NameCensus.

UK surname

Hibbett

A topographic surname derived from a dialect word for a small hill or high ground.

In the 1881 census there were 117 people recorded with the Hibbett surname, ranking it #18,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 184, ranked #20,731, down from #18,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Gamlingay. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tunbridge Wells, Doncaster and Nottingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hibbett is 217 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.3%.

1881 census count

117

Ranked #18,026

Modern count

184

2016, ranked #20,731

Peak year

1891

217 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hibbett had 117 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016, ranked #20,731.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 217 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hibbett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hibbett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hibbett 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 92 #18,050
1861 historical 179 #13,127
1881 historical 117 #18,026
1891 historical 217 #14,062
1901 historical 191 #15,579
1911 historical 196 #15,150
1997 modern 189 #18,267
1998 modern 205 #17,850
1999 modern 208 #17,808
2000 modern 189 #18,860
2001 modern 191 #18,453
2002 modern 198 #18,410
2003 modern 197 #18,311
2004 modern 188 #18,919
2005 modern 171 #19,985
2006 modern 183 #19,326
2007 modern 179 #19,811
2008 modern 188 #19,387
2009 modern 190 #19,656
2010 modern 180 #20,812
2011 modern 176 #20,957
2012 modern 176 #20,915
2013 modern 176 #21,237
2014 modern 180 #21,115
2015 modern 180 #20,997
2016 modern 184 #20,731

Geography

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Where Hibbetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Gamlingay, Oakham, Leigh Field Forest and Empingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tunbridge Wells, Doncaster, Nottingham, Bedford and South Oxfordshire. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gamlingay Cambridgeshire
4 Oakham, Leigh Field Forest Rutland
5 Empingham Rutland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tunbridge Wells 005 Tunbridge Wells
2 Doncaster 005 Doncaster
3 Nottingham 002 Nottingham
4 Bedford 006 Bedford
5 South Oxfordshire 012 South Oxfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hibbett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hibbett

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Hibbett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hibbett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Hibbett is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hibbett 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

Hibbett 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 Hibbett is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hibbett

The surname Hibbett is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hibbe," which referred to a small hill or a raised area of land. This suggests that the name was likely a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near or on a small hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a John Hibbett. The name also appears in the Hearth Tax Returns of 1670, where a William Hibbett is listed as a resident of Worcestershire.

In the 16th century, the Hibbett family had established themselves in the county of Staffordshire, where they held lands and properties. One notable member of the family was Thomas Hibbett (1556-1631), a prominent landowner and yeoman farmer from the village of Hamstall Ridware.

The Hibbett name is also associated with several place names in England, such as Hibbett's Cross in Staffordshire and Hibbett's Hay in Worcestershire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, indicating areas where members of the Hibbett family had settled or owned land.

Another notable figure with the Hibbett surname was John Hibbett (1758-1841), a renowned architect and surveyor from Staffordshire. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in the region, including the Shire Hall in Stafford and Trentham Hall, the former residence of the Dukes of Sutherland.

In the 19th century, the Hibbett family had spread to various parts of England, with members recorded in counties such as Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. One notable individual from this period was George Hibbett (1825-1901), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Birmingham, who made significant contributions to the city's education and cultural institutions.

Throughout its history, the Hibbett surname has been associated with various professions, including agriculture, architecture, business, and public service. While not a particularly widespread name, it has maintained a presence in England for several centuries and continues to be a part of the country's rich cultural heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hibbett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hibbett 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. Lincolnshire leads with 13 Hibbetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.19x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 13 7.19x
Rutland 13 156.44x
Bedfordshire 10 17.07x
Middlesex 10 0.88x
Northamptonshire 10 9.40x
Yorkshire 8 0.71x
Hampshire 7 3.02x
Huntingdonshire 7 31.15x
Kent 7 1.81x
Warwickshire 7 2.45x
Leicestershire 6 4.78x
Derbyshire 5 2.82x
Norfolk 4 2.30x
Lancashire 3 0.22x
Staffordshire 2 0.52x
Essex 1 0.45x
Northumberland 1 0.59x
Surrey 1 0.18x
Sussex 1 0.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Arlesey in Bedfordshire leads with 8 Hibbetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1081.08x.

Place Total Index
Arlesey 8 1081.08x
Peterborough 8 103.90x
Aston 7 8.91x
St Neots 7 573.77x
Alfreton 5 92.94x
Brooke 4 10000.00x
Empingham 4 1250.00x
Farnborough 4 163.93x
Westminster St James 4 34.39x
York St Maurice 4 189.57x
Carisbrooke 3 93.17x
Clifton In York 3 127.66x
Deeping St James 3 468.75x
Hambleton 3 3333.33x
Heigham 3 32.12x
Leicester St Margaret 3 9.81x
Walmer 3 178.57x
Gedney Hill 2 1538.46x
Grantham 2 84.75x
Leicester Newarke 2 307.69x
Little Woolton 2 512.82x
Northampton All Sts 2 55.40x
St Pancras London 2 2.20x
Stamford All Sts 2 198.02x
Stamford St Mary 2 540.54x
Aunby 1 5000.00x
Brighton 1 2.60x
Cheetham 1 9.99x
Chirton 1 26.25x
Crayford 1 59.17x
Darenth 1 169.49x
Harrow 1 57.80x
Holwell 1 1250.00x
Islington London 1 0.91x
Ketton 1 232.56x
Kingston On Thames 1 7.55x
Leighfield 1 10000.00x
Lewisham 1 4.86x
Luton 1 9.86x
Newcastle Under Lyme 1 14.79x
Norwich St Clement 1 49.51x
St Mary Magdalen Lincoln 1 416.67x
St Marylebone London 1 1.66x
Stathern 1 476.19x
Thirsk 1 77.52x
Tutbury 1 107.53x
Whitstable 1 52.91x
Willesden 1 9.37x
Woodford 1 39.53x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Hibbett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hibbett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 117 people were recorded with the Hibbett surname. That placed it at #18,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hibbett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016. That gives Hibbett a modern rank of #20,731.

What does the Hibbett surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from a dialect word for a small hill or high ground.

What does the Hibbett map show?

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