NameCensus.

UK surname

Hindley

A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from Hindley in Lancashire.

In the 1881 census there were 2,464 people recorded with the Hindley surname, ranking it #1,805 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,785, ranked #2,419, down from #1,805 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Winwick, Eccles and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan and Warrington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hindley is 3,384 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.0%.

1881 census count

2,464

Ranked #1,805

Modern count

2,785

2016, ranked #2,419

Peak year

1911

3,384 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hindley had 2,464 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,805 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,785 in 2016, ranked #2,419.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,384 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Hindley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hindley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hindley 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 1,478 #1,937
1861 historical 1,452 #1,957
1881 historical 2,464 #1,805
1891 historical 2,648 #1,801
1901 historical 3,006 #1,859
1911 historical 3,384 #1,546
1997 modern 3,024 #2,132
1998 modern 3,068 #2,194
1999 modern 3,122 #2,171
2000 modern 3,031 #2,223
2001 modern 2,999 #2,198
2002 modern 3,052 #2,206
2003 modern 2,957 #2,226
2004 modern 2,888 #2,280
2005 modern 2,823 #2,304
2006 modern 2,826 #2,300
2007 modern 2,857 #2,295
2008 modern 2,876 #2,301
2009 modern 2,972 #2,275
2010 modern 3,000 #2,304
2011 modern 2,892 #2,349
2012 modern 2,770 #2,409
2013 modern 2,787 #2,435
2014 modern 2,824 #2,420
2015 modern 2,780 #2,429
2016 modern 2,785 #2,419

Geography

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Where Hindleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Winwick, Eccles, Manchester, Leigh and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan and Warrington. 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 Winwick Lancashire
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Leigh Lancashire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 034 Wigan
2 Wigan 023 Wigan
3 Wigan 031 Wigan
4 Warrington 001 Warrington
5 Wigan 040 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hindley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hindley

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Hindley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Hindley 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Hindley is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hindley 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

Hindley 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 Hindley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hindley

The surname Hindley is of English origin, stemming from the Lancashire region in the northwest of England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hind" meaning a female deer, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a meadow or area where deer were found.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Hindley can be traced back to the late 12th century in Lancashire. In the 1196 Pipe Rolls of Henry II, one Roger de Hindele is mentioned, indicating that the name was already established at that time. The spelling of the name varied over the centuries, with variations such as Hyndeley, Hyndley, and Hyndelegh appearing in various historical records.

Hindley is also associated with several place names in Lancashire, such as Hindley Green and Hindley village, further reinforcing its connection to the region. These place names likely originated from the surname itself, with families adopting the name of the area they inhabited.

One notable figure bearing the Hindley surname was James Hindley (1675-1701), an English poet and translator who was born in Wigan, Lancashire. His works include translations of several classical texts, including Ovid's Metamorphoses and Horace's Odes.

Another individual of note was John Hindley (1765-1827), an English lawyer and writer. He was a prolific author, publishing works on various subjects, including literary criticism and history.

In the 19th century, William Hindley (1847-1920) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in the Manchester area, including the Royal Exchange Theatre.

Charles Hindley (1796-1857) was an English author and bibliographer, known for his works on literary history and his extensive collection of rare books and manuscripts.

Lastly, John Hindley (1830-1871) was an English engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of machinery for the textile industry.

These examples demonstrate the historical presence of the Hindley surname across various fields, from literature and law to architecture and engineering, further cementing its deep roots in English history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hindley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hindley 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 1,507 Hindleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.28x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,507 5.28x
Cheshire 325 6.12x
Yorkshire 115 0.48x
Nottinghamshire 103 3.18x
Middlesex 76 0.32x
Lincolnshire 60 1.56x
Staffordshire 51 0.63x
Surrey 51 0.44x
Shropshire 36 1.73x
Derbyshire 20 0.53x
Denbighshire 19 2.09x
Kent 17 0.21x
Warwickshire 14 0.23x
Essex 10 0.21x
Hampshire 10 0.20x
Leicestershire 8 0.30x
Sussex 7 0.17x
Durham 4 0.06x
Worcestershire 4 0.13x
Cumberland 3 0.14x
Flintshire 3 0.46x
Glamorgan 3 0.07x
Cornwall 2 0.07x
Devon 2 0.04x
Monmouthshire 2 0.12x
Royal Navy 2 0.70x
Ayrshire 1 0.06x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.07x
Gloucestershire 1 0.02x
Herefordshire 1 0.10x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Norfolk 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.07x
Renfrewshire 1 0.05x
Somerset 1 0.03x
Stirlingshire 1 0.11x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedford in Lancashire leads with 107 Hindleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 179.29x.

