NameCensus.

UK surname

Hilliard

Derived from a place name meaning "hill-yard," referring to a fenced enclosure on a hill.

In the 1881 census there were 812 people recorded with the Hilliard surname, ranking it #4,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,258, ranked #4,754, down from #4,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Werburgh and Wimbledon. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Powys, Epping Forest and Reading.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hilliard is 1,408 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.9%.

1881 census count

812

Ranked #4,602

Modern count

1,258

2016, ranked #4,754

Peak year

1999

1,408 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hilliard had 812 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,258 in 2016, ranked #4,754.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,117 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hilliard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hilliard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hilliard 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 488 #5,116
1861 historical 425 #6,043
1881 historical 812 #4,602
1891 historical 845 #4,831
1901 historical 1,074 #4,497
1911 historical 1,117 #4,159
1997 modern 1,327 #4,331
1998 modern 1,403 #4,271
1999 modern 1,408 #4,281
2000 modern 1,386 #4,325
2001 modern 1,352 #4,324
2002 modern 1,348 #4,440
2003 modern 1,329 #4,401
2004 modern 1,311 #4,452
2005 modern 1,272 #4,523
2006 modern 1,270 #4,539
2007 modern 1,284 #4,537
2008 modern 1,275 #4,586
2009 modern 1,302 #4,600
2010 modern 1,346 #4,550
2011 modern 1,313 #4,597
2012 modern 1,296 #4,586
2013 modern 1,324 #4,573
2014 modern 1,304 #4,668
2015 modern 1,283 #4,687
2016 modern 1,258 #4,754

Geography

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Where Hilliards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Werburgh, Wimbledon and Elton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Powys, Epping Forest, Reading, Girvan Glendoune and South Kesteven. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Werburgh Derbyshire
4 Wimbledon Surrey
5 Elton Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Powys 012 Powys
2 Epping Forest 007 Epping Forest
3 Reading 005 Reading
4 Girvan Glendoune South Ayrshire
5 South Kesteven 016 South Kesteven

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hilliard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hilliard

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hilliard, 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 Hilliard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hilliard 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hilliard 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

Hilliard 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

Hilliard falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hilliard

The surname Hilliard originated in England, deriving from the medieval given name Hilliard or Hildyard. This name is a combination of the Germanic elements 'hild' meaning 'battle' and 'gard' meaning 'enclosed yard or garden'. The earliest records of the name date back to the 12th century in parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Radulfus Hildeierd, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. The Hilliard family was also recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which were ancient censuses of households in England. The name appeared in various spellings such as Hildyard, Hildiard, and Hillierd during the Middle Ages.

The Hilliard surname is closely associated with the village of Winestead in Holderness, Yorkshire, where the family held lands and a manor house from the 13th century onwards. Notable members of the Winestead Hilliards include Thomas Hilliard (c.1505-1567), who served as the Clerk of the Court of Wards and Liveries under King Henry VIII and Edward VI.

Another prominent figure was Nicholas Hilliard (c.1537-1619), a renowned English goldsmith, limner, and painter who became a famous portrait artist during the Elizabethan era. He painted miniature portraits of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Walter Raleigh, and other notable figures of the time.

