NameCensus.

UK surname

Hodgkinson

A surname derived from a place name, referring to someone from Hodgkinson, Shropshire.

In the 1881 census there were 5,149 people recorded with the Hodgkinson surname, ranking it #865 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,152, ranked #1,100, down from #865 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Werburgh and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derbyshire Dales, East Staffordshire and Amber Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hodgkinson is 7,141 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.5%.

1881 census count

5,149

Ranked #865

Modern count

6,152

2016, ranked #1,100

Peak year

1911

7,141 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hodgkinson had 5,149 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #865 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,152 in 2016, ranked #1,100.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,141 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hodgkinson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hodgkinson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hodgkinson 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 2,765 #1,061
1861 historical 3,126 #924
1881 historical 5,149 #865
1891 historical 5,543 #851
1901 historical 6,682 #825
1911 historical 7,141 #728
1997 modern 6,111 #1,074
1998 modern 6,673 #1,014
1999 modern 6,724 #1,016
2000 modern 6,712 #1,006
2001 modern 6,550 #1,009
2002 modern 6,661 #1,020
2003 modern 6,529 #1,015
2004 modern 6,501 #1,022
2005 modern 6,322 #1,039
2006 modern 6,266 #1,050
2007 modern 6,313 #1,048
2008 modern 6,350 #1,044
2009 modern 6,456 #1,053
2010 modern 6,570 #1,056
2011 modern 6,440 #1,062
2012 modern 6,244 #1,074
2013 modern 6,295 #1,085
2014 modern 6,292 #1,091
2015 modern 6,222 #1,092
2016 modern 6,152 #1,100

Geography

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Where Hodgkinsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Werburgh, Preston, Sheffield and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Derbyshire Dales, East Staffordshire, Amber Valley and Wyre. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 St Werburgh Derbyshire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derbyshire Dales 003 Derbyshire Dales
2 East Staffordshire 002 East Staffordshire
3 Amber Valley 005 Amber Valley
4 Wyre 004 Wyre
5 Derbyshire Dales 008 Derbyshire Dales

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hodgkinson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hodgkinson

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

Hodgkinson is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hodgkinson

The surname Hodgkinson originated in England, specifically in the northern counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English personal name "Hoddoc" or "Hodoc," combined with the patronymic suffix "-son," meaning "son of Hoddoc" or "Hoddoc's son."

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Hodgkinson appears in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a certain William Hodgkynson is mentioned. The name is also found in Lancashire records from the 15th century, suggesting its early presence in the region.

Variations in spelling were common in those times, and the name was often written as Hodgekinson, Hodgekynson, or Hodgkynsone. Some of these spellings may have been influenced by local dialects or scribal errors.

The Hodgkinson surname is closely associated with the town of Burnley in Lancashire, where several notable individuals bearing this name have lived throughout history. One such person was Richard Hodgkinson (1655-1725), a successful merchant and landowner who served as Mayor of Burnley in 1704.

Another notable figure was James Hodgkinson (1672-1755), a renowned clockmaker from Burnley who constructed several elaborate church clocks, including the one at St. Peter's Church in Burnley. His son, Thomas Hodgkinson (1703-1768), followed in his footsteps and became a respected clockmaker as well.

In the 19th century, Eaton Hodgkinson (1789-1861) gained recognition as a pioneering scientist and engineer. Born in Anderton, Cheshire, he made significant contributions to the understanding of the strength of materials and is particularly renowned for his work on the design of iron bridges.

Another notable figure was Ralph Hodgkinson (1829-1912), a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in Manchester and Liverpool, including the Manchester Reform Club and the Liverpool Corn Exchange.

The Hodgkinson surname has also been associated with various place names in Lancashire and Yorkshire, such as Hodgkinson's Farm near Burnley and Hodgkinson's Bridge over the River Ribble.

While the surname is predominantly found in Northern England, it has also spread to other parts of the country and beyond due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hodgkinson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hodgkinson 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 1,403 Hodgkinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.36x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,403 2.36x
Derbyshire 753 9.58x
Staffordshire 584 3.45x
Yorkshire 583 1.17x
Cheshire 568 5.13x
Nottinghamshire 388 5.73x
Middlesex 201 0.40x
Warwickshire 179 1.41x
Surrey 56 0.23x
Lincolnshire 55 0.69x
Leicestershire 46 0.83x
Hampshire 38 0.37x
Cumberland 32 0.74x
Flintshire 27 2.00x
Kent 25 0.15x
Durham 22 0.15x
Monmouthshire 22 0.61x
Worcestershire 19 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 18 0.59x
Essex 18 0.18x
Shropshire 14 0.32x
Sussex 14 0.17x
Norfolk 12 0.16x
Gloucestershire 9 0.09x
Bedfordshire 8 0.31x
Huntingdonshire 8 0.80x
Westmorland 8 0.73x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.16x
Glamorgan 5 0.06x
Oxfordshire 5 0.16x
Northumberland 4 0.05x
Hertfordshire 3 0.09x
Anglesey 2 0.22x
Devon 2 0.02x
Herefordshire 2 0.10x
Renfrewshire 2 0.05x
Berkshire 1 0.03x
Channel Islands 1 0.07x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Midlothian 1 0.01x
Northamptonshire 1 0.02x
Somerset 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 132 Hodgkinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.28x.

