NameCensus.

UK surname

Hilden

A locational surname referring to someone from Hilden in Germany.

In the 1881 census there were 54 people recorded with the Hilden surname, ranking it #26,009 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 313, ranked #14,318, up from #26,009 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Livermere, Magna, Burton-on-Trent and Rudham, East. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale, Greenwich and Ashford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hilden is 313 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 479.6%.

1881 census count

54

Ranked #26,009

Modern count

313

2016, ranked #14,318

Peak year

2016

313 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hilden had 54 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,009 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 313 in 2016, ranked #14,318.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 160 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hilden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hilden surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hilden 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 66 #21,617
1861 historical 160 #14,468
1881 historical 54 #26,009
1891 historical 77 #27,169
1901 historical 30 #30,724
1911 historical 42 #28,691
1997 modern 191 #18,150
1998 modern 213 #17,431
1999 modern 210 #17,712
2000 modern 228 #16,743
2001 modern 208 #17,513
2002 modern 235 #16,495
2003 modern 225 #16,808
2004 modern 234 #16,416
2005 modern 235 #16,335
2006 modern 253 #15,602
2007 modern 254 #15,736
2008 modern 262 #15,550
2009 modern 268 #15,620
2010 modern 291 #15,050
2011 modern 294 #14,798
2012 modern 281 #15,198
2013 modern 290 #15,107
2014 modern 301 #14,809
2015 modern 306 #14,536
2016 modern 313 #14,318

Geography

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Where Hildens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Livermere, Magna, Burton-on-Trent, Rudham, East, London parishes and Wadhurst. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale, Greenwich, Ashford and Maidstone. 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 Livermere, Magna Suffolk
2 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
3 Rudham, East Norfolk
4 London parishes London 3
5 Wadhurst Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 015 Swale
2 Greenwich 003 Greenwich
3 Ashford 008 Ashford
4 Maidstone 013 Maidstone
5 Ashford 002 Ashford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hilden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hilden

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hilden, 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 Hilden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hilden household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hilden is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hilden is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hilden falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hilden 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 Hilden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hilden

The surname Hilden has its origins in the German language, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old German word "hild," meaning "battle" or "combat," and the suffix "-en," which denotes "place of." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a place associated with battles or military activities.

Hilden was likely a locational surname, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name hailed from a specific place or settlement. In some cases, surnames derived from place names were adopted by individuals who migrated from their original homelands, allowing them to carry a part of their heritage with them.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hilden can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, dated around the 13th century. This reference suggests that the name was already in use during that period.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Breviarium Ecclesiae Hildesiensis, a historical record of the Diocese of Hildesheim, located in Lower Saxony, Germany. This connection indicates that the name may have originated in or around this region.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Hilden throughout history include Johann Hilden (1546-1622), a German surgeon and obstetrician who made significant contributions to the field of obstetrics. His work, "De Partu Caesario," published in 1609, was a pioneering text on cesarean sections.

Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Hilden (1848-1914), a German architect and urban planner. He was instrumental in the redesign and modernization of several cities in Germany during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the literary realm, Margarete Hilden (1902-1985) was a German novelist and playwright known for her works exploring social issues and the struggles of women in post-war Germany.

The Hilden family also played a role in the military history of Germany. Hans von Hilden (1892-1976) was a German general who served in World War II and later became a military historian, documenting his experiences and observations.

Finally, Ulrich Hilden (1916-2002) was a German businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Hilden Group, a successful manufacturing company specializing in medical products and supplies.

While the surname Hilden has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various regions around the world, carried by individuals and families who have migrated and settled in different parts of the globe.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hilden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hilden 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. Kent leads with 11 Hildens recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.12x.

County Total Index
Kent 11 6.12x
Staffordshire 9 5.06x
Surrey 8 3.12x
Sussex 8 9.01x
Middlesex 6 1.14x
Essex 5 4.81x
Norfolk 4 4.94x
Bedfordshire 1 3.67x
Derbyshire 1 1.21x
Oxfordshire 1 3.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burton Extra in Staffordshire leads with 9 Hildens recorded in 1881 and an index of 882.35x.

Place Total Index
Burton Extra 9 882.35x
Steyning 6 2000.00x
East Ham 5 259.07x
Eltham 4 380.95x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 37.74x
Egmere 3 15000.00x
Gillingham 3 80.86x
Milton In Gravesend 3 111.52x
Hornsey 2 30.03x
Kensington London 2 6.83x
Lambeth 2 4.35x
Bedford St Peter 1 140.85x
Camberwell 1 2.97x
Derby St Werburgh 1 21.01x
Ealing 1 21.23x
East Rudham 1 714.29x
Hastings St Mary In The 1 52.91x
Preston 1 64.52x
Ramsgate 1 34.13x
Shipton Under Wychwood 1 476.19x
Tottenham 1 11.92x
Woking 1 64.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 2
Frances 2
Margaret 2
Mary 2
Rosetta 2
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Conelea 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ethel 1
Georgiana 1
Hannah 1
Kate 1
M. 1
Milly 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
Henry 6
Charles 4
George 3
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Geo. 1
Hamilton 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Lewis 1
Mary 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Hilden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hilden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 54 people were recorded with the Hilden surname. That placed it at #26,009 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hilden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 313 in 2016. That gives Hilden a modern rank of #14,318.

What does the Hilden surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Hilden in Germany.

What does the Hilden map show?

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