NameCensus.

UK surname

Hinsley

A locational surname derived from a place name in England.

In the 1881 census there were 448 people recorded with the Hinsley surname, ranking it #7,339 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 788, ranked #7,006, up from #7,339 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Harborne, Tipton otherwise Tibington and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, South Staffordshire and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hinsley is 846 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 75.9%.

1881 census count

448

Ranked #7,339

Modern count

788

2016, ranked #7,006

Peak year

2002

846 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hinsley had 448 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,339 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 788 in 2016, ranked #7,006.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 676 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Hinsley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hinsley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hinsley 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 238 #9,120
1861 historical 256 #9,667
1881 historical 448 #7,339
1891 historical 461 #7,937
1901 historical 575 #7,300
1911 historical 676 #6,248
1997 modern 805 #6,508
1998 modern 834 #6,533
1999 modern 836 #6,567
2000 modern 836 #6,544
2001 modern 808 #6,600
2002 modern 846 #6,480
2003 modern 823 #6,497
2004 modern 820 #6,531
2005 modern 799 #6,620
2006 modern 783 #6,743
2007 modern 813 #6,597
2008 modern 813 #6,653
2009 modern 799 #6,900
2010 modern 808 #6,966
2011 modern 793 #7,003
2012 modern 798 #6,846
2013 modern 813 #6,854
2014 modern 811 #6,906
2015 modern 807 #6,881
2016 modern 788 #7,006

Geography

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Where Hinsleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Harborne, Tipton otherwise Tibington, London parishes and Snaith. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, South Staffordshire, Rochdale, Charnwood and Lichfield. 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 Harborne Worcestershire
2 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Snaith Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 004 Doncaster
2 South Staffordshire 005 South Staffordshire
3 Rochdale 019 Rochdale
4 Charnwood 011 Charnwood
5 Lichfield 005 Lichfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hinsley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hinsley

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Hinsley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Hinsley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Hinsley is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hinsley 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hinsley

The surname Hinsley is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hine" meaning servant and "leah" meaning a meadow or woodland clearing. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked as a servant or laborer in a woodland area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various parts of northern England, including Yorkshire and Lancashire. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a Roger de Hyneley from Yorkshire.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Hineley, Hyndeley, and Hynley, before the modern spelling of Hinsley became more standardized.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Hinsley was John Hinsley (c. 1490-1546), who served as the Archdeacon of Richmond in Yorkshire during the reign of Henry VIII.

Another prominent figure was Sir John Hinsley (1603-1667), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Herefordshire and was a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, John Hinsley (c. 1720-1794) was a renowned clockmaker from Yorkshire, and his timepieces are highly sought after by collectors today.

The name Hinsley has also been associated with the city of Gloucester, where a prominent family bearing the name lived in the 19th century. One member, John Hinsley (1801-1877), was a successful businessman and served as the Mayor of Gloucester in 1859.

Additionally, Arthur Hinsley (1865-1943) was an English Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and served as the Archbishop of Westminster from 1935 until his death in 1943.

