NameCensus.

UK surname

Hooks

An occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold hooks, or lived near a hook-shaped feature.

In the 1881 census there were 515 people recorded with the Hooks surname, ranking it #6,619 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 587, ranked #8,864, down from #6,619 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Anmer, London parishes and Tittleshall with Godwick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Breckland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hooks is 668 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.0%.

1881 census count

515

Ranked #6,619

Modern count

587

2016, ranked #8,864

Peak year

1999

668 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hooks had 515 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,619 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 587 in 2016, ranked #8,864.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 609 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hooks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hooks surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hooks 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 340 #6,905
1861 historical 555 #4,747
1881 historical 515 #6,619
1891 historical 564 #6,733
1901 historical 609 #6,988
1911 historical 605 #6,798
1997 modern 627 #7,894
1998 modern 664 #7,782
1999 modern 668 #7,781
2000 modern 667 #7,783
2001 modern 642 #7,873
2002 modern 654 #7,907
2003 modern 630 #8,014
2004 modern 650 #7,838
2005 modern 624 #8,029
2006 modern 629 #8,005
2007 modern 619 #8,161
2008 modern 616 #8,237
2009 modern 641 #8,158
2010 modern 641 #8,336
2011 modern 626 #8,402
2012 modern 610 #8,499
2013 modern 617 #8,548
2014 modern 620 #8,575
2015 modern 608 #8,653
2016 modern 587 #8,864

Geography

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Where Hooks' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Anmer, London parishes, Tittleshall with Godwick, Glasgow and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Breckland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Hartlepool and Rushcliffe. 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 Anmer Norfolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 Tittleshall with Godwick Norfolk
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Breckland 002 Breckland
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 012 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Hartlepool 001 Hartlepool
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 011 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Rushcliffe 009 Rushcliffe

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hooks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hooks

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Hooks surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hooks household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hooks 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

Hooks is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hooks falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hooks 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 Hooks, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hooks

The surname Hooks is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the 13th century. It is thought to be a locative name, derived from a place name that referred to a hook-shaped bend in a river or road. The earliest recorded spelling is believed to be Atte Hoke, found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1273.

The name is also linked to the Old English word "hoc," meaning a hook or angle, which could have been used to describe the shape of a piece of land or a geographical feature. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near such a feature.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to places with similar names, such as Hocca in Wiltshire and Hoch in Somerset, which could be related to the origin of the Hooks surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is John Hooke, who was born in Middlesex, England, in 1556. Another notable bearer of the name was Robert Hooke, a renowned English scientist and architect, who was born in 1635 and is best known for his contributions to the field of microscopy and for formulating Hooke's law of elasticity.

In the late 17th century, William Hooke (1663-1744) was a prominent English clergyman and author, known for his work "An Attempt to Shew the Folly and Danger of Atheism."

During the American Revolutionary War, Major Francis Hooke (1744-1808) served in the Continental Army and was a notable figure in the defense of Fort Stanwix in 1777.

In the 19th century, Theodore Edward Hook (1788-1841) was a prominent English writer and novelist, known for his satirical novels and plays.

It is worth noting that the surname Hooks has also been recorded with various spellings over the centuries, such as Hooke, Hook, and Hookes, reflecting the historical evolution of language and regional variations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hooks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hooks 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. Norfolk leads with 234 Hooks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.29x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 234 30.29x
Lanarkshire 38 2.34x
Middlesex 32 0.64x
Yorkshire 23 0.46x
Northumberland 18 2.41x
Nottinghamshire 18 2.66x
Lancashire 15 0.25x
Devon 14 1.34x
Pembrokeshire 14 8.77x
Durham 12 0.80x
Staffordshire 10 0.59x
Cambridgeshire 9 2.83x
Surrey 9 0.37x
Renfrewshire 8 2.05x
Suffolk 8 1.31x
Denbighshire 6 3.16x
Fife 6 2.02x
Cheshire 4 0.36x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 5.50x
Midlothian 4 0.59x
Dumfriesshire 3 2.70x
Roxburghshire 3 3.30x
Warwickshire 3 0.24x
Ayrshire 2 0.53x
Dunbartonshire 2 1.48x
Essex 2 0.20x
Gloucestershire 2 0.20x
Hampshire 2 0.19x
Kent 2 0.12x
Lincolnshire 2 0.25x
Wiltshire 2 0.45x
Berwickshire 1 1.64x
Hertfordshire 1 0.29x
Merionethshire 1 1.09x
Wigtownshire 1 1.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rougham in Norfolk leads with 35 Hooks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5223.88x.

