NameCensus.

UK surname

Hensman

A surname derived from the Old English words for "hen" and "man", likely referring to a chicken farmer.

In the 1881 census there were 413 people recorded with the Hensman surname, ranking it #7,794 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 527, ranked #9,622, down from #7,794 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Neots and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Daventry, Rotherham and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hensman is 608 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.6%.

1881 census count

413

Ranked #7,794

Modern count

527

2016, ranked #9,622

Peak year

1911

608 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hensman had 413 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,794 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 527 in 2016, ranked #9,622.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 608 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hensman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hensman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hensman 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 313 #7,385
1861 historical 336 #7,589
1881 historical 413 #7,794
1891 historical 584 #6,539
1901 historical 589 #7,164
1911 historical 608 #6,777
1997 modern 513 #9,138
1998 modern 554 #8,876
1999 modern 554 #8,929
2000 modern 557 #8,860
2001 modern 551 #8,789
2002 modern 553 #8,949
2003 modern 525 #9,162
2004 modern 531 #9,100
2005 modern 514 #9,262
2006 modern 498 #9,512
2007 modern 485 #9,780
2008 modern 495 #9,720
2009 modern 509 #9,712
2010 modern 535 #9,571
2011 modern 550 #9,268
2012 modern 518 #9,629
2013 modern 525 #9,675
2014 modern 537 #9,565
2015 modern 531 #9,584
2016 modern 527 #9,622

Geography

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Where Hensmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Neots, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Clipston and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Daventry, Rotherham, Cheshire East, Tower Hamlets and Plymouth. 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 3
2 St Neots Huntingdonshire
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Clipston Leicestershire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Daventry 001 Daventry
2 Rotherham 015 Rotherham
3 Cheshire East 019 Cheshire East
4 Tower Hamlets 020 Tower Hamlets
5 Plymouth 018 Plymouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hensman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hensman

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

Hensman is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hensman falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hensman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hensman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hensman

The surname Hensman is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the old English words "henn" meaning a chicken or hen, and "man" referring to a person. The name likely originated from a place name that has since been lost, but it may have described someone who lived near a chicken farm or kept hens.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Richard Henesman. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable insights into the distribution of surnames in medieval England.

The Hensman name has also appeared in various historical documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Henesman is listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the name was well-established in different regions of England by the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name was sometimes spelled as "Hennesman" or "Hennysman," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that period. An example of this is found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1524, which mentions a William Hennesman.

One notable individual bearing the Hensman surname was Sir Henry Hensman (1577-1653), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Cricklade in Wiltshire during the reign of King Charles I.

Another prominent figure was Sir John Hensman (1739-1806), a British naval officer who participated in several significant battles during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He was knighted for his distinguished service and rose to the rank of Admiral of the Blue.

In the literary world, Bertha Hensman (1855-1934) was an English novelist and short story writer known for her works set in rural England, such as "The Fowler" and "The Worths of Mellor."

Moving into the 20th century, Arthur Hensman (1893-1973) was a British aviator and aircraft designer who made significant contributions to the development of early seaplanes and flying boats.

Finally, Sir Ralph Hensman (1921-2012) was a British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Governor of the Falkland Islands from 1976 to 1980, playing a crucial role in the events leading up to the Falklands War.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hensman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hensman 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. Northamptonshire leads with 92 Hensmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.58x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 92 24.58x
Middlesex 82 2.06x
Bedfordshire 40 19.41x
Leicestershire 33 7.48x
Huntingdonshire 32 40.50x
Lincolnshire 22 3.46x
Surrey 20 1.03x
Staffordshire 13 0.97x
Buckinghamshire 10 4.16x
Warwickshire 10 1.00x
Yorkshire 8 0.20x
Berkshire 7 2.34x
Hertfordshire 7 2.55x
Lancashire 6 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 5 1.98x
Kent 4 0.29x
Rutland 4 13.69x
Sussex 4 0.60x
Oxfordshire 3 1.22x
Worcestershire 3 0.58x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.37x
Gloucestershire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Luton in Bedfordshire leads with 19 Hensmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.27x.

