NameCensus.

UK surname

Hobin

A topographic name for someone who lived in a small wooded valley or hollow.

In the 1881 census there were 183 people recorded with the Hobin surname, ranking it #13,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 366, ranked #12,690, up from #13,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace, London parishes and Astbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens, Manchester and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hobin is 392 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 100.0%.

1881 census count

183

Ranked #13,596

Modern count

366

2016, ranked #12,690

Peak year

2010

392 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hobin had 183 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 366 in 2016, ranked #12,690.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 205 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hobin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hobin surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hobin 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 183 #13,596
1891 historical 194 #15,277
1901 historical 205 #14,884
1911 historical 194 #15,250
1997 modern 324 #12,859
1998 modern 349 #12,567
1999 modern 346 #12,726
2000 modern 347 #12,642
2001 modern 343 #12,545
2002 modern 344 #12,777
2003 modern 346 #12,511
2004 modern 348 #12,495
2005 modern 340 #12,642
2006 modern 340 #12,722
2007 modern 357 #12,413
2008 modern 370 #12,182
2009 modern 390 #11,950
2010 modern 392 #12,186
2011 modern 379 #12,343
2012 modern 369 #12,443
2013 modern 373 #12,550
2014 modern 368 #12,770
2015 modern 364 #12,768
2016 modern 366 #12,690

Geography

Back to top

Where Hobins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace, London parishes, Astbury, Manchester and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens, Manchester, Cheshire East, Oldham and Tameside. 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 Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace Shropshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Astbury Cheshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
2 Manchester 013 Manchester
3 Cheshire East 004 Cheshire East
4 Oldham 034 Oldham
5 Tameside 025 Tameside

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hobin

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hobin

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Hobin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hobin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hobin 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

Hobin is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hobin 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 Hobin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hobin

The surname Hobin is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the late 12th century or early 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the old English words "hob" and "in," which together meant "a small enclosed area" or "a humble dwelling." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a small, enclosed space or a modest home.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hobin can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. In these rolls, the name is spelled as "Hobbyn," which is likely an early variation of the modern spelling.

Another notable historical reference to the name Hobin can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which were tax records kept during the reign of King Edward III. In these rolls, the name is recorded as "Hobbyne," further highlighting the variations in spelling that existed during that time period.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Hobin was John Hobin, who was born around 1450 in the village of Combe St. Nicholas, Somerset, England. Records show that John Hobin was a landowner and farmer in the area.

Another notable bearer of the Hobin surname was William Hobin, who was born in 1548 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a merchant and trader who was involved in the thriving wool trade of the time.

In the 17th century, a man named Thomas Hobin (1632-1698) gained prominence as a prominent Puritan minister and author. He was born in Warwickshire, England, and his writings on religious subjects were widely read during his lifetime.

Moving into the 18th century, Sir James Hobin (1718-1786) was a notable figure with the Hobin surname. He was a British military officer who served in the Seven Years' War and later became a member of Parliament.

In the 19th century, the name Hobin can be found in the records of various place names, such as Hobin Hill in Staffordshire, England, and Hobin's Green in Hertfordshire, England. These place names may have been derived from individuals with the Hobin surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Throughout history, the Hobin surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, merchants, clergymen, and military officers. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left its mark on the historical record and continues to be carried on by Hobin families around the world today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hobin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hobin 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 91 Hobins recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.30x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 91 4.30x
Perthshire 17 21.22x
Cheshire 12 3.05x
Shropshire 10 6.48x
Angus 8 4.84x
Northumberland 8 3.01x
Staffordshire 7 1.16x
Worcestershire 7 3.00x
Surrey 6 0.69x
Leicestershire 5 2.53x
Yorkshire 5 0.28x
Ayrshire 2 1.50x
Middlesex 2 0.11x
Warwickshire 2 0.44x
Essex 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. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 16 Hobins recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.80x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 16 16.80x
Preston 13 22.94x
Forteviot 11 2894.74x
Blackburn 10 17.75x
Over Darwen 9 53.19x
Shrewsbury St Mary 9 148.03x
Byker 8 60.93x
Liff Benvie 8 31.87x
Sutton 8 112.68x
Burslem 7 40.56x
Dudley 7 24.70x
Everton 7 10.37x
Great Budworth 7 1000.00x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 16.70x
Chorley 5 42.05x
Congleton 5 73.42x
Leicester St Margaret 5 10.36x
Scone 5 352.11x
Barrow In Furness 4 13.88x
Gorton 4 20.09x
Tanshelf 4 283.69x
Liverpool 3 2.33x
Spotland 3 12.74x
Birmingham 2 1.33x
Dundonald 2 40.57x
Oldham 2 2.93x
Prescot 2 52.22x
Worsley 2 15.31x
Aspull 1 20.08x
Crumpsall 1 20.04x
Perth West Church 1 26.32x
Shrewsbury St Julian 1 26.18x
Sowerby In Halifax 1 17.30x
Twickenham 1 13.07x
West Ham 1 1.29x
Westleigh 1 20.79x
Westminster St John 1 4.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Bridget 7
Catherine 6
Elizabeth 6
Annie 5
Ellen 5
Margaret 4
Agnes 2
Ann 2
Maria 2
Sarah 2
Winifred 2
Alice 1
Bertha 1
Cath 1
Cecily 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Honora 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Margt. 1
Rosana 1
Teresa 1
Winfred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 19
Thomas 13
George 5
William 5
James 4
Charles 3
Joseph 3
Michael 3
Austin 2
Peter 2
Wm. 2
Daniel 1
David 1
Fenton 1
Francis 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Martin 1
Nicholas 1
Palk 1
Patrick 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Hobin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hobin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 183 people were recorded with the Hobin surname. That placed it at #13,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hobin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 366 in 2016. That gives Hobin a modern rank of #12,690.

What does the Hobin surname mean?

A topographic name for someone who lived in a small wooded valley or hollow.

What does the Hobin map show?

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