NameCensus.

UK surname

Hinchcliffe

An English surname derived from a location name and meaning "dweller near the meadow on a hillside".

In the 1881 census there were 1,824 people recorded with the Hinchcliffe surname, ranking it #2,386 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,702, ranked #3,668, down from #2,386 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Silkstone, Thornhill and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Rotherham and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hinchcliffe is 2,397 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 6.7%.

1881 census count

1,824

Ranked #2,386

Modern count

1,702

2016, ranked #3,668

Peak year

1911

2,397 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hinchcliffe had 1,824 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,386 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,702 in 2016, ranked #3,668.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,397 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Hinchcliffe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hinchcliffe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hinchcliffe 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 498 #5,020
1861 historical 898 #3,083
1881 historical 1,824 #2,386
1891 historical 1,657 #2,704
1901 historical 1,701 #3,033
1911 historical 2,397 #2,138
1997 modern 1,879 #3,208
1998 modern 1,947 #3,222
1999 modern 2,002 #3,175
2000 modern 1,919 #3,278
2001 modern 1,751 #3,471
2002 modern 1,784 #3,488
2003 modern 1,766 #3,450
2004 modern 1,758 #3,471
2005 modern 1,762 #3,436
2006 modern 1,721 #3,509
2007 modern 1,717 #3,547
2008 modern 1,738 #3,537
2009 modern 1,813 #3,481
2010 modern 1,830 #3,517
2011 modern 1,825 #3,491
2012 modern 1,754 #3,545
2013 modern 1,766 #3,585
2014 modern 1,763 #3,600
2015 modern 1,725 #3,637
2016 modern 1,702 #3,668

Geography

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Where Hinchcliffes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Silkstone, Thornhill, Batley, Bradford and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Rotherham, Kirklees and Sheffield. 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 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Thornhill Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 066 County Durham
2 Rotherham 001 Rotherham
3 Rotherham 002 Rotherham
4 Kirklees 020 Kirklees
5 Sheffield 076 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hinchcliffe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hinchcliffe

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hinchcliffe, 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 Hinchcliffe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hinchcliffe 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, Hinchcliffe 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

Hinchcliffe is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hinchcliffe 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 Hinchcliffe 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 Hinchcliffe, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hinchcliffe

The surname Hinchcliffe originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name deriving from the ancient village of Hinchcliffe, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The name is derived from the Old English words "hinca" meaning a henchman or servant, and "clif" meaning a cliff or slope, referring to the geographical features of the area.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Hinchcliffe can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hinchecliua". This entry suggests that the name was already established and associated with the village by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Hyncheclif" and "Hyncheclyf". By the 14th century, the spelling had evolved closer to the modern form, with examples such as "Hynchecliffe" and "Hyncheclyffe" found in legal documents and land charters.

Notable historical figures bearing the Hinchcliffe surname include John Hinchcliffe (c. 1550-1616), an English philosopher and theologian who served as the President of Magdalen College, Oxford. Another early bearer of the name was Thomas Hinchcliffe (1629-1689), a prominent English clergyman who held the position of Bishop of Peterborough.

In the 18th century, John Hinchcliffe (1733-1794) was an English Anglican bishop who served as the Bishop of Peterborough from 1769 until his death. During this period, the name also gained recognition through the work of John Hinchcliffe (1781-1861), an English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

Moving into the 19th century, Edward Hinchcliffe (1840-1916) was a British politician and industrialist who served as the Mayor of Sheffield and played a significant role in the city's steel industry.

Throughout its history, the Hinchcliffe surname has maintained a strong connection to its Yorkshire roots, with many bearers of the name tracing their ancestry back to the original Hinchcliffe village and its surrounding areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hinchcliffe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hinchcliffe 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,225 Hinchcliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.93x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,225 6.93x
Lancashire 311 1.47x
Cheshire 65 1.65x
Derbyshire 61 2.19x
Middlesex 34 0.19x
Aberdeenshire 16 0.97x
Nottinghamshire 15 0.62x
Warwickshire 13 0.29x
Surrey 12 0.14x
Flintshire 8 1.67x
Kent 8 0.13x
Devon 6 0.16x
Montgomeryshire 6 1.47x
Northumberland 5 0.19x
Staffordshire 5 0.08x
Hampshire 4 0.11x
Leicestershire 4 0.20x
Norfolk 4 0.15x
Durham 3 0.06x
Lincolnshire 3 0.11x
Royal Navy 3 1.41x
Shropshire 3 0.19x
Stirlingshire 3 0.46x
Wiltshire 3 0.19x
Somerset 2 0.07x
Anglesey 1 0.32x
Berkshire 1 0.07x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.68x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.25x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.18x
Worcestershire 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. Saddleworth in Yorkshire leads with 72 Hinchcliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.82x.

