NameCensus.

UK surname

Hotson

An English surname derived from a diminutive form of the given name "Richard".

In the 1881 census there were 281 people recorded with the Hotson surname, ranking it #10,175 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 479, ranked #10,308, down from #10,175 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Emneth, Langholm and Clee. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Langholm and Eskdale, Torfaen and North East Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hotson is 495 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.5%.

1881 census count

281

Ranked #10,175

Modern count

479

2016, ranked #10,308

Peak year

2010

495 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hotson had 281 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,175 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 479 in 2016, ranked #10,308.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 435 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hotson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hotson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hotson 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 250 #8,788
1861 historical 303 #8,365
1881 historical 281 #10,175
1891 historical 395 #8,961
1901 historical 415 #9,236
1911 historical 435 #8,724
1997 modern 444 #10,172
1998 modern 465 #10,155
1999 modern 466 #10,189
2000 modern 487 #9,819
2001 modern 478 #9,783
2002 modern 490 #9,771
2003 modern 479 #9,793
2004 modern 484 #9,729
2005 modern 461 #10,022
2006 modern 466 #9,977
2007 modern 462 #10,143
2008 modern 469 #10,119
2009 modern 490 #10,019
2010 modern 495 #10,127
2011 modern 481 #10,244
2012 modern 473 #10,279
2013 modern 465 #10,569
2014 modern 471 #10,541
2015 modern 475 #10,396
2016 modern 479 #10,308

Geography

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Where Hotsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Emneth, Langholm, Clee, London parishes and Canonbie. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Langholm and Eskdale, Torfaen, North East Lincolnshire and Guildford. 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 Emneth Cambridgeshire
2 Langholm Dumfries
3 Clee Lincolnshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Canonbie Dumfries

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Langholm and Eskdale Dumfries and Galloway
2 Torfaen 006 Torfaen
3 North East Lincolnshire 020 North East Lincolnshire
4 Guildford 001 Guildford
5 North East Lincolnshire 021 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hotson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hotson

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hotson 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

Hotson is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hotson 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 Hotson 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 Hotson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hotson

The surname Hotson is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hoth" meaning "heel" and "son," a common suffix denoting "son of." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who had a distinctive heel or gait.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hotson can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, where a Walter Hodsone is mentioned. This document, which contains records of landowners in various counties, provides evidence of the name's existence in the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, a collection of legal records from the Yorkshire region. Here, a Richard Hodson is listed as a tenant in 1349.

The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also contain an entry for a John Hotson, indicating the presence of the name in the West Midlands area during this time period.

One notable bearer of the Hotson surname was Robert Hotson, a 16th-century English scholar and theologian. Born in Yorkshire in 1552, he studied at Oxford University and later became a fellow of Corpus Christi College. Hotson is known for his contributions to theological works and debates during the Protestant Reformation.

Another historically significant individual with the Hotson name was Sir John Hotson, a 17th-century English politician and landowner. Born in Lincolnshire in 1610, he served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Grantham and was involved in local government affairs.

In the 18th century, the name Hotson can be found in the parish records of Staffordshire, where a Thomas Hotson is recorded as marrying Mary Smith in 1743 in the village of Abbots Bromley.

The surname Hotson also has connections to the town of Hotson, located in the East Riding of Yorkshire. This place name, which shares its etymology with the surname, likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in that region.

Other notable individuals bearing the Hotson surname include William Hotson, a 19th-century British artist known for his landscapes and portraiture, who was born in London in 1825 and exhibited at the Royal Academy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hotson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hotson 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. Lincolnshire leads with 50 Hotsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.33x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 50 11.33x
Dumfriesshire 42 68.88x
Middlesex 30 1.09x
Sussex 23 4.94x
Norfolk 19 4.48x
Lanarkshire 18 2.02x
Cambridgeshire 17 9.72x
Surrey 15 1.12x
Hampshire 12 2.12x
Roxburghshire 9 18.00x
Essex 8 1.47x
Lancashire 8 0.24x
Cumberland 7 2.95x
Suffolk 7 2.08x
Huntingdonshire 5 9.12x
Cheshire 4 0.66x
Yorkshire 4 0.15x
Oxfordshire 2 1.17x
Northamptonshire 1 0.39x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.27x
Royal Navy 1 3.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Langholm in Dumfriesshire leads with 34 Hotsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 776.26x.

Place Total Index
Langholm 34 776.26x
Cleethorpes 28 1076.92x
Govan 13 5.89x
Wisbech St Peter 13 148.23x
Compton 9 3333.33x
Havant 9 314.69x
Stratton St Mary 9 1525.42x
Kensington London 8 5.21x
Up Marden 8 2500.00x
Bigby 7 2058.82x
Bradfield 7 909.09x
Penrith 7 79.73x
Stoke Newington London 7 32.56x
Urmston 7 328.64x
Hainton 6 2068.97x
Wilton 6 109.29x
Southoe 5 1923.08x
Sproughton 5 847.46x
Westbourne 5 215.52x
Croydon 4 5.36x
Emneth 4 421.05x
Godley 4 303.03x
Lambeth 4 1.66x
Canonbie 3 115.83x
Cavers 3 240.00x
Elm 3 175.44x
Finchley 3 28.36x
New Monkland 3 11.37x
Sculcoates 3 6.92x
St Martin In Fields 3 18.15x
Tottenham 3 6.82x
Westerkirk 3 652.17x
Wootton 3 545.45x
Barony 2 0.89x
Dumfries 2 33.22x
East Dereham 2 37.31x
Great Grimsby 2 7.14x
Laceby 2 208.33x
Southampton St Mary 2 5.62x
Southwark St Saviour 2 14.09x
St Pancras London 2 0.90x
Wendlebury 2 1250.00x
Acton 1 6.18x
Beddington 1 19.23x
Brighton 1 1.07x
Carshalton 1 19.42x
Chingford 1 76.34x
Coulsdon 1 40.82x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 1 13.12x
Fakenham 1 47.85x
Great Driffield 1 17.83x
Hackney London 1 0.65x
Hulme 1 1.46x
Idsworth 1 270.27x
Keelby 1 142.86x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 7.85x
Lowestoft 1 6.30x
Mortlake 1 16.69x
Norwich St George Tombland 1 133.33x
Royal Navy 1 3.56x
Southwold 1 50.25x
St Giles Cripplegate 1 27.32x
Tittleshall 1 204.08x
Wellingborough 1 7.66x
Westminster St James 1 3.52x
Wilford 1 95.24x
Wimbledon 1 6.62x
Witham On Hill 1 555.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Ann 6
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Eleanor 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Fanny 3
Harriet 3
Jane 3
Rebecca 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Helen 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Ruth 2
Agnes 1
Alicia 1
Anna 1
Catherine 1
Clare 1
Elizh. 1
Evelyn 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Hester 1
Isabell 1
Isabella 1
Jeannette 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Nessa 1
Roselettice 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
George 11
John 10
James 7
Harry 6
Henry 6
Thomas 6
Joseph 5
Charles 4
Walter 3
Campbell 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Robert 2
Sidney 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Aurther 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Donald 1
Emml. 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Herbt. 1
Hugh 1
Jonothan 1
Philip 1
Proctor 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Sam 1
Samuel 1
Walpole 1

FAQ

Hotson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hotson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 281 people were recorded with the Hotson surname. That placed it at #10,175 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hotson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 479 in 2016. That gives Hotson a modern rank of #10,308.

What does the Hotson surname mean?

An English surname derived from a diminutive form of the given name "Richard".

What does the Hotson map show?

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