NameCensus.

UK surname

Hillyard

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a hill enclosure or steep hill.

In the 1881 census there were 763 people recorded with the Hillyard surname, ranking it #4,837 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,003, ranked #5,792, down from #4,837 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Westoning, Tingrith, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Northamptonshire, Tewkesbury and Central Bedfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hillyard is 1,224 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.5%.

1881 census count

763

Ranked #4,837

Modern count

1,003

2016, ranked #5,792

Peak year

1911

1,224 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hillyard had 763 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,837 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,003 in 2016, ranked #5,792.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,224 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hillyard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hillyard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hillyard 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 494 #5,061
1861 historical 493 #5,294
1881 historical 763 #4,837
1891 historical 886 #4,652
1901 historical 1,030 #4,640
1911 historical 1,224 #3,859
1997 modern 1,028 #5,363
1998 modern 1,078 #5,343
1999 modern 1,094 #5,304
2000 modern 1,077 #5,351
2001 modern 1,065 #5,310
2002 modern 1,108 #5,238
2003 modern 1,058 #5,352
2004 modern 1,034 #5,462
2005 modern 1,012 #5,496
2006 modern 1,026 #5,444
2007 modern 1,036 #5,453
2008 modern 1,034 #5,498
2009 modern 1,047 #5,566
2010 modern 1,056 #5,627
2011 modern 1,044 #5,611
2012 modern 1,027 #5,615
2013 modern 1,035 #5,679
2014 modern 1,038 #5,684
2015 modern 1,023 #5,706
2016 modern 1,003 #5,792

Geography

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Where Hillyards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Westoning, Tingrith, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Northamptonshire, Tewkesbury, Central Bedfordshire and Northampton. 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 Westoning, Tingrith Bedfordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Northamptonshire 003 South Northamptonshire
2 South Northamptonshire 001 South Northamptonshire
3 Tewkesbury 003 Tewkesbury
4 Central Bedfordshire 015 Central Bedfordshire
5 Northampton 021 Northampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hillyard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hillyard

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Hillyard is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Hillyard is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hillyard falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hillyard

The surname HILLYARD is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "hyll" meaning hill and "geard" meaning yard or enclosure, referring to someone who lived near a fenced or enclosed hill.

The name was first recorded in Nottinghamshire, England, where it was closely associated with the village of Hillyard near Calverton. Early spellings of the name included Hilliard, Hyllyard, and Hylliarde. It is believed that the name may have originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who lived on or near a particular hill.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname HILLYARD is in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1196, where a Richard de Hilliard is listed. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a Roger de Hyllyard is mentioned.

In the 14th century, the HILLYARD surname can be found in various records throughout England, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which list a John Hylliarde. The name is also recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1332, where a Thomas Hilliard is mentioned.

Notable individuals with the surname HILLYARD throughout history include:

1. Sir Christopher Hillyard (c. 1525 – 1598), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. Robert Hillyard (1654 – 1728), an English clergyman and author of several religious works, including "The Practical Expositor" published in 1712.

3. William Hillyard (1690 – 1767), an English engraver and printmaker known for his portraits and illustrations of historical events.

4. Thomas Hillyard (1763 – 1839), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London, including St. Pancras New Church.

5. John Hillyard Cameron (1819 – 1887), a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada and later as a Senator.

The HILLYARD surname continues to be found throughout England, as well as in other parts of the world where English settlers migrated, such as Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hillyard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hillyard 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. Bedfordshire leads with 139 Hillyards recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.07x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 139 36.07x
Northamptonshire 123 17.57x
Middlesex 107 1.44x
Yorkshire 64 0.87x
Surrey 45 1.24x
Essex 41 2.79x
Warwickshire 34 1.81x
Nottinghamshire 31 3.09x
Kent 29 1.14x
Lancashire 24 0.27x
Hertfordshire 21 4.09x
Buckinghamshire 20 4.44x
Leicestershire 14 1.70x
Suffolk 12 1.32x
Devon 7 0.45x
Aberdeenshire 6 0.87x
Derbyshire 6 0.51x
Durham 6 0.27x
Huntingdonshire 6 4.06x
Gloucestershire 5 0.34x
Hampshire 5 0.33x
Norfolk 4 0.35x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.64x
Royal Navy 2 2.26x
Sussex 2 0.16x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.33x
Cheshire 1 0.06x
Glamorgan 1 0.08x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Monmouthshire 1 0.19x
Oxfordshire 1 0.22x
Worcestershire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westoning in Bedfordshire leads with 30 Hillyards recorded in 1881 and an index of 1796.41x.

