NameCensus.

UK surname

Hewson

An English surname derived from the name Hugh, meaning bright in spirit.

In the 1881 census there were 2,451 people recorded with the Hewson surname, ranking it #1,813 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,173, ranked #2,143, down from #1,813 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hull Holy Trinity and Leeds. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Lindsey and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hewson is 3,326 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.5%.

1881 census count

2,451

Ranked #1,813

Modern count

3,173

2016, ranked #2,143

Peak year

2002

3,326 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hewson had 2,451 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,813 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,173 in 2016, ranked #2,143.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,214 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Hewson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hewson surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hewson 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 1,757 #1,643
1861 historical 1,369 #2,095
1881 historical 2,451 #1,813
1891 historical 2,457 #1,922
1901 historical 3,023 #1,853
1911 historical 3,214 #1,618
1997 modern 3,184 #2,019
1998 modern 3,280 #2,040
1999 modern 3,325 #2,036
2000 modern 3,274 #2,058
2001 modern 3,201 #2,059
2002 modern 3,326 #2,028
2003 modern 3,200 #2,053
2004 modern 3,225 #2,040
2005 modern 3,185 #2,040
2006 modern 3,127 #2,074
2007 modern 3,170 #2,070
2008 modern 3,177 #2,080
2009 modern 3,255 #2,086
2010 modern 3,294 #2,106
2011 modern 3,271 #2,090
2012 modern 3,189 #2,111
2013 modern 3,201 #2,138
2014 modern 3,209 #2,148
2015 modern 3,172 #2,148
2016 modern 3,173 #2,143

Geography

Back to top

Where Hewsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hull Holy Trinity, Leeds and Grimsby, Great. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Lindsey 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Grimsby, Great Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Lindsey 008 East Lindsey
2 East Lindsey 003 East Lindsey
3 East Lindsey 001 East Lindsey
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 040 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 East Lindsey 009 East Lindsey

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hewson

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hewson

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Hewson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Hewson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hewson 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

Hewson is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hewson

The surname Hewson originated in England during the late medieval period. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Hugh, which itself originated from the Old German name Hugo. The name Hewson essentially means "son of Hugh."

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as Hughson, Hueson, and Husson in various historical records from the 13th to 15th centuries. It is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hewson can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where a Richard Hughson is listed as a taxpayer. The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1379, where a John Hughson is mentioned.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the spelling of the name began to evolve closer to its modern form, with variations like Hueson, Huson, and Hewson appearing in parish records and other historical documents.

Notable individuals with the surname Hewson include:

1. Sir George Hewson (c. 1552-1628), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Aldborough in Yorkshire. 2. William Hewson (1739-1774), an English surgeon and anatomist who made significant contributions to the study of red blood cells and lymphatic vessels. 3. John Hewson (1617-1662), an English military officer who served as a major-general in the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War. 4. Sarah Hewson (c. 1700-1770), an English textile artist renowned for her embroidery work and needlework. 5. James Hewson (1770-1853), an English political reformer and advocate for universal male suffrage in the early 19th century.

While the name Hewson has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and has become a surname found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hewson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hewson 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. Yorkshire leads with 550 Hewsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.33x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 550 2.33x
Lincolnshire 502 13.17x
Lancashire 254 0.90x
Middlesex 202 0.85x
Surrey 109 0.94x
Warwickshire 84 1.40x
Durham 79 1.11x
Cumberland 66 3.22x
Norfolk 62 1.69x
Sussex 57 1.42x
Cheshire 51 0.97x
Staffordshire 47 0.58x
Nottinghamshire 42 1.31x
Leicestershire 37 1.40x
Northumberland 34 0.96x
Kent 33 0.41x
Derbyshire 27 0.72x
Suffolk 27 0.93x
Bedfordshire 23 1.86x
Hampshire 21 0.43x
Gloucestershire 18 0.39x
Somerset 13 0.34x
Hertfordshire 12 0.73x
Berkshire 8 0.45x
Isle of Man 8 1.81x
Orkney 8 3.05x
Huntingdonshire 7 1.48x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.40x
Shropshire 6 0.29x
Essex 5 0.11x
Glamorgan 5 0.12x
Wiltshire 5 0.24x
Devon 4 0.08x
Midlothian 4 0.13x
Monmouthshire 4 0.23x
Northamptonshire 4 0.18x
Oxfordshire 4 0.27x
Worcestershire 4 0.13x
Denbighshire 2 0.22x
Dorset 2 0.13x
Lanarkshire 2 0.03x
Angus 1 0.05x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.10x
Channel Islands 1 0.14x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.13x
Royal Navy 1 0.35x
Rutland 1 0.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sculcoates in Yorkshire leads with 63 Hewsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.82x.

