NameCensus.

UK surname

Hobbs

A surname derived from the given name Robert, meaning "bright fame," or referring to someone living near a hill.

In the 1881 census there were 10,840 people recorded with the Hobbs surname, ranking it #393 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 14,568, ranked #434, down from #393 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Cambridgeshire, Cornwall and West Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hobbs is 15,286 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.4%.

1881 census count

10,840

Ranked #393

Modern count

14,568

2016, ranked #434

Peak year

1999

15,286 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hobbs had 10,840 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #393 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 14,568 in 2016, ranked #434.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 15,091 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hobbs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hobbs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hobbs 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 6,874 #404
1861 historical 6,830 #410
1881 historical 10,840 #393
1891 historical 11,660 #384
1901 historical 13,895 #378
1911 historical 15,091 #323
1997 modern 14,699 #411
1998 modern 15,262 #413
1999 modern 15,286 #415
2000 modern 15,084 #418
2001 modern 14,753 #417
2002 modern 15,087 #417
2003 modern 14,743 #414
2004 modern 14,757 #414
2005 modern 14,303 #423
2006 modern 14,241 #424
2007 modern 14,275 #429
2008 modern 14,271 #430
2009 modern 14,592 #432
2010 modern 14,919 #432
2011 modern 14,744 #429
2012 modern 14,457 #427
2013 modern 14,770 #428
2014 modern 14,856 #429
2015 modern 14,681 #433
2016 modern 14,568 #434

Geography

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Where Hobbs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, West Somerset, Purbeck and Swindon. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Cambridgeshire 006 East Cambridgeshire
2 Cornwall 002 Cornwall
3 West Somerset 001 West Somerset
4 Purbeck 006 Purbeck
5 Swindon 005 Swindon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hobbs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hobbs

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hobbs 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

Hobbs is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hobbs falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hobbs

The surname Hobbs originated in England, and its earliest origins can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "hob," which referred to a clump or lump, and was likely used as a nickname for someone with a sturdy or stout physique.

The name Hobbs is found in various historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already in use before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hobbs can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Richard Hobbe is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Hobbe," was common in the Middle Ages.

In the 13th century, the name Hobbes appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire, referring to a person named William Hobbes. This spelling variation suggests a connection to the Old English word "hobb," which meant "a lump or clump."

During the 14th century, the name Hobbs was associated with several place names in England, such as Hobbis Hill in Warwickshire and Hobbes Hole in Gloucestershire, indicating that the name had become well-established in various regions.

One notable figure from history who bore the surname Hobbs was Sir William Hobbs (c. 1570-1630), an English lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench during the reign of King Charles I.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), an English philosopher who is best known for his political philosophy outlined in his seminal work, "Leviathan." Hobbes is considered one of the founders of modern political philosophy.

In the 18th century, William Hobbs (1717-1790) gained recognition as a celebrated English landscape gardener and nurseryman. He is credited with designing the gardens at Painshill Park in Surrey, which is now recognized as one of the finest surviving examples of an 18th-century landscape garden.

During the 19th century, William Hobbs (1792-1865), an English architect, left his mark on the architectural landscape of London, designing notable buildings such as the Carlton Club and the Travellers Club.

