NameCensus.

UK surname

Hesse

Derived from a German regional name for someone from the state of Hesse in central Germany.

In the 1881 census there were 176 people recorded with the Hesse surname, ranking it #13,930 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 315, ranked #14,258, down from #13,930 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, Walthamstow, Low Leyton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle upon Tyne, Runnymede and South Hams.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hesse is 315 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 79.0%.

1881 census count

176

Ranked #13,930

Modern count

315

2016, ranked #14,258

Peak year

2016

315 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hesse had 176 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,930 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 315 in 2016, ranked #14,258.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 197 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Hesse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hesse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hesse 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 78 #19,840
1861 historical 64 #25,747
1881 historical 176 #13,930
1891 historical 177 #16,330
1901 historical 191 #15,579
1911 historical 197 #15,101
1997 modern 222 #16,508
1998 modern 257 #15,401
1999 modern 274 #14,826
2000 modern 268 #15,018
2001 modern 255 #15,319
2002 modern 244 #16,085
2003 modern 256 #15,377
2004 modern 264 #15,156
2005 modern 266 #15,007
2006 modern 269 #14,952
2007 modern 278 #14,773
2008 modern 283 #14,724
2009 modern 279 #15,184
2010 modern 300 #14,730
2011 modern 278 #15,390
2012 modern 290 #14,838
2013 modern 305 #14,577
2014 modern 304 #14,703
2015 modern 311 #14,369
2016 modern 315 #14,258

Geography

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Where Hesses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, Walthamstow, Low Leyton, London parishes, Manchester and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle upon Tyne, Runnymede, South Hams, Hackney and Haringey. 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 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle upon Tyne 019 Newcastle upon Tyne
2 Runnymede 002 Runnymede
3 South Hams 010 South Hams
4 Hackney 019 Hackney
5 Haringey 032 Haringey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hesse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hesse

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hesse, 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 Hesse surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Hesse 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Hesse is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hesse 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

Hesse falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hesse 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Hesse

The surname HESSE has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the medieval period. The name is derived from the region of Hesse, a former state in central Germany. It is believed to have been initially used as a locational name, referring to people who hailed from this area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HESSE can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the Anhalt region of Germany, dating back to the 12th century. In this text, a person named "Heinricus de Hesse" is mentioned, indicating the use of the surname in reference to someone from the Hesse region.

During the 13th century, the name HESSE appeared in various medieval manuscripts and records across Germany. For example, in the Mainzer Urkundenbuch (a collection of documents from Mainz), a "Conradus dictus de Hesse" is mentioned in a document from 1275.

In the 14th century, the name HESSE gained prominence with notable figures such as Konrad von Hesse, a German Dominican friar and theologian who lived from around 1330 to 1399. Another prominent individual bearing this surname was Johannes Hesse, a German painter and engraver who lived from approximately 1475 to 1549.

The 16th century saw the emergence of Hermann Hesse, a German poet and satirist who lived from 1557 to 1638. His works, which often criticized the religious and social norms of his time, earned him recognition as a significant figure in German literature.

In the 19th century, one of the most renowned individuals with the surname HESSE was Hermann Hesse, the Nobel Prize-winning German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. He was born in 1877 and died in 1962, and is best known for works such as "Siddhartha" and "The Glass Bead Game."

Other notable individuals with the surname HESSE include Kurt Hesse, a German composer and conductor who lived from 1904 to 1994, and Karl Hesse, a German mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of crystallography, living from 1877 to 1944.

While the name HESSE has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and has been adopted by people of various ethnic backgrounds.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hesse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hesse 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 95 Hesses recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.53x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 95 5.53x
Lancashire 28 1.37x
Essex 12 3.54x
Surrey 10 1.20x
Yorkshire 6 0.35x
Clackmannanshire 4 28.21x
Devon 4 1.12x
Lanarkshire 4 0.72x
Montgomeryshire 3 7.63x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.30x
Somerset 3 1.09x
Berkshire 1 0.78x
Gloucestershire 1 0.30x
Kent 1 0.17x
Staffordshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 28 Hesses recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.09x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 28 29.09x
Chorlton On Medlock 18 55.62x
Islington London 14 8.41x
Walthamstow 12 98.36x
Mile End Old Town London 11 30.10x
St Marylebone London 9 9.82x
Bow London 7 32.04x
Bethnal Green London 5 6.71x
Broughton In Salford 5 26.84x
Camberwell 5 4.56x
Alloa 4 58.22x
East Teignmouth 4 273.97x
Leeds 4 4.16x
Barony 3 2.14x
Hampstead London 3 11.22x
Llanidloes 3 102.74x
Newington 3 4.73x
Old Artillery Ground 3 202.70x
St Mary At Hill London 3 2500.00x
Standard Hill 3 545.45x
Westminster St John 3 14.35x
Wrington 3 322.58x
Kensington London 2 2.10x
Liverpool 2 1.62x
Manchester 2 2.18x
St George Hanover Square 2 6.61x
Westminster St James 2 11.33x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 3.15x
Burton Upon Trent 1 7.37x
Chelsea London 1 1.93x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.47x
Croydon 1 2.15x
Govan 1 0.73x
Haslemere 1 151.52x
Holy Trinity 1 2.44x
Lee 1 11.76x
St Pancras London 1 0.72x
Stretford 1 8.92x
Wakefield 1 7.66x
Woolhampton 1 344.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Alice 5
Emily 5
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Jane 4
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Louisa 3
Anne 2
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Julia 2
Leah 2
Marie 2
Alvina 1
Ann 1
Anna 1
Astrid 1
Beatrice 1
Catherina 1
Charlotte 1
Christian 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Edith 1
Elizath. 1
F.A.H. 1
Ferdinandine 1
Florence 1
Flory 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Helene 1
Honoria 1
Jennie 1
June 1
Margaret 1
Margarett 1
Margaretta 1
Margt. 1
Marianne 1
Matilda 1
Penelope 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Wilhemina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
John 6
William 5
Frederick 4
Henry 4
Arthur 2
David 2
Fred 2
James 2
Leopold 2
Max 2
Adolph 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Augustus 1
Benj. 1
Benjamin 1
Benyan 1
Bertie 1
Buthold 1
Charles 1
Conrad 1
Cyril 1
Edgar 1
Edwd. 1
Emil 1
Fin 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederik. 1
Fredrk. 1
Hanin 1
Harold 1
Herrmann 1
Hy. 1
J. 1
Jno. 1
Jno.T. 1
Joseph 1
Laurence 1
Louis 1
Louisa 1
Mardcia 1
Massau 1
Percy 1
Stanley 1
Theodora 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Wilhelm 1

FAQ

Hesse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hesse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 176 people were recorded with the Hesse surname. That placed it at #13,930 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hesse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 315 in 2016. That gives Hesse a modern rank of #14,258.

What does the Hesse surname mean?

Derived from a German regional name for someone from the state of Hesse in central Germany.

What does the Hesse map show?

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