NameCensus.

UK surname

Hixson

Derived from the place name Hickson, referring to a settlement or farm belonging to someone named Hick or Richard.

In the 1881 census there were 91 people recorded with the Hixson surname, ranking it #20,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 169, ranked #21,884, down from #20,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Margate and Ashford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hixson is 186 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.7%.

1881 census count

91

Ranked #20,843

Modern count

169

2016, ranked #21,884

Peak year

2009

186 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hixson had 91 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016, ranked #21,884.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 124 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Hixson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hixson surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hixson 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 30 #30,188
1881 historical 91 #20,843
1891 historical 112 #22,291
1901 historical 114 #21,166
1911 historical 124 #20,023
1997 modern 157 #20,513
1998 modern 168 #20,181
1999 modern 165 #20,535
2000 modern 165 #20,501
2001 modern 167 #20,060
2002 modern 174 #19,971
2003 modern 177 #19,549
2004 modern 180 #19,424
2005 modern 174 #19,783
2006 modern 172 #20,073
2007 modern 180 #19,745
2008 modern 178 #20,094
2009 modern 186 #19,946
2010 modern 182 #20,662
2011 modern 168 #21,563
2012 modern 163 #21,989
2013 modern 169 #21,826
2014 modern 178 #21,259
2015 modern 174 #21,449
2016 modern 169 #21,884

Geography

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Where Hixsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Margate, Ashford, Swanage and Woodchurch. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swansea. 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 3
2 Margate Kent
3 Ashford Kent
4 Swanage Dorset
5 Woodchurch Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swansea 029 Swansea
2 Swansea 031 Swansea
3 Swansea 019 Swansea
4 Swansea 004 Swansea
5 Swansea 013 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hixson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hixson

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Hixson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hixson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Hixson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hixson is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hixson falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hixson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hixson

The surname Hixson is believed to have originated in England, likely during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hicce," meaning a hick or a yokel, and "sunu," meaning son. The name may have been initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who was perceived as a rustic or unsophisticated person.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hixson surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1327, where a Richard Hyxson is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the 14th century, though variations in spelling were common during that era.

The Hixson surname is also found in several historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries. For example, a John Hixson is documented in the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, a survey conducted in England to assess support for the Protestant religion.

In terms of notable individuals bearing the Hixson surname, one of the earliest recorded figures was William Hixson (c. 1610-1690), an English colonist who settled in Virginia in the mid-17th century and became a prominent landowner and planter.

Another notable figure was Reverend Elijah Hixson (1730-1809), an American Baptist minister and missionary who played a significant role in spreading Christianity throughout the Appalachian region of the United States.

In the 19th century, James Hixson (1808-1876) was a prominent American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Wheeling, West Virginia, from 1861 to 1863, during the height of the American Civil War.

The Hixson surname also has connections to place names, such as the community of Hixson, located in Hamilton County, Tennessee. This unincorporated town was likely named after one of the early settlers bearing the Hixson surname.

Another notable individual was Mary Hixson (1913-2000), an American artist and educator who was known for her abstract expressionist paintings and taught at several prestigious art schools, including the Art Institute of Chicago.

While the Hixson surname originated in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through emigration to the United States and other English-speaking countries. However, the name remains relatively uncommon compared to some other English surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hixson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hixson 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. Kent leads with 31 Hixsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.35x.

County Total Index
Kent 31 10.35x
Glamorgan 19 12.43x
Staffordshire 14 4.72x
Middlesex 12 1.37x
Cheshire 4 2.06x
Surrey 3 0.70x
Sussex 3 2.03x
Dorset 2 3.47x
Lancashire 1 0.10x
Warwickshire 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oystermouth in Glamorgan leads with 19 Hixsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1610.17x.

Place Total Index
Oystermouth 19 1610.17x
Charterhouse London 8 1951.22x
Tipton 8 88.20x
Mereworth 7 2916.67x
Ashford 6 205.48x
Wednesbury 6 80.97x
Woodchurch 6 1621.62x
Hyde 4 69.93x
Rochester St Margaret 4 126.58x
Willesden 4 48.31x
Camberwell 3 5.35x
Cranbrook 3 236.22x
Folkestone 3 51.64x
Hastings All Sts 2 143.88x
Strood 2 116.96x
Swanage 2 281.69x
Bury 1 8.40x
Hastings St Mary In The 1 31.65x
Leamington Priors 1 18.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 5
Ann 3
Mary 3
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Olivet 2
Sophia 2
Anniee 1
Barbara 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizh.A. 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
M.J. 1
Nancy 1
Priscilla 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 7
George 6
William 4
Henry 3
John 3
Joseph 3
Charles 2
A. 1
Ambrose 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Eobert 1
Frederick 1
H.P. 1
James 1
Nicholas 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Soloman 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1
Wm.J. 1
Wm.John 1

FAQ

Hixson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hixson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 91 people were recorded with the Hixson surname. That placed it at #20,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hixson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016. That gives Hixson a modern rank of #21,884.

What does the Hixson surname mean?

Derived from the place name Hickson, referring to a settlement or farm belonging to someone named Hick or Richard.

What does the Hixson map show?

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