NameCensus.

UK surname

Hoskins

Derived from the medieval personal name Osekin, a pet form of the Old English name Oswald, meaning "god-power."

In the 1881 census there were 2,920 people recorded with the Hoskins surname, ranking it #1,533 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,930, ranked #1,718, down from #1,533 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Monmouthshire, North Dorset and Forest of Dean.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hoskins is 4,230 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.6%.

1881 census count

2,920

Ranked #1,533

Modern count

3,930

2016, ranked #1,718

Peak year

1999

4,230 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hoskins had 2,920 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,533 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,930 in 2016, ranked #1,718.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,525 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hoskins surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hoskins surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hoskins 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 1,746 #1,653
1861 historical 1,239 #2,306
1881 historical 2,920 #1,533
1891 historical 2,711 #1,748
1901 historical 3,451 #1,612
1911 historical 3,525 #1,483
1997 modern 3,956 #1,642
1998 modern 4,143 #1,630
1999 modern 4,230 #1,608
2000 modern 4,124 #1,647
2001 modern 4,034 #1,644
2002 modern 4,105 #1,653
2003 modern 3,974 #1,668
2004 modern 3,946 #1,679
2005 modern 3,885 #1,679
2006 modern 3,855 #1,698
2007 modern 3,904 #1,689
2008 modern 3,930 #1,688
2009 modern 4,023 #1,686
2010 modern 4,080 #1,699
2011 modern 4,040 #1,696
2012 modern 3,931 #1,715
2013 modern 4,011 #1,710
2014 modern 4,024 #1,716
2015 modern 3,972 #1,713
2016 modern 3,930 #1,718

Geography

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Where Hoskins' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes 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 Monmouthshire, North Dorset, Forest of Dean and Herefordshire. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Monmouthshire 007 Monmouthshire
2 North Dorset 001 North Dorset
3 Monmouthshire 008 Monmouthshire
4 Forest of Dean 010 Forest of Dean
5 Herefordshire 007 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hoskins

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hoskins

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Hoskins is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hoskins is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hoskins falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hoskins

The surname Hoskins is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "hose" meaning "hose" or "stocking" and the diminutive suffix "-kin," essentially meaning "little hose." The name likely originated as an occupational surname for a maker or seller of hose or stockings during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 13th century, with mentions of individuals bearing variations of the name such as Hosakyn and Hosekyn appearing in tax rolls and legal documents from counties like Somerset and Gloucestershire.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners in England, there is an entry for a Richard Hosekyn in Huntingdonshire. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a John Hosakyn from Worcestershire.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Hoskins was John Hoskins, a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London, who lived from around 1470 to 1538.

Another notable historical figure with the Hoskins surname was Sir John Hoskins (1566-1638), a Member of Parliament and one of the leaders of the Virginia Company, which established the first English settlements in North America.

In the 17th century, John Hoskins (1598-1664) was an English composer and lutenist who served as a court musician to King Charles I and later became a member of the prestigious King's Musick under Charles II.

During the 18th century, Gideon Hoskins (1722-1781) was a Welsh clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including a book titled "The Life of Christ" published in 1761.

In the 19th century, Sir Anthony Hoskins (1828-1901) was a British lawyer and politician who served as the Attorney General of England and Wales from 1885 to 1886.

