NameCensus.

UK surname

Hon

A Chinese surname meaning "great" or "vast," or a Cantonese romanization of the surname 韓 (Hon) meaning "Han dynasty."

In the 1881 census there were 12 people recorded with the Hon surname, ranking it #31,914 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 210, ranked #18,965, up from #31,914 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Wiltshire and Bromley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hon is 210 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1650.0%.

1881 census count

12

Ranked #31,914

Modern count

210

2016, ranked #18,965

Peak year

2016

210 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hon had 12 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,914 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 210 in 2016, ranked #18,965.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 22 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Student Living and Professional Footholds.

Hon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hon surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hon 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 22 #29,378
1881 historical 12 #31,914
1901 historical 5 #33,728
1997 modern 121 #24,019
1998 modern 133 #23,308
1999 modern 138 #22,983
2000 modern 153 #21,520
2001 modern 146 #21,857
2002 modern 150 #21,913
2003 modern 145 #22,172
2004 modern 152 #21,628
2005 modern 154 #21,396
2006 modern 151 #21,818
2007 modern 163 #21,050
2008 modern 170 #20,672
2009 modern 180 #20,341
2010 modern 182 #20,662
2011 modern 170 #21,407
2012 modern 190 #19,864
2013 modern 198 #19,657
2014 modern 199 #19,775
2015 modern 205 #19,269
2016 modern 210 #18,965

Geography

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Where Hons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Wiltshire, Bromley, Camden and Kingston upon Thames. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 002 Cheshire East
2 Wiltshire 041 Wiltshire
3 Bromley 023 Bromley
4 Camden 025 Camden
5 Kingston upon Thames 006 Kingston upon Thames

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hon

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Student Living and Professional Footholds

Nationally, the Hon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Student Living and Professional Footholds, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Hon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

The Group includes many students, some of whom reside in communal residences. Single-person households are the most prevalent and the modal age band is 25 to 44. There are few families with dependent children. A significant number of White residents were born in EU countries (although UK-born residents are more common than in the rest of the Group), and households reflect a diversity of ethnic groups. Residential turnover is exceptionally high and, communal properties aside, flats are the norm. Some properties, including those in the private rental sector, are over-crowded. Many residents are professionals and technicians educated to degree level, and the Group is particularly common near the campuses of established university towns and cities.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Hon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hon 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

Hon 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 Hon 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
Asian - Chinese

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

Meaning and origin of Hon

The surname HON traces its origins back to medieval England, where it emerged as an occupational name for someone who worked as a maker or seller of hoods, a type of headgear that was popular during that era. It is derived from the Old English word "hod," meaning "hood."

The earliest recorded instances of the HON surname can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as tax records, court rolls, and parish registers. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273, where a certain William le Hone is mentioned.

During the Middle Ages, the HON surname was particularly prevalent in areas such as Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, where the hood-making industry was thriving. Over time, the name also developed various spelling variations, including Hone, Houn, and Houn.

While the HON surname initially originated as an occupational name, it later became associated with certain place names as well. For instance, in the Domesday Book of 1086, a settlement called Huna is recorded in Lincolnshire, which may have contributed to the formation of the HON surname for those residing in or near that area.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the HON surname. One of the earliest recorded was Sir William Honne, a member of the English gentry from Buckinghamshire, who lived during the 14th century. In the 16th century, Sir John Houne (1532-1598) was a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Leicestershire.

Another notable figure was Thomas Hone (1570-1623), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge. In the literary world, William Hone (1780-1842) was a renowned English writer and satirist, best known for his works such as "The Political House that Jack Built" and "The Apocryphal New Testament."

Finally, one cannot overlook the contribution of Nathaniel Hone (1718-1784), an Irish-born painter who achieved great success in portraiture and was appointed as the Principal Painter to the Prince of Wales during the reign of King George III.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hon 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. Caernarfonshire leads with 2 Hons recorded in 1881 and an index of 169.49x.

County Total Index
Caernarfonshire 2 169.49x
Lanarkshire 1 10.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bangor in Caernarfonshire leads with 2 Hons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1818.18x.

Place Total Index
Bangor 2 1818.18x
Shettleston 1 1250.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Matilda 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Michael 1

FAQ

Hon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12 people were recorded with the Hon surname. That placed it at #31,914 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 210 in 2016. That gives Hon a modern rank of #18,965.

What does the Hon surname mean?

A Chinese surname meaning "great" or "vast," or a Cantonese romanization of the surname 韓 (Hon) meaning "Han dynasty."

What does the Hon map show?

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