Place Total Index
Rougham 35 5223.88x
Tittleshall 22 2500.00x
Anmer 17 5862.07x
Dersingham 17 977.01x
Govan 16 3.98x
Tatterford 14 9333.33x
Barony 13 3.16x
Sedgeford 13 992.37x
Holme Next Sea 10 1923.08x
Hunstanton 10 383.14x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 10 43.12x
Marldon 10 1136.36x
Berwick Upon Tweed 8 50.51x
Brancaster 8 606.06x
Fakenham 8 210.53x
Newbiggin In Morpeth 8 334.73x
Newcastle Under Lyme 8 26.66x
North Creake 8 761.90x
Ormesby 8 59.79x
Shernborne 8 2857.14x
Thornham 8 714.29x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 8 46.62x
Burnham Sutton Cum Burnham 7 1250.00x
Leeds 7 2.49x
Paddington London 7 3.79x
Wisbech St Peter 7 43.86x
Abbey 6 10.10x
Beath 6 63.83x
Dennington 6 441.18x
Lambeth 6 1.37x
St Pancras London 6 1.48x
Basford 5 16.02x
Everton 5 2.63x
Kensington London 5 1.79x
Llanrhaiadr In Kinmerch 5 173.01x
Martletwy 5 781.25x
Maryhill 5 15.72x
Monckton 5 175.44x
Burnham Deepdale 4 2352.94x
Glasgow 4 1.39x
Greasley 4 26.18x
Grimston 4 205.13x
Hartlepool 4 18.83x
Newark Upon Trent 4 16.43x
Outwell 4 266.67x
St Marylebone London 4 1.49x
Worsbrough 4 27.42x
Aston 3 0.86x
Chester St John Baptist 3 15.05x
Colkirk 3 405.41x
Crossmichael 3 130.43x
Esher 3 87.46x
Kelso 3 33.08x
Mile End Old Town London 3 2.81x
Radford 3 8.72x
Ryton Woodside 3 161.29x
South Lynn 3 34.40x
Titchwell 3 1500.00x
All Hallows Barking 2 160.00x
Bishopwearmouth 2 1.56x
Cheltenham 2 2.63x
Chudleigh 2 60.24x
Colebrooke 2 163.93x
Cosheston 2 206.19x
Dumbarton 2 10.64x
Edinburgh New North 2 34.13x
Elswick 2 3.35x
Eskdaleside 2 81.63x
Great Dunham 2 294.12x
Gumfreston 2 1250.00x
Hackney London 2 0.71x
Inverkip 2 21.79x
Kirkby In Ashfield 2 27.62x
Middlebie 2 60.06x
Stevenston 2 20.41x
Stickford 2 238.10x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 1.11x
West Rudham 2 246.91x
Westbury 2 19.29x
Whippingham 2 25.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Elizabeth 16
Sarah 14
Martha 10
Ann 8
Jane 7
Susan 7
Hannah 6
Caroline 5
Charlotte 5
Ellen 4
Emma 4
Margaret 4
Anna 3
Annie 3
Frances 3
Lucy 3
Maria 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Bridget 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
May 2
Rebecca 2
Susannah 2
Amy 1
Angelina 1
Bertha 1
Bridgett 1
Elen 1
Eliz. 1
Ellenore 1
Ester 1
Esther 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Janet 1
Jemmia 1
John 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 32
John 25
Robert 20
James 19
Thomas 19
George 18
Henry 10
Charles 7
Alfred 6
Walter 6
Albert 4
Frederick 4
Harry 4
Thos. 4
Arthur 3
David 3
Michael 3
Edward 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Llewelyn 2
Patrick 2
Bob 1
Clare 1
Dennis 1
Edgar 1
Elisha 1
Elkrah 1
Forby 1
Forley 1
Frank 1
Fread 1
Fred. 1
Geo. 1
Hazel 1
Hy. 1
Jeremiah 1
Job 1
Joshua 1
Kellett 1
Llew. 1
Mary 1
Mitchel 1
Orlando 1
Richard 1
Robt.R.Or 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Timothy 1

FAQ

Hooks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hooks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 515 people were recorded with the Hooks surname. That placed it at #6,619 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hooks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 587 in 2016. That gives Hooks a modern rank of #8,864.

What does the Hooks surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold hooks, or lived near a hook-shaped feature.

What does the Hooks map show?

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