NameCensus.

UK surname

Hotton

A surname possibly derived from a place name or referring to someone living near a hill.

In the 1881 census there were 66 people recorded with the Hotton surname, ranking it #24,256 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 99, ranked #31,358, down from #24,256 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ladock, London parishes and Cowley, Iffley (Nuneham Courtney, Berkshire, including Littlemoor Liberty), St Clement. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Devon, Teignbridge and Windsor and Maidenhead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hotton is 341 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.0%.

1881 census count

66

Ranked #24,256

Modern count

99

2016, ranked #31,358

Peak year

1861

341 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 1998

Key insights

  • Hotton had 66 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,256 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 99 in 2016, ranked #31,358.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 341 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Hotton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hotton surname density by area, 1998 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hotton 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 159 #12,400
1861 historical 341 #7,479
1881 historical 66 #24,256
1891 historical 174 #16,520
1901 historical 136 #19,110
1911 historical 160 #17,151
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 112 #25,856
1999 modern 103 #27,305
2000 modern 94 #28,573
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 99 #28,082
2003 modern 100 #27,722
2004 modern 91 #29,345
2005 modern 89 #29,683
2006 modern 94 #29,264
2007 modern 95 #29,493
2008 modern 103 #28,519
2009 modern 102 #29,286
2010 modern 109 #28,831
2011 modern 99 #30,218
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 107 #29,561
2014 modern 109 #29,452
2015 modern 102 #30,624
2016 modern 99 #31,358

Geography

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Where Hottons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ladock, London parishes, Cowley, Iffley (Nuneham Courtney, Berkshire, including Littlemoor Liberty), St Clement, Manchester and Hove. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Devon, Teignbridge, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wycombe and Darlington. 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 Ladock Cornwall
2 London parishes London 3
3 Cowley, Iffley (Nuneham Courtney, Berkshire, including Littlemoor Liberty), St Clement Oxfordshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Hove Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Devon 010 Mid Devon
2 Teignbridge 005 Teignbridge
3 Windsor and Maidenhead 002 Windsor and Maidenhead
4 Wycombe 023 Wycombe
5 Darlington 012 Darlington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hotton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hotton

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Hotton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hotton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hotton 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

Hotton 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

Hotton falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hotton

The surname Hotton has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the place name "Hotton" or "Hoton," which referred to several different locations across the country. These place names are thought to have originated from the Old English words "hot" and "tun," meaning "hot or warm" and "enclosure or settlement," respectively.

One of the earliest known references to the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire from 1176, which mention a person named William de Hotun. Another early record is from the Curia Regis Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1199, where a Richard de Hotun is listed.

The Hundred Rolls of 1273 contain several entries related to the surname, including John de Hotton in Oxfordshire and Walter de Hotton in Cambridgeshire. This suggests that the name was well-established across various regions of England by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 mention a John de Hotton, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332 list a Thomas de Hoton. These records provide evidence of the surname's continued presence and variation in spelling during this period.

One notable bearer of the Hotton surname was Sir John Hotton, a knight who lived in the late 14th century. He served as a member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire in 1390 and 1395. Another individual of note was Richard Hotton, who was appointed as the Mayor of Coventry in 1432.

The Hearth Tax Rolls of 1665 and the Poll Tax Returns of 1379 also contain several references to individuals with the surname Hotton or similar spellings, such as Hotten and Hoton, further demonstrating the name's longevity and geographic spread across England.

It is worth noting that the place name "Hotton" or "Hoton" has been recorded in various counties, including Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Staffordshire, among others. This suggests that the surname may have originated independently in multiple locations before spreading to other areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hotton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hotton 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 108 Hottons recorded in 1881 and an index of 214.71x.

County Total Index
Channel Islands 108 214.71x
Sussex 17 5.94x
Cornwall 6 3.12x
Surrey 6 0.73x
Lancashire 5 0.25x
Middlesex 5 0.29x
Devon 4 1.13x
Midlothian 4 1.76x
Durham 2 0.40x
Oxfordshire 2 1.91x
Warwickshire 2 0.47x
Wiltshire 2 1.33x
Yorkshire 2 0.12x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.93x
Derbyshire 1 0.38x
Gloucestershire 1 0.30x
Kent 1 0.17x
Kincardineshire 1 4.84x
Northamptonshire 1 0.63x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.44x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.85x
Perthshire 1 1.31x

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 34 Hottons recorded in 1881 and an index of 207.70x.

Place Total Index
St Helier 34 207.70x
St John 32 3333.33x
Brighton 17 29.45x
St Saviour 13 467.63x
Sark 11 3235.29x
Ladock 5 925.93x
St Mary 5 862.07x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 4.37x
Everton 4 6.23x
Georgeham 4 909.09x
St Michaelinthe Vale 4 222.22x
St Peter Port 4 43.01x
Lambeth 3 2.03x
St Lawrence 3 218.98x
St Pancras London 3 2.20x
Camberwell 2 1.84x
Oxford St Clement 2 75.47x
St Owen 2 151.52x
Warminster 2 60.79x
Aston 1 0.85x
Bidford 1 108.70x
Bowling 1 6.00x
Bristol 1 322.58x
Ealing 1 6.59x
Islington London 1 0.61x
Long Eaton 1 28.49x
Milford Haven 1 227.27x
Monzievaird Strowan 1 243.90x
North Meols 1 5.07x
Norwell Woodhouse 1 2000.00x
Silverstone 1 149.25x
Sittingbourne 1 21.88x
Southwick 1 20.92x
St Clement 1 49.75x
St Mary 1 89.29x
Steeple Morden 1 175.44x
Strachan 1 250.00x
Streatham 1 7.94x
Westoe 1 3.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 9
Mary 9
Eliza 7
Elizabeth 7
Louisa 5
Anne 3
Margaret 3
Caroline 2
Emily 2
Harriet 2
Nancy 2
Susan 2
A.F. 1
Adele 1
Adelina 1
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Betsey 1
Betty 1
Blanche 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Clementine 1
Dorothy 1
Elizth. 1
Elvina 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Jemima 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Louise 1
Lydia 1
M.L. 1
Maria 1
Marinon 1
Marion 1
Nora 1
Rachel 1
Rosa 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
Charles 7
Frederick 5
Peter 5
Philip 5
George 4
William 4
Alfred 3
Clement 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Thomas 3
Walter 3
Daniel 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Henry 2
Nicholas 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Amia 1
Christian 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Philippe 1
Phillip 1
Ralph 1
Solomon 1
Wm.Richard 1

FAQ

Hotton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hotton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 66 people were recorded with the Hotton surname. That placed it at #24,256 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hotton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 99 in 2016. That gives Hotton a modern rank of #31,358.

What does the Hotton surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from a place name or referring to someone living near a hill.

What does the Hotton map show?

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