NameCensus.

UK surname

Hennis

An English habitational surname referring to those from a place called Hennis.

In the 1881 census there were 61 people recorded with the Hennis surname, ranking it #24,992 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #24,992 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Northfield, London parishes and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Sunderland and Bromley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hennis is 120 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.5%.

1881 census count

61

Ranked #24,992

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

1999

120 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hennis had 61 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,992 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 109 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Hennis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hennis surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hennis 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 50 #24,274
1861 historical 48 #27,896
1881 historical 61 #24,992
1891 historical 93 #24,965
1901 historical 109 #21,712
1911 historical 97 #23,076
1997 modern 110 #25,529
1998 modern 111 #25,990
1999 modern 120 #24,960
2000 modern 119 #25,072
2001 modern 115 #25,222
2002 modern 113 #26,024
2003 modern 105 #26,940
2004 modern 111 #26,293
2005 modern 102 #27,689
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 106 #27,722
2008 modern 103 #28,519
2009 modern 103 #29,127
2010 modern 112 #28,336
2011 modern 107 #28,979
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 107 #29,827
2015 modern 104 #30,269
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Hennis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Northfield, London parishes, Eccles, Manchester and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Sunderland, Bromley, Warrington and Cornwall. 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 Northfield Worcestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 039 Doncaster
2 Sunderland 034 Sunderland
3 Bromley 039 Bromley
4 Warrington 014 Warrington
5 Cornwall 012 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hennis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hennis

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hennis, 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 Hennis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hennis 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Hennis 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

Hennis is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hennis falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hennis

The surname Hennis is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Germanic word "hennen," which means "chicken" or "hen." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who raised or dealt with chickens.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hennis surname can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus," a collection of medieval documents from the region of Anhalt in present-day Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In this collection, there is a reference to a "Henricus Hennis" in the year 1342.

Another early reference to the Hennis name can be found in the "Urkundenbuch der Stadt Hildesheim," a collection of historical documents from the city of Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, Germany. This collection mentions a "Johannes Hennis" in the year 1409.

During the 16th century, the Hennis surname appears to have spread across various regions of Germany. For example, the "Kirchenbücher von Oberroßbach" (Church Records of Oberroßbach) from the village of Oberroßbach in Hesse, Germany, contain entries for several individuals with the Hennis surname, such as "Hans Hennis" in 1568 and "Caspar Hennis" in 1597.

One notable bearer of the Hennis surname was Johann Gottfried Hennis (1687-1767), a German theologian and philosopher from Saxony. He was a professor of theology at the University of Leipzig and is best known for his work on natural theology and the philosophy of religion.

Another individual of historical significance was Carl Friedrich Hennis (1784-1856), a German jurist and politician from Hanover. He served as the Minister of Justice and Minister of the Interior for the Kingdom of Hanover in the mid-19th century.

In the 19th century, the Hennis surname also appears in records from other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For instance, Johannes Hennis (1837-1914) was a Dutch Protestant theologian and writer from Rotterdam.

Additionally, the Hennis surname can be found in historical records from the United States, likely due to German immigration. One example is William Hennis (1819-1904), a German-born American farmer and businessman who settled in Ohio in the mid-19th century.

Despite its German origins, the Hennis surname has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds and nationalities throughout history, reflecting the global spread of names and the interconnectedness of human migration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hennis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hennis 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. Lancashire leads with 22 Hennis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.12x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 22 3.12x
Middlesex 11 1.85x
Durham 8 4.52x
Surrey 7 2.42x
Hampshire 4 3.28x
Leicestershire 3 4.55x
Monmouthshire 2 4.65x
Cornwall 1 1.49x
Devon 1 0.81x
Sussex 1 1.00x
Worcestershire 1 1.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Salford in Lancashire leads with 11 Hennis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.99x.

Place Total Index
Salford 11 52.99x
Houghton Le Spring 8 655.74x
Pendleton In Salford 7 83.23x
Bethnal Green London 6 23.22x
Camberwell 6 15.79x
Portsea 3 12.56x
Bardon 2 10000.00x
Hampstead London 2 21.60x
Manchester 2 6.30x
Trevethin 2 49.26x
West Derby 2 9.69x
Aldershot 1 24.51x
Budock 1 196.08x
Clayton 1 263.16x
Exeter Heavitree 1 108.70x
Lambeth 1 1.93x
Leicester St Margaret 1 6.22x
Pershore Holy Cross 1 200.00x
St Luke London 1 10.48x
St Marylebone London 1 3.15x
Tottenham 1 10.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 4
Hannah 3
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Eliz.A.M. 1
Ellen 1
Johanna 1
Matilda 1
Priscilla 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 5
John 5
William 4
George 3
David 2
Hugh 2
Samuel 2
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1
Wilhelm 1
Wilmot 1

FAQ

Hennis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hennis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 61 people were recorded with the Hennis surname. That placed it at #24,992 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hennis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Hennis a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Hennis surname mean?

An English habitational surname referring to those from a place called Hennis.

What does the Hennis map show?

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