NameCensus.

UK surname

Hermann

Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements "hari" (army) and "man" (man).

In the 1881 census there were 105 people recorded with the Hermann surname, ranking it #19,183 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 193, ranked #20,039, down from #19,183 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Mary Whitechapel and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull, Lambeth and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hermann is 249 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 83.8%.

1881 census count

105

Ranked #19,183

Modern count

193

2016, ranked #20,039

Peak year

1911

249 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hermann had 105 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,183 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016, ranked #20,039.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 249 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Hermann surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hermann surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hermann 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 5 #32,456
1861 historical 29 #30,287
1881 historical 105 #19,183
1891 historical 178 #16,264
1901 historical 205 #14,884
1911 historical 249 #12,951
1997 modern 143 #21,761
1998 modern 135 #23,118
1999 modern 136 #23,186
2000 modern 133 #23,462
2001 modern 135 #22,945
2002 modern 141 #22,794
2003 modern 137 #22,939
2004 modern 138 #22,997
2005 modern 133 #23,502
2006 modern 146 #22,320
2007 modern 174 #20,166
2008 modern 184 #19,666
2009 modern 179 #20,418
2010 modern 188 #20,235
2011 modern 186 #20,217
2012 modern 193 #19,665
2013 modern 188 #20,352
2014 modern 190 #20,374
2015 modern 189 #20,345
2016 modern 193 #20,039

Geography

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Where Hermanns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Mary Whitechapel, St Pancras and St Dunstan Stepney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull, Lambeth and North Lincolnshire. 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 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 026 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 Lambeth 025 Lambeth
3 Kingston upon Hull 010 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Kingston upon Hull 013 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 North Lincolnshire 015 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hermann

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hermann

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Hermann surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Hermann 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hermann 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

Hermann is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hermann falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hermann is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Hermann

The surname HERMANN originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic personal name Hermann, which is composed of the elements "heri" meaning army and "man" meaning man, essentially translating to "army man" or "soldier".

The earliest recorded instances of the surname HERMANN can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of what is now modern-day Germany. It is believed to have first appeared in areas such as Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland, where many bearers of the name were documented in medieval records and charters.

One of the earliest documented references to the surname HERMANN can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony dating back to the 11th century. This text mentions several individuals with the surname, suggesting its widespread use in the region during that time.

Notable historical figures who bore the surname HERMANN include Johannes HERMANN, a German botanist and physician who lived from 1528 to 1605. He made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and was one of the first to establish a systematic approach to plant classification.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Jakob HERMANN, a French-born German mathematician and scientist who lived from 1678 to 1733. He is best known for his work in the field of geometry and for his contributions to the development of the calculus of variations.

In the realm of literature, the German writer and poet Johann HERMANN, who lived from 1585 to 1647, is remembered for his religious and devotional poetry, which was widely popular during the Baroque period in Germany.

The surname HERMANN also has a connection to the world of music through the German composer Johann Gottfried HERMANN, who lived from 1707 to 1791. He was a prominent figure in the Baroque and Classical periods and is particularly known for his compositions for keyboard instruments.

Lastly, one of the most notable bearers of the surname HERMANN was the German philosopher and classical scholar Johann Gottfried Jakob HERMANN, who lived from 1772 to 1848. He made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature and philosophy and is considered a pioneering figure in the field of philology.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hermann families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hermann 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. Middlesex leads with 67 Hermanns recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.54x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 67 6.54x
Surrey 8 1.60x
Yorkshire 8 0.79x
Lancashire 6 0.49x
Hampshire 4 1.91x
Kent 4 1.14x
Suffolk 2 1.60x
Warwickshire 2 0.77x
Angus 1 1.05x
Lincolnshire 1 0.61x
Renfrewshire 1 1.26x
Somerset 1 0.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 17 Hermanns recorded in 1881 and an index of 77.98x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town London 17 77.98x
Whitechapel London 13 128.71x
Hampstead London 7 43.89x
Spitalfields London 6 77.92x
Chelsea London 5 16.20x
Islington London 5 5.04x
Camberwell 4 6.11x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 20.71x
Bow London 3 23.01x
Greenwich 3 18.39x
Sculcoates 3 18.65x
Armley 2 44.64x
Kensington London 2 3.51x
Lambeth 2 2.24x
Portsea 2 4.86x
St Martin In Fields 2 32.63x
St Marylebone London 2 3.66x
Sutton Stoneferry 2 68.97x
Christchurch 1 21.98x
Ealing 1 10.93x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 4.85x
Framlingham 1 112.36x
Great Grimsby 1 9.62x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 23.64x
Kingston On Thames 1 8.34x
Levenshulme 1 80.00x
Liff Benvie 1 6.94x
Lymington 1 64.94x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 23.15x
Paddington London 1 2.66x
Paisley High Church 1 15.82x
Southam 1 158.73x
St George In East London 1 10.38x
St Pancras London 1 1.21x
Sutton 1 27.70x
Warwick St Nicholas 1 52.91x
Westminster St James 1 9.50x
Withington 1 25.51x
Woolwich 1 7.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Louis 3
Adolphus 2
Edward 2
Franz 2
Henry 2
John 2
Julius 2
William 2
August 1
Augustine 1
Bear 1
Bernhard 1
Bruno 1
D. 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Fredrich 1
Harris 1
Hermann 1
Hy. 1
Hyman 1
Isador 1
Jacob 1
Joh 1
Lu 1
Ludwig 1
Mark 1
Maximillian 1
Moses 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Samuel 1
Solly 1
Tynaz 1

FAQ

Hermann surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hermann surname in 1881?

In 1881, 105 people were recorded with the Hermann surname. That placed it at #19,183 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hermann surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016. That gives Hermann a modern rank of #20,039.

What does the Hermann surname mean?

Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements "hari" (army) and "man" (man).

What does the Hermann map show?

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