NameCensus.

UK surname

Hempstead

A locational surname denoting someone from the village or hemp cultivating region.

In the 1881 census there were 187 people recorded with the Hempstead surname, ranking it #13,407 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 425, ranked #11,300, up from #13,407 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Stradishall and Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St Edmundsbury, Colchester and Tendring.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hempstead is 489 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 127.3%.

1881 census count

187

Ranked #13,407

Modern count

425

2016, ranked #11,300

Peak year

2000

489 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hempstead had 187 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,407 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 425 in 2016, ranked #11,300.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 416 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Hempstead surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hempstead surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hempstead 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 136 #13,892
1861 historical 137 #16,465
1881 historical 187 #13,407
1891 historical 331 #10,277
1901 historical 403 #9,442
1911 historical 416 #9,028
1997 modern 454 #10,004
1998 modern 480 #9,909
1999 modern 483 #9,932
2000 modern 489 #9,788
2001 modern 477 #9,798
2002 modern 477 #9,981
2003 modern 455 #10,201
2004 modern 456 #10,188
2005 modern 454 #10,144
2006 modern 449 #10,255
2007 modern 450 #10,335
2008 modern 441 #10,600
2009 modern 431 #11,070
2010 modern 433 #11,242
2011 modern 430 #11,178
2012 modern 441 #10,828
2013 modern 438 #11,071
2014 modern 434 #11,246
2015 modern 435 #11,120
2016 modern 425 #11,300

Geography

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Where Hempsteads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Stradishall, Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew and Mersea, West. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St Edmundsbury, Colchester, Tendring, Barnsley and South Kesteven. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Stradishall Suffolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew Suffolk
5 Mersea, West Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St Edmundsbury 008 St Edmundsbury
2 Colchester 021 Colchester
3 Tendring 011 Tendring
4 Barnsley 014 Barnsley
5 South Kesteven 002 South Kesteven

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hempstead

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hempstead

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Hempstead surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Hempstead household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Hempstead is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hempstead is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hempstead

The surname Hempstead originates from England, where it first arose as a locational name in the 12th century. The name derives from the Old English words 'hæmp' meaning hemp and 'stede' meaning place or farm, thus referring to a place where hemp was grown or processed.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Hempstead name is in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire from 1176, which lists a Richard de Hempstede. The Feet of Fines for Essex from 1275 also references a John de Hempstede. These early recordings highlight the name's origins in the counties of Hertfordshire and Essex.

The Hempstead name is closely associated with the town of Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, which was originally called simply 'Hempstead' in the Domesday Book of 1086. This suggests the surname may have arisen from this particular location or nearby areas where hemp cultivation was prevalent.

Notable historical figures bearing the Hempstead surname include John Hempstead (1587-1644), one of the founders of New London, Connecticut, and an influential early settler in the American colonies. Another prominent individual was Sir John Hempstead (1629-1701), an English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench.

In the 16th century, the Hempstead family was well-established in Norfolk, England, with records showing Robert Hempstead (1521-1578) as a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry. William Hempstead (1472-1553), a merchant and mayor of Norwich, was another notable figure during this period.

The surname also has ties to various place names in England, such as Hempstead in Norfolk, Hempstead in Essex, and Hempstead Heath in Hertfordshire, reflecting the name's geographic origins and associations with areas known for hemp cultivation or processing.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hempstead families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hempstead 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. Essex leads with 55 Hempsteads recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.27x.

County Total Index
Essex 55 15.27x
Suffolk 38 17.10x
Surrey 23 2.59x
Middlesex 19 1.04x
Cambridgeshire 10 8.66x
Dunbartonshire 8 16.32x
Hertfordshire 7 5.57x
Lincolnshire 7 2.40x
Hampshire 6 1.60x
Huntingdonshire 4 11.04x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.22x
Yorkshire 3 0.17x
Berkshire 1 0.73x
Norfolk 1 0.36x
Northumberland 1 0.37x
Sussex 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Mersea in Essex leads with 14 Hempsteads recorded in 1881 and an index of 2028.99x.

Place Total Index
West Mersea 14 2028.99x
Brightlingsea 13 631.07x
St Andrewthe Less 10 75.76x
Dumbarton 8 117.30x
Sudbury St Gregory 8 449.44x
Lambeth 7 4.40x
Long Melford 7 339.81x
Wickhambrook 7 843.37x
Willingale Doe 7 2692.31x
Bennington 6 1666.67x
Cowlinge 6 1428.57x
Dovercourt 6 472.44x
Millbrook 6 63.69x
Richmond 6 48.19x
Ballingdon Cum Brundon 5 1086.96x
Battersea 5 7.45x
Clerkenwell London 5 11.61x
Islington London 5 2.83x
Croydon 4 8.11x
West Bergholt 4 597.01x
Bury St Edmunds St James 3 50.59x
Grantham 3 78.95x
Nottingham St Nicholas 3 89.55x
St Marylebone London 3 3.08x
Sudbury St Peter 3 245.90x
Clare 2 188.68x
Huntingdon St Benedict 2 444.44x
Kensington London 2 1.97x
Limehouse London 2 9.99x
Somersham 2 227.27x
York St Sampson 2 512.82x
Broadwater 1 14.18x
Bulmer 1 232.56x
Chelmsford 1 16.18x
Chigwell 1 29.41x
Cramlington 1 27.86x
Frodingham 1 96.15x
Gainsborough 1 14.53x
Harwich St Nicholas 1 35.97x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 8.59x
Hertford St John 1 53.48x
Kingston On Thames 1 4.68x
Little Saxham 1 909.09x
New Sleaford 1 53.48x
Poplar London 1 2.90x
Prittlewell 1 20.04x
Sandhurst 1 37.74x
Scunthorpe 1 76.34x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.11x
Sudbury All Sts 1 147.06x
Walsoken 1 59.17x
West Ham 1 1.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 7
Emily 7
Sarah 7
Alice 6
Eliza 6
Mary 5
Ann 3
Hannah 3
Rose 3
Catherine 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Jane 2
Jessie 2
Louisa 2
Mahala 2
Minnie 2
Susan 2
Winifred 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Alace 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Delia 1
Dinah 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elisbth. 1
Elzbth. 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Helda 1
Johanna 1
Kitty 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
May 1
Mira 1
Nevelle 1
Olive 1
Rebecca 1
Rovette 1
Temperance 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
William 8
George 7
James 5
Arthur 4
Harry 3
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Elmy 2
Frank 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Alban 1
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Edwd. 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Josiah 1
Lazurus 1
Nathaniel 1
Reuben 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Hempstead surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hempstead surname in 1881?

In 1881, 187 people were recorded with the Hempstead surname. That placed it at #13,407 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hempstead surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 425 in 2016. That gives Hempstead a modern rank of #11,300.

What does the Hempstead surname mean?

A locational surname denoting someone from the village or hemp cultivating region.

What does the Hempstead map show?

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