NameCensus.

UK surname

Hopkinson

A habitational surname referring to someone from the village of Hopkinson.

In the 1881 census there were 4,891 people recorded with the Hopkinson surname, ranking it #907 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,418, ranked #1,238, down from #907 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bury and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hopkinson is 6,181 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.8%.

1881 census count

4,891

Ranked #907

Modern count

5,418

2016, ranked #1,238

Peak year

1911

6,181 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hopkinson had 4,891 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #907 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,418 in 2016, ranked #1,238.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,181 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Hopkinson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hopkinson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hopkinson 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 3,065 #943
1861 historical 3,589 #782
1881 historical 4,891 #907
1891 historical 5,336 #878
1901 historical 5,827 #955
1911 historical 6,181 #834
1997 modern 5,624 #1,158
1998 modern 5,791 #1,169
1999 modern 5,840 #1,168
2000 modern 5,778 #1,170
2001 modern 5,623 #1,181
2002 modern 5,667 #1,195
2003 modern 5,570 #1,184
2004 modern 5,546 #1,186
2005 modern 5,413 #1,203
2006 modern 5,345 #1,222
2007 modern 5,374 #1,217
2008 modern 5,348 #1,236
2009 modern 5,510 #1,223
2010 modern 5,609 #1,235
2011 modern 5,533 #1,234
2012 modern 5,444 #1,230
2013 modern 5,496 #1,239
2014 modern 5,562 #1,228
2015 modern 5,478 #1,229
2016 modern 5,418 #1,238

Geography

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Where Hopkinsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bury, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Birstall and Chesterfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, Barnsley and Bassetlaw. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bury Lancashire
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Chesterfield Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chesterfield 012 Chesterfield
2 Derbyshire Dales 005 Derbyshire Dales
3 Barnsley 030 Barnsley
4 Bassetlaw 016 Bassetlaw
5 Bassetlaw 004 Bassetlaw

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hopkinson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hopkinson

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Hopkinson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hopkinson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Hopkinson 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

Hopkinson is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hopkinson falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hopkinson

The surname Hopkinson is of English origin, originating in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "hop" meaning a small valley or hollow, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, essentially referring to a settlement situated in a small valley or hollow.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where it appears as "Hoppkynson" and "Hopkynson." This suggests that the name had already been established and in use by the 14th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to several places with names similar to Hopkinson, such as Hopetun in Bedfordshire and Hoppertone in Wiltshire, indicating that the name may have originated from these or similar place names.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was William Hopkinson, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1292.

In the 16th century, the Hopkinson family held lands in the parish of Denton, near Manchester, where they were influential landowners and prominent members of the local community.

Notable individuals with the surname include:

1. John Hopkinson (1610-1680), an English mathematician and academic who served as the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.

2. Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791), an American author, composer, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

3. Benjamin Hopkinson (1854-1918), a British engineer and physicist who made significant contributions to the study of stress and strain in materials.

4. Sir Alfred Hopkinson (1851-1939), a British civil engineer and pioneer in the field of hydraulic engineering, known for his work on the Manchester Ship Canal.

5. Ralph Hopkinson (1915-1999), a British actor and playwright best known for his roles in television series such as "The Avengers" and "Upstairs, Downstairs."

The Hopkinson surname has been well-established in various parts of England, particularly in the northern counties, and has been carried to other parts of the world through emigration, particularly to the United States and other English-speaking countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hopkinson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hopkinson 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 1,886 Hopkinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.98x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,886 3.98x
Lancashire 998 1.76x
Derbyshire 674 9.01x
Nottinghamshire 421 6.54x
Middlesex 164 0.34x
Cheshire 116 1.10x
Lincolnshire 102 1.34x
Durham 97 0.68x
Staffordshire 80 0.50x
Surrey 69 0.30x
Leicestershire 41 0.77x
Sussex 30 0.37x
Hampshire 24 0.25x
Northumberland 19 0.27x
Kent 18 0.11x
Herefordshire 14 0.71x
Dorset 13 0.41x
Lanarkshire 12 0.08x
Northamptonshire 12 0.27x
Somerset 12 0.16x
Berkshire 10 0.28x
Devon 10 0.10x
Hertfordshire 9 0.27x
Oxfordshire 9 0.31x
Gloucestershire 7 0.07x
Warwickshire 7 0.06x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.21x
Shropshire 5 0.12x
Worcestershire 5 0.08x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.13x
Essex 4 0.04x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.32x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.10x
Glamorgan 2 0.02x
Isle of Man 2 0.23x
Bedfordshire 1 0.04x
Brecknockshire 1 0.10x
Cumberland 1 0.02x
Norfolk 1 0.01x
Royal Navy 1 0.18x
Suffolk 1 0.02x
Wiltshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bury in Lancashire leads with 127 Hopkinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.62x.