Over time, variations of the spelling emerged, such as Hoskin, Hoskyns, and Hosken, with the latter form being more prevalent in Cornwall and parts of the West Country of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hoskins families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hoskins 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. Middlesex leads with 460 Hoskins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.61x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 460 1.61x
Somerset 226 4.93x
Hampshire 211 3.61x
Kent 203 2.09x
Devon 193 3.25x
Dorset 192 10.27x
Surrey 185 1.33x
Monmouthshire 178 8.64x
Glamorgan 151 3.04x
Gloucestershire 114 2.04x
Yorkshire 71 0.25x
Warwickshire 69 0.96x
Lancashire 61 0.18x
Sussex 49 1.02x
Cornwall 42 1.30x
Nottinghamshire 42 1.09x
Herefordshire 40 3.42x
Cumberland 37 1.51x
Durham 36 0.42x
Norfolk 32 0.73x
Essex 26 0.46x
Staffordshire 26 0.27x
Worcestershire 26 0.70x
Buckinghamshire 25 1.45x
Angus 24 0.91x
Derbyshire 23 0.52x
Flintshire 22 2.87x
Cheshire 21 0.33x
Brecknockshire 19 3.33x
Denbighshire 16 1.49x
Berkshire 12 0.56x
Hertfordshire 10 0.51x
Shropshire 10 0.41x
Suffolk 7 0.20x
Wiltshire 7 0.28x
Caernarfonshire 6 0.52x
Leicestershire 6 0.19x
Lincolnshire 6 0.13x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.42x
Merionethshire 5 0.96x
Northamptonshire 5 0.19x
Royal Navy 5 1.47x
Oxfordshire 4 0.23x
Channel Islands 3 0.36x
Lanarkshire 3 0.03x
Northumberland 2 0.05x
Anglesey 1 0.20x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.06x
Fife 1 0.06x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 50 Hoskins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.18x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 50 2.18x
Portsea 49 4.28x
Islington London 48 1.74x
Swansea Town 46 11.31x
St Marylebone London 44 2.89x
Lambeth 38 1.53x
Nottingham St Mary 36 3.62x
Portland 35 34.81x
Aston 34 1.72x
Chard 33 59.40x
Chelsea London 33 3.84x
Plymouth St Andrew 33 7.22x
Greenwich 31 6.83x
Aberystruth 30 16.52x
Bedwellty 30 8.25x
Deptford St Paul 30 4.00x
Southampton St Mary 30 8.17x
St George Hanover Square 24 4.78x
Stoke Damerel 24 5.78x
Bethnal Green London 23 1.86x
Brighton 22 2.27x
Yeovil 22 23.61x
Kensington London 21 1.33x
Llanwonno 21 11.78x
Mitcham 21 23.93x
Wincanton 21 88.98x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 20 3.80x
Bromley 20 13.50x
Sutton 20 19.91x
Birmingham 19 0.79x
Bridport 19 49.35x
Hackney London 19 1.19x
Shoreditch London 19 1.54x
Arlecdon 18 27.59x
West Ham 18 1.45x
Woolwich 18 5.01x
Darlington 17 5.19x
Fersfield 17 602.84x
Newington 17 1.62x
Bedminster 15 3.48x
Bromley London 15 2.39x
Lower Ystradgynlais 15 42.67x
Willesden 15 5.58x
Battersea 14 1.34x
Colyton 14 61.48x
Westminster St Margaret 14 10.19x
Dundee 13 1.32x
East Newchurch 13 330.79x
Gillingham 13 40.45x
Lewisham 13 2.51x
Millbrook 13 8.84x
North Baddesley 13 369.32x
Paddington London 13 1.24x
Perranzabuloe 13 46.71x
Rodborough 13 48.17x
Burton Upon Trent 12 5.33x
Camberwell 12 0.66x
Llansamlet Higher 12 32.42x
Mile End Old Town London 12 1.98x
Otterbourne 12 143.71x
Pilton 12 109.79x
Plumstead 12 3.70x
Shepton Mallet 12 23.32x
Allington 11 65.95x
Bingley 11 6.12x
Broadwater 11 9.98x
Castle Cary 11 55.03x
Hawkchurch 11 189.33x
Montrose 11 6.88x
Plymouth Charles The 11 4.21x
South Stoneham 11 8.68x
Aylburton 10 157.23x
Bermondsey 10 1.18x
Bressingham 10 201.61x
Bristol St Michael 10 20.87x
Christchurch 10 7.90x
Lyme Regis 10 44.66x
Ringwood 10 26.76x
Rochford 10 320.51x
Bristol St James St Paul 9 4.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 194
Elizabeth 137
Sarah 89
Emily 50
Eliza 49
Jane 47
Annie 42
Ann 40
Emma 36
Alice 35
Louisa 32
Ellen 31
Margaret 29
Charlotte 26
Edith 22
Catherine 21
Hannah 21
Florence 20
Maria 20
Amelia 19
Caroline 17
Fanny 17
Harriet 17
Anne 16
Kate 16
Ada 15
Frances 15
Lucy 14
Martha 14
Rebecca 13
Elizth. 12
Julia 12
Susan 12
Matilda 10
Isabella 9
Sophia 9
Bessie 8
Clara 8
Harriett 8
Amy 7
Grace 7
Mabel 7
Minnie 7
Anna 6
Esther 6
Gertrude 6
Jessie 6
Lydia 6
Rachel 6
Agnes 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 180
John 150
George 112
Thomas 98
Henry 74
Charles 73
James 70
Arthur 31
Joseph 31
Walter 29
Richard 28
Robert 28
Alfred 27
Edward 26
Frederick 26
Albert 25
Edwin 24
Frank 21
Harry 17
Samuel 15
David 13
Herbert 12
Wm. 11
Benjamin 10
Fred 10
Ernest 9
Francis 7
Tom 6
Chas. 5
Peter 5
Robt. 5
Daniel 4
Isaac 4
Jonas 4
Reginald 4
Sidney 4
Stephen 4
Edgar 3
Fredk. 3
Geo. 3
Hugh 3
Jas. 3
Nicholas 3
Paul 3
Philip 3
R. 3
Septimus 3
Sydney 3
Thos. 3
Lancelot 2

FAQ

Hoskins surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hoskins surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,920 people were recorded with the Hoskins surname. That placed it at #1,533 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hoskins surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,930 in 2016. That gives Hoskins a modern rank of #1,718.

What does the Hoskins surname mean?

Derived from the medieval personal name Osekin, a pet form of the Old English name Oswald, meaning "god-power."

What does the Hoskins map show?

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