NameCensus.

UK surname

Hillson

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "hill settlement".

In the 1881 census there were 233 people recorded with the Hillson surname, ranking it #11,648 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 347, ranked #13,259, down from #11,648 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston, Peterborough St John the Baptist and Cornwood. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Devon, Cornwall and Exeter.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hillson is 368 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.9%.

1881 census count

233

Ranked #11,648

Modern count

347

2016, ranked #13,259

Peak year

1998

368 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hillson had 233 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,648 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 347 in 2016, ranked #13,259.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 346 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hillson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hillson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hillson 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 176 #11,489
1861 historical 205 #11,769
1881 historical 233 #11,648
1891 historical 296 #11,215
1901 historical 314 #11,285
1911 historical 346 #10,341
1997 modern 348 #12,229
1998 modern 368 #12,096
1999 modern 354 #12,497
2000 modern 358 #12,356
2001 modern 350 #12,375
2002 modern 366 #12,221
2003 modern 368 #11,963
2004 modern 364 #12,110
2005 modern 347 #12,436
2006 modern 342 #12,652
2007 modern 351 #12,571
2008 modern 357 #12,509
2009 modern 363 #12,602
2010 modern 353 #13,156
2011 modern 354 #12,982
2012 modern 350 #12,965
2013 modern 345 #13,326
2014 modern 354 #13,153
2015 modern 347 #13,252
2016 modern 347 #13,259

Geography

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Where Hillsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston, Peterborough St John the Baptist, Cornwood, Eye and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Devon, Cornwall, Exeter, Tameside and Uttlesford. 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 Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston Devon
2 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire
3 Cornwood Devon
4 Eye Northamptonshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Devon 007 West Devon
2 Cornwall 011 Cornwall
3 Exeter 005 Exeter
4 Tameside 013 Tameside
5 Uttlesford 004 Uttlesford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hillson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hillson

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hillson 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.

Read profile summary

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

Hillson 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

Hillson falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hillson

The surname HILLSON originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "hyll" meaning hill and "sunu" meaning son, effectively translating to "son of the hill". The name likely referred to someone who lived near or on a hill.

HILLSON is a locational surname, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name lived in or originated from a place with hills or hilly terrain. Variations in spelling include Hillsone, Hilson, and Hilsun, reflecting regional dialects and the evolution of language over time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HILLSON surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals with this surname were already established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, records show a William Hillson who was a landowner in Gloucestershire. Another notable bearer of the HILLSON name was John Hillson, a merchant from York who lived during the reign of Edward III in the 14th century.

During the 16th century, the HILLSON surname gained prominence in the county of Derbyshire, where it was associated with the village of Hilltop. A family of HILLSONS owned several estates in the area, and their name can be found in various local records from that period.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure was Sir Edward HILLSON (1620-1692), a Member of Parliament and landowner in Staffordshire. He played a significant role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.

Another notable HILLSON was John HILLSON (1765-1839), a renowned architect from Yorkshire who designed several churches and public buildings in the early 19th century.

Throughout history, the HILLSON surname has been associated with various professions, including farming, trade, and public service, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hillson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hillson 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. Devon leads with 60 Hillsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.68x.

County Total Index
Devon 60 12.68x
Northamptonshire 46 21.52x
Bedfordshire 28 23.79x
Huntingdonshire 23 50.96x
Middlesex 15 0.66x
Lancashire 12 0.44x
Warwickshire 10 1.74x
Cornwall 7 2.72x
Gloucestershire 7 1.57x
Cheshire 5 1.00x
Northumberland 5 1.48x
Surrey 4 0.36x
Worcestershire 3 1.01x
Leicestershire 2 0.79x
Staffordshire 2 0.26x
Ayrshire 1 0.59x
Derbyshire 1 0.28x
Herefordshire 1 1.07x
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. Cornwood in Devon leads with 24 Hillsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2666.67x.

Place Total Index
Cornwood 24 2666.67x
Eye 17 1666.67x
Warmington 13 2407.41x
Ashton Under Lyne 12 20.36x
Ermington 12 697.67x
Marston Moretaine 11 1195.65x
Keystone 9 5000.00x
Ramsey 9 249.31x
Tilbrook 8 2666.67x
Cheltenham 7 20.35x
St Marylebone London 7 5.77x
Stoke Climsland 7 426.83x
Dukinfield 5 21.57x
Plympton St Mary 5 183.15x
Shaugh Prior 5 925.93x
Upper Heyford 5 5555.56x
Wellingborough 5 46.51x
Westgate 5 23.88x
Northampton St Sepulchre 4 36.76x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 10.98x
St Andrew Holborn London 4 40.65x
Stoke Damerel 4 12.08x
Alconbury Weston 3 937.50x
Camberwell 3 2.07x
Coventry Holy Trinity 3 17.53x
Leamington Priors 3 21.28x
Plymouth Charles The 3 14.40x
Yardley 3 39.53x
Bedford St Cuthbert 2 192.31x
Eaton Socon 2 108.11x
Fillongley 2 243.90x
Islington London 2 0.91x
Rothwell 2 93.02x
Aston 1 0.63x
Bedford St Paul 1 12.39x
Bedford St Peter 1 32.68x
Birstall 1 263.16x
Compton Gifford 1 67.57x
Cosby 1 128.21x
Croydon 1 1.63x
Great Gidding 1 263.16x
Hackney London 1 0.78x
Handsworth 1 5.29x
Harford 1 714.29x
Kensington London 1 0.79x
Kilbirnie 1 24.51x
Lower Bullingham 1 270.27x
Midgley 1 41.67x
Millbrook 1 476.19x
Modbury 1 82.64x
Pertenhall 1 384.62x
Spaldwick 1 357.14x
Stoneleigh 1 105.26x
Tibshelf 1 57.14x
Walsall Foreign 1 2.52x
Wootton 1 98.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 14
John 12
George 11
Joseph 9
Richard 8
James 5
Robert 5
Arthur 4
Thomas 4
Philip 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Henry 2
Thos. 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Daniel 1
Ephraim 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredk 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Jonathan 1
Sam 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Hillson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hillson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 233 people were recorded with the Hillson surname. That placed it at #11,648 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hillson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 347 in 2016. That gives Hillson a modern rank of #13,259.

What does the Hillson surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "hill settlement".

What does the Hillson map show?

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