NameCensus.

UK surname

Hipkins

A locational English surname denoting someone from a minor place named with the Old English words "hype" (hip) and "hyrne" (corner).

In the 1881 census there were 364 people recorded with the Hipkins surname, ranking it #8,525 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 371, ranked #12,561, down from #8,525 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, Tipton otherwise Tibington and Dudley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, Middlesbrough and Walsall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hipkins is 577 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.9%.

1881 census count

364

Ranked #8,525

Modern count

371

2016, ranked #12,561

Peak year

1911

577 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hipkins had 364 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,525 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 371 in 2016, ranked #12,561.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 577 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hipkins surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hipkins surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hipkins 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 244 #8,950
1861 historical 349 #7,318
1881 historical 364 #8,525
1891 historical 425 #8,429
1901 historical 478 #8,329
1911 historical 577 #7,046
1997 modern 405 #10,908
1998 modern 429 #10,795
1999 modern 424 #10,969
2000 modern 421 #10,984
2001 modern 414 #10,942
2002 modern 415 #11,133
2003 modern 404 #11,191
2004 modern 398 #11,321
2005 modern 377 #11,714
2006 modern 373 #11,854
2007 modern 381 #11,798
2008 modern 392 #11,661
2009 modern 401 #11,712
2010 modern 389 #12,251
2011 modern 393 #12,017
2012 modern 381 #12,152
2013 modern 371 #12,597
2014 modern 369 #12,745
2015 modern 362 #12,825
2016 modern 371 #12,561

Geography

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Where Hipkins' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, Tipton otherwise Tibington, Dudley, London parishes 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 Sandwell, Middlesbrough and Walsall. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
3 Dudley Staffordshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 009 Sandwell
2 Sandwell 014 Sandwell
3 Middlesbrough 007 Middlesbrough
4 Sandwell 015 Sandwell
5 Walsall 038 Walsall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hipkins

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hipkins

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Hipkins surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hipkins household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Hipkins is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hipkins is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hipkins 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 Hipkins is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hipkins

The surname Hipkins is believed to have originated in England, dating back to the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hype" or "hype-mann," which referred to a hip or haunch, and was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a prominent hip or a distinctive gait.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a William Hypekyn is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the surname over time.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various records across different counties in England. For instance, in the Hearth Tax Returns of 1670 for Oxfordshire, a John Hipkins is listed as a resident of the town of Witney.

The Hipkins surname is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure is Richard Hipkins, a prominent English lawyer and judge who lived during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as a Justice of the Common Pleas and was knighted in 1616.

Another noteworthy bearer of the Hipkins name was John Hipkins, an English musician and writer born in 1785. He composed several works for the piano and was also known for his writings on music theory and history.

In the 19th century, Alfred James Hipkins (1826-1903) made significant contributions to the field of musical instrument history and restoration. He worked at the British Museum and was a renowned expert on keyboard instruments, publishing several influential works on the subject.

The surname Hipkins has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Hipkins Farm in Shropshire and Hipkins Green in Worcestershire. These locations likely derived their names from early inhabitants bearing the Hipkins surname.

Throughout its history, the Hipkins surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Hipkin, Hypkin, Hepkin, and Hepekin, reflecting the fluidity of spelling practices in earlier times.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hipkins families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hipkins 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. Staffordshire leads with 124 Hipkins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.37x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 124 10.37x
Warwickshire 51 5.71x
Middlesex 48 1.36x
Worcestershire 39 8.43x
Surrey 21 1.22x
Norfolk 18 3.31x
Lancashire 14 0.33x
Yorkshire 11 0.31x
Cheshire 8 1.02x
Durham 8 0.76x
Kent 5 0.41x
Sussex 3 0.50x
Derbyshire 2 0.36x
Hampshire 2 0.28x
Leicestershire 2 0.51x
Pembrokeshire 2 1.78x
Somerset 2 0.35x
Gloucestershire 1 0.14x
Lincolnshire 1 0.18x
Rutland 1 3.85x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tipton in Staffordshire leads with 44 Hipkins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 120.22x.

Place Total Index
Tipton 44 120.22x
Birmingham 37 12.43x
Sedgley 32 72.07x
West Bromwich 17 24.84x
Dudley 13 23.12x
Wolverhampton 13 14.14x
Bury 10 20.83x
Camberwell 10 4.42x
St Botolph Aldgate London 9 123.46x
Ecclesall Bierlow 8 11.21x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 8 17.53x
Aston 7 2.85x
Bethnal Green London 7 4.55x
Kensington London 7 3.56x
Lambeth 7 2.27x
Ovington 7 2058.82x
Poplar London 7 10.47x
Church Coppenhall 6 171.92x
Clent 6 495.87x
Harborne 6 15.66x
Snettisham 6 397.35x
Upperswinford 6 153.45x
Bredon 5 316.46x
Lye 5 64.94x
Edgbaston 4 14.45x
Everton 4 2.99x
Rowley Regis 4 12.01x
Shoreditch London 4 2.61x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 5.61x
St Luke London 4 7.04x
Willenhall 4 17.87x
Bromley London 3 3.85x
Curdworth 3 365.85x
Deptford St Paul 3 3.22x
St George Hanover Square 3 4.81x
Stoughton 3 394.74x
Alpraham 2 377.36x
Chelsea London 2 1.87x
Deptford St Nicholas 2 20.86x
Llanstadwell 2 54.35x
Repton 2 95.24x
Sheffield 2 1.79x
Shipdham 2 108.11x
Stourbridge 2 16.81x
Walsall Foreign 2 3.24x
Wymeswold 2 176.99x
Bishopstoke 1 53.76x
Bisley 1 15.90x
Cannock 1 4.79x
Cawston 1 75.19x
Dickleburgh 1 100.00x
Hagley 1 66.67x
Kingswinford 1 2.30x
Rotherham 1 5.06x
Southampton St Mary 1 2.19x
Stone 1 131.58x
Sutton St Mary 1 18.69x
Walcot 1 3.29x
Wapping London 1 37.04x
Westminster St Margaret 1 5.85x
Weston Super Mare 1 6.95x
Wing 1 256.41x
Wood Norton 1 294.12x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 23
John 19
Joseph 15
Edward 12
Thomas 11
Henry 10
James 10
George 8
Frederick 6
Albert 5
Charles 5
Herbert 5
Samuel 5
David 4
Benjamin 3
Edwin 3
Stephen 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Benj. 2
Daniel 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
Jesse 2
Jonah 2
Abel 1
Arthur 1
Ernest 1
Fredrick 1
Gerald 1
Gladstone 1
Harold 1
Josiah 1
Matthew 1
Montague 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Saml. 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Hipkins surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hipkins surname in 1881?

In 1881, 364 people were recorded with the Hipkins surname. That placed it at #8,525 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hipkins surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 371 in 2016. That gives Hipkins a modern rank of #12,561.

What does the Hipkins surname mean?

A locational English surname denoting someone from a minor place named with the Old English words "hype" (hip) and "hyrne" (corner).

What does the Hipkins map show?

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