NameCensus.

UK surname

Henshall

A variant of the English surname Hinxhill, derived from a place name meaning "heathens' hill."

In the 1881 census there were 1,454 people recorded with the Henshall surname, ranking it #2,862 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,515, ranked #4,086, down from #2,862 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Stockport and Wilmslow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle-under-Lyme, Cheshire East and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Henshall is 2,034 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.2%.

1881 census count

1,454

Ranked #2,862

Modern count

1,515

2016, ranked #4,086

Peak year

1911

2,034 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Henshall had 1,454 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,862 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,515 in 2016, ranked #4,086.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,034 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Henshall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Henshall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Henshall 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 974 #2,866
1861 historical 861 #3,212
1881 historical 1,454 #2,862
1891 historical 1,531 #2,881
1901 historical 1,854 #2,833
1911 historical 2,034 #2,451
1997 modern 1,464 #3,995
1998 modern 1,698 #3,633
1999 modern 1,689 #3,681
2000 modern 1,682 #3,675
2001 modern 1,651 #3,663
2002 modern 1,637 #3,761
2003 modern 1,625 #3,712
2004 modern 1,594 #3,800
2005 modern 1,547 #3,847
2006 modern 1,542 #3,855
2007 modern 1,536 #3,908
2008 modern 1,553 #3,895
2009 modern 1,592 #3,897
2010 modern 1,607 #3,942
2011 modern 1,605 #3,905
2012 modern 1,536 #3,994
2013 modern 1,563 #3,999
2014 modern 1,581 #3,977
2015 modern 1,539 #4,032
2016 modern 1,515 #4,086

Geography

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Where Henshalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Stockport, Wilmslow, Manchester and Coppenhall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle-under-Lyme, Cheshire East, Staffordshire Moorlands and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Wilmslow Cheshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Coppenhall Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle-under-Lyme 005 Newcastle-under-Lyme
2 Cheshire East 012 Cheshire East
3 Staffordshire Moorlands 003 Staffordshire Moorlands
4 Cheshire East 016 Cheshire East
5 Stoke-on-Trent 013 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Henshall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Henshall

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Henshall 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

Henshall 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

Henshall falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Henshall

The surname Henshall is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "henn" meaning "hen" and "scealu" meaning "hut" or "shelter." It refers to a place where hens were kept or a small dwelling associated with poultry farming. The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, in the Shropshire area of England.

The name is found in various old records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, where it appears as "Henehull." The Domesday Book of 1086 mentions a place called "Henehalle" in Cheshire, which may have been the original location from which the surname originated.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William de Henhull, who lived in Staffordshire in the late 13th century. Another early example is John Henshall, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Derbyshire in 1430.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name was often spelled differently, such as "Henshall," "Henshawe," or "Henshall." Some notable individuals with this surname include:

1. Robert Henshall (c. 1545 – 1616), an English Puritan minister and author. 2. Samuel Henshall (1597 – 1658), an English Puritan minister and author, the son of Robert Henshall. 3. John Henshall (1792 – 1857), an English poet and schoolmaster. 4. James Henshall (1801 – 1876), an English painter and engraver. 5. Susanna Henshall (1807 – 1888), an English Quaker writer and activist.

