NameCensus.

UK surname

Hitchen

An occupational surname derived from a person living or working near a cattle gate or fence.

In the 1881 census there were 2,041 people recorded with the Hitchen surname, ranking it #2,155 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,520, ranked #2,624, down from #2,155 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Halifax and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Cheshire West and Chester and Ribble Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hitchen is 2,948 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.5%.

1881 census count

2,041

Ranked #2,155

Modern count

2,520

2016, ranked #2,624

Peak year

1911

2,948 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hitchen had 2,041 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,155 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,520 in 2016, ranked #2,624.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,948 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Hitchen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hitchen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hitchen 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 1,182 #2,399
1861 historical 1,391 #2,062
1881 historical 2,041 #2,155
1891 historical 2,267 #2,064
1901 historical 2,529 #2,172
1911 historical 2,948 #1,760
1997 modern 2,522 #2,501
1998 modern 2,562 #2,550
1999 modern 2,613 #2,522
2000 modern 2,607 #2,515
2001 modern 2,551 #2,514
2002 modern 2,622 #2,514
2003 modern 2,515 #2,553
2004 modern 2,511 #2,561
2005 modern 2,456 #2,576
2006 modern 2,497 #2,548
2007 modern 2,501 #2,567
2008 modern 2,529 #2,563
2009 modern 2,623 #2,535
2010 modern 2,643 #2,575
2011 modern 2,555 #2,622
2012 modern 2,533 #2,594
2013 modern 2,574 #2,600
2014 modern 2,572 #2,616
2015 modern 2,530 #2,625
2016 modern 2,520 #2,624

Geography

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Where Hitchens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Halifax, Wigan, Manchester and Whalley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Cheshire West and Chester and Ribble Valley. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Whalley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 018 Wigan
2 Cheshire West and Chester 035 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Wigan 014 Wigan
4 Wigan 015 Wigan
5 Ribble Valley 003 Ribble Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hitchen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hitchen

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

Hitchen is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hitchen

The surname HITCHEN is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, deriving from the place name Hitchin, a town in Hertfordshire, England. The name Hitchin itself comes from the Old English words "hicce," meaning a haycart or a hayrick, and "inga," referring to the dwellers or people.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HITCHEN can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared as "Hicchen," reflecting the older spelling of the place name Hitchin.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname HITCHEN began to appear more frequently in various historical records and documents. One notable bearer of the name was John Hitchen, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in Hitchin in the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, the surname HITCHEN was associated with the clergy. Reverend Thomas Hitchen (c. 1520-1590) was a notable figure during the English Reformation, serving as a prebendary of Lincoln Cathedral.

Another notable individual with the surname HITCHEN was Sir Robert Hitchen (1575-1636), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire in the early 17th century.

During the 18th century, the HITCHEN family established themselves as notable landowners and gentry in Hertfordshire. William Hitchen (1706-1783) was a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the town of Hitchin.

In the 19th century, the surname HITCHEN gained recognition in the field of academia. John Hitchen (1815-1892) was a renowned English mathematician and educator who served as the Head Master of Merchant Taylors' School in London.

As the HITCHEN surname continued to spread throughout England, it also found its way to other parts of the world through migration and exploration. Some notable individuals with this surname in more recent history include the Australian journalist and author Robert Hitchen (1903-1968) and the American actor and director David Hitchen (born 1947).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hitchen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hitchen 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 911 Hitchens recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.86x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 911 3.86x
Yorkshire 523 2.65x
Cheshire 279 6.35x
Staffordshire 66 0.98x
Essex 39 0.99x
Middlesex 36 0.18x
Warwickshire 35 0.70x
Surrey 23 0.24x
Kent 20 0.29x
Nottinghamshire 18 0.67x
Suffolk 14 0.58x
Gloucestershire 11 0.28x
Shropshire 10 0.58x
Sussex 8 0.24x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.58x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.40x
Fife 5 0.42x
Lincolnshire 5 0.16x
Worcestershire 4 0.15x
Cornwall 3 0.13x
Westmorland 3 0.69x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.11x
Berwickshire 2 0.83x
Derbyshire 2 0.06x
Hertfordshire 2 0.15x
Berkshire 1 0.07x
Cumberland 1 0.06x
Flintshire 1 0.19x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.25x
Northumberland 1 0.03x
Roxburghshire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sowerby In Halifax in Yorkshire leads with 124 Hitchens recorded in 1881 and an index of 192.40x.

