NameCensus.

UK surname

Hilton

A locational surname derived from any of several places named Hilton, meaning "hill town" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 10,280 people recorded with the Hilton surname, ranking it #418 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,753, ranked #506, down from #418 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hilton is 13,467 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.1%.

1881 census count

10,280

Ranked #418

Modern count

12,753

2016, ranked #506

Peak year

1911

13,467 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hilton had 10,280 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #418 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,753 in 2016, ranked #506.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 13,467 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Hilton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hilton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hilton 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 6,186 #448
1861 historical 5,962 #458
1881 historical 10,280 #418
1891 historical 10,476 #420
1901 historical 12,433 #420
1911 historical 13,467 #362
1997 modern 12,607 #481
1998 modern 12,982 #489
1999 modern 13,150 #485
2000 modern 12,991 #487
2001 modern 12,787 #484
2002 modern 13,071 #483
2003 modern 12,765 #484
2004 modern 12,622 #488
2005 modern 12,393 #495
2006 modern 12,350 #495
2007 modern 12,464 #495
2008 modern 12,486 #498
2009 modern 12,886 #495
2010 modern 13,158 #496
2011 modern 12,897 #497
2012 modern 12,582 #502
2013 modern 12,875 #499
2014 modern 12,934 #503
2015 modern 12,799 #505
2016 modern 12,753 #506

Geography

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Where Hiltons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Manchester, Leigh and Middleton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Leigh Lancashire
5 Middleton Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 017 Wigan
2 Wigan 031 Wigan
3 Wigan 033 Wigan
4 Wigan 034 Wigan
5 Wigan 010 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hilton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hilton

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Hilton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hilton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Hilton 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

Hilton is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hilton falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hilton

The surname Hilton is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hyl" meaning hill and "tun" meaning settlement or enclosure. It is a locational surname that initially referred to individuals who lived near a hill or in a hilltop town or village.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Hilton date back to the 12th century, with references found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166. The surname is also mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hiltone" and "Hiltun," referring to various places with similar names across England.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir Roger Hilton, a 13th-century English knight and landowner from Westmorland, now part of Cumbria. He was a prominent figure during the reign of King Edward I and served as the Sheriff of Westmorland in 1284.

Another historical figure with the surname Hilton was Walter Hilton, a 14th-century English Augustinian canon and celebrated mystic writer. He authored several influential works on spiritual contemplation, including "The Ladder of Perfection" and "The Mixed Life." He lived from around 1340 to 1396.

In the 15th century, John Hilton, a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, played a significant role in the wool trade. He served as the Master of the Mercers' Company in 1463 and was a benefactor to various charitable causes in London.

During the 16th century, the Hilton family of Lincolnshire rose to prominence, with members such as Sir William Hilton, who served as the High Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1593. The family's ancestral seat was at Hilton Manor in the village of Hilton, which likely contributed to the widespread adoption of the surname in the area.

In the 17th century, Edward Hilton, a merchant and landowner from Northamptonshire, became a prominent figure in the colonization of Bermuda. He served as the Governor of the Somers Isles (now Bermuda) from 1616 to 1618 and played a crucial role in the early development of the colony.