While the surname Hinsley is not among the most common in England, it has a long and rich history, with references spanning several centuries and individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hinsley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hinsley 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 133 Hinsleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.07x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 133 3.07x
Staffordshire 66 4.47x
Warwickshire 62 5.63x
Lancashire 46 0.89x
Norfolk 38 5.66x
Shropshire 28 7.42x
Worcestershire 15 2.63x
Derbyshire 11 1.61x
Middlesex 8 0.18x
Somerset 8 1.14x
Surrey 6 0.28x
Durham 5 0.38x
Huntingdonshire 5 5.76x
Cheshire 4 0.41x
Leicestershire 3 0.62x
Wiltshire 3 0.78x
Essex 2 0.23x
Lincolnshire 2 0.29x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Kent 1 0.07x
Northamptonshire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 54 Hinsleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.70x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 54 14.70x
Carlton In Selby 34 3035.71x
Tipton 18 39.85x
Eggbrough 12 2608.70x
Ashton Under Lyne 11 9.71x
Astley Abbotts 11 1182.80x
Kidderminster Borough 11 32.93x
Rawcliffe In Goole 11 445.34x
Walsall Foreign 11 14.44x
Attleborough 10 294.99x
Leeds 9 3.68x
Sheffield 9 6.53x
Camblesforth 8 1904.76x
Chilcompton 8 833.33x
Habergham Eaves 8 16.88x
Manchester 8 3.43x
Ardwick 7 14.97x
Madeley 7 50.58x
Ogley Hay 7 228.76x
Stapenhill 7 68.76x
Airmyn 6 810.81x
Aston 6 1.98x
Harborne 6 12.69x
Headingley Cum Burley 6 21.52x
Barmby On Marsh 5 1086.96x
Barton Under Needwood 5 186.57x
Chelsea London 5 3.80x
Ellingham 5 980.39x
Hockham 5 657.89x
Lower Penn 5 980.39x
Oldbury 5 1315.79x
Rotherham 5 20.48x
Sedgley 5 9.13x
St Neots 5 105.93x
Stow Bedon 5 1041.67x
Broseley 4 59.61x
Darlaston 4 19.62x
Everton 4 2.42x
Middlesbrough 4 7.09x
Winshill 4 91.74x
Altrincham 3 17.79x
Bale 3 857.14x
Bermondsey 3 2.31x
Clapham 3 5.49x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 3.41x
Howden 3 102.04x
Manningham 3 5.62x
Milford 3 144.93x
Nether Hallam 3 5.12x
Ryhope 3 33.22x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 3 20.09x
Wednesbury 3 8.14x
Batley 2 4.86x
Cawood 2 120.48x
Edgbaston 2 5.85x
Geldeston 2 454.55x
Gorton 2 4.10x
Hinckley 2 17.41x
Kelvedon 2 86.96x
Kidderminster Foreign 2 24.78x
Larling 2 740.74x
Reedham 2 156.25x
Aldershot 1 3.33x
Atherton 1 5.30x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 6.75x
Bowland Forest Low 1 222.22x
Colwich 1 28.49x
Deptford St Paul 1 0.87x
Gilling East 1 270.27x
High Leigh 1 78.74x
Holy Trinity 1 0.96x
Kings Norton 1 1.95x
Kirby Cane 1 158.73x
Kirkby Mallory Earl 1 43.10x
Knottingley 1 13.14x
Market Rasen 1 25.58x
Rusholme 1 7.23x
Stockton On Tees 1 1.60x
Sulby 1 833.33x
Worcester Blockhouse 1 31.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Elizabeth 19
Sarah 17
Ann 16
Annie 10
Eliza 8
Emma 8
Jane 6
Alice 5
Maria 5
Ada 4
Priscilla 4
Amy 3
Ellen 3
Hannah 3
Martha 3
Rose 3
Beatrice 2
Bella 2
Betsy 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Ruth 2
Sophia 2
Susannah 2
Adeline 1
Anne 1
Barbara 1
Bridget 1
Clara 1
Drucilla 1
Elinor 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth. 1
Emly 1
Ennis 1
Esther 1
Hepizibah 1
Isabell 1
Kate 1
Letitia 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Zipporah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 29
William 26
Thomas 25
George 22
James 12
Henry 9
Robert 9
Edward 8
Alfred 7
Charles 7
Harry 7
Joseph 7
Frederick 6
Samuel 4
Albert 3
Benjamin 3
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Richard 3
Edwin 2
Fred 2
Herbert 2
Tom 2
Uriah 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Amos 1
Arthur 1
Benjaman 1
Bernard 1
Chas. 1
Fenton 1
Frederic 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
Hackow 1
Isaac 1
Isaiah 1
Joe 1
Jonathan 1
Josiah 1
Matthew 1
Maurice 1
Noah 1
Ormand 1
Reuben 1
Sam 1
Thos. 1
Willm.Jas. 1
Wm.C. 1

FAQ

Hinsley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hinsley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 448 people were recorded with the Hinsley surname. That placed it at #7,339 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hinsley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 788 in 2016. That gives Hinsley a modern rank of #7,006.

What does the Hinsley surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in England.

What does the Hinsley map show?

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