NameCensus.

UK surname

Hosey

Derived from the Irish Ó hEodhusa, meaning "descendant of Eodhus," a personal name of unknown meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 104 people recorded with the Hosey surname, ranking it #19,296 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 397, ranked #11,941, up from #19,296 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Monkton Farleigh and Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include New Forest, West Pilton and IZ09.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hosey is 428 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 281.7%.

1881 census count

104

Ranked #19,296

Modern count

397

2016, ranked #11,941

Peak year

2002

428 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hosey had 104 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,296 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 397 in 2016, ranked #11,941.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 176 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hosey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hosey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hosey 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 108 #16,308
1861 historical 98 #21,388
1881 historical 104 #19,296
1891 historical 122 #21,053
1901 historical 165 #17,085
1911 historical 176 #16,185
1997 modern 374 #11,574
1998 modern 392 #11,512
1999 modern 413 #11,180
2000 modern 416 #11,086
2001 modern 402 #11,183
2002 modern 428 #10,880
2003 modern 411 #11,044
2004 modern 415 #10,989
2005 modern 395 #11,292
2006 modern 394 #11,383
2007 modern 385 #11,698
2008 modern 379 #11,960
2009 modern 390 #11,950
2010 modern 394 #12,131
2011 modern 386 #12,170
2012 modern 386 #12,037
2013 modern 408 #11,740
2014 modern 413 #11,726
2015 modern 402 #11,861
2016 modern 397 #11,941

Geography

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Where Hoseys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Monkton Farleigh, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Glossop and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to New Forest, West Pilton and IZ09. 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 Monkton Farleigh Wiltshire
3 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
4 Glossop Derbyshire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 New Forest 014 New Forest
2 New Forest 011 New Forest
3 West Pilton City of Edinburgh
4 New Forest 013 New Forest
5 IZ09 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hosey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hosey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hosey, 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 Hosey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hosey 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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Hosey 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

Hosey 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

Hosey falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hosey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hosey

The surname Hosey has its origins in the Gaelic language, tracing its roots back to Ireland. It is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "oisín," which translates to "little deer" or "fawn." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who possessed certain traits associated with a deer, such as swiftness or grace.

In ancient Irish records, the name appears to have been spelled in various ways, including Hoisey, Hoisie, and Hoisry. The earliest documented reference to the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where a certain Aodh Hosey is mentioned as a chieftain in County Louth in the 13th century.

The name gained prominence in the 16th century, particularly in the counties of Louth and Meath, where it was associated with several influential families. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Patrick Hosey, a distinguished soldier who served in the Irish Confederate Wars during the 1640s and was later appointed Governor of Wicklow.

In the 17th century, the Hosey family established themselves in the town of Slane, County Meath, and the surrounding areas. A prominent member of this branch was Nicholas Hosey, born in 1657, who was a notable landowner and patron of the arts.

As the name spread across Ireland, it also made its way to other parts of the world through Irish emigration. In the late 18th century, a certain William Hosey, born in County Meath in 1762, emigrated to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania, where he became a successful merchant and landowner.

Another notable figure bearing the Hosey name was Michael Hosey, an Irish-born soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Born in County Louth in 1828, he enlisted in the Union Army and served with distinction, earning the rank of Brigadier General by the end of the war.

Throughout history, the Hosey surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and politicians. One such example is Thomas Hosey, a 19th-century Irish poet and translator who was born in County Meath in 1816 and gained recognition for his works celebrating Irish culture and heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hosey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hosey 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. Hampshire leads with 26 Hoseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.51x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 26 12.51x
Middlesex 15 1.48x
Wiltshire 11 12.26x
Lancashire 10 0.83x
Somerset 8 4.90x
Ayrshire 7 9.22x
Derbyshire 7 4.41x
Gloucestershire 6 3.02x
Angus 5 5.32x
Aberdeenshire 4 4.26x
Surrey 3 0.61x
Yorkshire 2 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Fawley in Hampshire leads with 21 Hoseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3181.82x.

Place Total Index
Fawley 21 3181.82x
Monkton Farleigh 10 6666.67x
Ardrossan 7 266.16x
Crowan 7 10000.00x
Westbury On Trym 6 89.02x
Islington London 5 5.09x
Toxteth Park 5 12.27x
Whittington 5 227.27x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 4 22.75x
Dundee 4 11.40x
Shoreditch London 4 9.10x
Millbrook 3 57.25x
Glossop Dale 2 26.88x
Hackney London 2 3.52x
Liverpool 2 2.74x
Salford 2 5.65x
Swinton In Rotherham 2 75.19x
Woking 2 67.11x
Bethnal Green London 1 2.27x
Devizes St James 1 84.03x
Farnborough 1 45.87x
Kensington London 1 1.77x
Kirriemuir 1 43.10x
Paddington London 1 2.68x
Penge 1 15.43x
Southampton All Sts 1 28.01x
St Marylebone London 1 1.85x
Walcot 1 11.49x
Walton On Hill 1 15.34x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Hosey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hosey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 104 people were recorded with the Hosey surname. That placed it at #19,296 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hosey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 397 in 2016. That gives Hosey a modern rank of #11,941.

What does the Hosey surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Ó hEodhusa, meaning "descendant of Eodhus," a personal name of unknown meaning.

What does the Hosey map show?

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