NameCensus.

UK surname

Hillman

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

In the 1881 census there were 2,565 people recorded with the Hillman surname, ranking it #1,743 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,103, ranked #1,653, up from #1,743 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, Bath and North East Somerset and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hillman is 4,402 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.0%.

1881 census count

2,565

Ranked #1,743

Modern count

4,103

2016, ranked #1,653

Peak year

1998

4,402 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hillman had 2,565 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,743 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,103 in 2016, ranked #1,653.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,925 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hillman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hillman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hillman 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 1,524 #1,879
1861 historical 1,473 #1,923
1881 historical 2,565 #1,743
1891 historical 2,836 #1,672
1901 historical 3,354 #1,660
1911 historical 3,925 #1,309
1997 modern 4,243 #1,533
1998 modern 4,402 #1,532
1999 modern 4,365 #1,554
2000 modern 4,251 #1,581
2001 modern 4,153 #1,576
2002 modern 4,206 #1,593
2003 modern 4,112 #1,593
2004 modern 4,102 #1,602
2005 modern 4,039 #1,609
2006 modern 4,001 #1,622
2007 modern 4,045 #1,619
2008 modern 4,044 #1,638
2009 modern 4,150 #1,634
2010 modern 4,198 #1,652
2011 modern 4,184 #1,634
2012 modern 4,147 #1,619
2013 modern 4,223 #1,618
2014 modern 4,232 #1,627
2015 modern 4,152 #1,640
2016 modern 4,103 #1,653

Geography

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Where Hillmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, Bath and North East Somerset and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 005 Blaenau Gwent
2 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent
3 Bath and North East Somerset 023 Bath and North East Somerset
4 Rhondda Cynon Taf 012 Rhondda Cynon Taf
5 Blaenau Gwent 002 Blaenau Gwent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hillman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hillman

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Hillman is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hillman 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

Hillman falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hillman

The surname "HILLMAN" is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is a locational name derived from one of the numerous places in England called "Hill". These places were named for their elevated topographical features or locations near hills.

The name "HILLMAN" is believed to have originated from the Old English words "hyll" meaning "hill" and "mann" meaning "man" or "person". It would have originally referred to someone who lived on or near a hill. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is thought to be "Hilleman" in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1195.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to places called "Hill" or variations such as "Hille" and "la Hille". These would have been the precursors to the eventual surname "HILLMAN".

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "HILLMAN" was John Hyllman, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1317. Another early bearer of the name was Richard Hyllman, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

Noteworthy historical figures with the surname "HILLMAN" include:

1. Roger Hillman (c.1570-1655), an English clergyman and religious writer. 2. James Hillman (1926-2011), an American psychologist and influential figure in the field of Jungian psychology. 3. William Hillman (1849-1923), an American businessman and co-founder of the Hillman Coal and Coke Company. 4. Gustav Hillman (1880-1945), a Swedish-American labor leader and politician who served in the New York State Assembly. 5. Sidney Hillman (1887-1946), an American labor leader and prominent figure in the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO).

The name "HILLMAN" has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Hillman's Cross in Wiltshire, which was recorded as "Hilmanescruche" in the 13th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hillman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hillman 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. Sussex leads with 390 Hillmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.19x.

