NameCensus.

UK surname

Hewitt

A surname of Welsh origin meaning "heart, mind, or spirit," derived from the Old English word "hiwa."

In the 1881 census there were 14,597 people recorded with the Hewitt surname, ranking it #275 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 22,942, ranked #256, up from #275 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire West and Chester, North Lincolnshire and Bassetlaw.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hewitt is 24,191 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.2%.

1881 census count

14,597

Ranked #275

Modern count

22,942

2016, ranked #256

Peak year

1999

24,191 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hewitt had 14,597 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #275 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 22,942 in 2016, ranked #256.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 21,202 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hewitt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hewitt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hewitt 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 8,017 #349
1861 historical 7,663 #365
1881 historical 14,597 #275
1891 historical 15,215 #279
1901 historical 19,439 #254
1911 historical 21,202 #202
1997 modern 23,223 #244
1998 modern 23,977 #246
1999 modern 24,191 #245
2000 modern 23,798 #248
2001 modern 23,241 #248
2002 modern 23,669 #249
2003 modern 23,233 #247
2004 modern 23,173 #248
2005 modern 22,704 #249
2006 modern 22,607 #250
2007 modern 22,630 #252
2008 modern 22,675 #252
2009 modern 23,314 #252
2010 modern 23,736 #253
2011 modern 23,301 #254
2012 modern 22,837 #254
2013 modern 23,366 #254
2014 modern 23,434 #254
2015 modern 23,108 #255
2016 modern 22,942 #256

Geography

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Where Hewitts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire West and Chester, North Lincolnshire, Bassetlaw, Flintshire and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire West and Chester 047 Cheshire West and Chester
2 North Lincolnshire 002 North Lincolnshire
3 Bassetlaw 008 Bassetlaw
4 Flintshire 017 Flintshire
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 039 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hewitt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hewitt

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

Hewitt 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

Hewitt falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hewitt

The surname Hewitt has its origins in England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hiwan" or "hywan," meaning a household servant or a member of a household. The name may have initially referred to someone who worked in the household of a prominent family or landowner.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Huiet." This record suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name evolved into various spellings, such as "Hewet," "Hewett," and "Hewitt." These variations likely arose from regional pronunciations and the lack of standardized spelling at the time.

The surname Hewitt is also closely associated with certain place names in England. For example, the village of Hewitt in Gloucestershire and the town of Hewitt in Somerset may have contributed to the adoption of the name by families residing in those areas.

One notable individual bearing the surname Hewitt was Sir John Hewitt (c. 1470-1537), an English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of Henry VIII.

Another prominent figure was Sarah Hewitt (c. 1624-1683), an English Quaker preacher and author who wrote extensively on religious topics and advocated for women's rights.

In the 18th century, John Hewitt (1714-1767) was a distinguished English composer and organist who contributed significantly to the development of church music.

Moving into the 19th century, William Hewitt (1809-1888) was a prominent English writer and journalist who published works on various historical and literary subjects.

Lastly, Charles Gordon Hewitt (1885-1920) was a Canadian entomologist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of insects and their impact on agriculture.

