NameCensus.

UK surname

Hillock

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a small hill or mound.

In the 1881 census there were 108 people recorded with the Hillock surname, ranking it #18,888 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 107, ranked #29,762, down from #18,888 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Port Glasgow, KInghorn and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stonehaven North, South Tyneside and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hillock is 114 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.9%.

1881 census count

108

Ranked #18,888

Modern count

107

2016, ranked #29,762

Peak year

1901

114 bearers

Map years

5

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hillock had 108 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,888 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016, ranked #29,762.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 114 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hillock surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hillock surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hillock 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 68 #25,196
1881 historical 108 #18,888
1891 historical 103 #23,558
1901 historical 114 #21,166
1911 historical 72 #25,642
1997 modern 94 #27,781
1998 modern 99 #27,785
1999 modern 102 #27,468
2000 modern 94 #28,573
2001 modern 97 #27,823
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 103 #27,234
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 102 #27,689
2006 modern 105 #27,479
2007 modern 109 #27,253
2008 modern 109 #27,533
2009 modern 112 #27,685
2010 modern 110 #28,666
2011 modern 108 #28,811
2012 modern 111 #28,332
2013 modern 110 #29,028
2014 modern 107 #29,827
2015 modern 106 #29,895
2016 modern 107 #29,762

Geography

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Where Hillocks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Port Glasgow, KInghorn, London parishes, Gateshead and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stonehaven North, South Tyneside, Kirklees and Bury. 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 Port Glasgow Renfrew
2 KInghorn Fife
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stonehaven North Aberdeenshire
2 South Tyneside 009 South Tyneside
3 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
4 South Tyneside 017 South Tyneside
5 Bury 024 Bury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hillock

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hillock

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Hillock surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hillock household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hillock 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.

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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

Hillock 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

Hillock falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hillock is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hillock, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hillock

The surname Hillock is of English origin, and it dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "hyl," meaning a hill or a small mound, and the word "hoc," meaning a ridge or a hook-shaped piece of land. The name likely originated in areas of England where there were significant hills or ridges, such as the Yorkshire Dales or the Cotswolds.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hillock can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Hillock who held property in the county of Gloucestershire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

Another early reference to the name Hillock can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire from the late 12th century. These rolls were records of taxes and fines paid to the Crown, and they include several entries for individuals with the surname Hillock or variations such as Hyllok or Hillocke.

In the 14th century, there are records of a notable family named Hillock living in the village of Hillock, located in the county of Wiltshire. This village likely took its name from the same Old English words that gave rise to the surname, indicating the presence of hills or ridges in the area. It is possible that this family played a role in the early establishment of the name.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Hillock was John Hillock, who was born in Gloucestershire around 1470. He was a farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to live in the same region for several generations.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Hillock (1565-1634), who was a successful merchant and politician in the city of London. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1628 and was knighted by King Charles I in recognition of his contributions to the city's trade and commerce.

In the 17th century, the Hillock family also had a presence in the American colonies. William Hillock (1620-1688) was one of the early settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, arriving in 1635. He was a farmer and played an active role in the local community.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several notable individuals with the surname Hillock made their mark in various fields. Richard Hillock (1725-1802) was a prominent architect who designed several landmarks in the city of Bath, including the famous Royal Crescent. Meanwhile, Jane Hillock (1785-1852) was a celebrated writer and poet whose works were widely published during the Romantic era.

In the late 19th century, a branch of the Hillock family gained prominence in the legal profession. Sir Edward Hillock (1845-1918) was a respected barrister and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of England from 1905 to 1918. His son, William Hillock (1880-1945), followed in his footsteps and became a successful lawyer and Member of Parliament.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hillock families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hillock 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. Fife leads with 21 Hillocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.68x.

County Total Index
Fife 21 33.68x
Lanarkshire 19 5.58x
Lancashire 17 1.36x
Renfrewshire 16 19.60x
Kent 12 3.34x
Middlesex 8 0.76x
Gloucestershire 5 2.42x
Midlothian 4 2.83x
Angus 2 2.05x
Durham 2 0.64x
Staffordshire 1 0.28x
Surrey 1 0.19x

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 16 Hillocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.56x.

Place Total Index
Barony 16 18.56x
Kinghorn 11 833.33x
Port Glasgow 9 227.85x
Aberdour 7 1111.11x
Milton In Gravesend 7 129.87x
Heaton Norris 6 84.39x
Paisley Middle Church 6 126.32x
Bisley 5 267.38x
Deptford St Paul 5 18.04x
Hornsey 5 37.54x
Liverpool 4 5.27x
Abbotshall 3 128.76x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 5.28x
Govan 3 3.56x
Salford 3 8.16x
Widnes 3 33.26x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 14.74x
Liff Benvie 2 13.50x
Shoreditch London 2 4.38x
Barrow In Furness 1 5.88x
East Greenock 1 12.97x
Islington London 1 0.98x
Lambeth 1 1.09x
Liberton 1 45.87x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 2.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Elizabeth 2
M. 2
A. 1
Alice 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
J. 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Margret 1
Rebecca 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 5
Robert 4
William 3
John 2
Wm. 2
August 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Joseph 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Hillock surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hillock surname in 1881?

In 1881, 108 people were recorded with the Hillock surname. That placed it at #18,888 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hillock surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016. That gives Hillock a modern rank of #29,762.

What does the Hillock surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a small hill or mound.

What does the Hillock map show?

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