NameCensus.

UK surname

Hilling

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "from the hills."

In the 1881 census there were 387 people recorded with the Hilling surname, ranking it #8,152 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 441, ranked #10,971, down from #8,152 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bunwell, London parishes and Melton, Great. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, Gateshead and Poole.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hilling is 526 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.0%.

1881 census count

387

Ranked #8,152

Modern count

441

2016, ranked #10,971

Peak year

1911

526 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hilling had 387 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,152 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 441 in 2016, ranked #10,971.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 526 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Hilling surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hilling surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hilling 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 322 #7,215
1861 historical 341 #7,479
1881 historical 387 #8,152
1891 historical 485 #7,607
1901 historical 508 #7,960
1911 historical 526 #7,543
1997 modern 460 #9,907
1998 modern 475 #9,982
1999 modern 493 #9,765
2000 modern 488 #9,800
2001 modern 478 #9,783
2002 modern 513 #9,464
2003 modern 487 #9,677
2004 modern 488 #9,675
2005 modern 446 #10,283
2006 modern 459 #10,088
2007 modern 454 #10,264
2008 modern 457 #10,292
2009 modern 461 #10,462
2010 modern 455 #10,802
2011 modern 450 #10,790
2012 modern 450 #10,654
2013 modern 454 #10,762
2014 modern 452 #10,857
2015 modern 449 #10,836
2016 modern 441 #10,971

Geography

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Where Hillings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bunwell, London parishes, Melton, Great and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, Gateshead, Poole and South Norfolk. 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 Bunwell Norfolk
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Melton, Great Norfolk
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 011 Pembrokeshire
2 Pembrokeshire 016 Pembrokeshire
3 Gateshead 005 Gateshead
4 Poole 003 Poole
5 South Norfolk 012 South Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hilling

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hilling

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Hilling surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Hilling household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hilling 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

Hilling is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hilling

The surname HILLING is of English origin, deriving from a topographical name for someone who lived on a hill, or from one of the various places named with the Old English pre-7th Century "hyll" meaning hill. The name was first found in Hillingham, a parish in Norfolk county.

One of the earliest records of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hillinges". This reference is to an estate in the county of Norfolk that was held by Norman nobles following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

By the late 12th century, the name had evolved to take on different spellings such as Hyllyng, Hillyng, and Hilling. These variations likely reflected regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Roger de Hilling, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records for Staffordshire in 1236. Feet of Fines were documents that recorded land transactions in medieval England.

During the 14th century, the name appears in various tax rolls and other records. For example, William Hilling was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1327, and John Hilling was recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls for Nottinghamshire in 1380.

One of the earliest instances of the modern spelling "Hilling" can be found in the birth record of Thomas Hilling, who was born in 1562 in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.

Other notable historical figures with the surname HILLING include:

1. Nicholas Hilling (c. 1550-1611), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge.

2. John Hilling (1607-1684), an English theologian and author who wrote several works on religious subjects.

3. William Hilling (1624-1693), an English philosopher and mathematician who made contributions to the field of optics.

4. James Hilling (1757-1834), a British Army officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a Member of Parliament.

5. Charlotte Hilling (1799-1866), a British novelist and poet who published several works in the early 19th century under the pen name "Clarissa".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hilling families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hilling 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. Norfolk leads with 130 Hillings recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.17x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 130 22.17x
Suffolk 57 12.27x
Middlesex 38 1.00x
Lancashire 26 0.57x
Pembrokeshire 26 21.45x
Surrey 25 1.35x
Kent 16 1.23x
Monmouthshire 14 5.08x
Buckinghamshire 10 4.34x
Cumberland 9 2.74x
Hampshire 6 0.77x
Lanarkshire 6 0.49x
Yorkshire 5 0.13x
Gloucestershire 4 0.53x
Staffordshire 4 0.31x
Channel Islands 3 2.65x
Cheshire 3 0.36x
Essex 2 0.27x
Sussex 2 0.31x
Bedfordshire 1 0.51x
Durham 1 0.09x
Glamorgan 1 0.15x
Northumberland 1 0.18x
Royal Navy 1 2.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bunwell in Norfolk leads with 20 Hillings recorded in 1881 and an index of 1785.71x.

