NameCensus.

UK surname

Hemphill

An English locational surname derived from places meaning "hill where hemp was grown."

In the 1881 census there were 152 people recorded with the Hemphill surname, ranking it #15,372 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 502, ranked #9,961, up from #15,372 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central, Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central and Port Glasgow Upper East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hemphill is 508 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 230.3%.

1881 census count

152

Ranked #15,372

Modern count

502

2016, ranked #9,961

Peak year

2011

508 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hemphill had 152 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,372 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 502 in 2016, ranked #9,961.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 245 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hemphill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hemphill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hemphill 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 66 #21,617
1861 historical 103 #20,650
1881 historical 152 #15,372
1891 historical 182 #15,983
1901 historical 245 #13,298
1911 historical 73 #25,541
1997 modern 432 #10,395
1998 modern 445 #10,491
1999 modern 441 #10,631
2000 modern 453 #10,371
2001 modern 436 #10,500
2002 modern 451 #10,429
2003 modern 427 #10,720
2004 modern 450 #10,321
2005 modern 456 #10,111
2006 modern 450 #10,237
2007 modern 466 #10,070
2008 modern 495 #9,720
2009 modern 498 #9,894
2010 modern 498 #10,091
2011 modern 508 #9,839
2012 modern 483 #10,116
2013 modern 497 #10,063
2014 modern 500 #10,077
2015 modern 505 #9,933
2016 modern 502 #9,961

Geography

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Where Hemphills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Plympton St Mary and Dalton-le-Dale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central, Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central, Port Glasgow Upper East, Greenock East and Coltness. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Plympton St Mary Devon
5 Dalton-le-Dale Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central Inverclyde
2 Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central Inverclyde
3 Port Glasgow Upper East Inverclyde
4 Greenock East Inverclyde
5 Coltness North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hemphill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hemphill

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Hemphill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hemphill household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Hemphill is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hemphill 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hemphill

The surname Hemphill originated in Scotland and is derived from the Gaelic words "cnoc channaich," which translate to "hill of hemp." This suggests that the name was likely first borne by someone who lived near a hill where hemp was grown or processed.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century in the county of Renfrewshire, Scotland. A manuscript from 1296 mentions a "Philip de Hemphill" who was a tenant of lands near the town of Lochwinnoch.

Over time, the name evolved with various spellings, such as Hemphil, Hempill, and Hemphyll, before settling on the modern form of Hemphill. These variations can be found in historical records throughout Scotland and Northern Ireland.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Hemphill (1470-1537), a Scottish nobleman and landowner who served as the Sheriff of Renfrewshire in the early 16th century. His family's coat of arms featured a hemp plant, further solidifying the connection between the name and the plant.

In the 17th century, many Hemphills migrated to Ireland, particularly to County Antrim and County Down, where they contributed to the Plantation of Ulster. One famous Irish Hemphill was Sir Robert Hemphill (1765-1831), a politician and judge who served as the Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1818.

As the Hemphill name spread throughout the British Isles, it also found its way to the American colonies in the 18th century. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of John Hemphill (1730-1807), a Scottish immigrant who became a prominent judge and politician in South Carolina.

Other notable individuals with the Hemphill surname include William Hemphill (1804-1862), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, and John Mark Hemphill (1798-1846), a U.S. Senator and Confederate politician from Texas.

Despite its Scottish origins, the Hemphill name has since become prevalent in various countries, particularly in the United States, Canada, and Australia, where descendants of the early Scottish and Irish settlers have established themselves.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hemphill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hemphill 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. Lanarkshire leads with 82 Hemphills recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.45x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 82 17.45x
Renfrewshire 29 25.75x
Devon 10 3.31x
Durham 10 2.31x
Somerset 7 2.99x
Lancashire 6 0.35x
Middlesex 2 0.14x
Ayrshire 1 0.92x
Kent 1 0.20x
Norfolk 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 33 Hemphills recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.74x.

Place Total Index
Barony 33 27.74x
Blantyre 12 245.40x
Port Glasgow 12 220.18x
New Monkland 11 79.19x
Plympton St Mary 9 514.29x
Glasgow 8 9.59x
Dawdon 7 131.58x
Old Monkland 7 37.53x
Stocklinch Ottersey 7 11666.67x
Cathcart 5 82.10x
Govan 4 3.44x
Liverpool 4 3.82x
Maryhill 4 43.48x
Paisley High Church 4 44.59x
Renfrew 4 107.53x
East Murton 3 370.37x
Rutherglen 3 43.48x
Abbey 2 11.63x
Newchurch 2 14.17x
St George Hanover Square 2 7.81x
Milton In Gravesend 1 13.44x
Muirkirk 1 39.22x
Neilston 1 17.70x
Old Buckenham 1 175.44x
Shaugh Prior 1 285.71x
West Greenock 1 4.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 2
Mgt. 2
Amey 1
Ann 1
Ellinor 1
Evelyn 1
Flora 1
Grace 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 3
William 3
Henry 2
John 2
Alexandra 1
Amos 1
Archibald 1
Charles 1
Lucas 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Saml. 1

FAQ

Hemphill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hemphill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 152 people were recorded with the Hemphill surname. That placed it at #15,372 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hemphill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 502 in 2016. That gives Hemphill a modern rank of #9,961.

What does the Hemphill surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from places meaning "hill where hemp was grown."

What does the Hemphill map show?

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