NameCensus.

UK surname

Hickson

Son of Hick, a diminutive of Richard, or someone living near a hick, a small gate or wicket.

In the 1881 census there were 2,069 people recorded with the Hickson surname, ranking it #2,128 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,517, ranked #2,627, down from #2,128 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Davenham, London parishes and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hickson is 2,802 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.7%.

1881 census count

2,069

Ranked #2,128

Modern count

2,517

2016, ranked #2,627

Peak year

1911

2,802 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hickson had 2,069 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,128 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,517 in 2016, ranked #2,627.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,802 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Hickson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hickson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hickson 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 1,453 #1,979
1861 historical 1,595 #1,785
1881 historical 2,069 #2,128
1891 historical 2,189 #2,139
1901 historical 2,550 #2,160
1911 historical 2,802 #1,855
1997 modern 2,602 #2,442
1998 modern 2,716 #2,442
1999 modern 2,710 #2,459
2000 modern 2,704 #2,454
2001 modern 2,634 #2,460
2002 modern 2,720 #2,435
2003 modern 2,659 #2,439
2004 modern 2,651 #2,443
2005 modern 2,578 #2,473
2006 modern 2,581 #2,473
2007 modern 2,568 #2,504
2008 modern 2,572 #2,522
2009 modern 2,583 #2,569
2010 modern 2,633 #2,583
2011 modern 2,586 #2,591
2012 modern 2,483 #2,637
2013 modern 2,524 #2,641
2014 modern 2,538 #2,644
2015 modern 2,518 #2,639
2016 modern 2,517 #2,627

Geography

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Where Hicksons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Davenham, London parishes, Toxteth Park and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester and Kingston upon Hull. 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 Davenham Cheshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 022 Northumberland
2 Cheshire East 024 Cheshire East
3 Cheshire West and Chester 035 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Northumberland 024 Northumberland
5 Kingston upon Hull 033 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hickson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hickson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hickson, 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 Hickson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Hickson 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, Hickson 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

Hickson 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hickson

The surname Hickson is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English personal name "Hicca," which itself comes from the word "hicce," meaning a small farm or hamlet. The addition of the suffix "-son" indicates that the name was initially used to denote the son of someone named Hicca.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Hickson can be found in historical records from various parts of northern England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is likely that the name was initially concentrated in these regions due to the prevalence of small agricultural settlements and the common practice of adopting surnames based on occupations or geographical features.

One notable early reference to the name Hickson can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332, where a Robert Hykson is listed as a taxpayer in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Additionally, the Holderness Survey of 1592 records a John Hickson as a landowner in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the name have emerged, including Hixon, Hicksone, and Hicson. These variations often reflect regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of historical record-keeping.

Among the notable individuals who have borne the surname Hickson throughout history are:

1. William Hickson (1803-1870), an English social reformer and pioneer of the cooperative movement. 2. Sydney Hickson (1859-1940), a British zoologist and academic who served as the Regius Professor of Natural History at the University of Aberdeen. 3. Mary Hickson (1891-1984), a British architect and one of the first women to be admitted to the Royal Institute of British Architects. 4. Joseph Hickson (1830-1897), a Canadian businessman and railway executive who served as the president of the Grand Trunk Railway. 5. Thomas Hickson (1808-1889), an English industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Hickson and Farmer chemical company in Lancashire.

