NameCensus.

UK surname

Hickenbottom

An English surname derived from a place name referring to a valley or hollow.

In the 1881 census there were 115 people recorded with the Hickenbottom surname, ranking it #18,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 74, ranked #33,441, down from #18,230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lockington, Tipton otherwise Tibington and Sedgley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Cornwall and Walsall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hickenbottom is 128 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 35.7%.

1881 census count

115

Ranked #18,230

Modern count

74

2016, ranked #33,441

Peak year

1891

128 bearers

Map years

2

1881 to 1891

Key insights

  • Hickenbottom had 115 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 74 in 2016, ranked #33,441.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 128 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hickenbottom surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hickenbottom surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hickenbottom 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 68 #21,302
1861 historical 54 #27,127
1881 historical 115 #18,230
1891 historical 128 #20,393
1901 historical 93 #23,689
1911 historical 71 #25,742
1997 modern 88 #28,611
1998 modern 84 #29,537
1999 modern 87 #29,398
2000 modern 99 #27,845
2001 modern 103 #26,927
2002 modern 107 #26,849
2003 modern 100 #27,722
2004 modern 97 #28,455
2005 modern 97 #28,485
2006 modern 96 #28,946
2007 modern 91 #30,061
2008 modern 92 #30,286
2009 modern 96 #30,239
2010 modern 96 #30,854
2011 modern 90 #31,564
2012 modern 86 #32,297
2013 modern 86 #32,557
2014 modern 83 #32,910
2015 modern 79 #33,127
2016 modern 74 #33,441

Geography

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Where Hickenbottoms are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lockington, Tipton otherwise Tibington, Sedgley, Nottingham St Mary and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Cornwall and Walsall. 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 Lockington Derbyshire
2 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
3 Sedgley Staffordshire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 042 Wakefield
2 Cornwall 054 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 057 Cornwall
4 Walsall 008 Walsall
5 Wakefield 039 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hickenbottom

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hickenbottom

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Hickenbottom surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hickenbottom household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Hickenbottom is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hickenbottom 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

Hickenbottom 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 Hickenbottom is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hickenbottom

The surname Hickenbottom is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from a place called Hickenbottom, which is thought to have been located in Lancashire or Yorkshire. The name is made up of two Old English words: "hicce," meaning a hickory tree, and "botm," meaning a valley or low-lying area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hickenbottom can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, dated 1275, where a person named Johannes de Hykenbotham is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1545, where a William Hykenbotham is listed. Around the same time, a Thomas Hickenbottom is recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1546.

During the 17th century, the name underwent some spelling variations, including Hickinbottom, Hickenbotham, and Hickenbutham. One notable individual from this period was John Hickenbottom (1619-1686), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In the 18th century, the name continued to be prominent in the northern counties of England. A significant figure was William Hickenbottom (1736-1809), a landowner and farmer from Yorkshire who played a role in the enclosure of common lands in his area.

Moving into the 19th century, the Hickenbottom family had spread to other parts of England and even emigrated to other countries. Notable individuals included George Hickenbottom (1819-1893), a successful businessman and entrepreneur in Lancashire, and Samuel Hickenbottom (1846-1912), a prominent academic and headmaster of a grammar school in Yorkshire.

Throughout its history, the surname Hickenbottom has been closely associated with the northern counties of England, particularly Lancashire and Yorkshire, where it originated and was most prevalent. While not a common name, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, landowners, businessmen, and educators.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hickenbottom families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hickenbottom 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. Staffordshire leads with 38 Hickenbottoms recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.03x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 38 10.03x
Derbyshire 18 10.25x
Nottinghamshire 14 9.26x
Northamptonshire 8 7.58x
Leicestershire 7 5.63x
Middlesex 6 0.53x
Warwickshire 6 2.12x
Worcestershire 6 4.10x
Lancashire 5 0.38x
Cambridgeshire 4 5.63x
Bedfordshire 1 1.72x
Lanarkshire 1 0.28x
Yorkshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tipton in Staffordshire leads with 26 Hickenbottoms recorded in 1881 and an index of 224.14x.

Place Total Index
Tipton 26 224.14x
Snenton 14 235.69x
Tansley 12 4615.38x
Passenham 7 1627.91x
Wednesbury 7 74.00x
Leicester St Margaret 6 19.78x
Bromley London 5 20.26x
Birmingham 4 4.24x
West Derby 4 10.27x
Whittlesford 4 1212.12x
Alsop Le Dale 3 15000.00x
Church Gresley 3 107.53x
Dudley 3 16.84x
Oldbury 3 41.61x
Cotton 2 800.00x
Alstonefield 1 555.56x
Aston 1 1.28x
Chilvers Coton 1 86.21x
Dalziel 1 25.64x
Fawfieldhead 1 416.67x
Harborne 1 8.24x
Leeds 1 1.59x
Leicester St Mary 1 9.95x
Leighton Buzzard 1 40.00x
Limehouse London 1 8.12x
Newton 1 9.75x
Peterborough 1 13.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 6
Elizabeth 5
Ann 4
Mary 4
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Adelaide 1
Anne 1
Clara 1
Elizh. 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Harrett 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Margt. 1
Phoebe 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Joseph 10
John 9
Henry 6
Samuel 6
James 5
William 4
Charles 3
George 3
Thomas 3
Edward 2
Isaac 2
Abraham 1
Amos 1
Austin 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Frerick 1
Harold 1
Jeremiah 1
Richard 1

FAQ

Hickenbottom surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hickenbottom surname in 1881?

In 1881, 115 people were recorded with the Hickenbottom surname. That placed it at #18,230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hickenbottom surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 74 in 2016. That gives Hickenbottom a modern rank of #33,441.

What does the Hickenbottom surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name referring to a valley or hollow.

What does the Hickenbottom map show?

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