NameCensus.

UK surname

Hinton

From a place name meaning "high settlement" or "town on a hill" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 4,000 people recorded with the Hinton surname, ranking it #1,131 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,590, ranked #1,199, down from #1,131 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Dudley and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Wychavon and South Northamptonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hinton is 6,007 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.8%.

1881 census count

4,000

Ranked #1,131

Modern count

5,590

2016, ranked #1,199

Peak year

1998

6,007 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hinton had 4,000 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,131 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,590 in 2016, ranked #1,199.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,663 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hinton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hinton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hinton 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 2,535 #1,170
1861 historical 2,454 #1,189
1881 historical 4,000 #1,131
1891 historical 4,265 #1,124
1901 historical 5,195 #1,079
1911 historical 5,663 #928
1997 modern 5,816 #1,128
1998 modern 6,007 #1,131
1999 modern 6,005 #1,137
2000 modern 5,955 #1,137
2001 modern 5,807 #1,143
2002 modern 5,838 #1,159
2003 modern 5,658 #1,164
2004 modern 5,684 #1,156
2005 modern 5,551 #1,163
2006 modern 5,618 #1,153
2007 modern 5,644 #1,156
2008 modern 5,664 #1,157
2009 modern 5,788 #1,156
2010 modern 5,873 #1,168
2011 modern 5,815 #1,168
2012 modern 5,630 #1,180
2013 modern 5,690 #1,190
2014 modern 5,698 #1,197
2015 modern 5,618 #1,200
2016 modern 5,590 #1,199

Geography

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Where Hintons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Dudley and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Wychavon, South Northamptonshire and Sandwell. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Dudley Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 007 Forest of Dean
2 Wychavon 003 Wychavon
3 South Northamptonshire 007 South Northamptonshire
4 Wychavon 004 Wychavon
5 Sandwell 022 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hinton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hinton

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hinton 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

Hinton is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hinton falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hinton

The surname Hinton originated in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hine," meaning a servant or household retainer, and "tun," meaning a farm or settlement. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived or worked on a farm or estate.

The earliest known record of the surname Hinton appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where it is spelled "Hintone." This spelling variation reflects the name's connection to various place names in England, such as Hinton Charterhouse in Somerset, Hinton St. George in Somerset, and Hinton Ampner in Hampshire.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror, several places with names similar to Hinton are mentioned, including Hintone (Gloucestershire), Hintone (Wiltshire), and Hintone (Berkshire). This further reinforces the surname's ties to specific locations in England.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was John de Hinton, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. Another notable figure was Sir John Hinton, a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1399 and 1402.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Hinton surname, including:

1. John Howard Hinton (1791-1873), an English Baptist minister and writer. 2. James Hinton (1822-1875), an English philosopher and writer on auricular surgery. 3. Richard Josiah Hinton (1825-1905), an English Baptist minister and author. 4. Mary Hinton (1844-1909), an English artist and illustrator. 5. Arthur Hinton (1869-1952), a British aviator and aviation pioneer.

It's worth noting that the surname Hinton has also been associated with various place names, such as Hinton St. Mary in Dorset, Hinton Waldrist in Berkshire, and Hinton Parva in Wiltshire, further reinforcing its connection to specific locations in England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hinton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hinton 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. Middlesex leads with 534 Hintons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.36x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 534 1.36x
Staffordshire 363 2.74x
Surrey 337 1.76x
Warwickshire 327 3.31x
Worcestershire 272 5.31x
Wiltshire 232 6.69x
Gloucestershire 195 2.54x
Oxfordshire 173 7.15x
Hampshire 150 1.87x
Shropshire 144 4.25x
Yorkshire 123 0.32x
Somerset 94 1.49x
Lancashire 90 0.19x
Cheshire 86 0.99x
Kent 85 0.64x
Buckinghamshire 84 3.54x
Essex 65 0.84x
Northamptonshire 63 1.71x
Berkshire 61 2.07x
Sussex 59 0.89x
Nottinghamshire 52 0.98x
Glamorgan 46 0.67x
Leicestershire 46 1.06x
Derbyshire 45 0.73x
Herefordshire 40 2.49x
Cambridgeshire 39 1.57x
Hertfordshire 33 1.22x
Durham 27 0.23x
Dorset 26 1.01x
Flintshire 18 1.71x
Lincolnshire 17 0.27x
Isle of Man 16 2.20x
Angus 14 0.39x
Bedfordshire 12 0.59x
Devon 12 0.15x
Monmouthshire 9 0.32x
Northumberland 8 0.14x
Channel Islands 5 0.43x
Dumfriesshire 4 0.46x
Midlothian 2 0.04x
Renfrewshire 2 0.07x
Royal Navy 2 0.43x
Rutland 2 0.69x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.11x
Norfolk 1 0.02x
Ross-shire 1 0.09x
Suffolk 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. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 149 Hintons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.47x.