The surname Hickson has a rich historical lineage, with its origins rooted in the agricultural settlements of medieval England. While the name may have evolved in spelling and spread across various regions, it continues to carry the legacy of its humble beginnings as a patronymic surname denoting the son of Hicca.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hickson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hickson 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 433 Hicksons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.81x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 433 1.81x
Cheshire 342 7.68x
Yorkshire 251 1.26x
Middlesex 181 0.90x
Lincolnshire 176 5.46x
Kent 112 1.63x
Staffordshire 91 1.34x
Surrey 62 0.63x
Warwickshire 62 1.22x
Nottinghamshire 39 1.44x
Derbyshire 34 1.08x
Durham 32 0.53x
Essex 32 0.80x
Buckinghamshire 21 1.72x
Cumberland 21 1.21x
Leicestershire 21 0.94x
Hampshire 19 0.46x
Hertfordshire 19 1.37x
Northamptonshire 19 1.00x
Oxfordshire 14 1.12x
Bedfordshire 11 1.05x
Northumberland 9 0.30x
Huntingdonshire 7 1.75x
Shropshire 7 0.40x
Sussex 7 0.21x
Worcestershire 6 0.23x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.39x
Royal Navy 5 2.08x
Berkshire 4 0.26x
Flintshire 4 0.74x
Gloucestershire 4 0.10x
Norfolk 4 0.13x
Lanarkshire 3 0.05x
Renfrewshire 2 0.13x
Rutland 2 1.35x
Ayrshire 1 0.07x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.22x
Herefordshire 1 0.12x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.16x
Wiltshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 62 Hicksons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.76x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 62 5.76x
Barnton 43 404.90x
Islington London 40 2.05x
Salford 34 4.83x
Hulme 32 6.41x
Toxteth Park 31 3.83x
Wharton 30 123.76x
Deptford St Paul 26 4.90x
Macclesfield 26 13.14x
Pendleton In Salford 25 8.77x
Sculcoates 25 7.89x
Holy Trinity 24 4.99x
Over 24 53.05x
Margate St John Baptist 21 16.67x
St Pancras London 20 1.23x
Birmingham 17 1.00x
Great Driffield 17 41.46x
Langton By Wragby 17 833.33x
Gorton 16 7.11x
Hackney London 16 1.42x
Hatfield 16 56.80x
Tickhill 16 125.59x
Newton In Northwich 15 110.70x
Sheffield 15 2.36x
Wigan 15 4.49x
Aston 14 1.00x
Everton 14 1.84x
Great Grimsby 14 6.84x
Hougham 14 748.66x
Doncaster 13 8.91x
Hornsey 13 5.10x
Knutsford Nether 13 48.33x
Nether Hallam 13 4.81x
North Meols 13 5.55x
Shoreditch London 13 1.49x
Walsall Foreign 13 3.70x
Abbots Bromley 12 118.93x
East Ham 12 16.24x
Great Bolton 12 3.79x
Harbury 12 145.45x
Hurdsfield 12 43.81x
Lewisham 12 3.27x
Liverpool 12 0.83x
Newark Upon Trent 12 12.29x
Paddington London 12 1.62x
Selling 12 212.39x
Westminster St John 12 4.89x
Barton Upon Irwell 11 6.11x
Battersea 11 1.48x
Farnworth 11 7.67x
Middlesbrough 11 4.23x
Pickmere 11 654.76x
Ashton In Makerfield 10 14.68x
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 2.46x
Marton In Whitegate 10 208.33x
Radcliffe 10 8.67x
Waltham Holy Cross 10 26.88x
West Derby 10 1.43x
Worksop 10 12.41x
Bethnal Green London 9 1.03x
Camberwell 9 0.70x
Horncastle 9 27.05x
Ince In Makerfield 9 8.08x
Pilkington 9 9.90x
Portsea 9 1.11x
Swinton Broughton In 9 287.54x
Wortley In Bramley 9 5.69x
Alfreton 8 8.34x
Blakenhall 8 592.59x
Burland 8 176.60x
Burton Upon Trent 8 5.02x
Huddersfield 8 2.75x
Legbourne 8 243.16x
Middlewich 8 87.34x
Nottingham St Mary 8 1.14x
Rusholme 8 12.54x
St Cuthbert W O 8 9.45x
St Nicholas Lincoln 8 25.96x
Wolverhampton 8 1.53x
Thorne 7 28.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 158
Elizabeth 90
Sarah 90
Alice 40
Jane 40
Emma 37
Annie 34
Ann 32
Eliza 27
Hannah 26
Margaret 25
Emily 23
Ellen 22
Martha 19
Florence 13
Frances 13
Harriet 13
Ada 11
Catherine 11
Charlotte 11
Louisa 11
Lucy 11
Anne 10
Edith 10
Fanny 10
Clara 9
Kate 8
Maria 8
Rebecca 8
Susannah 8
Agnes 7
Betsy 7
Maud 7
Minnie 7
Amelia 6
Isabella 6
Rachel 6
Rose 6
Susan 6
Gertrude 5
Jemima 5
Barbara 4
Elizth. 4
Ethel 4
Harriett 4
Adelaide 3
Caroline 3
Julia 3
Mabel 3
Margt. 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 133
William 119
Thomas 85
George 61
Joseph 55
James 53
Charles 40
Henry 40
Richard 29
Samuel 27
Walter 23
Alfred 22
Edward 19
Robert 19
Arthur 18
Frederick 17
Albert 14
Frank 14
Ernest 12
Harry 12
Herbert 11
Isaac 7
Peter 7
Wm. 7
Abraham 6
David 6
Thos. 6
Benjamin 5
Edwin 4
Fredrick 4
Fredk. 3
Geo. 3
Leonard 3
Adam 2
Daniel 2
Edmund 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Fred. 2
Frederic 2
Jno. 2
Mark 2
Owen 2
R. 2
Robt. 2
Saml. 2
Stanley 2
Stephen 2
T. 2
Timothy 2

FAQ

Hickson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hickson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,069 people were recorded with the Hickson surname. That placed it at #2,128 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hickson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,517 in 2016. That gives Hickson a modern rank of #2,627.

What does the Hickson surname mean?

Son of Hick, a diminutive of Richard, or someone living near a hick, a small gate or wicket.

What does the Hickson map show?

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