Another notable figure with this surname was Sir Albert Hobbs (1859-1944), a British civil servant who served as the Permanent Secretary to the Board of Education from 1914 to 1920.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hobbs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hobbs 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 1,822 Hobbs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.71x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,822 1.71x
Gloucestershire 1,031 4.94x
Hampshire 836 3.83x
Surrey 779 1.50x
Somerset 748 4.37x
Kent 666 1.83x
Devon 446 2.01x
Wiltshire 422 4.48x
Sussex 305 1.70x
Buckinghamshire 279 4.34x
Berkshire 278 3.48x
Northamptonshire 242 2.42x
Warwickshire 223 0.83x
Glamorgan 215 1.16x
Worcestershire 206 1.48x
Essex 187 0.89x
Cambridgeshire 185 2.74x
Yorkshire 185 0.18x
Monmouthshire 182 2.37x
Hertfordshire 171 2.33x
Lancashire 164 0.13x
Dorset 153 2.19x
Staffordshire 148 0.41x
Oxfordshire 146 2.22x
Bedfordshire 139 2.52x
Cornwall 119 0.99x
Durham 69 0.22x
Huntingdonshire 64 3.03x
Northumberland 62 0.39x
Lanarkshire 60 0.17x
Royal Navy 52 4.10x
Suffolk 38 0.29x
Norfolk 35 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 35 0.24x
Leicestershire 30 0.25x
Lincolnshire 29 0.17x
Herefordshire 21 0.48x
Cheshire 20 0.09x
Channel Islands 16 0.51x
Aberdeenshire 15 0.15x
Pembrokeshire 15 0.44x
Derbyshire 11 0.07x
Renfrewshire 10 0.12x
Caithness 9 0.62x
Midlothian 9 0.06x
Ayrshire 8 0.10x
Angus 4 0.04x
Isle of Man 4 0.20x
Shropshire 3 0.03x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.04x
Cumberland 2 0.02x
Fife 2 0.03x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.08x
Argyllshire 1 0.03x
Brecknockshire 1 0.05x
Flintshire 1 0.04x
Inverness-shire 1 0.03x
Roxburghshire 1 0.05x
Wigtownshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 210 Hobbs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.04x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 210 2.04x
Portsea 167 3.91x
Lambeth 147 1.58x
Hackney London 125 2.09x
Kensington London 125 2.11x
St Pancras London 106 1.24x
Camberwell 101 1.49x
St Marylebone London 98 1.72x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 93 4.73x
Stapleton 90 22.73x
Paddington London 86 2.20x
Bermondsey 79 2.49x
Bridgewater 78 16.77x
Tonbridge 78 5.96x
Bristol St George 75 7.77x
West Ham 71 1.53x
Battersea 67 1.71x
Chelsea London 64 2.00x
Bethnal Green London 63 1.36x
Alverstoke 62 7.85x
Newington 62 1.58x
Deptford St Paul 61 2.18x
Tottenham 60 3.54x
Aston 58 0.78x
St George Hanover Square 58 3.09x
Soham 54 37.22x
Birmingham 53 0.59x
Cheltenham 53 3.29x
Mile End Old Town London 52 2.30x
Royal Navy 52 4.80x
St Luke London 52 3.05x
Dudley 47 2.78x
Hampstead London 47 2.84x
St Woollos 46 5.36x
Bedminster 45 2.80x
Hemel Hempstead 45 13.61x
Plymouth St Andrew 45 2.64x
Brighton 44 1.22x
St George In East London 42 4.20x
Westbury On Trym 42 5.94x
Wandsworth 41 4.00x
Hammersmith London 40 1.53x
Rotherfield 40 25.31x
Shoreditch London 40 0.87x
Walcot 39 4.27x
Willesden 37 3.69x
Downham 36 50.26x
Margate St John Baptist 36 5.41x
Clifton 35 3.32x
Trevethin 34 4.68x
Westwood 34 174.09x
Greenwich 33 1.95x
Roath 32 3.80x
Enfield 31 4.44x
Clapham 30 2.25x
Clerkenwell London 30 1.19x
Frampton On Severn 30 85.32x
Highworth 30 24.93x
Southampton St Mary 30 2.19x
Mangotsfield 29 13.94x
Rotherhithe 29 2.21x
Stockton On Tees 29 1.90x
Stoke Damerel 29 1.87x
Stoke Newington London 29 3.50x
Wellingborough 29 5.76x
Breamore 28 135.79x
Portsmouth 28 5.57x
Ramsey 28 16.55x
Acton 27 4.33x
Aldershot 27 3.69x
Kings Norton 27 2.17x
Lewisham 27 1.39x
Barony 26 0.30x
Bishops Nympton 26 61.57x
Maidstone 26 2.40x
Paulerspury 26 62.55x
Reading St Mary 26 4.06x
Ystradyfodwg 26 1.60x
Frome 25 6.10x
Flamstead 24 35.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 666
Elizabeth 420
Sarah 354
Jane 201
Eliza 189
Emma 185
Ann 173
Annie 171
Emily 166
Alice 162
Ellen 139
Louisa 112
Hannah 102
Martha 93
Caroline 87
Charlotte 86
Fanny 72
Harriet 72
Maria 65
Edith 64
Florence 63
Kate 60
Ada 59
Lucy 54
Clara 51
Susan 51
Anne 44
Frances 42
Margaret 42
Harriett 40
Agnes 39
Catherine 38
Rose 35
Esther 32
Julia 29
Rebecca 29
Sophia 29
Amelia 26
Bessie 26
Matilda 25
Amy 24
Lydia 24
Minnie 24
Rosa 23
Selina 23
Ethel 22
Laura 22
Ruth 22
Elizth. 21
Jessie 21

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 717
John 490
George 458
James 334
Henry 327
Thomas 299
Charles 264
Alfred 166
Frederick 151
Joseph 128
Edward 122
Albert 103
Arthur 102
Richard 96
Walter 85
Samuel 84
Harry 82
Robert 73
Frank 59
Ernest 57
Herbert 48
David 45
Francis 40
Daniel 31
Edwin 30
Wm. 29
Benjamin 25
Isaac 20
Sidney 20
Stephen 20
Thos. 20
Fredrick 17
Geo. 16
Fred 15
Matthew 15
Fredk. 12
Edmund 11
Jesse 11
Jonas 11
Oliver 11
Percy 11
Abraham 10
Chas. 9
Philip 9
Alexander 8
Frederic 8
Willm. 8
Leonard 7
Mark 7
Saml. 7

FAQ

Hobbs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hobbs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10,840 people were recorded with the Hobbs surname. That placed it at #393 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hobbs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 14,568 in 2016. That gives Hobbs a modern rank of #434.

What does the Hobbs surname mean?

A surname derived from the given name Robert, meaning "bright fame," or referring to someone living near a hill.

What does the Hobbs map show?

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