In the 17th century, the Hilliard family spread to other parts of England, including Berkshire and Wiltshire. One notable bearer was Thomas Hilliard (1624-1694), an English clergyman and religious writer who served as the vicar of Chilmark in Wiltshire.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several Hilliards achieved distinction in various fields. These include John Hilliard (1778-1835), an English engraver known for his landscape etchings, and Henry Washington Hilliard (1808-1892), an American lawyer, politician, and writer who served as a United States Representative from Alabama.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hilliard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hilliard 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. Middlesex leads with 213 Hilliards recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.70x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 213 2.70x
Surrey 85 2.21x
Kent 63 2.34x
Essex 55 3.53x
Lancashire 45 0.48x
Huntingdonshire 36 22.95x
Derbyshire 32 2.59x
Cheshire 25 1.43x
Wiltshire 24 3.43x
Hertfordshire 23 4.22x
Hampshire 22 1.36x
Warwickshire 18 0.90x
Lanarkshire 17 0.67x
Worcestershire 17 1.65x
Midlothian 14 1.32x
Renfrewshire 14 2.29x
Yorkshire 14 0.18x
Berkshire 13 2.19x
Staffordshire 11 0.41x
Durham 10 0.43x
Oxfordshire 9 1.84x
Sussex 8 0.60x
Glamorgan 6 0.44x
Herefordshire 5 1.54x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.84x
Gloucestershire 4 0.26x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.60x
Cumberland 3 0.44x
Lincolnshire 3 0.24x
Northumberland 3 0.26x
Somerset 3 0.24x
Bedfordshire 2 0.49x
Northamptonshire 2 0.27x
Argyllshire 1 0.45x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.57x
Leicestershire 1 0.11x
Rutland 1 1.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 58 Hilliards recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.90x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 58 16.90x
Elton 28 1278.54x
Bromley London 24 13.81x
Liscard 21 66.82x
Chatham 19 25.62x
Islington London 19 2.48x
Mitcham 19 78.09x
Derby St Peter 17 43.15x
Writtle 16 251.18x
Lewisham 15 10.43x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 14 3.29x
Birmingham 13 1.96x
Manchester 13 3.08x
Burbage 12 337.08x
East Donyland 12 319.15x
St Pancras London 12 1.89x
Worcester St Andrew 12 343.84x
Camberwell 11 2.18x
Shadwell London 11 49.75x
West Ham 10 2.90x
Ealing 9 12.75x
East Greenock 9 15.57x
Kimpton 9 352.94x
Lee 9 22.99x
Litchurch 9 18.08x
Westminster St John 9 9.35x
Hackney London 8 1.81x
Lambeth 8 1.16x
Newington 8 2.74x
Orton Waterville 8 952.38x
Barony 7 1.08x
Battersea 7 2.41x
Hendon 7 24.62x
Holdenhurst 7 16.48x
Kingston On Thames 7 7.57x
Bishopwearmouth 6 2.97x
Croydon 6 2.81x
Derby St Werburgh 6 8.40x
Everton 6 2.01x
Llandaff 6 13.11x
Portsea 6 1.89x
St Andrew Holborn London 6 17.54x
Wallingford St Leonard 6 217.39x
Walthamstow 6 10.69x
Whitechapel London 6 7.70x
Bensington 5 160.77x
Brighton 5 1.86x
Edgbaston 5 8.09x
Glasgow 5 1.10x
Govan 5 0.79x
Ratcliffe London 5 11.46x
Ross 5 38.79x
St Sepulchre London 5 43.22x
Turton 5 32.57x
West Bromwich 5 3.27x
West Malling 5 82.37x
West Overton 5 274.73x
Worcester St Helen 5 151.52x
York St Mary 5 15.42x
Cookham 4 21.63x
Cowley 4 296.30x
Dover St James 4 33.87x
Dovercourt 4 72.86x
Great Bolton 4 3.22x
St Albans St Peter 4 21.76x
Wanstead 4 14.65x
Wheathampstead 4 63.59x
Wolverton 4 40.44x
Clapham 3 3.04x
Clerkenwell London 3 1.61x
Fishwick 3 51.72x
Gravesend 3 13.15x
Kensington London 3 0.68x
Mile End Old Town London 3 1.78x
North Meols 3 3.27x
Ruislip 3 76.34x
S Stoke 3 131.58x
Salford 3 1.09x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 1.89x
West Greenock 3 2.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 40
John 36
George 35
Henry 32
James 30
Thomas 30
Charles 14
Joseph 12
Frederick 11
Robert 11
Alfred 9
Arthur 9
Edward 8
Herbert 5
Walter 5
Edwin 4
Harry 4
Samuel 4
Fredrick 3
Harold 3
Martin 3
Richard 3
Wm. 3
Albert 2
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Fred 2
Fredk. 2
Thos. 2
Augustus 1
Cecil 1
Christofer 1
Clement 1
Cornelius 1
Cotgreave 1
Eli 1
Eustace 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Hubert 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
Johnstone 1
Josiah 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1
Luke 1
Matthew 1
Norman 1

FAQ

Hilliard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hilliard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 812 people were recorded with the Hilliard surname. That placed it at #4,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hilliard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,258 in 2016. That gives Hilliard a modern rank of #4,754.

What does the Hilliard surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "hill-yard," referring to a fenced enclosure on a hill.

What does the Hilliard map show?

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