NameCensus.

UK surname

Henton

Derived from a place name meaning "high town" or "town on a hill" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 571 people recorded with the Henton surname, ranking it #6,089 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 751, ranked #7,283, down from #6,089 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Coddington, Bedworth and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Neath Port Talbot, Bolsover and Amber Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Henton is 1,045 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.5%.

1881 census count

571

Ranked #6,089

Modern count

751

2016, ranked #7,283

Peak year

1861

1,045 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Henton had 571 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,089 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 751 in 2016, ranked #7,283.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,045 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Henton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Henton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Henton 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 491 #5,090
1861 historical 1,045 #2,684
1881 historical 571 #6,089
1891 historical 942 #4,394
1901 historical 793 #5,686
1911 historical 939 #4,779
1997 modern 774 #6,716
1998 modern 793 #6,800
1999 modern 822 #6,654
2000 modern 798 #6,787
2001 modern 778 #6,788
2002 modern 795 #6,812
2003 modern 776 #6,825
2004 modern 774 #6,856
2005 modern 747 #6,986
2006 modern 724 #7,175
2007 modern 736 #7,168
2008 modern 714 #7,366
2009 modern 732 #7,380
2010 modern 751 #7,372
2011 modern 755 #7,266
2012 modern 742 #7,288
2013 modern 765 #7,230
2014 modern 761 #7,281
2015 modern 755 #7,266
2016 modern 751 #7,283

Geography

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Where Hentons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Coddington, Bedworth, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Great Sheepy, Mythe, Lea Marston, Merevale, Orton-on-the-Hill (Market Bosworth, Leicestershire) and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Neath Port Talbot, Bolsover, Amber Valley, Hinckley and Bosworth and Pembrokeshire. 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 Coddington Nottinghamshire
2 Bedworth Warwickshire
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Great Sheepy, Mythe, Lea Marston, Merevale, Orton-on-the-Hill (Market Bosworth, Leicestershire) Warwickshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Neath Port Talbot 010 Neath Port Talbot
2 Bolsover 008 Bolsover
3 Amber Valley 017 Amber Valley
4 Hinckley and Bosworth 010 Hinckley and Bosworth
5 Pembrokeshire 004 Pembrokeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Henton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Henton

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Henton is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Henton is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Henton

The surname Henton is of English origin, derived from the locational name of several places in England, such as Hinton in Somerset, Henton in Oxfordshire, and Henton in Hampshire. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English word "henn" meaning "high" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement," referring to a settlement located on high ground.

The earliest recorded mention of the surname Henton can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hentone" in reference to landholders in various counties of England. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the late 11th century.

During the medieval period, the surname Henton appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1307, which mentions a Thomas de Henton. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 also listed a John Henton as a taxpayer.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Walter de Henton, a knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. He was present at the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the Siege of Calais in 1347.

In the 15th century, John Henton (c. 1420-1485) was an English landowner and member of parliament who represented Hampshire in the House of Commons during the reigns of Henry VI and Edward IV.

During the Tudor period, Richard Henton (c. 1505-1570) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1567-1568.

In the 17th century, Sir Edward Henton (1624-1693) was an English politician and baronet who served as a Member of Parliament for Hampshire in the Cavalier Parliament from 1661 to 1679.

Another notable figure was William Henton (1683-1765), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Magdalen College, Oxford, from 1748 until his death.