Place Total Index
Luton 19 53.27x
Islington London 18 4.67x
Duston 14 411.76x
Ampthill 12 389.61x
Clipston 12 1263.16x
Queniborough 12 1600.00x
Northampton St Giles 11 77.14x
St Neots 11 255.81x
Ecton 10 1190.48x
St Martin In Fields 10 41.96x
Northampton Priory St 9 40.07x
St Marylebone London 9 4.24x
Horncastle 8 121.77x
Northampton St Sepulchre 8 42.02x
Thrapston 8 425.53x
Tottenham 8 12.62x
Rugby 7 51.55x
Bethnal Green London 6 3.47x
Boston 6 31.07x
Kensington London 6 2.71x
Offord Cluny 6 1538.46x
Offord D Arcy 6 1276.60x
Saddington 6 2400.00x
Stoke 6 65.57x
Battersea 5 3.41x
Hammersmith London 5 5.10x
Lambeth 5 1.44x
Northampton All Sts 5 39.37x
Smeeton 5 943.40x
St George Hanover Square 5 7.13x
Stoke Goldington 5 454.55x
Stoke Upon Trent 5 3.51x
Woodhouse 5 285.71x
Brighton 4 2.95x
Clewer 4 32.68x
Daventry 4 75.47x
Kings Bromley 4 519.48x
Papworth Everard 4 2222.22x
Rowley Regis 4 10.68x
St Luke London 4 6.27x
Uppingham 4 114.94x
Camberwell 3 1.18x
Eynesbury 3 163.93x
Fulham London 3 5.20x
Hitchin 3 24.23x
Kings Norton 3 6.44x
Mixbury 3 810.81x
Sheffield 3 2.39x
Surfleet 3 227.27x
Windle 3 11.29x
Woburn 3 167.60x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 2 42.46x
Brington 2 176.99x
Eaton Socon 2 61.92x
Great Crosby 2 15.53x
Hatfield 2 35.97x
Kimbolton 2 120.48x
Leicester St Margaret 2 1.86x
Linslade 2 84.75x
Oadby 2 84.75x
Paddington London 2 1.37x
Pinchbeck 2 49.02x
Radclive 2 740.74x
Shoreditch London 2 1.16x
St Lawrence 2 21.41x
Thatcham 2 43.48x
Winwick In Daventry 2 800.00x
Abington 1 625.00x
Bedford St Mary 1 18.83x
Bedford St Paul 1 7.08x
Carrington 1 250.00x
Chapel Brampton 1 312.50x
Donington 1 43.86x
Fleckney 1 95.24x
Leamington Priors 1 4.05x
New Windsor 1 9.96x
Newport Pagnell 1 19.88x
Raunds 1 26.25x
St Ives 1 24.39x
Walton On Hill 1 3.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 25
Elizabeth 17
Sarah 16
Emily 9
Alice 8
Eliza 8
Clara 6
Jane 6
Ada 5
Annie 5
Harriet 5
Caroline 4
Charlotte 4
Ellen 4
Florence 4
Hannah 4
Agnes 3
Ann 3
Edith 3
Emma 3
Harriett 3
Louisa 3
Maria 3
A. 2
Catherine 2
Eleanor 2
Ethel 2
Gertrude 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Lizzie 2
Martha 2
Rebecca 2
Rosa 2
Ruth 2
Sophia 2
Amy 1
Azabela 1
B. 1
Babara 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Elizath. 1
Elizth. 1
Elsie 1
Jessie 1
Jocosa 1
Keate 1
Kezia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 34
William 20
Henry 18
George 15
Charles 10
Thomas 10
Arthur 7
Alfred 6
Walter 5
James 4
Joseph 4
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Fredrick 3
Herbert 3
Albert 2
Chas. 2
J. 2
Jno. 2
Percy 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Austen 1
Boswell 1
Charlie 1
David 1
Edward 1
Edwd.B. 1
Edwin 1
Eno 1
Ephraim 1
Ernest 1
Ezra 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Geo. 1
Gerald 1
H. 1
Harry 1
Hy. 1
Jaber 1
Moll 1
Osborn 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Thos.D. 1
Timothy 1
W. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Hensman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hensman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 413 people were recorded with the Hensman surname. That placed it at #7,794 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hensman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 527 in 2016. That gives Hensman a modern rank of #9,622.

What does the Hensman surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English words for "hen" and "man", likely referring to a chicken farmer.

What does the Hensman map show?

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