These examples demonstrate the longevity and diverse accomplishments associated with the Hewitt surname throughout history, spanning various fields and regions across England and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hewitt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hewitt 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. Lancashire leads with 2,396 Hewitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.42x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,396 1.42x
Yorkshire 1,894 1.34x
Middlesex 1,144 0.80x
Cheshire 1,038 3.30x
Warwickshire 877 2.44x
Staffordshire 631 1.31x
Norfolk 616 2.82x
Surrey 575 0.83x
Derbyshire 473 2.12x
Kent 466 0.96x
Nottinghamshire 375 1.96x
Durham 370 0.87x
Leicestershire 344 2.18x
Lincolnshire 321 1.41x
Hampshire 269 0.92x
Flintshire 254 6.64x
Northamptonshire 206 1.54x
Northumberland 198 0.94x
Cumberland 183 1.49x
Worcestershire 162 0.87x
Lanarkshire 149 0.32x
Essex 128 0.46x
Sussex 127 0.53x
Suffolk 113 0.65x
Gloucestershire 92 0.33x
Somerset 92 0.40x
Devon 84 0.28x
Shropshire 83 0.68x
Berkshire 79 0.74x
Huntingdonshire 75 2.65x
Hertfordshire 71 0.72x
Bedfordshire 67 0.91x
Cornwall 54 0.34x
Ayrshire 47 0.44x
Midlothian 42 0.22x
Westmorland 42 1.34x
Buckinghamshire 40 0.47x
Cambridgeshire 39 0.43x
Denbighshire 34 0.63x
Carmarthenshire 31 0.52x
Glamorgan 26 0.10x
Oxfordshire 25 0.28x
Herefordshire 22 0.38x
Wiltshire 22 0.17x
Berwickshire 21 1.22x
Caernarfonshire 21 0.37x
Monmouthshire 21 0.20x
Dunbartonshire 16 0.42x
Royal Navy 15 0.88x
Dorset 14 0.15x
Kirkcudbrightshire 13 0.63x
Rutland 11 1.05x
Fife 10 0.12x
Aberdeenshire 8 0.06x
Anglesey 7 0.28x
Montgomeryshire 7 0.21x
West Lothian 7 0.33x
Pembrokeshire 5 0.11x
Perthshire 4 0.06x
Roxburghshire 4 0.16x
Selkirkshire 4 0.31x
Angus 3 0.02x
Brecknockshire 3 0.11x
East Lothian 3 0.16x
Wigtownshire 3 0.16x
Cardiganshire 2 0.06x
Channel Islands 2 0.05x
Isle of Man 2 0.08x
Renfrewshire 2 0.02x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.03x
Kincardineshire 1 0.06x
Peeblesshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 199 Hewitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.66x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 199 1.66x
Manchester 152 2.00x
Islington London 132 0.96x
Aston 121 1.22x
Coventry Holy Trinity 119 11.11x
Stoke Upon Trent 115 2.26x
Warrington 108 5.40x
Liverpool 107 1.04x
Coventry St Michael 102 8.85x
Camberwell 101 1.11x
Leeds 101 1.27x
Holy Trinity 100 2.95x
Everton 99 1.84x
St Pancras London 99 0.86x
St Marylebone London 98 1.29x
Portsea 95 1.66x
Hunslet 94 4.28x
Leicester St Margaret 94 2.44x
Toxteth Park 93 1.63x
Lambeth 90 0.73x
West Derby 86 1.74x
Sheffield 82 1.83x
Ecclesall Bierlow 79 2.75x
Hackney London 74 0.93x
Chorlton On Medlock 73 2.72x
Salford 68 1.37x
Northop 67 49.46x
Hulme 66 1.87x
Nottingham St Mary 65 1.31x
Oldham 65 1.19x
Ardwick 64 4.20x
Ashton Under Lyne 64 1.73x
Stockport 62 3.84x
Deptford St Paul 60 1.60x
Sculcoates 60 2.68x
Shoreditch London 59 0.96x
Wortley In Bramley 59 5.28x
Tonbridge 58 3.31x
Widnes 57 4.68x
Windle 56 5.89x
Barony 55 0.47x
Rowley Regis 55 4.11x
Dronfield 52 18.21x
Leamington Priors 52 5.89x
Gateshead 50 1.58x
Battersea 49 0.94x
Newington 49 0.93x
Eccleston In Prescot 48 5.66x
Little Bolton 48 2.21x
Barnsley 45 3.09x
Broughton In Salford 44 2.85x
Monks Coppenhall 44 3.71x
West Ham 44 0.71x
Croydon 43 1.12x
Gorton 42 2.65x
Horton In Bradford 42 1.91x
Mile End Old Town London 42 1.39x
Brightside Bierlow 41 1.48x
Sedgley 41 2.30x
Bradford 40 1.17x
Garforth 40 37.06x
North Meols 40 2.42x
Pemberton 40 5.94x
Paddington London 39 0.75x
Bethnal Green London 37 0.60x
Heigham 37 3.15x
Bermondsey 36 0.85x
Eckington 36 6.65x
Great Catworth 36 122.99x
Kensington London 36 0.46x
Mexborough 36 12.86x
Southrepps 36 85.05x
Kirkdale 35 1.23x
Poplar London 35 1.30x
Preston 35 0.77x
Derby St Werburgh 34 2.64x
Newton 34 2.61x
Northop Golftyn 34 75.71x
Prescot 34 11.13x
Huddersfield 32 1.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 990
Sarah 561
Elizabeth 550
Ann 306
Jane 247
Emma 224
Ellen 218
Annie 217
Eliza 217
Alice 197
Hannah 173
Margaret 156
Emily 155
Martha 135
Louisa 119
Maria 101
Harriet 89
Fanny 85
Ada 82
Charlotte 78
Clara 77
Edith 77
Florence 73
Catherine 72
Frances 67
Harriett 66
Anne 64
Kate 53
Lucy 52
Isabella 51
Rose 45
Elizth. 41
Rebecca 41
Agnes 40
Susan 38
Caroline 36
Amelia 35
Minnie 33
Esther 31
Amy 29
Beatrice 29
Gertrude 29
Susannah 29
Eleanor 28
Ethel 24
Selina 24
Bertha 23
Matilda 22
Jessie 21
Julia 21

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 932
William 904
Thomas 531
George 493
James 474
Joseph 304
Charles 286
Henry 267
Robert 199
Edward 161
Arthur 159
Samuel 154
Alfred 129
Richard 109
Walter 108
Frederick 96
Albert 84
Harry 78
Frank 74
Herbert 55
Wm. 53
David 52
Edwin 52
Ernest 48
Peter 45
Benjamin 43
Francis 35
Thos. 35
Fred 29
Isaac 27
Tom 27
Chas. 22
Mark 20
Stephen 20
Joshua 17
Daniel 14
Geo. 14
Matthew 14
Willm. 14
Alexander 12
Fredk. 12
Edmund 11
Abraham 10
Harold 10
Michael 9
Percy 9
Ralph 9
Robt. 9
Saml. 9
Jesse 8

FAQ

Hewitt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hewitt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 14,597 people were recorded with the Hewitt surname. That placed it at #275 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hewitt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 22,942 in 2016. That gives Hewitt a modern rank of #256.

What does the Hewitt surname mean?

A surname of Welsh origin meaning "heart, mind, or spirit," derived from the Old English word "hiwa."

What does the Hewitt map show?

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