While the surname Henton has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has persisted and can still be found in various parts of England, as well as in other English-speaking countries where descendants of Henton families have migrated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Henton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Henton 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 110 Hentons recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.65x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 110 14.65x
Leicestershire 75 12.14x
Surrey 65 2.40x
Pembrokeshire 44 24.86x
Lincolnshire 42 4.72x
Warwickshire 32 2.28x
Middlesex 28 0.50x
Lancashire 20 0.30x
Yorkshire 19 0.34x
Staffordshire 17 0.90x
Sussex 16 1.70x
Essex 14 1.27x
Derbyshire 12 1.38x
Hampshire 12 1.05x
Bedfordshire 9 3.12x
Carmarthenshire 8 3.41x
Devon 7 0.60x
Monmouthshire 7 1.74x
Cheshire 5 0.41x
Durham 5 0.30x
Oxfordshire 5 1.45x
Shropshire 4 0.83x
Somerset 4 0.45x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.59x
Glamorgan 2 0.21x
Kent 2 0.11x
Cumberland 1 0.21x
Gloucestershire 1 0.09x
Hertfordshire 1 0.26x
Renfrewshire 1 0.23x
Worcestershire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 32 Hentons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.48x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 32 16.48x
Bedworth 18 175.61x
Coddington 15 1515.15x
Leicester St Margaret 15 9.96x
Sibson 15 2054.79x
Brant Broughton 14 1085.27x
Ratcliffe Culey 14 3255.81x
Lambeth 13 2.68x
Southwell 10 183.15x
Cannock 9 27.43x
Carisbrooke 9 56.78x
Llandissilio 9 461.54x
Pwllcrochan 9 2500.00x
Snenton 9 30.51x
South Collingham 9 608.11x
Aunsby 8 2962.96x
Cleckheaton 8 39.35x
Llanllawddog 8 701.75x
South Benfleet 8 615.38x
Worksop 8 35.92x
Castlemartin 7 933.33x
Coulsdon 7 141.99x
Dunstable 7 79.01x
Norwell Woodhouse 7 4117.65x
St Pancras London 7 1.56x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 3.51x
Coventry St Michael 6 13.30x
Frensham 6 150.75x
Fulham London 6 7.43x
Lewes All Sts 6 160.43x
Livesey 6 51.72x
Loughborough 6 21.41x
Scawby 6 204.08x
Shoreditch London 6 2.49x
Sutton 6 30.55x
Aberystruth 5 14.09x
Barking 5 15.54x
Dawlish 5 57.80x
Monkwearmouth Shore 5 15.46x
Narborough 5 295.86x
Send Ripley 5 141.24x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 4.46x
Tenby St Mary In 5 55.49x
Wandsworth 5 9.32x
Banstead 4 54.42x
Barrowby 4 259.74x
Carew 4 225.99x
Claypole 4 310.08x
Derby St Alkmund 4 15.31x
Enstone 4 190.48x
Leicester St Martin 4 96.39x
Lindfield 4 100.76x
Mansfield 4 15.40x
Prees 4 68.26x
Wath On Dearne 4 36.33x
Whitwell 4 115.27x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 2.08x
Balderton 3 146.34x
Belgrave 3 21.52x
Brighton 3 1.58x
Chelsea London 3 1.79x
Croydon 3 1.99x
Dorking 3 16.47x
Hoby 3 508.47x
Hucknall Torkard 3 15.76x
Liscard 3 13.54x
Mickleham 3 196.08x
Monckton 3 94.94x
Narberth North 3 95.24x
Rugby 3 15.79x
Sheepy Magna 3 375.00x
Sutton In Ashfield 3 18.42x
Weston 3 43.54x
Brightside Bierlow 2 1.85x
Carlton Upon Trent 2 540.54x
Eastbourne 2 4.63x
Middlesbrough 2 2.78x
Norwell 2 253.16x
Tranmere 2 4.43x
Upper Llanvrechva 2 31.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 33
Mary 29
Elizabeth 26
Ann 16
Eliza 16
Alice 14
Jane 12
Ada 9
Annie 9
Emma 9
Hannah 9
Margaret 6
Ellen 5
Emily 5
Maria 5
Charlotte 4
Kate 4
Catherine 3
Esther 3
Fanny 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Martha 3
Matilda 3
Susannah 3
Anna 2
Bessie 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Elizebeth 2
Ethel 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Isabella 2
Julia 2
Lydia 2
Rachel 2
Rose 2
Selina 2
Anne 1
Betsy 1
Bricey 1
Catherin 1
Elisabeth 1
Ida 1
Jemima 1
Leah 1
Lettie 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 43
William 37
George 24
Thomas 19
Joseph 15
Henry 10
Edward 9
Albert 8
James 8
Charles 6
David 6
Robert 6
Samuel 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 4
Herbert 4
Walter 4
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Sam 3
Stephen 3
Aaron 2
Edwin 2
Hiram 2
Jesse 2
Josiah 2
Richard 2
Tom 2
Barfoot 1
Benjiman 1
Bryans 1
Dan 1
Edmond 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
Harvey 1
Hilton 1
Hy. 1
Jasmes 1
Joel 1
Jonas 1
Jonathan 1
Livell 1
Mark 1
Nicholas 1
Roger 1
Simon 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Henton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Henton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 571 people were recorded with the Henton surname. That placed it at #6,089 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Henton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 751 in 2016. That gives Henton a modern rank of #7,283.

What does the Henton surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "high town" or "town on a hill" in Old English.

What does the Henton map show?

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