Place Total Index
Preston 132 8.28x
Sheffield 110 6.95x
Stoke Upon Trent 83 4.62x
Ecclesall Bierlow 75 7.41x
Derby St Werburgh 69 15.21x
Blackburn 68 4.29x
Nether Hallam 67 9.96x
Greasley 66 43.23x
Birmingham 64 1.52x
Basford 62 19.88x
Burslem 60 12.36x
Congleton 49 25.59x
Wolstanton 48 9.33x
Wheelton 46 172.61x
Ashton In Makerfield 45 26.53x
Nottingham St Mary 45 2.57x
Little Bolton 44 5.75x
Litchurch 42 13.28x
Atherton 41 18.91x
Mayfield 41 193.40x
Newton In Northwich 41 121.55x
Salford 41 2.34x
Chorley 40 11.97x
Over Darwen 40 8.41x
Manchester 39 1.46x
Uttoxeter 36 41.50x
Derby St Peter 35 13.98x
Hindley 35 13.78x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 34 7.34x
Derby St Alkmund 33 14.01x
Odd Rode 32 58.31x
Brightside Bierlow 31 3.18x
Flagg 31 945.12x
Lenton 29 18.20x
Oldham 29 1.51x
Radford 29 8.44x
Great Bolton 28 3.55x
Ashton Under Lyne 26 2.00x
Aston 26 0.75x
Elton In Congleton 26 275.13x
Kensington London 26 0.93x
Beeston 24 30.87x
Chorlton On Medlock 24 2.54x
Dukinfield 24 4.69x
Selston 23 30.44x
Ardwick 21 3.91x
Gainsborough 21 11.10x
Hackney London 21 0.75x
Hulme 21 1.69x
Wigan 21 2.52x
Chesterfield 20 6.79x
Claylane 20 18.31x
Everton 20 1.05x
Sculcoates 20 2.54x
Liverpool 19 0.53x
Matlock 19 18.01x
Alfreton 18 7.54x
Habergham Eaves 18 3.31x
Shottle Postern 18 401.79x
Tipton 18 3.47x
Toxteth Park 18 0.89x
Burton Upon Trent 17 4.29x
Gorton 17 3.04x
Accrington 16 2.95x
Barton Upon Irwell 16 3.57x
Beswick 16 10.50x
Birkenhead 16 1.81x
Bowling 16 3.25x
Dalbury With Lees 16 470.59x
Moulton 16 156.71x
Sandbach 16 16.93x
Witton 16 21.35x
Brassington 15 126.48x
Brindley 15 471.70x
Carleton 15 231.48x
Clitheroe 15 8.56x
Leamington Priors 15 4.82x
St Cuthbert W O 15 7.12x
St Marylebone London 15 0.56x
Walton Le Dale 15 9.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 374
Elizabeth 228
Sarah 194
Ann 128
Ellen 99
Jane 88
Alice 87
Annie 87
Hannah 86
Emma 70
Eliza 69
Margaret 52
Martha 46
Harriet 44
Emily 43
Ada 36
Florence 35
Catherine 32
Edith 30
Anne 29
Louisa 29
Agnes 28
Fanny 25
Maria 25
Clara 21
Charlotte 19
Isabella 19
Harriett 18
Lucy 17
Elizth. 16
Esther 16
Frances 16
Caroline 13
Kate 13
Bertha 12
Ethel 12
Lydia 12
Eleanor 11
Gertrude 11
Rose 11
Selina 11
Amy 10
Matilda 10
Susannah 10
Minnie 9
Rachel 9
Rebecca 9
Julia 8
Nancy 8
Susan 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 326
William 273
James 184
George 181
Thomas 181
Joseph 120
Henry 102
Samuel 66
Charles 65
Edward 61
Arthur 56
Richard 51
Robert 51
Albert 36
Frederick 36
Wm. 34
Herbert 30
Frank 29
Alfred 28
Walter 26
Peter 24
Francis 23
Harry 23
Edwin 21
Thos. 15
Adam 12
Benjamin 12
Fred 11
Fredrick 11
Ernest 10
Geo. 10
Saml. 10
Matthew 9
Alexander 8
Abraham 7
Daniel 7
David 7
Edmund 7
Isaac 7
Christopher 6
Fredk. 6
Paul 6
Robt. 6
Tom 6
Jas. 5
Jonathan 5
Joshua 5
Mathew 5
Moses 5
Josiah 4

FAQ

Hodgkinson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hodgkinson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,149 people were recorded with the Hodgkinson surname. That placed it at #865 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hodgkinson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,152 in 2016. That gives Hodgkinson a modern rank of #1,100.

What does the Hodgkinson surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name, referring to someone from Hodgkinson, Shropshire.

What does the Hodgkinson map show?

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