Place Total Index
Bedford 107 179.29x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 80 97.39x
Manchester 69 5.38x
Great Bolton 61 16.14x
Westleigh 59 91.06x
Barton Upon Irwell 55 25.61x
Culcheth 55 294.28x
Pennington In Leigh 54 98.65x
Farnworth 46 26.91x
Lowton 44 226.69x
Atherton 42 40.44x
Salford 39 4.65x
Astley 33 149.93x
Great Lever 30 99.11x
Liverpool 30 1.73x
Oldham 29 3.15x
Kirkdale 28 5.83x
Bradford 27 20.22x
West Derby 27 3.23x
Chester St John Baptist 25 26.20x
Worsley 25 14.21x
East Retford 23 81.79x
Westhoughton 22 28.89x
Barnton 20 157.85x
Warrington 20 5.91x
Beswick 19 26.04x
Hindley 19 15.62x
Newton In Makerfield 19 21.75x
Hulme 18 3.02x
Sutton 18 18.81x
Birkenhead 17 4.02x
Newark Upon Trent 17 14.59x
Runcorn 17 13.89x
Sutton In Macclesfield 17 30.86x
Aspull 16 23.84x
Chorley 16 9.99x
Weaverham Cum Milton 16 114.04x
Worksop 16 16.65x
Camberwell 15 0.98x
Dawley 15 19.84x
Hyde 15 9.58x
Little Bolton 15 4.09x
Little Lever 15 41.11x
Sedgley 15 4.98x
Brightside Bierlow 14 3.00x
Burntwood Edial 14 27.00x
Gorton 14 5.22x
Toxteth Park 14 1.45x
Droylsden 13 13.97x
Nottingham St Mary 13 1.55x
Sale 13 19.96x
Shoreditch London 13 1.25x
Chester St Oswald 12 12.49x
Broughton 11 30.80x
Dukinfield 11 4.48x
Hammersmith London 11 1.86x
Hoose 11 110.66x
Kearsley 11 18.32x
Kensington London 11 0.82x
Openshaw 11 8.23x
Sheffield 11 1.45x
Widnes 11 5.35x
Birmingham 10 0.49x
Cheadle 10 9.86x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 2.21x
Heap 10 6.61x
Newington 10 1.13x
Newton 10 4.55x
Northowram 10 5.99x
Pendlebury 10 16.60x
Pendleton In Salford 10 2.94x
Stoke Upon Trent 10 1.16x
Tranmere 10 5.13x
Walkerith 10 1388.89x
Walton On Hill 10 6.47x
Wigan 10 2.51x
Wuerdle Wardle 10 11.55x
Blackrod 9 25.38x
Broughton In Salford 9 3.45x
Horwich 9 28.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 223
Elizabeth 115
Sarah 91
Ann 74
Alice 58
Jane 55
Ellen 49
Margaret 45
Martha 39
Annie 32
Emma 29
Hannah 28
Eliza 23
Emily 17
Maria 15
Catherine 14
Edith 14
Lucy 13
Charlotte 12
Esther 12
Ada 11
Eleanor 10
Harriet 10
Louisa 10
Amelia 9
Betsy 8
Caroline 8
Florence 8
Elizth. 7
Margt. 7
Anne 6
Fanny 6
Nancy 6
Rebecca 6
Betty 5
Frances 5
Helen 5
Rachel 5
Ruth 5
Sophia 5
Agnes 4
Clara 4
Ethel 4
Isabella 4
Jessie 4
Kate 4
Lydia 4
Rose 4
Julia 3
Lily 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 176
William 149
James 109
Thomas 101
Joseph 84
George 50
Henry 50
Charles 38
Robert 33
Richard 30
Samuel 26
Alfred 22
Edward 21
Peter 21
Arthur 16
David 15
Frederick 14
Harry 12
Walter 11
Adam 8
Daniel 8
Thos. 8
Herbert 7
Albert 6
Benjamin 6
Frank 6
Geo. 6
Philip 5
Wm. 5
Ernest 4
Fred 4
Jonathan 4
Saml. 4
Timothy 4
Tom 4
Fredrick 3
Godfrey 3
Josiah 3
Noah 3
Andrew 2
Fredk. 2
Jabez 2
Jesse 2
Joe 2
Jos. 2
Joshua 2
Pearce 2
Percy 2
Richd. 2
Sidney 2

FAQ

Hindley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hindley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,464 people were recorded with the Hindley surname. That placed it at #1,805 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hindley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,785 in 2016. That gives Hindley a modern rank of #2,419.

What does the Hindley surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from Hindley in Lancashire.

What does the Hindley map show?

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