Place Total Index
Aston 149 5.47x
Birmingham 107 3.25x
Battersea 65 4.51x
St Marylebone London 60 2.87x
West Bromwich 56 7.39x
Lambeth 51 1.49x
Dudley 49 7.87x
Islington London 43 1.13x
St Pancras London 39 1.24x
Camberwell 37 1.48x
Kensington London 37 1.70x
Swindon 37 13.76x
Kingswinford 36 7.49x
Christchurch 35 20.09x
Croydon 32 3.02x
Cirencester 31 29.78x
Gamlingay 30 116.01x
Bradford 29 3.08x
Portsea 27 1.71x
Sutton Veney 27 277.21x
Leicester St Margaret 26 2.45x
Sedgley 26 5.29x
Walsall Foreign 26 3.80x
Kidderminster Borough 24 8.01x
Wilton 24 97.88x
Oldbury 23 9.13x
Litchurch 22 8.91x
Lymm 21 33.38x
Shoreditch London 21 1.24x
Wednesfield 21 10.78x
Bethnal Green London 20 1.17x
Hammersmith London 19 1.97x
Kings Norton 19 4.14x
Brighton 18 1.35x
Hackney London 18 0.82x
Marshfield 18 87.59x
Reading St Giles 18 6.23x
Reading St Mary 18 7.64x
Southwark St George Martyr 18 2.28x
St George Bloomsbury 18 8.00x
Bermondsey 17 1.46x
Kidderminster Foreign 17 23.48x
Rowley Regis 17 4.61x
Cuddesdon 16 241.69x
Doynton 16 296.85x
Long Crendon 16 100.88x
Mile End Old Town London 16 1.92x
Paddington London 16 1.11x
Roath 16 5.16x
Southampton St Mary 16 3.17x
Wem 16 31.76x
Newchurch 15 3.94x
Newington 15 1.04x
Wilnecote 15 52.93x
Wolverhampton 15 1.47x
Dundee 14 1.03x
Harborne 14 3.30x
Lyncombe Widcombe 14 8.47x
Welsh Hampton 14 200.29x
Willesden 14 3.79x
Coldashton 13 248.57x
Eydon 13 215.59x
Handsworth 13 3.99x
Leigh 13 20.92x
Northfield 13 13.38x
Onchan 13 6.20x
Alveley 12 89.35x
Hornsey 12 2.42x
Isleworth 12 6.88x
Rotherhithe 12 2.48x
St George Hanover Square 12 1.74x
St George Martyr London 12 15.11x
Tottenham 12 1.92x
Tranmere 12 3.77x
Tring 12 16.63x
Weedon Loys 12 198.35x
West Bridgford 12 228.14x
Worcester St John 12 19.63x
Castle Combe 11 165.66x
Hampstead London 11 1.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 236
Sarah 143
Elizabeth 129
Eliza 74
Ann 69
Emma 69
Emily 67
Jane 67
Annie 65
Alice 61
Ellen 61
Louisa 51
Hannah 39
Martha 38
Florence 33
Maria 28
Harriet 27
Fanny 26
Caroline 23
Charlotte 23
Clara 23
Edith 23
Ada 22
Lucy 20
Harriett 19
Kate 19
Agnes 18
Amelia 17
Anne 17
Esther 17
Amy 16
Margaret 16
Susan 16
Frances 13
Rose 13
Catherine 12
Matilda 12
Jessie 11
Isabella 10
Sophia 10
Susannah 10
Julia 9
Lydia 8
Minnie 8
Phoebe 8
Rebecca 8
Selina 8
Ethel 7
Laura 7
Mabel 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 235
John 193
George 151
Thomas 147
James 124
Henry 101
Charles 95
Joseph 89
Frederick 62
Alfred 59
Arthur 51
Edward 45
Richard 41
Albert 40
Samuel 35
Walter 31
Frank 23
Ernest 21
Robert 19
Edwin 18
Harry 18
Benjamin 14
Herbert 14
Isaac 11
Wm. 9
Daniel 8
Francis 8
Fredrick 8
Chas. 7
David 7
Thos. 7
Tom 7
Percy 6
Sidney 6
Fred 5
Leonard 5
Amos 4
Edgar 4
Elijah 4
Enoch 4
Fredk. 4
Harold 4
Matthew 4
Stephen 4
Willm. 4
Jacob 3
Job 3
Josiah 3
Philip 3
Sydney 3

FAQ

Hinton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hinton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,000 people were recorded with the Hinton surname. That placed it at #1,131 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hinton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,590 in 2016. That gives Hinton a modern rank of #1,199.

What does the Hinton surname mean?

From a place name meaning "high settlement" or "town on a hill" in Old English.

What does the Hinton map show?

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