, a 12th-century monk and historian who wrote a chronicle of the history of the Norman conquest of England. Another notable figure was Hemming of Feversham, a 13th-century alchemist and philosopher who was known for his writings on the transmutation of metals.

In the 14th century, the surname Hemming appeared in various records and documents across England, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273 and the Pipe Rolls of 1301. During this time, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Hemmyng, Hemyngge, and Hemmynge.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Hemming was John Hemming (1556-1630), an English politician and Member of Parliament who played a prominent role in the events leading up to the English Civil War. Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Hemming (1605-1668), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

Other individuals with the surname Hemming who made significant contributions throughout history include Samuel Hemming (1735-1768), an English painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits, and John Hemming (1804-1872), a British civil engineer who was responsible for the construction of several important railway lines in England.

Overall, the surname Hemming has a long and rich history, with its origins dating back to the early medieval period in England. It has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, politicians, and religious figures, and continues to be a prominent surname in many parts of the world today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hemming families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hemming 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. Warwickshire leads with 738 Hemmings recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.32x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 738 11.32x
Worcestershire 606 17.94x
Gloucestershire 239 4.71x
Middlesex 195 0.75x
Staffordshire 144 1.65x
Surrey 142 1.13x
Yorkshire 74 0.29x
Lancashire 58 0.19x
Sussex 42 0.96x
Oxfordshire 38 2.38x
Hampshire 32 0.60x
Somerset 31 0.74x
Nottinghamshire 27 0.77x
Herefordshire 24 2.26x
Northamptonshire 23 0.95x
Essex 22 0.43x
Kent 22 0.25x
Shropshire 20 0.90x
Glamorgan 18 0.40x
Cambridgeshire 16 0.98x
Berkshire 13 0.67x
Suffolk 12 0.38x
Cheshire 11 0.19x
Wiltshire 11 0.48x
Derbyshire 9 0.22x
Devon 7 0.13x
Hertfordshire 7 0.39x
Monmouthshire 7 0.37x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.38x
Cumberland 6 0.27x
Dorset 6 0.35x
Bedfordshire 5 0.37x
Durham 5 0.07x
Westmorland 5 0.88x
Lincolnshire 4 0.10x
Norfolk 4 0.10x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.49x
Royal Navy 4 1.30x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.58x
Lanarkshire 3 0.04x
Leicestershire 2 0.07x
Angus 1 0.04x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.18x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.17x
Radnorshire 1 0.48x
Stirlingshire 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. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 191 Hemmings recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.79x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 191 8.79x
Aston 163 9.08x
Studley 83 297.70x
Redditch 81 118.30x
Kings Norton 74 24.44x
Wootton Wawen 60 291.97x
Chaddesley Corbett 40 315.96x
Handsworth 40 18.59x
Alcester 35 162.72x
Cheltenham 33 8.43x
Northfield 27 42.14x
Bromsgrove 24 21.12x
Camberwell 24 1.45x
Stroud 24 24.32x
Great Rissington 23 628.42x
St Pancras London 23 1.10x
Feckenham 22 56.92x
Wolverhampton 22 3.28x
Edgbaston 21 10.39x
Great Little Hampton 20 355.87x
Old Stratford 19 51.46x
Newington 18 1.88x
Bishampton 17 448.55x
Lambeth 17 0.75x
Aston Cantlow 16 163.93x
Leamington Priors 16 9.97x
St George Hanover Square 15 3.29x
St Martin In Fields 15 9.69x
Bethnal Green London 14 1.25x
Bredon 14 121.42x
Coventry Holy Trinity 14 7.19x
Kidderminster Borough 14 7.08x
Nottingham St Mary 14 1.55x
Rouse Lench 14 534.35x
Worcester Blockhouse 14 75.47x
Worcester St Martin 14 30.73x
Cirencester 13 18.93x
Southwark St George Martyr 13 2.50x
Stourbridge 13 14.96x
Abingdon St Helen 12 21.15x
Claines 12 12.95x
Great Malvern 12 17.03x
Paddington London 12 1.26x
Southampton St Mary 12 3.60x
St Andrewthe Less 12 6.41x
Bedminster 11 2.81x
Corsham 11 32.96x
Hackney London 11 0.76x
Harborne 11 3.93x
Islington London 11 0.44x
Liverpool 11 0.59x
Webheath 11 182.72x
Worcester St John 11 27.28x
Brighton 10 1.14x
Hanley Castle 10 49.48x
Kenilworth 10 27.20x
Kensington London 10 0.70x
Mickleton 10 149.93x
Nether Hallam 10 2.88x
Rotherhithe 10 3.13x
Tewkesbury 10 22.09x
Wednesbury 10 4.58x
Wintringham 10 348.43x
Wisborough Green 10 68.26x
Woodchester 10 124.84x
Bitton 9 20.39x
Coughton 9 430.62x
Evesham St Lawrence 9 50.17x
Kingstanley 9 48.03x
Kinlet 9 234.99x
Oxford St Thomas 9 12.08x
Portsea 9 0.87x
Quinton 9 203.16x
St George In East London 9 3.70x
Droitwich St Andrew 8 93.90x
Kingswinford 8 2.52x
Minchinhampton 8 19.80x
Northampton Priory St 8 5.48x
Roath 8 3.91x
Woodbridge 8 19.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 163
Sarah 106
Elizabeth 91
Eliza 61
Ann 55
Jane 55
Ellen 44
Annie 41
Emily 40
Harriet 38
Alice 37
Emma 36
Louisa 31
Hannah 28
Fanny 24
Kate 24
Martha 23
Ada 19
Florence 18
Charlotte 17
Agnes 16
Caroline 16
Catherine 16
Clara 15
Edith 14
Esther 12
Maria 12
Anne 11
Frances 11
Amy 10
Julia 10
Margaret 10
Rose 10
Lucy 9
Gertrude 8
Harriett 8
Helen 8
Eleanor 6
Minnie 6
Nellie 6
Lydia 5
Matilda 5
Ruth 5
Adelaide 4
Bertha 4
Betsy 4
Jessie 4
Lilly 4
Maud 4
Rosa 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 178
John 127
George 117
Thomas 93
Henry 75
Charles 60
James 56
Joseph 55
Alfred 32
Frederick 32
Albert 28
Edward 27
Richard 24
Walter 23
Arthur 22
Frank 22
Samuel 21
Francis 17
Ernest 16
Edwin 13
Benjamin 11
Harry 10
Robert 10
Wm. 10
Chas. 5
Herbert 5
Lewis 5
Thos. 5
Geo. 4
Jesse 4
David 3
Elijah 3
Fredk. 3
Fredrick 3
Nathaniel 3
Reuben 3
Stephen 3
Willm. 3
Anthony 2
Cecil 2
Christopher 2
Ebenezer 2
Edmund 2
Fred 2
Isaac 2
Leonard 2
Percy 2
Saml. 2
Simeon 2
Sydney 2

FAQ

Hemming surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hemming surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,666 people were recorded with the Hemming surname. That placed it at #1,665 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hemming surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,352 in 2016. That gives Hemming a modern rank of #2,026.

What does the Hemming surname mean?

A surname meaning a "garment maker" or "sewer" in Old English.

What does the Hemming map show?

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