NameCensus.

UK surname

Hobman

In the 1881 census there were 146 people recorded with the Hobman surname, ranking it #15,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 266, ranked #16,094, down from #15,752 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Featherstone, Pontefract and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, North Devon and Burnley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hobman is 282 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 82.2%.

1881 census count

146

Ranked #15,752

Modern count

266

2016, ranked #16,094

Peak year

1998

282 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hobman had 146 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,752 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 266 in 2016, ranked #16,094.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 219 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hobman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hobman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hobman 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 51 #24,096
1861 historical 138 #16,365
1881 historical 146 #15,752
1891 historical 219 #13,974
1901 historical 182 #16,057
1911 historical 215 #14,290
1997 modern 272 #14,451
1998 modern 282 #14,472
1999 modern 280 #14,630
2000 modern 277 #14,688
2001 modern 271 #14,691
2002 modern 273 #14,892
2003 modern 262 #15,150
2004 modern 262 #15,233
2005 modern 276 #14,579
2006 modern 282 #14,459
2007 modern 276 #14,855
2008 modern 266 #15,384
2009 modern 277 #15,260
2010 modern 273 #15,764
2011 modern 275 #15,517
2012 modern 272 #15,586
2013 modern 271 #15,875
2014 modern 270 #16,020
2015 modern 268 #16,007
2016 modern 266 #16,094

Geography

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Where Hobmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Featherstone, Pontefract, Sheffield, Selby, Hemingborough (Barlby) and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, North Devon, Burnley and Selby. 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 Featherstone Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Pontefract Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Selby, Hemingborough (Barlby) Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 010 Wakefield
2 North Devon 001 North Devon
3 Wakefield 012 Wakefield
4 Burnley 002 Burnley
5 Selby 010 Selby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hobman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hobman

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Hobman is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hobman is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hobman 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 Hobman 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 Hobman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Hobman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hobman 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. Yorkshire leads with 129 Hobmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.14x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 129 9.14x
Surrey 10 1.44x
Lancashire 6 0.36x
Middlesex 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. Knottingley in Yorkshire leads with 35 Hobmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1411.29x.

Place Total Index
Knottingley 35 1411.29x
Selby 15 508.47x
Featherstone 10 632.91x
Sheffield 8 17.81x
Morley 7 95.37x
Accrington 6 39.06x
Camberwell 6 6.60x
Darrington 6 2307.69x
Pontefract 6 197.37x
Norton In Doncaster 5 1724.14x
Goole 4 169.49x
Pollington 4 2105.26x
Sandal Magna 4 191.39x
Alwoodley 3 1363.64x
Fenwick 3 3000.00x
Huddersfield 3 14.59x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 3 45.73x
Bishopthorpe 2 740.74x
Lambeth 2 1.61x
Womersley 2 1052.63x
Adel Cum Eccup 1 172.41x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 1 19.49x
Batley 1 7.46x
Bradfield 1 18.38x
Cartworth 1 85.47x
Cranleigh 1 98.04x
Hook 1 32.26x
Horsforth 1 32.36x
Kensington London 1 1.26x
Rotherhithe 1 5.68x
Southcoates 1 12.77x
Wakefield 1 9.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Elizabeth 7
Emma 5
Alice 4
Jane 4
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Sophia 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Allice 1
Ambrosine 1
Camilla 1
Charlotte 1
Esther 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Isabella 1
Kate 1
Lillian 1
Martha 1
Nina 1
Norah 1
Rebecca 1
Susanna 1
Susannah 1
Volant 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
George 8
William 8
Thomas 5
Fred 4
Joseph 4
Henry 3
Robert 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Daniel 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
James 2
Alvonzo 1
Arthur 1
Dermot 1
Harry 1
Lee 1
Nest 1
Phebe 1
Samuel 1
Willam 1
Willian 1

FAQ

Hobman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hobman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 146 people were recorded with the Hobman surname. That placed it at #15,752 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hobman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 266 in 2016. That gives Hobman a modern rank of #16,094.

What does the Hobman map show?

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