NameCensus.

UK surname

Hoye

Derived from the Middle English word "hoy," referring to a small coastal sailing vessel or fishing boat.

In the 1881 census there were 213 people recorded with the Hoye surname, ranking it #12,328 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 325, ranked #13,930, down from #12,328 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Pirton and Hitchin. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hackney, Salford and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hoye is 440 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.6%.

1881 census count

213

Ranked #12,328

Modern count

325

2016, ranked #13,930

Peak year

1911

440 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hoye had 213 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,328 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016, ranked #13,930.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 440 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hoye surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hoye surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hoye 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 192 #10,756
1861 historical 122 #18,036
1881 historical 213 #12,328
1891 historical 295 #11,255
1901 historical 373 #9,948
1911 historical 440 #8,661
1997 modern 326 #12,811
1998 modern 356 #12,399
1999 modern 372 #12,076
2000 modern 357 #12,380
2001 modern 348 #12,419
2002 modern 343 #12,803
2003 modern 323 #13,161
2004 modern 321 #13,284
2005 modern 303 #13,757
2006 modern 317 #13,376
2007 modern 331 #13,117
2008 modern 320 #13,550
2009 modern 322 #13,741
2010 modern 338 #13,550
2011 modern 342 #13,314
2012 modern 313 #14,095
2013 modern 324 #13,961
2014 modern 325 #14,030
2015 modern 325 #13,927
2016 modern 325 #13,930

Geography

Back to top

Where Hoyes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Pirton, Hitchin, Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hackney, Salford, Kingston upon Hull and North Tyneside. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Pirton Hertfordshire
3 Hitchin Hertfordshire
4 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hackney 022 Hackney
2 Salford 009 Salford
3 Salford 012 Salford
4 Kingston upon Hull 003 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 North Tyneside 029 North Tyneside

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hoye

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hoye

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

Challenged Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hoye 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

Hoye is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hoye falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hoye is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hoye, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hoye

The surname Hoye has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hoh," which means "heel" or "projecting ridge of land." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a distinctive ridge or heel-shaped landform.

In the early medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Hoy, Hoge, or Hogie, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in spelling practices at the time. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a person named William Hoge is mentioned.

The name Hoye is also associated with the Shetland Islands, a Scottish archipelago located in the Northern Isles. It is possible that the name originated there and was later adopted in other parts of Scotland. In fact, the island of Hoy, which is part of the Orkney Islands, may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Hoye was Sir Peter Hoye (1551-1616), a Scottish landowner and member of the Scottish Parliament during the reign of King James VI. Another prominent individual was James Hoye (1670-1743), a Scottish minister and writer who served as the principal of St. Mary's College at the University of St. Andrews.

In the 17th century, the name Hoye appeared in the records of the Scottish Burghs, which were towns with special trading privileges. For instance, a merchant named John Hoye is mentioned in the records of the Burgh of Linlithgow in 1658.

Moving forward in time, William Hoye (1742-1828) was a Scottish architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Circus Lane Baths and the Old College of the University of Edinburgh.

Finally, a more recent figure with the surname Hoye was Robert Hoye (1909-1986), a Scottish actor and theatre director who gained recognition for his work in productions by the Scottish National Players and the BBC.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hoye families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hoye 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 57 Hoyes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.74x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 57 2.74x
Hertfordshire 36 25.14x
Essex 32 7.80x
Lancashire 28 1.14x
Cambridgeshire 17 12.92x
Surrey 17 1.68x
Durham 8 1.29x
Kent 6 0.85x
Yorkshire 6 0.29x
Cheshire 3 0.65x
Dorset 1 0.73x
Lanarkshire 1 0.15x
Norfolk 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. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 22 Hoyes recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.37x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 22 24.37x
West Ham 16 17.67x
Pirton 15 1851.85x
St Andrewthe Less 12 79.84x
Lambeth 10 5.52x
Anstey 9 3214.29x
Hackney London 9 7.73x
Pendleton In Salford 9 30.64x
Hitchin 8 123.84x
Westminster St John 8 31.62x
Manchester 7 6.31x
Throston 7 588.24x
Halstead 6 125.52x
Wanstead 6 83.57x
Folkestone 5 36.36x
Whitechapel London 5 24.41x
Barking 4 33.33x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 10.21x
Islington London 4 1.99x
Kirkdale 3 7.23x
Liverpool 3 2.00x
Swaffham Bulbeck 3 566.04x
Ashwell 2 178.57x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 2 10.43x
Birkenhead 2 5.47x
Camberwell 2 1.51x
Hammersmith London 2 3.91x
Little Wymondley 2 689.66x
Newington 2 2.61x
Ratcliffe London 2 17.44x
Richmond 2 62.11x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 4.78x
Tottenham 2 6.04x
Anderton 1 434.78x
Barnsley 1 4.71x
Battersea 1 1.31x
Bradfield 1 12.59x
Bromley London 1 2.19x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 13.53x
Chelsea London 1 1.60x
Denton 1 18.32x
Govan 1 0.60x
Little Shelford 1 270.27x
Newton 1 196.08x
Scoulton 1 434.78x
Sherborne 1 24.88x
St Marylebone London 1 0.90x
Tranmere 1 5.93x
Whitton 1 204.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 7
Ann 6
Kate 6
Alice 5
Jane 5
Annie 4
Ellen 4
Emma 4
Martha 4
Eliza 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Emily 2
Harriet 2
Agaustis 1
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Celia 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Henrietta 1
Hughellen 1
Jemima 1
Laura 1
Lavinia 1
Lizzie 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Susanha 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
Charles 10
Joseph 10
John 7
George 6
James 6
Richard 6
Thomas 6
Henry 4
Walter 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Edward 2
Harry 2
Patrick 2
Archer 1
Arundel 1
Benjamin 1
Burtrey 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Dennis 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Ellen 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Garrard 1
Herbert 1
Lewis 1
Maddison 1
Michael 1
Nicholas 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Richd. 1
Rubin 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Hoye surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hoye surname in 1881?

In 1881, 213 people were recorded with the Hoye surname. That placed it at #12,328 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hoye surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016. That gives Hoye a modern rank of #13,930.

What does the Hoye surname mean?

Derived from the Middle English word "hoy," referring to a small coastal sailing vessel or fishing boat.

What does the Hoye map show?

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