Place Total Index
Bunwell 20 1785.71x
Preston 16 13.21x
St Issells 15 585.94x
Bedwellty 14 28.76x
Hingham 14 689.66x
Great Yarmouth 12 24.70x
Great Melton 11 2682.93x
Williamston 11 1718.75x
Blofield 10 671.14x
Great Hautbois 10 3571.43x
Leiston 10 313.48x
Hackney London 9 4.21x
Millom 9 89.46x
Plumstead 7 16.14x
Saxmundham 7 406.98x
St Pancras London 7 2.28x
Stoke Poges 7 249.11x
Thorpe Next Norwich 7 112.54x
Barony 6 1.92x
Chatham 6 16.76x
Kensington London 6 2.83x
Battersea 5 3.56x
Blyford 5 2173.91x
Halesworth 5 151.98x
Hook 5 60.17x
Stoke Newington London 5 16.83x
Stuston 5 2000.00x
Barrow In Furness 4 6.50x
Benacre 4 1481.48x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 4 45.87x
Castle Acre 4 229.89x
Cheltenham 4 6.93x
Diss 4 79.52x
Elton 4 25.58x
Handsworth 4 12.61x
Ipswich St Clement 4 33.87x
Lakenham 4 48.02x
Palgrave 4 408.16x
Penge 4 16.42x
Bermondsey 3 2.64x
Crownthorpe 3 3333.33x
Kingston On Thames 3 6.72x
Marlingford 3 967.74x
Norwich St Clement 3 44.12x
Reedham 3 267.86x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 3.91x
Southwark St Saviour 3 15.31x
St George Hanover Square 3 4.46x
St Helier 3 8.15x
Stony Stratford East 3 315.79x
Weasenham St Peter 3 857.14x
Whippingham 3 50.68x
Wrentham 3 232.56x
Banham 2 134.23x
Besthorpe 2 312.50x
Bromley London 2 2.38x
Hammersmith London 2 2.13x
Ipswich St Margaret 2 12.69x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 2 11.36x
Little Neston 2 148.15x
Weeke 2 84.39x
West Wickham 2 158.73x
Aldeburgh 1 36.36x
Barnham Broom 1 172.41x
Capel 1 57.14x
Clitheroe 1 7.51x
Croydon 1 0.97x
Fulham London 1 1.81x
Godalming 1 8.55x
Great Chesterford 1 84.03x
Hampton London 1 15.95x
Iken 1 232.56x
Liverpool 1 0.36x
Murton 1 172.41x
Norwich St Peter Southgate 1 135.14x
Richmond 1 3.84x
Royal Navy 1 2.57x
St Botolph Billingsgate 1 1250.00x
Swansea St Thomas 1 14.99x
West Ham 1 0.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Eliza 16
Elizabeth 15
Sarah 9
Emily 7
Emma 7
Hannah 7
Harriett 7
Jane 6
Charlotte 5
Ellen 5
Agnes 4
Ann 4
Caroline 4
Alice 3
Elizth. 3
Harriet 3
Kate 3
Lucy 3
Margaret 3
Martha 3
Rosa 3
Susanna 3
Susannah 3
Ada 2
Adelaide 2
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Julia 2
Matilda 2
Susan 2
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Ella 1
Esther 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Katie 1
Leah 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
Mahala 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Theadosia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 28
John 16
George 15
James 15
Robert 15
Arthur 7
Samuel 7
Henry 6
Walter 6
Alfred 5
Charles 5
Edward 5
Thomas 5
Albert 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Daniel 2
Fred 2
Jno. 2
Joshua 2
Lewis 2
Wm. 2
Aurthur 1
Barnard 1
Bertie 1
Elijah 1
Epharim 1
Ephraim 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk.Jas. 1
Harold 1
Henery 1
Jasper 1
Levi 1
Patrick 1
Rupert 1
W.H. 1
Wm.Geo. 1

FAQ

Hilling surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hilling surname in 1881?

In 1881, 387 people were recorded with the Hilling surname. That placed it at #8,152 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hilling surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 441 in 2016. That gives Hilling a modern rank of #10,971.

What does the Hilling surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "from the hills."

What does the Hilling map show?

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