NameCensus.

UK surname

Hosmer

An English occupational surname for someone who made leggings or gaiters, derived from the Old English "hosa" meaning hose.

In the 1881 census there were 68 people recorded with the Hosmer surname, ranking it #23,950 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 94, ranked #31,871, down from #23,950 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Erith, Tunbridge, Bidborough and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tunbridge Wells, Waverley and Eastleigh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hosmer is 155 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.2%.

1881 census count

68

Ranked #23,950

Modern count

94

2016, ranked #31,871

Peak year

1911

155 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2006

Key insights

  • Hosmer had 68 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,950 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 94 in 2016, ranked #31,871.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 155 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hosmer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hosmer surname density by area, 2006 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hosmer 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 67 #21,440
1861 historical 57 #26,718
1881 historical 68 #23,950
1891 historical 129 #20,285
1901 historical 139 #18,876
1911 historical 155 #17,485
1997 modern 113 #25,106
1998 modern 119 #24,918
1999 modern 108 #26,602
2000 modern 103 #27,280
2001 modern 103 #26,927
2002 modern 99 #28,082
2003 modern 96 #28,381
2004 modern 95 #28,746
2005 modern 99 #28,177
2006 modern 105 #27,479
2007 modern 102 #28,351
2008 modern 102 #28,664
2009 modern 101 #29,445
2010 modern 102 #29,930
2011 modern 98 #30,384
2012 modern 109 #28,689
2013 modern 106 #29,740
2014 modern 103 #30,539
2015 modern 100 #31,005
2016 modern 94 #31,871

Geography

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Where Hosmers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Erith, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes, St John Hackney and Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tunbridge Wells, Waverley, Eastleigh, Breckland and Bexley. 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 Erith Kent
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tunbridge Wells 001 Tunbridge Wells
2 Waverley 018 Waverley
3 Eastleigh 005 Eastleigh
4 Breckland 008 Breckland
5 Bexley 019 Bexley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hosmer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hosmer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hosmer, 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 Hosmer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hosmer 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hosmer is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Hosmer is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hosmer falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hosmer

The surname Hosmer has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "hos" meaning a hose or covering for the leg, and "mere" meaning a pool or lake, suggesting that the name may have originated from a place near a body of water where hoses or stockings were made.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1176, where a person named Hugo Hosmer is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, referring to a place called "Hosemere."

In the 13th century, the name was also recorded as "Hosemere" and "Hosemare," further reinforcing its connection to a place name. These early spellings indicate that the name may have evolved from a location where hosiery was produced or where people engaged in the trade of making hose or stockings.

Notable bearers of the Hosmer surname include Sir Edmund Hosmer (1478-1542), a Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire in the 16th century. Another prominent figure was James Hosmer (1582-1638), a Puritan minister who emigrated from England to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635.

In the United States, Titus Hosmer (1736-1780) was a notable figure during the American Revolutionary War, serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Continental Army. He was killed in action during the Battle of Ridgefield in 1777.

Harriet Hosmer (1830-1908) was a renowned American sculptor from Massachusetts, known for her neoclassical works such as "Beatrice Cenci" and "Zenobia in Chains." She was one of the first professional female sculptors to gain international recognition.

Another notable bearer of the name was James Hosmer (1833-1927), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who later served as a Congressman from Connecticut from 1875 to 1877.

While the surname Hosmer has evolved over centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and a possible connection to a place name associated with the production of hose or stockings near a body of water.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hosmer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hosmer 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. Kent leads with 51 Hosmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.54x.

County Total Index
Kent 51 22.54x
Middlesex 9 1.36x
Hampshire 4 2.94x
Lancashire 2 0.25x
Oxfordshire 1 2.44x
Surrey 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Headcorn in Kent leads with 9 Hosmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2647.06x.

Place Total Index
Headcorn 9 2647.06x
Rochester St Margaret 8 334.73x
St Mary Cray 8 1860.47x
East Peckham 7 1489.36x
Hackney London 6 16.14x
Wateringbury 6 2000.00x
Tonbridge 5 61.27x
Eling 4 289.86x
Maidstone 4 59.35x
Liverpool 2 4.19x
St Marylebone London 2 5.65x
Chatham 1 16.08x
Lambeth 1 1.73x
Lenham 1 222.22x
Neithrop 1 72.46x
Orpington 1 144.93x
St Pancras London 1 1.87x
Tenterden 1 125.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Anne 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Elizabeth 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Geogina 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Navini 1
Nellie 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Hosmer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hosmer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 68 people were recorded with the Hosmer surname. That placed it at #23,950 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hosmer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 94 in 2016. That gives Hosmer a modern rank of #31,871.

What does the Hosmer surname mean?

An English occupational surname for someone who made leggings or gaiters, derived from the Old English "hosa" meaning hose.

What does the Hosmer map show?

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