NameCensus.

UK surname

Hix

Derived from an Old English personal name or place name of unknown meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 108 people recorded with the Hix surname, ranking it #18,888 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 108, ranked #29,578, down from #18,888 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Castle Cary, Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Somerset, Derbyshire Dales and North Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hix is 235 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.0%.

1881 census count

108

Ranked #18,888

Modern count

108

2016, ranked #29,578

Peak year

1851

235 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hix had 108 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,888 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016, ranked #29,578.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 235 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hix surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hix surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hix 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 235 #9,206
1881 historical 108 #18,888
1901 historical 116 #20,933
1997 modern 114 #24,967
1998 modern 113 #25,731
1999 modern 110 #26,315
2000 modern 103 #27,280
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 105 #27,123
2003 modern 112 #25,948
2004 modern 109 #26,607
2005 modern 105 #27,203
2006 modern 101 #28,125
2007 modern 100 #28,669
2008 modern 103 #28,519
2009 modern 104 #28,982
2010 modern 110 #28,666
2011 modern 105 #29,287
2012 modern 98 #30,612
2013 modern 104 #30,076
2014 modern 104 #30,365
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 108 #29,578

Geography

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Where Hix' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Castle Cary, Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe, London parishes, Doddington and Bettws. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Somerset, Derbyshire Dales, North Kesteven, South Kesteven and Swale. 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 Castle Cary Somerset
2 Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe Somerset
3 London parishes London 3
4 Doddington Cambridgeshire
5 Bettws Carmarthenshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Somerset 005 South Somerset
2 Derbyshire Dales 001 Derbyshire Dales
3 North Kesteven 010 North Kesteven
4 South Kesteven 009 South Kesteven
5 Swale 010 Swale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hix

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hix

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hix is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Hix is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hix falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hix

The surname Hix originated in England, specifically in the counties of Essex and Suffolk, during the late medieval period around the 14th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hix" or "hych," meaning a hack or a hitch, which was likely an occupational surname given to someone who worked with horses or carts.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hix can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327, where a John Hix is listed. The Hix surname also appears in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Essex from 1381, suggesting its widespread use in the region during that time.

In the 15th century, the Hix name is mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakering in Essex, where a Thomas Hix is recorded as a landowner in 1438. This indicates that the Hix family had established itself as prosperous landowners by that era.

The Hix surname is also found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the late 13th century, suggesting that the name had spread to other parts of England by that time. In these rolls, a Walter Hix is listed as a taxpayer in 1285.

One notable individual with the Hix surname was Sir Michael Hix (c. 1472-1543), a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of King Henry VIII. He was born in Wiltshire and played a significant role in the legal reforms of that era.

Another notable figure was John Hix (c. 1637-1689), an English Puritan minister and author who was born in Warwickshire. He wrote several influential religious works, including "A Vision of the Reformation" and "A Discourse on the Glory of the Heavenly Kingdom."

In the 18th century, Samuel Hix (1724-1790) was a renowned English clockmaker from Gloucestershire. His clocks were highly regarded for their accuracy and craftsmanship, and some of his works can still be found in museums and private collections today.

During the 19th century, William Hix (1817-1892) was a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas. His most famous work is the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Bermondsey, which he designed in the Gothic Revival style.

Finally, in the early 20th century, Edgar Hix (1889-1952) was a British author and journalist who wrote several novels and short stories. He was born in Gloucestershire and is best known for his novel "The Painted Room," which was published in 1926.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hix families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hix 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 22 Hix' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.09x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 22 2.09x
Somerset 21 12.38x
Cambridgeshire 15 22.48x
Lincolnshire 10 5.94x
Wiltshire 9 9.66x
Gloucestershire 8 3.87x
Dorset 6 8.68x
Yorkshire 5 0.48x
Kent 3 0.83x
Essex 2 0.96x
Glamorgan 2 1.09x
Durham 1 0.32x
Lancashire 1 0.08x
Norfolk 1 0.62x
Surrey 1 0.19x
Warwickshire 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shepton Mallet in Somerset leads with 9 Hix' recorded in 1881 and an index of 473.68x.

Place Total Index
Shepton Mallet 9 473.68x
Bitton 8 444.44x
Sutton St Mary St James 8 4000.00x
Upwell 7 1428.57x
Ratcliffe London 6 103.09x
Bothenhampton 5 2631.58x
Brightside Bierlow 5 24.43x
Hackney London 5 8.47x
Devizes St John 4 571.43x
Leverington 4 909.09x
March 4 179.37x
Pitcombe 4 2666.67x
Devizes St Mary 3 319.15x
Lewisham 3 15.65x
Westminster St John 3 23.38x
Bromley London 2 8.63x
Chiswick 2 34.72x
Kensington London 2 3.41x
Keynsham 2 163.93x
Lamyatt 2 2222.22x
Bath St Michael 1 116.28x
Birmingham 1 1.13x
Bishops Cannings 1 285.71x
Bourn 1 73.53x
Bruton 1 149.25x
Camberwell 1 1.49x
Castle Cary 1 135.14x
Chittoe 1 1428.57x
East Ham 1 25.91x
Great Yarmouth 1 7.45x
Hartlepool 1 22.47x
Holbeach 1 53.19x
Limehouse London 1 8.65x
Llangyfelach 1 144.93x
Llantwit Major 1 277.78x
Mile End Old Town London 1 4.46x
Preston 1 2.99x
Prittlewell 1 34.72x
Puriton 1 370.37x
Silton 1 1111.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 8
William 7
James 4
Charles 3
Edward 3
Henry 3
Thomas 3
Albert 2
Frederick 2
Nehemiah 2
Tom 2
Augustus 1
Daniel 1
Edmd. 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Herbert 1
Herman 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Percival 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1
Willm.Howard 1

FAQ

Hix surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hix surname in 1881?

In 1881, 108 people were recorded with the Hix surname. That placed it at #18,888 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hix surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016. That gives Hix a modern rank of #29,578.

What does the Hix surname mean?

Derived from an Old English personal name or place name of unknown meaning.

What does the Hix map show?

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