NameCensus.

UK surname

Hollinshead

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller by the hollowed or sunken stream."

In the 1881 census there were 778 people recorded with the Hollinshead surname, ranking it #4,768 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,533, ranked #4,036, up from #4,768 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Wolstanton and Leek. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Barnsley and Stafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hollinshead is 1,636 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 97.0%.

1881 census count

778

Ranked #4,768

Modern count

1,533

2016, ranked #4,036

Peak year

2002

1,636 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hollinshead had 778 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,768 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,533 in 2016, ranked #4,036.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,256 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Hollinshead surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hollinshead surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hollinshead 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 447 #5,511
1861 historical 535 #4,913
1881 historical 778 #4,768
1891 historical 878 #4,687
1901 historical 1,039 #4,608
1911 historical 1,256 #3,784
1997 modern 1,272 #4,479
1998 modern 1,575 #3,886
1999 modern 1,591 #3,892
2000 modern 1,574 #3,903
2001 modern 1,561 #3,869
2002 modern 1,636 #3,763
2003 modern 1,591 #3,785
2004 modern 1,563 #3,858
2005 modern 1,532 #3,882
2006 modern 1,550 #3,833
2007 modern 1,580 #3,807
2008 modern 1,594 #3,807
2009 modern 1,600 #3,880
2010 modern 1,617 #3,918
2011 modern 1,591 #3,926
2012 modern 1,576 #3,904
2013 modern 1,590 #3,940
2014 modern 1,568 #4,004
2015 modern 1,536 #4,041
2016 modern 1,533 #4,036

Geography

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Where Hollinsheads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Wolstanton, Leek, Burslem and Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Barnsley and Stafford. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 Leek Staffordshire
4 Burslem Staffordshire
5 Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 033 Cheshire East
2 Cheshire East 049 Cheshire East
3 Barnsley 014 Barnsley
4 Stafford 008 Stafford
5 Cheshire East 047 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hollinshead

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hollinshead

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Hollinshead surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Hollinshead household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Hollinshead is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hollinshead is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hollinshead

The surname HOLLINSHEAD originates from England and is believed to have first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hol" meaning "hollow" and "innes" meaning "meadow or pasture," indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a hollow or depression in a meadow.

The name is thought to have originated in the county of Lancashire, where there are several places called Hollinshead or similar variations, such as Hollinshed and Hollinshed Hall. These place names were likely derived from the surname, rather than the other way around.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HOLLINSHEAD surname is found in the Plea Rolls of Lancashire from 1292, which mention a Richard de Holynshede. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the HOLLINSHEAD surname was Raphael Hollinshead, an English chronicler who lived from around 1525 to 1580. He is best known for his work "The Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland," published in 1577, which was an important source of information for writers and historians of the time, including William Shakespeare.

Another historical figure with this surname was Richard HOLLINSHEAD, an English theologian and Puritan minister who lived from 1605 to 1655. He was a prominent figure in the religious conflicts of the English Civil War period and served as a member of the Westminster Assembly, which produced the Westminster Confession of Faith.

In the 18th century, John HOLLINSHEAD (1720-1789) was a notable English artist and portraitist who worked in oils and pastels. Some of his portraits can still be found in collections in England and the United States.

During the 19th century, William HOLLINSHEAD (1827-1904) was a British lawyer and judge who served as a judge of the High Court of Justice in England and Wales from 1890 until his retirement in 1902.

Finally, in the early 20th century, Cyril HOLLINSHEAD (1894-1977) was a British actor and writer best known for his roles in silent films and early "talkies" in the 1920s and 1930s. He also wrote several plays and screenplays during his career.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hollinshead families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hollinshead 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. Staffordshire leads with 314 Hollinsheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.30x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 314 12.30x
Cheshire 226 13.54x
Lancashire 59 0.66x
Lincolnshire 40 3.31x
Yorkshire 25 0.33x
Shropshire 23 3.52x
Derbyshire 15 1.27x
Worcestershire 15 1.52x
Northumberland 13 1.16x
Leicestershire 8 0.95x
Middlesex 8 0.11x
Glamorgan 7 0.53x
Warwickshire 7 0.37x
Essex 5 0.34x
Hertfordshire 3 0.58x
Surrey 3 0.08x
Durham 2 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.10x
Oxfordshire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wolstanton in Staffordshire leads with 73 Hollinsheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 94.19x.

