NameCensus.

UK surname

Hillhouse

A locational surname referring to someone who lived on or near a hill.

In the 1881 census there were 271 people recorded with the Hillhouse surname, ranking it #10,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 528, ranked #9,603, up from #10,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ochiltree, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dalmilling, Milton East and Eaglesham and Waterfoot.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hillhouse is 528 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 94.8%.

1881 census count

271

Ranked #10,449

Modern count

528

2016, ranked #9,603

Peak year

2016

528 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hillhouse had 271 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 528 in 2016, ranked #9,603.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 343 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Hillhouse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hillhouse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hillhouse 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 148 #13,028
1861 historical 211 #11,508
1881 historical 271 #10,449
1891 historical 280 #11,665
1901 historical 343 #10,583
1911 historical 64 #26,435
1997 modern 484 #9,531
1998 modern 494 #9,693
1999 modern 495 #9,731
2000 modern 514 #9,424
2001 modern 483 #9,709
2002 modern 487 #9,820
2003 modern 476 #9,830
2004 modern 479 #9,811
2005 modern 473 #9,841
2006 modern 468 #9,952
2007 modern 483 #9,816
2008 modern 483 #9,890
2009 modern 491 #9,999
2010 modern 510 #9,899
2011 modern 518 #9,705
2012 modern 507 #9,761
2013 modern 518 #9,755
2014 modern 520 #9,803
2015 modern 522 #9,710
2016 modern 528 #9,603

Geography

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Where Hillhouses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ochiltree, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Riccarton and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dalmilling, Milton East, Eaglesham and Waterfoot, Lochside, Braehead and Whitletts and Springburn East and Cowlairs. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ochiltree Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Riccarton Ayr
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dalmilling South Ayrshire
2 Milton East Glasgow City
3 Eaglesham and Waterfoot East Renfrewshire
4 Lochside, Braehead and Whitletts South Ayrshire
5 Springburn East and Cowlairs Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hillhouse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hillhouse

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Hillhouse surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Hillhouse household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Hillhouse is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hillhouse is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hillhouse

The surname Hillhouse is of English origin, derived from the Old English words 'hyll' meaning hill and 'hus' meaning house. It likely originated as a topographic name, given to someone who lived in a house on a hill or near a prominent hill. The name is thought to have first appeared in the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hillhouse can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1195, which mention a Walter de Hulhus. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname Hillhouse, such as Richard atte Hulhous in Oxfordshire.

During the medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, reflecting regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of written records at the time. Some of these early variations include Hulhus, Hilhous, and Hilhouse.

In the 16th century, the Hillhouse family was well-established in the county of Staffordshire, where they held estates and lands. One notable member of the family was Richard Hillhouse, a wealthy landowner born in 1532 who served as a Justice of the Peace.

In the 17th century, the Hillhouse name appeared in several historical records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662, which listed households in various counties across England. A John Hillhouse was recorded as a landowner in Cheshire during this time.

The 18th century saw the rise of several prominent individuals with the Hillhouse surname. One of these was James Hillhouse (1675-1743), a successful merchant and shipowner from Bristol, England. Another was the Scottish poet and dramatist Archibald Hillhouse (1731-1797), who was born in Ayrshire.

In the 19th century, the Hillhouse family continued to spread across the United Kingdom and beyond. One notable figure was James Abraham Hillhouse (1789-1841), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later explored the Arctic regions.

Another significant individual was the American politician James Hillhouse (1770-1841), who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut and was a prominent member of the Federalist Party. He was also a successful businessman and landowner.

Throughout its history, the surname Hillhouse has been associated with various place names, such as Hillhouse in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, and Hillhouse Farm in Gloucestershire. These locations likely derived their names from the presence of houses or settlements situated on or near hills.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hillhouse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hillhouse 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. Ayrshire leads with 107 Hillhouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.08x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 107 54.08x
Lanarkshire 83 9.71x
Midlothian 11 3.11x
Surrey 10 0.78x
Dumfriesshire 9 15.41x
Dunbartonshire 8 11.26x
Lancashire 7 0.22x
Renfrewshire 7 3.42x
Middlesex 6 0.23x
Durham 5 0.64x
Cheshire 4 0.69x
Fife 2 1.28x
Hampshire 2 0.37x
Wigtownshire 2 5.70x
Angus 1 0.41x
Bedfordshire 1 0.73x
Buteshire 1 6.24x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.60x
East Lothian 1 2.86x
Rutland 1 5.15x
Stirlingshire 1 1.03x
Yorkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 22 Hillhouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.17x.

Place Total Index
Barony 22 10.17x
Glasgow 21 13.83x
Kilmarnock 20 84.93x
Govan 19 8.99x
Kilmaurs 15 445.10x
Riccarton 10 335.57x
Riccarton Hurlford 10 288.18x
Kirkconnell 9 978.26x
Cathcart 7 63.18x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 7 285.71x
Old Kilpatrick 7 83.43x
Shettleston 7 91.50x
Dreghorn 6 167.60x
East Kilbride 6 163.93x
Hamilton 6 25.16x
Liverpool 6 3.15x
Ochiltree 6 441.18x
Old Cumnock 6 136.05x
Auckinleck 5 81.70x
Camberwell 5 2.96x
Coylton 5 177.94x
Galston 5 92.42x
Mauchline 5 220.26x
St Quivox 5 74.74x
Chester Holy Trinity 4 145.99x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 2.81x
Stranton 4 15.11x
Dundonald 3 41.10x
Kilwinning 3 46.95x
Lambeth 3 1.30x
St Luke London 3 7.08x
Dorking 2 23.12x
Elie 2 322.58x
Lesmahagow 2 22.12x
Penninghame 2 55.87x
Southampton St Mary 2 5.87x
Bedford St Paul 1 10.65x
Cumbrae 1 59.52x
Haddington 1 19.34x
Hampton London 1 22.99x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 2.94x
Kirkintilloch 1 10.36x
Leeds 1 0.68x
Manchester 1 0.71x
Newton On Ayr 1 16.86x
Ridlington 1 476.19x
Sorn 1 25.71x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.15x
St Martin In Fields 1 6.32x
St Michael Cambridge 1 204.08x
Strathblane 1 81.97x
Strathmartine 1 91.74x
Tarbolton 1 30.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Catherine 2
Jane 2
Ann 1
Christiana 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Janet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 4
Charles 2
David 2
Henry 2
John 2
Adrian 1
Aleza. 1
Geor. 1
George 1
Hugh 1
Jane 1
Robert 1
William 1

FAQ

Hillhouse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hillhouse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 271 people were recorded with the Hillhouse surname. That placed it at #10,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hillhouse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 528 in 2016. That gives Hillhouse a modern rank of #9,603.

What does the Hillhouse surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived on or near a hill.

What does the Hillhouse map show?

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