Place Total Index
Westoning 30 1796.41x
Harbury 26 852.46x
Cardington 24 764.33x
Leeds 24 5.76x
Roade 20 1092.90x
Northampton St Sepulchre 18 50.55x
Gayton 17 1164.38x
Shillington 16 281.69x
Battersea 14 5.11x
Islington London 14 1.94x
Luton 14 20.99x
St Pancras London 14 2.34x
Huntington 12 800.00x
Hardingstone 11 164.67x
Nottingham St Mary 11 4.24x
Piddington 11 852.71x
Leicester St Margaret 10 4.97x
Westminster St John 10 11.03x
Biggleswade 9 71.32x
Lambeth 9 1.39x
Little Bolton 9 7.93x
Newport Pagnell 9 95.64x
Plumstead 9 10.63x
Radford 9 17.66x
Redbourn 9 160.71x
Wolverton 9 96.67x
Writtle 9 150.00x
Barking 8 18.61x
Lewisham 8 5.91x
Newington 8 2.91x
Wellingborough 8 22.73x
Westminster St James 8 10.46x
Deptford St Paul 7 3.57x
Holwell 7 1272.73x
Lexden 7 118.64x
Pattishall 7 301.72x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 6 4.65x
Barrow In Furness 6 5.00x
Framwellgate 6 45.73x
Huntingdon St Mary 6 162.16x
Ipswich St Nicholas 6 120.24x
Stanway 6 232.56x
Streatham 6 10.87x
Tottenham 6 5.06x
Ampthill 5 86.96x
East Markham 5 260.42x
Kimberworth 5 12.22x
Marston Moretaine 5 166.67x
Paddington London 5 1.83x
Shoreditch London 5 1.55x
St George Hanover Square 5 3.81x
Stowe Nine Churches 5 769.23x
Upper Gravenhurst 5 555.56x
Wootton 5 240.38x
Aston 4 0.77x
Bedford St Peter 4 39.96x
Bulcote 4 1379.31x
Camberwell 4 0.84x
Chatham 4 5.73x
Great Yarmouth 4 4.22x
Hitchin 4 17.27x
Holbeck 4 8.19x
Leicester St Mary 4 6.00x
Little Munden 4 336.13x
Manchester 4 1.01x
Milton 4 216.22x
Ratcliffe London 4 9.73x
Sandy 4 58.91x
Thrapston 4 113.64x
Bedford St Paul 3 11.35x
Belper 3 13.28x
Chelsea London 3 1.34x
Copford 3 177.51x
Exeter Heavitree 3 25.97x
Hampstead London 3 2.59x
Ipswich St Clement 3 13.02x
Kelvedon 3 76.53x
Kensington London 3 0.73x
Northampton St Giles 3 11.25x
St George In East London 3 4.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 49
John 42
George 36
Thomas 19
Charles 18
James 17
Frederick 15
Henry 14
Joseph 14
Harry 12
Samuel 11
Arthur 8
Herbert 8
Robert 7
Alfred 6
Edward 5
Frank 5
Walter 5
David 4
Ernest 4
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Percy 3
Wm. 3
Edwd. 2
Elisha 2
Gavis 2
H. 2
Martin 2
Richard 2
Seth 2
Sidney 2
Sydney 2
Albert 1
Amos 1
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
Brame 1
Burtie 1
Burton 1
Ephram 1
F. 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Joshia 1
Lewis 1
Louis 1
Mark 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Hillyard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hillyard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 763 people were recorded with the Hillyard surname. That placed it at #4,837 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hillyard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,003 in 2016. That gives Hillyard a modern rank of #5,792.

What does the Hillyard surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a hill enclosure or steep hill.

What does the Hillyard map show?

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