Place Total Index
Saddleworth 72 52.82x
Bradford 52 12.16x
Thornhill 52 100.85x
Leeds 51 5.11x
Mirfield 50 51.54x
Huddersfield 49 19.03x
Sheffield 48 8.53x
Oldham 40 5.86x
Skelmanthorpe 40 209.75x
Ashton Under Lyne 34 7.35x
Batley 33 19.65x
North Bierley 32 33.54x
Dewsbury 27 14.90x
Gomersal 26 31.52x
Lockwood 26 40.90x
Morley 26 28.30x
Manchester 25 2.63x
Almondbury 24 28.09x
Blackburn 24 4.26x
Dukinfield 21 11.55x
Calverley Cum Farsley 20 39.86x
Glossop Dale 20 15.30x
Nether Hallam 20 8.37x
Meltham 19 69.14x
Wombwell 19 36.88x
Bowling 18 10.28x
Liverpool 18 1.40x
Ovenden 18 22.89x
Barnsley 17 9.33x
Mellor 17 223.98x
Rochdale 17 110.18x
Rotherham 17 17.06x
Wakefield 17 12.53x
Wooldale 17 56.72x
Wortley In Bramley 16 11.43x
Barkisland 15 116.91x
Penistone 15 108.85x
Hunslet 14 5.08x
Bradfield 13 19.08x
Castleton 13 6.15x
Shepley 12 123.20x
Shitlington 12 65.65x
Upper Hallam 12 78.18x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 11 17.14x
Cheadle 11 14.63x
Kimberworth 11 11.22x
Pendleton In Salford 11 4.36x
Bridlington 10 24.72x
Churwell 10 82.99x
Derby St Werburgh 10 6.20x
Whitley Upper 10 392.16x
Aberdeen Old Machar 9 2.61x
Ardwick 9 4.72x
Cumberworth 9 100.00x
Doncaster 9 6.97x
Horton In Bradford 9 3.26x
Liversedge 9 11.44x
Soothill 9 14.10x
Allerton Bywater 8 83.68x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 8 13.24x
Halifax 8 3.08x
Ince In Makerfield 8 8.13x
Mottram 8 44.87x
Netherthong 8 140.11x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 8 12.67x
Salford 8 1.29x
Birmingham 7 0.47x
Cawthorne In Wortley 7 98.04x
Chadderton 7 6.77x
Mile End Old Town London 7 1.84x
Peterhead 7 8.02x
Royton 7 10.81x
Ardsley 6 29.47x
Dalton In Huddersfield 6 15.16x
Golcar 6 12.84x
Llanllwchaiarn 6 33.90x
Middleton In Oldham 6 9.46x
Shoreditch London 6 0.78x
St Martin In Fields 6 5.62x
Tideswell 6 49.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 143
Sarah 93
Elizabeth 54
Ann 45
Annie 36
Martha 36
Hannah 34
Emma 32
Jane 32
Eliza 29
Alice 27
Ellen 25
Clara 17
Florence 17
Emily 16
Ada 14
Edith 12
Harriet 12
Maria 11
Charlotte 9
Frances 9
Louisa 9
Kate 7
Lucy 7
Margaret 7
Anne 6
Caroline 6
Catherine 6
Fanny 6
Amy 5
Elizth. 5
Ethel 5
Laura 5
Lydia 5
Betty 4
Eva 4
Harriett 4
Helen 4
Lilly 4
Rachel 4
Beatrice 3
Bertha 3
Betsy 3
Esther 3
Grace 3
Hester 3
Julia 3
Matilda 3
Nancy 3
Priscilla 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 103
William 84
George 61
James 56
Joseph 45
Thomas 35
Henry 27
Charles 26
Harry 25
Arthur 15
Fred 15
Samuel 15
Alfred 14
Benjamin 14
Richard 12
Walter 12
Robert 11
Wm. 11
Albert 10
Herbert 10
Joe 9
Jonathan 9
Tom 9
Geo. 8
Edward 7
Edwin 7
Sam 7
Frank 6
Ben 5
Daniel 5
David 5
Frederick 5
Jonas 5
Mark 5
Ernest 4
Joshua 4
Luke 4
Seth 3
Willie 3
Wright 3
Abraham 2
Allen 2
Ammon 2
Benj. 2
Jas. 2
Jesse 2
Jno. 2
Moses 2
Ralph 2
Reuben 2

FAQ

Hinchcliffe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hinchcliffe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,824 people were recorded with the Hinchcliffe surname. That placed it at #2,386 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hinchcliffe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,702 in 2016. That gives Hinchcliffe a modern rank of #3,668.

What does the Hinchcliffe surname mean?

An English surname derived from a location name and meaning "dweller near the meadow on a hillside".

What does the Hinchcliffe map show?

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