Place Total Index
Sowerby In Halifax 124 192.40x
Newchurch 113 58.53x
Skircoat 66 84.91x
Halifax 63 21.77x
Pemberton 61 64.82x
Clitheroe 58 83.49x
Wharton 57 238.39x
Orrell 38 129.52x
Spotland 36 13.72x
Norland 31 229.12x
Over 29 64.99x
Blackburn 24 3.82x
Leeds 24 2.16x
Newton 23 12.64x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 23 58.85x
Ovenden 22 25.08x
Accrington 21 9.79x
Chorley 21 15.86x
Oldham 20 2.63x
Wigan 20 6.06x
Everton 19 2.53x
Billinge Higher End 17 177.82x
Burnley 16 8.05x
Liverpool 16 1.12x
Salford 16 2.30x
Davenham 15 375.94x
Dukinfield 15 7.39x
Kirkham 15 48.08x
Ashton Under Lyne 14 2.71x
Aston 14 1.01x
Chorlton On Medlock 14 3.73x
Gisburn 14 387.81x
Newmarket St Mary 14 75.31x
Tarporley 14 152.34x
Adlington 13 58.82x
Barkisland 13 90.85x
Barrow 13 263.69x
Over Darwen 13 6.90x
Read 13 206.02x
Standish With Langtree 13 44.72x
Warley 13 22.82x
Wednesbury 12 7.15x
Barnsley 11 5.41x
Eaton In Nantwich 11 347.00x
Oswaldtwistle 11 13.19x
Rochdale 11 63.92x
Sutton Coldfield 11 20.86x
Castle Northwich 10 68.82x
Colne 10 14.22x
Garston 10 14.36x
West Ham 10 1.15x
Winstanley 10 269.54x
Barton Upon Irwell 9 5.07x
Erringden 9 70.70x
Frimley 9 32.60x
Haslingden 9 9.21x
Heath Charnock 9 143.31x
Newton In Makerfield 9 12.45x
Nottingham St Mary 9 1.30x
Preston 9 1.43x
Lower Booths 8 18.92x
Lower Darwen 8 25.82x
Manningham 8 3.29x
Margate St John Baptist 8 6.44x
Monks Coppenhall 8 4.83x
Northwich 8 114.45x
West Bradford 8 377.36x
Bowling 7 3.59x
Bradford 7 6.34x
Cantley 7 183.73x
Cholmondeston 7 551.18x
Gloucester St Michael 7 78.39x
Great Linford 7 231.79x
Hulme 7 1.42x
Little Harwood 7 163.93x
Manchester 7 0.66x
Northowram 7 5.06x
Padiham 7 12.28x
Sandbach 7 18.69x
West Bromwich 7 1.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 147
James 109
William 103
Thomas 82
Joseph 54
George 44
Charles 32
Henry 30
Robert 24
Richard 22
Albert 19
Alfred 17
Samuel 17
Arthur 16
Herbert 15
Edward 14
Peter 14
David 12
Harry 11
Fred 9
Walter 9
Abraham 8
Ernest 8
Eli 6
Thos. 6
Edwin 5
Isaac 5
Amos 4
Frank 4
Saml. 4
Tom 4
Wm. 4
Daniel 3
Edgar 3
Edmund 3
Fredrick 3
Jonathan 3
Nathaniel 3
Phineas 3
Alexander 2
Farrar 2
Francis 2
Horace 2
Job 2
Michael 2
Philip 2
Ralph 2
Sidney 2
Stephen 2
Uriah 2

FAQ

Hitchen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hitchen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,041 people were recorded with the Hitchen surname. That placed it at #2,155 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hitchen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,520 in 2016. That gives Hitchen a modern rank of #2,624.

What does the Hitchen surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from a person living or working near a cattle gate or fence.

What does the Hitchen map show?

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