Place Total Index
Wolstanton 73 94.19x
Leek Lowe 56 164.95x
Burslem 31 42.41x
Odd Rode 28 338.57x
Macclesfield 27 36.40x
Stafford St Mary 27 74.75x
Norton In Moors 22 162.84x
Shifnal 20 112.80x
Alsager 17 409.64x
Congleton 17 58.97x
Martin In Sleaford 17 801.89x
Stoke Upon Trent 17 6.28x
Cannock 14 31.44x
Church Minshull 14 1428.57x
Hurdsfield 13 126.58x
Billinghay 12 321.72x
Willaston In Nantwich 11 213.59x
Brightside Bierlow 9 6.13x
Byker 9 16.19x
Little Lever 9 78.47x
Newcastle Under Lyme 9 19.93x
Chapel En Le Frith 8 74.01x
Elton In Congleton 8 563.38x
Middlewich 8 233.24x
Minshull Vernon 8 941.18x
Monks Coppenhall 8 12.70x
Smallthorne 8 84.48x
Syston 8 101.91x
Wolstanton Chesterton 8 61.35x
Biddulph 7 48.61x
Dodworth 7 89.97x
Dudley 7 5.83x
Liverpool 7 1.28x
Occlestone 7 2692.31x
Roath 7 11.71x
Wolstanton Thursfield 7 225.81x
Bradwall 6 348.84x
Castle Church 6 39.11x
Coventry Holy Trinity 6 10.54x
Haslington 6 127.93x
Hatherton 6 722.89x
Hulme 6 3.20x
Kirkdale 6 3.98x
Pendlebury 6 31.68x
Stanthorne 6 1200.00x
Stockport 6 6.99x
Walsall Foreign 6 4.55x
Chiswick 5 12.10x
Rushton Spencer 5 568.18x
West Ham 5 1.52x
Frampton 4 174.67x
Haughton 4 30.56x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 4 5.95x
Newton In Northwich 4 78.74x
Northfield 4 21.36x
Over 4 23.58x
Sutton In Macclesfield 4 23.09x
Tytherington 4 493.83x
Whittington 4 24.42x
Aldbury 3 127.12x
Bramhall 3 43.42x
Chesterfield 3 6.76x
Kingston On Thames 3 3.39x
Manchester 3 0.74x
Navenby 3 120.97x
Pemberton 3 8.39x
Sheffield 3 1.26x
Upholland 3 26.09x
Wolstanton Oldcott 3 32.47x
Wybunbury 3 194.81x
Audley Talk O Th Hill 2 43.48x
Huddersfield 2 1.83x
Leeds 2 0.47x
Leek Frith 2 94.34x
Macclesfield Forest 2 370.37x
Madeley 2 31.45x
Sedgley 2 2.11x
Stone 2 6.13x
Worsley 2 3.62x
Wuerdle Wardle 2 7.34x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 58
William 36
Thomas 33
Joseph 32
James 26
George 25
Charles 23
Edward 10
Samuel 10
Arthur 9
Henry 9
Enoch 8
Albert 6
Alfred 6
Peter 5
Ralph 5
Francis 4
Frederick 4
Jonathan 4
Richard 4
Daniel 3
Emanuel 3
Frank 3
Walter 3
Wm. 3
Abraham 2
Benjamin 2
David 2
Ernest 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Jas. 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Arther 1
E.H. 1
Elijah 1
Geo.Hy. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hubert 1
Hunst 1
Infant 1
Josiah 1
Kent 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Marriott 1
Moses 1
Oliver 1

FAQ

Hollinshead surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hollinshead surname in 1881?

In 1881, 778 people were recorded with the Hollinshead surname. That placed it at #4,768 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hollinshead surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,533 in 2016. That gives Hollinshead a modern rank of #4,036.

What does the Hollinshead surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller by the hollowed or sunken stream."

What does the Hollinshead map show?

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