Throughout its history, the surname Hilton has been associated with various place names across England, such as Hilton in Derbyshire, Hilton in Staffordshire, and Hilton in Westmorland, among others. The name has also been spelled in different ways over time, including Hylton, Hylten, and Hylten.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hilton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hilton 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. Lancashire leads with 6,330 Hiltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.31x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 6,330 5.31x
Yorkshire 512 0.51x
Middlesex 417 0.42x
Surrey 344 0.70x
Sussex 330 1.95x
Cheshire 279 1.26x
Lincolnshire 252 1.57x
Staffordshire 229 0.68x
Norfolk 164 1.06x
Kent 145 0.42x
Derbyshire 137 0.87x
Warwickshire 134 0.53x
Durham 133 0.45x
Nottinghamshire 90 0.66x
Essex 76 0.38x
Cumberland 59 0.68x
Hampshire 58 0.28x
Hertfordshire 58 0.84x
Bedfordshire 53 1.02x
Leicestershire 48 0.43x
Lanarkshire 44 0.14x
Shropshire 39 0.45x
Northumberland 36 0.24x
Westmorland 31 1.40x
Worcestershire 28 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 25 0.41x
Suffolk 21 0.17x
Angus 20 0.22x
Cambridgeshire 20 0.31x
Northamptonshire 17 0.18x
Berkshire 15 0.20x
Aberdeenshire 14 0.15x
Renfrewshire 12 0.15x
Gloucestershire 10 0.05x
Somerset 10 0.06x
Inverness-shire 9 0.30x
Isle of Man 9 0.48x
Montgomeryshire 9 0.39x
Devon 8 0.04x
Wiltshire 8 0.09x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.17x
Pembrokeshire 7 0.22x
Banffshire 6 0.29x
Herefordshire 6 0.15x
Denbighshire 5 0.13x
Dumfriesshire 4 0.18x
Royal Navy 4 0.33x
Anglesey 3 0.17x
Cornwall 3 0.03x
Fife 3 0.05x
Monmouthshire 3 0.04x
Glamorgan 2 0.01x
Morayshire 2 0.13x
Rutland 2 0.27x
Ayrshire 1 0.01x
Dorset 1 0.02x
Flintshire 1 0.04x
Midlothian 1 0.01x
Oxfordshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 687 Hiltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.86x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 687 17.86x
Pilkington 322 71.13x
Middleton In Oldham 264 73.89x
Ashton Under Lyne 255 9.79x
Great Bolton 181 11.47x
Wigan 176 10.57x
Chadderton 171 29.35x
Tonge 149 59.60x
Manchester 134 2.50x
Crompton 133 39.19x
Bedford 130 52.15x
Royton 127 34.84x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 114 33.23x
Pemberton 111 23.36x
Westhoughton 108 33.96x
Newton 106 11.54x
Atherton 96 22.13x
Ince In Makerfield 96 17.31x
Worsley 94 12.80x
Blackburn 91 2.87x
Salford 89 2.54x
Aspull 88 31.39x
Heap 88 13.92x
Hindley 87 17.12x
Radcliffe 84 14.62x
Little Bolton 80 5.22x
Prestwich 78 26.24x
Islington London 77 0.79x
Failsworth 76 27.88x
Castleton 75 6.30x
Everton 75 1.97x
Bury 73 5.36x
Preston 71 2.23x
Brighton 67 1.96x
Dukinfield 64 6.25x
Pendleton In Salford 64 4.51x
Lambeth 61 0.70x
West Derby 58 1.66x
Aston 53 0.76x
Liverpool 51 0.70x
Bradford 49 8.78x
Stoke Upon Trent 47 1.31x
Litchurch 46 7.27x
Pennington In Leigh 46 20.12x
West Ham 46 1.05x
Macclesfield 45 4.57x
Droylsden 44 11.32x
Orrell 42 28.35x
Camberwell 41 0.64x
Chorlton On Medlock 41 2.17x
Wolverhampton 39 1.50x
Broughton In Salford 36 3.30x
Leeds 35 0.62x
North Meols 35 3.00x
Farnworth 34 4.76x
Hulme 34 1.37x
Ashton In Makerfield 30 8.84x
Heckington 30 49.11x
Billinge Higher End 29 60.09x
Little Hulton 29 14.70x
Old Buckenham 29 73.29x
Saddleworth 29 3.78x
Toxteth Park 29 0.72x
Southwark St George Martyr 28 1.39x
Barnsley 27 2.63x
Eastbourne 27 3.47x
Hopwood 27 17.33x
Middle Hulton 27 38.25x
Ardwick 26 2.42x
Birmingham 26 0.31x
Halliwell 26 5.99x
Newington 26 0.70x
Westleigh 26 9.61x
Battersea 25 0.68x
Windle 25 3.73x
Croydon 24 0.88x
Gorton 24 2.14x
Little Lever 24 15.75x
Tranmere 23 2.82x
Wardleworth 23 3.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 808
Sarah 468
Elizabeth 403
Alice 267
Ann 239
Jane 196
Ellen 174
Hannah 160
Emma 157
Eliza 136
Margaret 133
Annie 125
Martha 123
Emily 92
Harriet 59
Ada 51
Maria 51
Betty 49
Florence 45
Clara 44
Fanny 44
Charlotte 40
Louisa 38
Esther 37
Lucy 37
Edith 36
Frances 34
Agnes 32
Catherine 32
Isabella 32
Anne 31
Rachel 31
Betsy 30
Nancy 30
Elizth. 26
Caroline 25
Ruth 25
Amelia 24
Harriett 22
Kate 22
Rebecca 21
Eleanor 20
Sophia 20
Susannah 20
Amy 18
Bertha 17
Rose 16
Susan 16
Gertrude 15
Helen 14

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 682
William 570
James 522
Thomas 366
Joseph 241
George 233
Henry 197
Robert 138
Charles 131
Samuel 113
Richard 102
Edward 96
Alfred 83
Frederick 75
Harry 59
Arthur 58
Albert 55
Walter 55
Frank 46
David 42
Herbert 41
Wm. 41
Peter 39
Fred 35
Benjamin 33
Abraham 32
Edwin 32
Ernest 31
Daniel 30
Thos. 29
Jonathan 24
Francis 17
Jas. 16
Matthew 15
Andrew 14
Tom 14
Edmund 12
Isaac 12
Jno. 12
Ralph 12
Chas. 11
Saml. 11
Percy 10
Alexander 9
Harold 9
Stephen 9
Christopher 8
Edgar 8
Job 7
Squire 7

FAQ

Hilton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hilton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10,280 people were recorded with the Hilton surname. That placed it at #418 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hilton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,753 in 2016. That gives Hilton a modern rank of #506.

What does the Hilton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from any of several places named Hilton, meaning "hill town" in Old English.

What does the Hilton map show?

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