Place Total Index
Bury 127 19.62x
Tottington Lower End 107 39.73x
Chesterfield 84 29.97x
Huddersfield 84 12.18x
Gomersal 76 34.40x
Bradford 71 6.20x
Brampton 71 67.93x
Horton In Bradford 71 9.61x
Ashover 64 172.00x
Leeds 63 2.36x
Bowling 60 12.80x
Sheffield 59 3.92x
Elton 58 29.62x
Nottingham St Mary 55 3.30x
Ecclesall Bierlow 53 5.51x
Hasland 51 67.00x
Haworth 50 44.45x
Soyland 45 79.25x
Brightside Bierlow 43 4.63x
Worksop 39 20.43x
Preston 38 2.51x
Manchester 37 1.45x
Newark Upon Trent 37 15.99x
Tong 35 38.28x
Great Little Marsden 34 13.10x
Castleton 33 5.83x
Mirfield 33 12.70x
Northowram 33 9.94x
Wortley In Bramley 32 8.54x
Halifax 31 4.46x
Claylane 30 28.86x
Cowling 29 94.49x
Keighley 29 5.75x
Pontefract 29 28.45x
Hyde 28 9.00x
Manningham 28 4.80x
Newchurch 28 6.04x
Alfreton 27 11.89x
Oldham 27 1.48x
Trawden 27 76.14x
Wakefield 27 7.43x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 26 5.90x
Holy Trinity 26 2.28x
Saddleworth 26 7.12x
East Retford 25 44.76x
North Wingfield 25 74.81x
Salford 25 1.50x
Heap 23 7.65x
Spotland 23 3.65x
Stockport 23 4.24x
Walmersley Cum 23 25.40x
Crumpsall 22 16.47x
Gorton 22 4.13x
Staveley 22 16.58x
Heeley 21 14.60x
Nether Hallam 21 3.28x
Stoke Upon Trent 21 1.23x
Wyke In Bradford 21 24.81x
Dewsbury 20 4.12x
Gateshead 20 1.88x
Handsworth 20 15.98x
Skircoat 20 10.72x
Warley 20 14.62x
Radford 19 5.81x
Blackwell 18 48.98x
Cleckheaton 18 10.32x
Dronfield 18 18.79x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 18 2.92x
Kimberworth 18 6.85x
Lambeth 18 0.43x
Slaithwaite 18 36.53x
Croydon 17 1.32x
Rastrick 17 12.93x
Everton 16 0.89x
North Bierley 16 6.26x
Rotherham 16 6.00x
Cheadle 15 7.45x
Doncaster 15 4.34x
Eccleshill 15 13.02x
Newbold Dunston 15 21.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 381
Sarah 235
Elizabeth 176
Ann 109
Hannah 82
Annie 80
Jane 74
Alice 73
Martha 72
Eliza 70
Emma 70
Ellen 66
Emily 45
Harriet 37
Margaret 37
Ada 32
Clara 31
Edith 30
Lucy 28
Fanny 26
Maria 25
Louisa 24
Charlotte 21
Florence 21
Harriett 19
Esther 18
Anne 17
Catherine 17
Kate 16
Betty 14
Rebecca 14
Rachel 13
Frances 12
Rose 12
Susannah 12
Agnes 11
Amelia 11
Caroline 11
Ruth 11
Betsy 10
Lydia 10
Matilda 9
Amy 8
Gertrude 8
Lilly 8
Anna 7
Leah 7
Sophia 7
Susan 7
Grace 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 323
William 269
George 175
James 154
Thomas 151
Joseph 130
Charles 79
Henry 75
Edward 50
Samuel 48
Arthur 47
Harry 40
Robert 37
Richard 36
Alfred 34
Fred 34
Frederick 33
Frank 31
Albert 30
Herbert 28
Walter 25
Wm. 19
Thos. 17
Edwin 16
Ernest 16
Isaac 16
Matthew 15
Benjamin 13
David 12
Francis 12
Sam 12
Willie 11
Joe 9
Ralph 9
Tom 9
Abraham 8
Daniel 8
Fredrick 8
Geo. 8
Jas. 7
Jesse 6
Jno. 5
Job 5
Joshua 5
Peter 5
Alexander 4
Ben 4
Mathew 4
Sidney 4
Wright 4

FAQ

Hopkinson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hopkinson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,891 people were recorded with the Hopkinson surname. That placed it at #907 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hopkinson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,418 in 2016. That gives Hopkinson a modern rank of #1,238.

What does the Hopkinson surname mean?

A habitational surname referring to someone from the village of Hopkinson.

What does the Hopkinson map show?

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