NameCensus.

UK surname

Houlker

In the 1881 census there were 171 people recorded with the Houlker surname, ranking it #14,212 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 137, ranked #25,254, down from #14,212 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Preston, Whalley and Blackburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hyndburn, Ribble Valley and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Houlker is 204 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 19.9%.

1881 census count

171

Ranked #14,212

Modern count

137

2016, ranked #25,254

Peak year

1901

204 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Houlker had 171 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,212 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 137 in 2016, ranked #25,254.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 204 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Houlker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Houlker surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Houlker 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 131 #14,243
1861 historical 126 #17,569
1881 historical 171 #14,212
1891 historical 195 #15,211
1901 historical 204 #14,925
1911 historical 184 #15,742
1997 modern 121 #24,019
1998 modern 119 #24,918
1999 modern 124 #24,508
2000 modern 136 #23,155
2001 modern 131 #23,343
2002 modern 133 #23,585
2003 modern 138 #22,823
2004 modern 141 #22,689
2005 modern 140 #22,774
2006 modern 146 #22,320
2007 modern 134 #23,931
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 138 #24,276
2010 modern 144 #24,147
2011 modern 143 #24,056
2012 modern 135 #24,952
2013 modern 138 #25,020
2014 modern 139 #25,093
2015 modern 137 #25,226
2016 modern 137 #25,254

Geography

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Where Houlkers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Preston, Whalley and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Calderdale and Blackburn with Darwen. 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 Preston Lancashire
2 Whalley Lancashire
3 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hyndburn 002 Hyndburn
2 Ribble Valley 002 Ribble Valley
3 Calderdale 027 Calderdale
4 Blackburn with Darwen 017 Blackburn with Darwen
5 Ribble Valley 003 Ribble Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Houlker

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Houlker

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Houlker is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, 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 households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

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

Houlker is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Houlker falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Houlker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Houlker 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. Lancashire leads with 162 Houlkers recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.23x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 162 8.23x
Cheshire 6 1.64x
Lanarkshire 1 0.19x
Surrey 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 57 Houlkers recorded in 1881 and an index of 108.88x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 57 108.88x
Accrington 38 212.41x
Church 22 791.37x
Clitheroe 20 345.42x
Walton Le Dale 7 132.33x
Hollingworth 6 397.35x
Withnell 6 495.87x
Castleton 5 25.45x
Newchurch 2 12.42x
Witton 2 80.65x
Hulme 1 2.43x
Kingston On Thames 1 5.15x
Maryhill 1 9.52x
Oswaldtwistle 1 14.39x
Preston 1 1.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 10
Jane 7
Margaret 6
Ellen 5
Martha 5
Sarah 5
Alice 4
Ann 3
Caroline 3
Harriet 3
Susannah 3
Hannah 2
Margret 2
Agnes 1
Agness 1
Aice 1
Alicia 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Clementine 1
Eliz.Alice 1
Eliz.Ann 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Helena 1
Isabella 1
Livinia 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Millicent 1
Nancy 1
Prudence 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 17
John 13
James 8
George 5
Edward 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Thomas 3
Christopher 2
Henry 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Charles 1
Ernest 1
Haworth 1
Herbert 1
Houlding 1
Jacob 1
Joseph 1
Nehemiah 1
Ralph 1
Samuel 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Houlker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Houlker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 171 people were recorded with the Houlker surname. That placed it at #14,212 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Houlker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 137 in 2016. That gives Houlker a modern rank of #25,254.

What does the Houlker map show?

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