Place Total Index
Sculcoates 63 16.82x
Holy Trinity 58 10.21x
Birmingham 41 2.05x
Great Grimsby 36 14.88x
Lambeth 36 1.73x
Aston 27 1.63x
Bethnal Green London 27 2.61x
Islington London 26 1.13x
Tetney 26 394.54x
Toxteth Park 26 2.71x
Camberwell 25 1.64x
Leeds 25 1.87x
Louth 25 28.62x
Oldham 25 2.74x
Gainsborough 23 25.59x
Luton 23 10.76x
Great Boughton 22 121.28x
Kensington London 21 1.58x
Barnoldby Le Beck 20 1156.07x
Bishopwearmouth 20 3.29x
Liverpool 20 1.16x
Brightside Bierlow 19 4.10x
Manchester 18 1.41x
Blackburn 17 2.26x
Clee With Weelsby 17 20.37x
Knaresborough 17 45.81x
Stranton 17 7.12x
Bradford 16 2.80x
Headingley Cum Burley 16 10.52x
North Thoresby 16 261.01x
Worlaby 16 336.84x
Breedon 15 256.41x
Manningham 15 5.15x
Widnes 15 7.35x
Barrow In Furness 14 3.64x
Everton 14 1.55x
Southwark St George Martyr 14 2.92x
St Cuthbert W O 14 13.99x
Bromley London 13 2.48x
Derby St Werburgh 13 6.03x
Ecclesall Bierlow 13 2.71x
Winterton 13 99.31x
Beckermet St John 12 234.83x
Paddington London 12 1.37x
Portsea 12 1.25x
Stockton On Tees 12 3.51x
Stoke Ferry 12 215.44x
Alford 11 46.55x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 11 2.50x
Cannock 11 7.83x
Coventry Holy Trinity 11 6.13x
Gayton Le Marsh 11 544.55x
Great Yarmouth 11 3.62x
Radford 11 6.74x
Welton Le Wold 11 402.93x
Workington 11 9.36x
Barton St Mary 10 52.30x
Beverley St Mary 10 28.99x
Burbage 10 72.46x
Monkwearmouth 10 14.73x
Somerton 10 63.82x
St George In East London 10 4.46x
Sutton Stoneferry 10 14.79x
Tynemouth 10 5.26x
West Derby 10 1.21x
Beverley St Nicholas 9 46.46x
Billinge Chapel End 9 56.71x
Burton Upon Trent 9 4.78x
Cockermouth 9 20.83x
East Dean 9 320.28x
Hogsthorpe 9 152.54x
Ilam 9 532.54x
Mildenhall 9 29.16x
Newington 9 13.83x
Skipton On Swale 9 762.71x
Westgate 9 4.10x
Hayton 8 457.14x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 8 7.27x
Kirkwall St Ola 8 20.36x
Thornton Le Moor 8 1025.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 157
John 150
George 109
Thomas 91
James 64
Charles 60
Joseph 57
Robert 40
Henry 38
Alfred 28
Arthur 27
Walter 24
Edward 20
Harry 17
Fred 14
Richard 14
Edmund 13
Frederick 13
Christopher 12
Albert 11
Herbert 11
Ernest 10
Frank 10
Samuel 10
Anthony 7
Francis 7
Benjamin 6
David 6
Thos. 6
Cornelius 5
Tom 5
Chas. 4
Edwin 4
Wm. 4
Abraham 3
Allen 3
Andrew 3
Joshua 3
Percy 3
Peter 3
Phillip 3
Simon 3
Horace 2
Jonathan 2
Lawrence 2
Leonard 2
Maurice 2
Michael 2
Nathan 2
Robt. 2

FAQ

Hewson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hewson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,451 people were recorded with the Hewson surname. That placed it at #1,813 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hewson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,173 in 2016. That gives Hewson a modern rank of #2,143.

What does the Hewson surname mean?

An English surname derived from the name Hugh, meaning bright in spirit.

What does the Hewson map show?

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