County Total Index
Sussex 390 9.19x
Middlesex 365 1.45x
Surrey 193 1.57x
Somerset 191 4.72x
Devon 172 3.28x
Staffordshire 162 1.91x
Gloucestershire 141 2.86x
Wiltshire 121 5.44x
Kent 105 1.22x
Worcestershire 93 2.83x
Monmouthshire 84 4.62x
Warwickshire 75 1.18x
Cornwall 68 2.39x
Yorkshire 68 0.27x
Glamorgan 42 0.96x
Hampshire 38 0.74x
Lancashire 32 0.11x
Oxfordshire 32 2.06x
Essex 29 0.58x
Durham 23 0.31x
Dorset 22 1.33x
Lincolnshire 21 0.52x
Cheshire 20 0.36x
Channel Islands 13 1.74x
Derbyshire 13 0.33x
Berkshire 12 0.64x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.27x
Leicestershire 7 0.25x
Shropshire 6 0.28x
Northamptonshire 5 0.21x
Bedfordshire 4 0.31x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.25x
Flintshire 4 0.59x
Royal Navy 4 1.33x
Hertfordshire 2 0.12x
Norfolk 2 0.05x
Northumberland 2 0.05x
Suffolk 2 0.07x
Herefordshire 1 0.10x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.13x
Renfrewshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 92 Hillmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.75x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 92 10.75x
Hackney London 55 3.90x
Islington London 39 1.60x
St Pancras London 39 1.93x
Trowbridge 39 39.66x
Westbury 36 69.32x
St Mary Magdalene 35 167.22x
Birmingham 32 1.51x
Stafford St Mary 31 25.79x
Camberwell 29 1.80x
Clutton 29 329.92x
Wolverley 28 97.09x
Dudley 27 6.76x
Kingswinford 27 8.76x
Lambeth 27 1.23x
Aston 26 1.49x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 26 5.60x
Congresbury 26 253.16x
Withycombe Rawleigh 25 91.64x
Aberystruth 24 14.97x
Shoreditch London 24 2.20x
Lewes St John Southover 23 80.73x
Wolverhampton 22 3.37x
Greenwich 20 4.99x
Richmond 20 11.64x
Stoke Upon Trent 20 2.22x
Tiverton 20 22.17x
East Budleigh 19 77.02x
Ringmer 19 159.00x
Epwell 18 803.57x
Bedwellty 17 5.29x
Cowfold 17 189.52x
Kensington London 16 1.14x
Plumstead 16 5.59x
Southwark St George Martyr 16 3.16x
Weston Super Mare 16 15.65x
Bethnal Green London 15 1.37x
Horsham 15 18.20x
St Marylebone London 15 1.12x
Frome 14 14.46x
St Luke London 14 3.47x
Stoke Damerel 14 3.82x
Stonehouse 14 49.93x
Tudhoe 14 21.38x
Bradford 13 2.15x
Deptford St Paul 13 1.96x
Eastbourne 13 6.66x
Harborne 13 4.78x
Henfield 13 79.80x
Newington 13 1.40x
Newton Abbot St Mary 13 29.59x
Chippenham 12 25.72x
Cliffe 12 83.74x
Hove 12 6.45x
St Anne Soho London 12 8.35x
St George Hanover Square 12 2.71x
St Peter Port 12 8.70x
Beckington 11 137.84x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 11 24.48x
Epsom 11 18.41x
Lewes St Ann 11 76.18x
Lindfield 11 61.35x
Littleham 11 28.73x
Lyme Regis 11 55.64x
Portsea 11 1.09x
St George In East London 11 4.65x
Tipton 11 4.23x
Walcot 11 5.10x
Ashurst 10 313.48x
Bedminster 10 2.63x
Cheam 10 76.22x
Everton 10 1.05x
Great Grimsby 10 3.92x
Newport 10 11.53x
West Grinstead 10 78.19x
Mile End Old Town London 9 1.68x
Mynyddyslwyn 9 12.55x
Over Darwen 9 3.77x
St Thomas Apostle 9 102.51x
Tottenham 9 2.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 139
Elizabeth 118
Sarah 73
Eliza 52
Annie 49
Jane 47
Ellen 45
Alice 44
Emma 44
Ann 38
Emily 34
Louisa 26
Caroline 24
Edith 23
Charlotte 19
Florence 19
Hannah 19
Harriet 19
Ada 18
Susan 17
Clara 16
Harriett 16
Lucy 16
Maria 13
Kate 12
Matilda 12
Esther 11
Fanny 11
Frances 11
Martha 11
Rose 11
Catherine 10
Margaret 10
Laura 9
Ruth 8
Agnes 7
Jessie 7
Julia 7
Amelia 6
Lilian 6
Rebecca 6
Amy 5
Elizth. 5
Ethel 5
Adelaide 4
Anna 4
Beatrice 4
Flora 4
Mabel 4
Rosa 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 153
John 120
George 116
James 83
Henry 71
Thomas 62
Joseph 47
Charles 43
Edward 36
Albert 31
Samuel 29
Richard 28
Frederick 27
Alfred 25
Frank 25
Harry 22
Arthur 21
Robert 21
Walter 16
Ernest 12
Herbert 11
David 10
Edwin 10
Wm. 10
Alexander 8
Chas. 6
Daniel 5
Elijah 5
Francis 5
Fredrick 5
Geo. 5
Jesse 5
Tom 5
Edmund 4
Sidney 4
Stephen 4
Fred 3
Fredk. 3
Mark 3
Peter 3
Philip 3
Roger 3
Thos. 3
Jonah 2
Josiah 2
Luke 2
Mathew 2
Maurice 2
Nathaniel 2
Percy 2

FAQ

Hillman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hillman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,565 people were recorded with the Hillman surname. That placed it at #1,743 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hillman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,103 in 2016. That gives Hillman a modern rank of #1,653.

What does the Hillman surname mean?

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

What does the Hillman map show?

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