NameCensus.

UK surname

Hitt

An English occupational surname for someone who lived on or near a hill or derived from the nickname "Hitt."

In the 1881 census there were 195 people recorded with the Hitt surname, ranking it #13,054 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 220, ranked #18,376, down from #13,054 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swindon, Teignbridge and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hitt is 305 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.8%.

1881 census count

195

Ranked #13,054

Modern count

220

2016, ranked #18,376

Peak year

1911

305 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hitt had 195 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,054 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016, ranked #18,376.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 305 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hitt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hitt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hitt 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 178 #11,397
1861 historical 276 #9,052
1881 historical 195 #13,054
1891 historical 247 #12,880
1901 historical 260 #12,817
1911 historical 305 #11,307
1997 modern 242 #15,597
1998 modern 231 #16,555
1999 modern 225 #16,931
2000 modern 227 #16,792
2001 modern 227 #16,573
2002 modern 221 #17,206
2003 modern 217 #17,176
2004 modern 218 #17,230
2005 modern 210 #17,572
2006 modern 202 #18,160
2007 modern 204 #18,251
2008 modern 205 #18,359
2009 modern 215 #18,179
2010 modern 225 #18,000
2011 modern 234 #17,383
2012 modern 223 #17,852
2013 modern 226 #17,969
2014 modern 226 #18,088
2015 modern 227 #17,941
2016 modern 220 #18,376

Geography

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Where Hitts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall, London parishes, Cullompton and Heavitree. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swindon, Teignbridge, West Dorset and Isle of Wight. 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 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
2 Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall Fife
3 London parishes London 1
4 Cullompton Devon
5 Heavitree Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swindon 004 Swindon
2 Teignbridge 014 Teignbridge
3 West Dorset 006 West Dorset
4 West Dorset 007 West Dorset
5 Isle of Wight 018 Isle of Wight

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hitt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hitt

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Hitt is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Hitt 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

Hitt falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hitt

The surname HITT originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "hitt," which means "to hit" or "to strike." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a tendency for physical altercations or perhaps a skilled archer or soldier.

HITT is thought to have originated in the county of Wiltshire, where it was particularly prevalent in the medieval period. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a William Hitt as a resident of Wiltshire.

The name HITT also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire from 1333, where several individuals bearing the surname are recorded, including John Hitt and Robert Hitt. This suggests that the name had already become established in the region by the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name HITT is mentioned in the Parish Records of Enford, Wiltshire, where a John Hitt was recorded as having been born in 1562. Another notable early bearer of the name was William Hitt, who was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 1598.

One of the earliest known documented instances of the surname HITT outside of Wiltshire can be found in the Lancashire Wills and Inventories from 1669, which mentions a William Hitt from the town of Colne.

Throughout history, several individuals with the surname HITT have achieved notable recognition. One such individual was Sir William Hitt (1642-1712), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Salisbury during the reign of King William III. Another notable bearer of the name was John Hitt (1735-1808), an American surveyor and soldier who served in the Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, Robert Hitt (1834-1906) was a prominent American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois for over 20 years. Isaac Hitt (1819-1886) was a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

Additionally, Charles Hitt (1856-1924) was an American architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Church of the Covenant and the West End Collegiate Church.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hitt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hitt 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. Devon leads with 87 Hitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.09x.

County Total Index
Devon 87 22.09x
Dorset 23 18.52x
Middlesex 18 0.95x
Glamorgan 11 3.34x
Fife 9 8.04x
Hampshire 8 2.06x
Yorkshire 8 0.43x
Cornwall 4 1.87x
Kent 4 0.62x
Norfolk 4 1.37x
Somerset 4 1.31x
Surrey 3 0.33x
Gloucestershire 2 0.54x
Lancashire 2 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.78x
Dumfriesshire 1 2.39x
Leicestershire 1 0.48x
Lincolnshire 1 0.33x
Midlothian 1 0.39x
Wiltshire 1 0.60x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Otterton in Devon leads with 13 Hitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2063.49x.

Place Total Index
Otterton 13 2063.49x
Exeter St Thomas The 12 298.51x
Plymouth St Andrew 12 39.55x
Exeter St Sidwell 11 121.95x
Exeter Holy Trinity 9 584.42x
Kirkcaldy 8 143.88x
Petersfield 8 747.66x
St Marylebone London 8 7.92x
Allington 7 630.63x
Barnsley 7 36.19x
Bethnal Green London 7 8.52x
Exeter Heavitree 7 238.10x
Cowbridge 6 759.49x
Stoke Damerel 6 21.76x
Bridport 5 195.31x
Burton Bradstock 5 819.67x
Cardiff St Mary 5 27.55x
Bodmin 4 112.99x
Marystow 4 1600.00x
Osmington 4 1600.00x
Brandon 3 192.31x
Bromley 3 30.49x
Collumpton 3 1666.67x
Exeter St David 2 59.52x
Frome 2 27.47x
Lenton 2 33.28x
Paddington London 2 2.87x
Stokenham 2 180.18x
Turton 2 54.35x
Yeovil 2 32.31x
Auchterderran 1 35.46x
Battersea 1 1.44x
Bristol St George 1 5.83x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 2.86x
Broad Clist 1 73.53x
Carlaverock 1 147.06x
Cullompton 1 58.14x
Dawlish 1 34.01x
Devizes St John 1 79.37x
Devonport 1 22.08x
Duddingston 1 19.65x
East Budleigh 1 53.76x
Exeter St Stephen 1 500.00x
Great Yarmouth 1 4.15x
Kingston On Thames 1 4.51x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 66.67x
Leicester St Nicholas 1 84.03x
Melcombe Regis 1 19.42x
Penge 1 8.27x
Spalding 1 16.67x
St Pancras London 1 0.66x
Upway 1 212.77x
Walmer 1 35.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 9
Sarah 6
Ann 5
Ellen 5
Harriett 5
Alice 4
Emily 4
Jane 4
Grace 3
Kate 3
Agnese 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Jessie 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Beatrice 1
Cora 1
Dulcibella 1
Ethel 1
Eugania 1
Eva 1
Florence 1
Hariett 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Katherine 1
Lillie 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Matilda 1
Melia 1
Miriam 1
Nelly 1
Polly 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
John 10
Thomas 10
George 8
Henry 7
James 7
Charles 6
Francis 3
Edward 2
Harry 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Dennis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Richard 1
Sam 1
Septimus 1
Tom 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Hitt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hitt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 195 people were recorded with the Hitt surname. That placed it at #13,054 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hitt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016. That gives Hitt a modern rank of #18,376.

What does the Hitt surname mean?

An English occupational surname for someone who lived on or near a hill or derived from the nickname "Hitt."

What does the Hitt map show?

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