NameCensus.

UK surname

Hodgeson

An English topographic surname derived from 'hodge', meaning a small hill or knoll.

In the 1881 census there were 113 people recorded with the Hodgeson surname, ranking it #18,412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 82, ranked #32,895, down from #18,412 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kilnsea, Millom, Muncaster and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ribble Valley, Barnsley and New Town East and Gayfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hodgeson is 220 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 27.4%.

1881 census count

113

Ranked #18,412

Modern count

82

2016, ranked #32,895

Peak year

1861

220 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 2006

Key insights

  • Hodgeson had 113 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,412 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 82 in 2016, ranked #32,895.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 220 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Hodgeson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hodgeson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hodgeson 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 41 #25,926
1861 historical 220 #11,076
1881 historical 113 #18,412
1891 historical 116 #21,766
1901 historical 45 #29,156
1911 historical 44 #28,454
1997 modern 108 #25,788
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 128 #24,017
2000 modern 116 #25,452
2001 modern 97 #27,823
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 111 #26,091
2004 modern 119 #25,200
2005 modern 107 #26,875
2006 modern 107 #27,179
2007 modern 109 #27,253
2008 modern 115 #26,635
2009 modern 113 #27,520
2010 modern 122 #26,876
2011 modern 118 #27,192
2012 modern 101 #30,078
2013 modern 91 #32,020
2014 modern 85 #32,743
2015 modern 79 #33,127
2016 modern 82 #32,895

Geography

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Where Hodgesons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kilnsea, Millom, Muncaster, Wigan, Manchester and Pewsham, Chippenham, Langley Burrell, Hardenhuish, Kington, Slaughterford, Biddestone St Nicholas an. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ribble Valley, Barnsley, New Town East and Gayfield and Sefton. 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 Kilnsea Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Millom, Muncaster Cumberland
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Pewsham, Chippenham, Langley Burrell, Hardenhuish, Kington, Slaughterford, Biddestone St Nicholas an Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ribble Valley 003 Ribble Valley
2 Ribble Valley 007 Ribble Valley
3 Barnsley 019 Barnsley
4 New Town East and Gayfield City of Edinburgh
5 Sefton 023 Sefton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hodgeson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hodgeson

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

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial 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, Hodgeson 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

Hodgeson is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hodgeson 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 Hodgeson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hodgeson

The surname Hodgeson is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name Hodge, a diminutive form of Roger. It dates back to the 12th century and is believed to have originated in counties like Yorkshire and Lancashire.

The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where it appears as Hoggeson. Other early spellings include Hoggson, Hodgshon, and Hodgshun, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

The name Hodgeson is not listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, suggesting that it emerged later during the medieval period. However, it may have been derived from place names containing elements like "hog" or "hodge," which referred to a hill or ridge.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Hodgeson, a prominent 16th-century English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer from 1542 to 1547. He was born in Yorkshire around 1490 and played a significant role in the legal reforms during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Another historical figure was Richard Hodgeson (1655-1726), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Dean of Carlisle Cathedral. He was known for his works on theology and his contributions to religious education.

In the 18th century, John Hodgeson (1757-1805) was a renowned English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the County Hall in Durham and the Old Shire Hall in Gloucester.

The name Hodgeson also has connections to the literary world. Edward Hodgeson (1789-1851) was an English poet and essayist who wrote on various topics, including nature and philosophy.

Lastly, James Hodgeson (1811-1891) was a British diplomat and explorer who traveled extensively in Central Asia and the Himalayas. He made significant contributions to the study of natural history and ethnography in those regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hodgeson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hodgeson 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 25 Hodgesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.10x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 25 2.10x
Lancashire 23 1.62x
Channel Islands 14 39.38x
Durham 14 3.92x
Gloucestershire 7 2.97x
Leicestershire 7 5.26x
Middlesex 6 0.50x
Cumberland 5 4.84x
Cheshire 4 1.51x
Lanarkshire 4 1.03x
Devon 3 1.20x
Hampshire 2 0.81x
Northumberland 2 1.12x
Dumfriesshire 1 3.77x
Isle of Man 1 4.49x
Lincolnshire 1 0.52x
Midlothian 1 0.62x
Staffordshire 1 0.25x
Westmorland 1 3.79x
Worcestershire 1 0.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Helier in Channel Islands leads with 14 Hodgesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 121.00x.

Place Total Index
St Helier 14 121.00x
Middlesbrough 8 51.68x
Bristol St James In 7 202.31x
Heap 7 92.72x
Darlington 6 43.54x
Marske Near Richmond 6 5454.55x
Kirkdale 5 20.88x
West Broughton 5 1041.67x
Whitehaven 5 90.74x
Cornforth 4 380.95x
Glasgow 4 5.81x
Latchford 4 227.27x
Leicester St Mary 4 37.21x
Skircoat 4 85.29x
Leicester St Martin 3 337.08x
West Derby 3 7.20x
Chiswick 2 30.49x
Exeter St Sidwell 2 34.97x
Holy Trinity 2 6.99x
Southampton All Sts 2 47.39x
Annan 1 43.86x
Benwell 1 51.28x
Chorley 1 12.52x
Compton Gifford 1 128.21x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.55x
German 1 81.97x
Gorton 1 7.47x
Hornsey 1 6.59x
Langdale 1 333.33x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 10.81x
Pannal 1 87.72x
Radcliffe 1 14.58x
Rawcliffe In Goole 1 147.06x
Scarborough 1 9.26x
Skipton 1 26.74x
South Kyme 1 454.55x
St Anne Soho London 1 14.60x
St Martin In Fields 1 13.93x
Staindrop 1 185.19x
Tanfield 1 23.58x
Welwick 1 714.29x
Westoe 1 4.94x
Whitworth 1 38.31x
Willesden 1 8.84x
Wolverhampton 1 3.21x
Worcester St John 1 53.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 7
Margaret 5
Mary 5
Ellen 4
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Jane 3
Adolphine 2
Annie 2
Eleanor 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Harriet 1
Isabella 1
Katie 1
Lilian 1
Louise 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
John 6
Joseph 5
George 4
James 4
Thomas 4
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Adam 1
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Jacob 1
Jos. 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Roland 1
Samuel 1
Twentyman 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Hodgeson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hodgeson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 113 people were recorded with the Hodgeson surname. That placed it at #18,412 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hodgeson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 82 in 2016. That gives Hodgeson a modern rank of #32,895.

What does the Hodgeson surname mean?

An English topographic surname derived from 'hodge', meaning a small hill or knoll.

What does the Hodgeson map show?

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