NameCensus.

UK surname

Horman

An English surname derived from the Old Norse "Hórmann" meaning a lecherous or lustful man.

In the 1881 census there were 146 people recorded with the Horman surname, ranking it #15,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 107, ranked #29,762, down from #15,752 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Almondsbury and Northfleet. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bath and North East Somerset, Hyndburn and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Horman is 498 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 26.7%.

1881 census count

146

Ranked #15,752

Modern count

107

2016, ranked #29,762

Peak year

1861

498 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Horman had 146 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,752 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016, ranked #29,762.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 498 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Horman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Horman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Horman 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 149 #12,967
1861 historical 498 #5,253
1881 historical 146 #15,752
1891 historical 415 #8,610
1901 historical 174 #16,520
1911 historical 203 #14,831
1997 modern 123 #23,792
1998 modern 114 #25,589
1999 modern 110 #26,315
2000 modern 112 #25,978
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 111 #26,291
2003 modern 116 #25,415
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 121 #24,947
2006 modern 121 #25,133
2007 modern 127 #24,748
2008 modern 136 #24,004
2009 modern 137 #24,371
2010 modern 135 #25,127
2011 modern 124 #26,367
2012 modern 121 #26,829
2013 modern 112 #28,675
2014 modern 109 #29,452
2015 modern 111 #28,986
2016 modern 107 #29,762

Geography

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Where Hormans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Almondsbury, Northfleet, Lancaster Borough and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bath and North East Somerset, Hyndburn, East Riding of Yorkshire and Isle of Anglesey. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Almondsbury Gloucestershire
3 Northfleet Kent
4 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bath and North East Somerset 023 Bath and North East Somerset
2 Hyndburn 007 Hyndburn
3 Hyndburn 009 Hyndburn
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 004 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Isle of Anglesey 001 Isle of Anglesey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Horman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Horman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Horman, 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 Horman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Horman 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Horman is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Horman 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

Horman falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Horman

The surname HORMAN is of Anglo-Saxon origin, arising in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hor", meaning hoar or white, and "mann", meaning man. This suggests the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with white or graying hair.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HORMAN surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Horman" in this ancient manuscript, indicating its established use by the late 11th century.

Over time, variations in spelling emerged, with forms like HOREMAN, HORREMAN, and HORSMAN appearing in historical records. Some of these variants may have arisen from regional dialects or scribal errors in transcribing the name.

The HORMAN surname has been associated with various locations in England, including the county of Lincolnshire, where a village called Horman once existed. This place name likely influenced the surname's development in that region.

Notable individuals bearing the HORMAN surname include William Horman (c. 1440-1535), a prominent English scholar and headmaster of Eton College and Winchester College. Another figure was John Horman (d. 1551), a Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the English Reformation.

In the 17th century, Thomas Horman (1631-1696) was a renowned English mathematician and astronomer, best known for his work on the calculation of eclipses and the improvement of navigational techniques.

During the 19th century, Henry Horman (1816-1891) was a prominent British industrialist and inventor, credited with significant advancements in the textile manufacturing industry.

Another notable bearer of the HORMAN surname was Olivia Horman (1857-1932), an influential American educator and advocate for women's rights, who played a pivotal role in establishing several educational institutions for women in the United States.

While the HORMAN surname has its roots in Anglo-Saxon England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by migrations and diasporas over the centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the descriptive nicknames and place names of medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Horman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Horman 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. Channel Islands leads with 69 Hormans recorded in 1881 and an index of 114.22x.

County Total Index
Channel Islands 69 114.22x
Gloucestershire 24 6.00x
Middlesex 24 1.18x
Cumberland 21 11.97x
Durham 10 1.65x
Lancashire 9 0.37x
Hampshire 7 1.68x
Staffordshire 7 1.02x
Derbyshire 6 1.88x
Northumberland 6 1.98x
Surrey 6 0.60x
Oxfordshire 5 3.97x
Yorkshire 4 0.20x
Wiltshire 3 1.66x
Cheshire 2 0.44x
Leicestershire 2 0.88x
Lincolnshire 2 0.61x
Monmouthshire 2 1.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Helier in Channel Islands leads with 26 Hormans recorded in 1881 and an index of 132.18x.

Place Total Index
St Helier 26 132.18x
Almondsbury 14 915.03x
St Peter 14 804.60x
St Brelade 12 774.19x
Hackney London 8 7.00x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 15.94x
Cullercoates 6 631.58x
Derby St Alkmund 6 62.76x
Distington 6 666.67x
Great Clifton 6 882.35x
Grouville 6 357.14x
Oswaldtwistle 6 70.18x
St Saviour 6 179.64x
Tudhoe 6 112.99x
St Marylebone London 5 4.59x
Bishopwearmouth 4 7.68x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 4 268.46x
Tangley 4 2666.67x
West Bromwich 4 10.15x
Above Derwent 3 461.54x
St John 3 260.87x
Watermillock 3 937.50x
Whitechapel London 3 14.93x
Workington 3 29.85x
Birkenhead 2 5.58x
Bishopstone 2 232.56x
Holdenhurst 2 18.25x
Islington London 2 1.01x
Leeds 2 1.75x
Southwark Christchurch 2 20.94x
St Clement 2 217.39x
St George Bloomsbury 2 17.09x
St Woollos 2 12.16x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 2.74x
Alverstoke 1 6.61x
Astley 1 53.48x
Camberwell 1 0.77x
Chelsea London 1 1.63x
Cheltenham 1 3.24x
Chertsey 1 15.58x
Cirencester 1 18.48x
Eye Dunsden 1 163.93x
Fishwick 1 66.67x
Gomersal 1 10.60x
Great Grimsby 1 4.83x
Hendon 1 13.64x
Higham On The Hill 1 322.58x
Horfield 1 24.88x
Hornsey 1 3.88x
Hunslet 1 3.17x
Kensington London 1 0.88x
Lambeth 1 0.56x
Leicester St Mary 1 5.48x
Pewsey 1 75.19x
St Swithin Lincoln 1 19.53x
Toxteth Park 1 1.22x
Wandsworth 1 5.10x
Westbury On Trym 1 7.39x
Wolverhampton 1 1.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Mary 9
Ann 7
Ellen 6
Jane 6
Eliza 5
Ada 3
Annie 3
Catherine 3
Emily 3
Hannah 3
Charlotte 2
Elize 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Rachel 2
Rose 2
Sarah 2
Amelia 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Britannia 1
Caroline 1
Cathern 1
Edith 1
Eleanoria 1
Elisa 1
Elizbeth 1
Elvina 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Francis 1
Henry 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Josephine 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Mable 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Nancy 1
Rebecca 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Horman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Horman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 146 people were recorded with the Horman surname. That placed it at #15,752 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Horman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016. That gives Horman a modern rank of #29,762.

What does the Horman surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old Norse "Hórmann" meaning a lecherous or lustful man.

What does the Horman map show?

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