NameCensus.

UK surname

Hill

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a hill.

In the 1881 census there were 76,165 people recorded with the Hill surname, ranking it #26 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 99,540, ranked #31, down from #26 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley, Bolsover and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hill is 105,060 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.7%.

1881 census count

76,165

Ranked #26

Modern count

99,540

2016, ranked #31

Peak year

1999

105,060 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hill had 76,165 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 99,540 in 2016, ranked #31.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 97,976 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hill surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hill 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 52,132 #26
1861 historical 55,316 #24
1881 historical 76,165 #26
1891 historical 83,870 #26
1901 historical 94,460 #27
1911 historical 97,976 #26
1997 modern 101,023 #29
1998 modern 104,588 #29
1999 modern 105,060 #29
2000 modern 104,483 #29
2001 modern 101,501 #29
2002 modern 103,371 #30
2003 modern 100,743 #30
2004 modern 100,446 #31
2005 modern 98,483 #31
2006 modern 98,150 #31
2007 modern 98,527 #31
2008 modern 98,662 #31
2009 modern 100,785 #32
2010 modern 102,710 #31
2011 modern 101,352 #31
2012 modern 99,629 #31
2013 modern 101,293 #31
2014 modern 101,717 #31
2015 modern 100,173 #31
2016 modern 99,540 #31

Geography

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Where Hills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Glasgow and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley, Bolsover and Leeds. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 033 Dudley
2 Bolsover 009 Bolsover
3 Dudley 025 Dudley
4 Dudley 039 Dudley
5 Leeds 110 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hill

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Hill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hill household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hill 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

Hill is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hill falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hill

The surname Hill has its origins in England and can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon era. The name is derived from the Old English word "hyll," which referred to a hill or a raised piece of land. It is believed that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to individuals who lived near a prominent hill or on higher ground.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hill surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the surname Hill, indicating that the name was already in use during the Norman conquest of England.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Hill surname continued to be prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in areas with hilly terrain or settlements situated on elevated ground. Notable examples include the Hill family of Spaxton in Somerset, whose ancestry can be traced back to the 13th century, and the Hills of Shropshire, who were prominent landowners in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Hill surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Roger Hill (c. 1235–1305), an English judge and clergyman who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of King Edward I.

Another prominent figure was Rowland Hill (1744-1833), an English teacher and social reformer, known for his efforts in establishing a low-cost, uniform postal system in Britain. Hill's innovative ideas led to the introduction of the Penny Black, the world's first adhesive postage stamp, in 1840.

The Hill surname has also been associated with literary figures, such as Geoffrey Hill (1932-2016), an English poet and professor of literature who won numerous accolades, including the Wilfred Owen Memorial Prize and the Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism.

In the realm of sports, Damon Hill (born 1960) is a notable figure, having won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1996 and achieving several other victories throughout his racing career.

