NameCensus.

UK surname

Hilbert

Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hild, meaning "battle," and beraht, meaning "bright" or "famous."

In the 1881 census there were 147 people recorded with the Hilbert surname, ranking it #15,674 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 129, ranked #26,270, down from #15,674 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Halifax and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, Carmarthenshire and South Gloucestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hilbert is 386 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 12.2%.

1881 census count

147

Ranked #15,674

Modern count

129

2016, ranked #26,270

Peak year

1861

386 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hilbert had 147 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,674 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016, ranked #26,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 386 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hilbert surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hilbert surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hilbert 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 204 #10,250
1861 historical 386 #6,638
1881 historical 147 #15,674
1891 historical 278 #11,746
1901 historical 180 #16,171
1911 historical 213 #14,379
1997 modern 139 #22,132
1998 modern 140 #22,615
1999 modern 133 #23,487
2000 modern 125 #24,351
2001 modern 120 #24,615
2002 modern 120 #25,110
2003 modern 118 #25,146
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 126 #24,287
2006 modern 120 #25,269
2007 modern 122 #25,353
2008 modern 122 #25,638
2009 modern 128 #25,427
2010 modern 146 #23,921
2011 modern 140 #24,395
2012 modern 132 #25,289
2013 modern 132 #25,789
2014 modern 133 #25,851
2015 modern 130 #26,093
2016 modern 129 #26,270

Geography

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Where Hilberts are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, Carmarthenshire, South Gloucestershire and Cardiff. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Bexley Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 021 Rotherham
2 Carmarthenshire 018 Carmarthenshire
3 South Gloucestershire 012 South Gloucestershire
4 Rotherham 023 Rotherham
5 Cardiff 024 Cardiff

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hilbert

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hilbert

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hilbert, 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 Hilbert surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hilbert 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, Hilbert 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

Hilbert is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hilbert 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 Hilbert is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hilbert

The surname Hilbert originated in Germany, with its earliest records dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic personal name Hildebrand, which is composed of the elements "hildi" meaning "battle" and "brand" meaning "sword." The name Hildebrand was widely used during the medieval period and eventually gave rise to various surnames, including Hilbert.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Hilbert surname was a knight named Hilbertus, who was mentioned in a historical document from the city of Cologne in the 12th century. Another early record comes from the village of Hilbersdorf, located in what is now the state of Saxony-Anhalt, which dates back to the 13th century. The place name Hilbersdorf likely originated from a person named Hilbert or a variation thereof.

In the 14th century, the Hilbert surname appeared in various records across different regions of Germany, indicating its widespread use. One notable figure from this period was Johannes Hilbert, a scholar and theologian born in the city of Erfurt around 1350, who became a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time.

During the Renaissance period, the Hilbert surname continued to be found in various parts of Germany. One notable individual was Leonhard Hilbert, a German painter and engraver born in Nuremberg in 1516. His works, which included portraits and religious scenes, were highly regarded during his lifetime.

In the 19th century, the Hilbert surname gained further prominence with the birth of David Hilbert (1862-1943), one of the most influential mathematicians of the modern era. Hilbert made groundbreaking contributions to various fields of mathematics, including geometry, algebra, and logic. He is particularly renowned for his work on the foundations of mathematics and his famous list of 23 unsolved problems, which helped shape the course of mathematical research for decades.

Other notable individuals bearing the Hilbert surname include Otto Hilbert (1896-1965), a German-American mathematician known for his contributions to algebraic number theory and functional analysis, and Jörg Hilbert (born 1948), a German chess grandmaster and author of several books on chess theory and strategy.

The Hilbert surname has a rich history rooted in the medieval period and has been associated with notable figures across various fields, from scholars and theologians to artists and mathematicians. Its origins can be traced back to the Germanic personal name Hildebrand, reflecting its long-standing presence in German culture and society.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hilbert families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hilbert 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 33 Hilberts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.94x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 33 1.94x
Yorkshire 22 1.55x
Kent 21 4.29x
Cheshire 16 5.06x
Middlesex 15 1.05x
Nottinghamshire 7 3.62x
Derbyshire 6 2.67x
Lincolnshire 5 2.18x
Surrey 4 0.57x
Essex 3 1.06x
Somerset 3 1.30x
Berkshire 2 1.86x
Devon 2 0.67x
Gloucestershire 2 0.71x
Warwickshire 2 0.55x
Hampshire 1 0.34x
Lanarkshire 1 0.22x
Sussex 1 0.41x
Worcestershire 1 0.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashton Under Lyne in Lancashire leads with 18 Hilberts recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.41x.

Place Total Index
Ashton Under Lyne 18 48.41x
Halifax 9 43.14x
Leeds 7 8.72x
Monks Coppenhall 7 58.63x
Walkeringham 7 2000.00x
Dartford 6 120.00x
Foots Cray 6 638.30x
Ilkestonderbypart 6 909.09x
St Pancras London 6 5.20x
Stockport 6 36.83x
Tonge 6 168.07x
Wilmington 5 735.29x
Haslingden 4 56.82x
East Ham 3 57.14x
Scunthorpe 3 291.26x
St George Hanover Square 3 11.88x
Arthington 2 909.09x
Aston 2 2.01x
Clerkenwell London 2 5.91x
Holy Trinity 2 5.85x
Kensington London 2 2.51x
Knowsley 2 327.87x
Litton 2 1818.18x
Macclesfield 2 14.21x
Thurnham 2 769.23x
Tonbridge 2 11.34x
West Butterwick With 2 571.43x
Winkfield 2 111.73x
Axminster 1 71.43x
Barony 1 0.85x
Battersea 1 1.90x
Bexley 1 23.15x
Brighton 1 2.05x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 10.66x
Camberwell 1 1.09x
Carisbrooke 1 24.51x
Crayford 1 46.73x
Evercreech 1 178.57x
Guildford St Nicholas 1 81.30x
Moreton Hampstead 1 129.87x
Newington 1 1.89x
Ombersley 1 96.15x
Over Darwen 1 7.36x
Runcorn 1 13.70x
Sculcoates 1 4.44x
Sowerby In Thirsk 1 116.28x
St Luke London 1 4.35x
St Marylebone London 1 1.31x
Stonehouse 1 62.50x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Hilbert surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hilbert surname in 1881?

In 1881, 147 people were recorded with the Hilbert surname. That placed it at #15,674 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hilbert surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016. That gives Hilbert a modern rank of #26,270.

What does the Hilbert surname mean?

Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hild, meaning "battle," and beraht, meaning "bright" or "famous."

What does the Hilbert map show?

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