The name Henshall has been present in various regions of England, including Cheshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Lancashire, with concentrations in the north and west of the country. It has also spread to other parts of the world through migration, particularly to North America and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Henshall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Henshall 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. Cheshire leads with 626 Henshalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.01x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 626 20.01x
Lancashire 346 2.06x
Staffordshire 214 4.47x
Yorkshire 70 0.50x
Shropshire 38 3.10x
Middlesex 31 0.22x
Derbyshire 30 1.35x
Kent 18 0.37x
Carmarthenshire 17 2.85x
Surrey 15 0.22x
Warwickshire 9 0.25x
Gloucestershire 8 0.29x
Durham 5 0.12x
Glamorgan 4 0.16x
Leicestershire 3 0.19x
Northumberland 3 0.14x
Sussex 3 0.13x
Essex 2 0.07x
Hampshire 2 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.10x
Oxfordshire 2 0.23x
Angus 1 0.08x
Berkshire 1 0.09x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.11x
Lincolnshire 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 0.59x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 110 Henshalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.68x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 110 21.68x
Pownall Fee 73 521.43x
Audley 61 128.86x
Macclesfield 59 42.42x
Salford 41 8.29x
Monks Coppenhall 33 27.95x
Bollin Fee 32 230.55x
Manchester 25 3.31x
Over 24 75.47x
Chorley In Macclesfield 22 230.85x
Poynton 22 209.13x
Whitchurch 22 92.59x
Stockport 21 13.04x
Ardwick 20 13.18x
Sandbach 18 67.47x
Burslem 17 12.40x
Heaton Norris 17 17.76x
Llanelly 17 12.63x
Urmston 17 155.82x
Thornhill 16 39.04x
Weston In Nantwich 16 634.92x
Congleton 15 27.75x
Gorton 15 9.49x
Oldham 15 2.76x
Shardlow 14 332.54x
Ashton Under Lyne 13 3.54x
Chorlton On Medlock 13 4.87x
Nether Alderley 13 467.63x
Cheadle 12 20.08x
West Derby 12 2.44x
Alsager 11 141.21x
Bredbury 11 60.74x
Fulshaw 11 190.97x
Manningham 10 5.78x
Wheelock 10 259.07x
Windle 10 10.57x
Aston 9 0.91x
Bollington In 9 32.32x
Buglawton 9 119.52x
Eccleston In Prescot 9 10.66x
Litchurch 9 10.08x
Newchurch 9 6.54x
Plumstead 9 5.58x
Wolstanton 9 6.19x
Cheltenham 8 3.73x
Chester St Bridget 8 149.25x
Deptford St Paul 8 2.14x
Gawsworth 8 280.70x
Barnsley 7 4.83x
Chiswick 7 9.04x
Church Minshull 7 382.51x
Didsbury 7 31.35x
Kinderton Cum Hulme 7 266.16x
Kirkdale 7 2.47x
Lymm 7 30.77x
Middlewich 7 108.70x
Odd Rode 7 45.16x
Stayley 7 19.57x
Sutton In Macclesfield 7 21.56x
Worsley 7 6.75x
Bermondsey 6 1.42x
Bickerton 6 375.00x
Broughton In Salford 6 3.90x
Chester St Oswald 6 10.59x
Halifax 6 2.91x
Hampton Bickley 6 165.29x
Hyde 6 6.50x
Leftwich 6 43.17x
Newton 6 4.63x
Newton In Ashton Under 6 19.44x
Reddish 6 25.90x
Wellington 6 8.72x
Great Warford 5 294.12x
Hale 5 46.34x
Hulme 5 1.42x
Prescot 5 16.44x
Preston On Hill 5 183.82x
Rugeley 5 14.56x
St Luke London 5 2.20x
Walton On Hill 5 5.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 98
William 89
Thomas 59
George 44
James 44
Joseph 42
Henry 31
Samuel 30
Arthur 20
Alfred 13
Edward 12
Charles 11
Frederick 11
Peter 10
Robert 10
Albert 9
Richard 9
David 8
Frank 8
Walter 8
Harry 7
Edwin 6
Herbert 6
Isaac 6
Ralph 5
Wm. 5
Amos 4
Daniel 4
Saml. 4
Fred 3
Geo. 3
Jonathan 3
Thos. 3
Aaron 2
Abraham 2
Arnold 2
Benjamin 2
Enoch 2
Ephraim 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Fred. 2
Josiah 2
Louis 2
Matthew 2
Sydney 2
Tom 2
Chas. 1
Chas.E. 1
Enock 1

FAQ

Henshall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Henshall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,454 people were recorded with the Henshall surname. That placed it at #2,862 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Henshall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,515 in 2016. That gives Henshall a modern rank of #4,086.

What does the Henshall surname mean?

A variant of the English surname Hinxhill, derived from a place name meaning "heathens' hill."

What does the Henshall map show?

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