While the Hill surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration. Over time, variations in spelling, such as Hills, Hilles, and Hyll, have emerged, reflecting regional dialects and language changes.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hill 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 7,522 Hills recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.85x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 7,522 0.85x
Middlesex 7,497 1.01x
Yorkshire 7,481 1.01x
Staffordshire 4,850 1.93x
Surrey 3,829 1.06x
Devon 3,263 2.11x
Warwickshire 2,972 1.58x
Worcestershire 2,939 3.02x
Somerset 2,510 2.10x
Gloucestershire 2,422 1.66x
Derbyshire 2,054 1.76x
Lincolnshire 1,699 1.43x
Lanarkshire 1,612 0.67x
Kent 1,577 0.62x
Leicestershire 1,490 1.81x
Cheshire 1,363 0.83x
Hampshire 1,329 0.87x
Cornwall 1,205 1.43x
Glamorgan 1,113 0.86x
Nottinghamshire 1,102 1.10x
Durham 1,066 0.48x
Sussex 983 0.78x
Hertfordshire 946 1.84x
Northamptonshire 817 1.17x
Herefordshire 792 2.60x
Wiltshire 790 1.20x
Shropshire 772 1.20x
Norfolk 761 0.67x
Essex 712 0.48x
Angus 596 0.86x
Buckinghamshire 555 1.23x
Monmouthshire 533 0.99x
Midlothian 525 0.53x
Berkshire 497 0.89x
Oxfordshire 471 1.03x
Bedfordshire 461 1.20x
Ayrshire 444 0.80x
Northumberland 444 0.40x
Suffolk 419 0.46x
Cumberland 394 0.62x
Dorset 369 0.76x
Renfrewshire 368 0.64x
Cambridgeshire 308 0.65x
Stirlingshire 189 0.69x
Huntingdonshire 184 1.25x
Fife 182 0.41x
Aberdeenshire 138 0.20x
Rutland 130 2.38x
Perthshire 126 0.38x
Dumfriesshire 119 0.72x
Pembrokeshire 98 0.41x
Royal Navy 94 1.06x
Channel Islands 89 0.40x
West Lothian 89 0.79x
Flintshire 82 0.41x
Selkirkshire 77 1.14x
Westmorland 73 0.45x
Wigtownshire 73 0.74x
Roxburghshire 70 0.52x
Berwickshire 60 0.67x
Buteshire 59 1.31x
Brecknockshire 55 0.37x
Dunbartonshire 47 0.24x
Denbighshire 44 0.16x
Montgomeryshire 39 0.23x
Isle of Man 32 0.23x
Peeblesshire 30 0.86x
Carmarthenshire 26 0.08x
Clackmannanshire 25 0.41x
Argyllshire 23 0.11x
East Lothian 22 0.22x
Ross-shire 21 0.10x
Kirkcudbrightshire 20 0.19x
Caernarfonshire 18 0.06x
Radnorshire 16 0.27x
Caithness 13 0.13x
Anglesey 12 0.09x
Cardiganshire 7 0.04x
Inverness-shire 7 0.03x
Kinross-shire 7 0.37x
Merionethshire 7 0.05x
Kincardineshire 5 0.06x
Orkney 5 0.06x
Sutherland 3 0.05x
Banffshire 2 0.01x
Morayshire 2 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 1,033 Hills recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.65x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 1,033 1.65x
Aston 1,005 1.95x
Islington London 846 1.17x
Lambeth 683 1.05x
St Pancras London 519 0.87x
Camberwell 511 1.08x
Govan 449 0.75x
Barony 443 0.73x
Wolverhampton 435 2.25x
St Marylebone London 430 1.08x
Sheffield 428 1.82x
Kensington London 423 1.02x
Stoke Upon Trent 413 1.55x
Hackney London 393 0.94x
Dudley 363 3.07x
West Bromwich 358 2.49x
Spotland 350 3.57x
Kingswinford 348 3.82x
Leicester St Margaret 343 1.71x
Shoreditch London 332 1.03x
Portsea 329 1.10x
Manchester 326 0.82x
Newington 321 1.17x
Liverpool 314 0.59x
Bethnal Green London 311 0.96x
Plymouth St Andrew 309 2.59x
Paddington London 299 1.09x
Ecclesall Bierlow 291 1.94x
Leeds 273 0.66x
Bedminster 272 2.42x
Sedgley 270 2.89x
St George Hanover Square 268 2.04x
Mile End Old Town London 264 1.67x
Glasgow 259 0.61x
Ashton Under Lyne 256 1.33x
Bradford 247 1.38x
Brighton 247 0.98x
Chelsea London 244 1.09x
Bermondsey 242 1.09x
Lye 241 14.90x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 238 1.73x
Dundee 237 0.92x
Nottingham St Mary 227 0.88x
Battersea 224 0.82x
Oldham 220 0.77x
Deptford St Paul 218 1.11x
Everton 216 0.77x
Warrington 214 2.04x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 211 0.53x
Rowley Regis 211 3.01x
Brightside Bierlow 207 1.43x
West Ham 207 0.64x
Toxteth Park 203 0.68x
Cheltenham 196 1.74x
Stoke Damerel 196 1.81x
Salford 194 0.75x
West Derby 194 0.75x
Handsworth 181 2.92x
Poplar London 181 1.29x
Manningham 177 1.95x
Hulme 171 0.93x
Hampstead London 165 1.42x
Bromley London 161 0.98x
Wigan 161 1.30x
Walsall Foreign 159 1.23x
Bilston 158 3.25x
Holy Trinity 157 0.89x
Tottenham 156 1.32x
Southwark St George Martyr 155 1.04x
Plymouth Charles The 151 2.21x
Kings Norton 150 1.72x
Bridgewater 149 4.58x
Kidderminster Borough 149 2.62x
Wednesbury 149 2.37x
Croydon 147 0.73x
Stourbridge 147 5.88x
Hammersmith London 143 0.78x
Harborne 142 1.76x
Clerkenwell London 141 0.80x
Luton 135 2.02x
Dukinfield 133 1.75x
Bristol St George 132 1.96x
Clifton 131 1.78x
Nether Hallam 131 1.31x
Clapham 130 1.40x
Tormoham 130 1.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4,866
Elizabeth 2,779
Sarah 2,723
Ann 1,446
Jane 1,259
Eliza 1,197
Emma 1,120
Alice 1,068
Ellen 1,045
Annie 1,043
Emily 918
Hannah 807
Martha 640
Margaret 580
Harriet 503
Louisa 481
Caroline 455
Maria 440
Charlotte 439
Fanny 436
Edith 428
Florence 425
Ada 359
Clara 313
Lucy 305
Kate 283
Catherine 273
Susan 265
Anne 254
Agnes 243
Harriett 243
Frances 238
Amelia 206
Rose 193
Esther 171
Matilda 168
Rebecca 158
Jessie 155
Julia 152
Gertrude 150
Sophia 147
Amy 146
Isabella 141
Minnie 134
Elizth. 133
Susannah 125
Laura 122
Eleanor 118
Bessie 112
Ruth 112

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 4,309
John 4,098
George 2,482
Thomas 2,472
James 2,172
Henry 1,595
Charles 1,478
Joseph 1,320
Samuel 771
Arthur 738
Alfred 737
Edward 717
Robert 707
Richard 656
Frederick 614
Albert 516
Walter 511
Harry 385
Rowland 310
Herbert 301
Frank 290
Edwin 273
Ernest 273
David 266
Francis 257
Benjamin 256
Wm. 177
Thos. 140
Isaac 135
Fred 127
Fredrick 109
Daniel 106
Peter 103
Edmund 97
Tom 97
Stephen 96
Sidney 80
Fredk. 78
Geo. 76
Abraham 75
Percy 74
Roland 64
Jesse 58
Alexander 56
Christopher 55
Chas. 54
Mark 52
Sydney 52
Willm. 50
Ralph 49

FAQ

Hill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 76,165 people were recorded with the Hill surname. That placed it at #26 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 99,540 in 2016. That gives Hill a modern rank of #31.

What does the Hill surname mean?

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a hill.

What does the Hill map show?

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