NameCensus.

UK surname

Hoyles

A surname derived from a Middle English nickname referring to a dweller or inhabitant of a nook or small hollow.

In the 1881 census there were 514 people recorded with the Hoyles surname, ranking it #6,635 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 632, ranked #8,362, down from #6,635 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Paignton, Cockerham (Ellel), Lancaster (Preesall with Hackersall) , Garstang (Pilling) and Garstang. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, North Devon and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hoyles is 636 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.0%.

1881 census count

514

Ranked #6,635

Modern count

632

2016, ranked #8,362

Peak year

2014

636 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hoyles had 514 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,635 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 632 in 2016, ranked #8,362.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 632 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hoyles surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hoyles surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hoyles 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 325 #7,157
1861 historical 378 #6,761
1881 historical 514 #6,635
1891 historical 501 #7,418
1901 historical 572 #7,333
1911 historical 632 #6,574
1997 modern 615 #8,008
1998 modern 627 #8,132
1999 modern 613 #8,323
2000 modern 611 #8,322
2001 modern 593 #8,365
2002 modern 621 #8,244
2003 modern 600 #8,340
2004 modern 610 #8,246
2005 modern 610 #8,176
2006 modern 582 #8,469
2007 modern 591 #8,450
2008 modern 599 #8,428
2009 modern 604 #8,557
2010 modern 631 #8,449
2011 modern 625 #8,412
2012 modern 608 #8,522
2013 modern 623 #8,492
2014 modern 636 #8,402
2015 modern 633 #8,366
2016 modern 632 #8,362

Geography

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Where Hoyles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Paignton, Cockerham (Ellel), Lancaster (Preesall with Hackersall) , Garstang (Pilling), Garstang, Warrington and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, North Devon, Swansea, Wyre and Denbighshire. 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 Paignton Devon
2 Cockerham (Ellel), Lancaster (Preesall with Hackersall) , Garstang (Pilling) Lancashire
3 Garstang Lancashire
4 Warrington Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 008 South Holland
2 North Devon 001 North Devon
3 Swansea 004 Swansea
4 Wyre 007 Wyre
5 Denbighshire 011 Denbighshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hoyles

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hoyles

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Hoyles is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hoyles is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hoyles falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hoyles

The surname Hoyles originates from England and can be traced back to the early 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words 'hol' meaning a hollow or sunken place, and 'ey' meaning an island or dry ground surrounded by water, indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a marshy or low-lying area.

One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1230, which mention a Richard de Holes. The surname was also found in various spellings, such as Holez, Holes, and Holeys, in medieval records from Lancashire and Yorkshire.

The Hoyles surname is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire. It may have been influenced by the place names Hole House in Lancashire and Hole in Yorkshire, which could have contributed to the development of the surname.

In the 14th century, the Hoyles family was documented in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire, indicating their presence in the region at that time. One notable individual was John Hoyles, who was recorded in the Lancashire Wills and Inventories in 1597.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Hoyles family expanded their presence in various parts of England. William Hoyles was born in 1589 in Rochdale, Lancashire, and his descendants can be traced through parish records. Another notable figure was Thomas Hoyles, who was born in 1613 in Yorkshire and served as a soldier during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, the Hoyles surname gained further recognition with the birth of Edmond Hoyle (1672-1769), a renowned writer and authority on games and rules of play. His book "A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist" became a bestseller and established many standard rules for card games, leading to the phrase "according to Hoyle" to signify adhering to established rules.

Other notable individuals with the Hoyles surname include John Hoyles (1804-1857), an English cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club, and William Hoyles (1831-1900), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Doncaster from 1885 to 1892.

The Hoyles surname has maintained its presence throughout the centuries, with families carrying this name residing in various parts of England, as well as in other parts of the world where English settlers migrated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hoyles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hoyles 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 199 Hoyles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.33x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 199 3.33x
Lincolnshire 113 14.01x
Yorkshire 55 1.10x
Devon 27 2.57x
Middlesex 21 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 17 2.50x
Cheshire 15 1.35x
Surrey 8 0.33x
Derbyshire 7 0.89x
Somerset 7 0.86x
Kent 6 0.35x
Leicestershire 6 1.07x
Suffolk 6 0.98x
Glamorgan 5 0.57x
Staffordshire 5 0.29x
Channel Islands 3 2.01x
Hampshire 3 0.29x
Warwickshire 3 0.24x
Essex 2 0.20x
Gloucestershire 2 0.20x
Norfolk 2 0.26x
Northumberland 2 0.27x
Peeblesshire 1 4.22x
Royal Navy 1 1.66x
Sussex 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. Frieston in Lincolnshire leads with 20 Hoyles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1047.12x.

Place Total Index
Frieston 20 1047.12x
Boston 18 73.56x
Winmarleigh 18 2727.27x
Pilling 17 604.98x
Bennington By Boston 15 1578.95x
Warrington 15 21.14x
Little Bolton 12 15.60x
Nottingham St Mary 12 6.83x
Tonge With Haulgh 12 103.00x
Wrangle 11 547.26x
Hyde 10 30.44x
Shoreditch London 10 4.57x
Friskney 8 312.50x
Gorton 8 14.22x
Heath Charnock 8 503.14x
Layton With Warbreck 8 36.43x
Northowram 8 22.83x
Oldham 8 4.14x
Pilton 8 231.21x
Garstang 7 518.52x
Leake 7 189.70x
Turton 7 71.43x
Ab Kettleby 6 1500.00x
Cabus 6 1935.48x
Great Bolton 6 7.57x
Heap 6 18.90x
Manchester 6 2.23x
Wainfleet All Sts 6 255.32x
Wellington 6 54.50x
Atherton 5 22.96x
Blackburn 5 3.14x
Farnworth 5 13.94x
Hebden 5 925.93x
Ilfracombe 5 46.25x
Plymouth Charles The 5 10.81x
Blundeston 4 325.20x
Chartham 4 93.24x
Elswick 4 952.38x
Halliwell 4 18.37x
Haydor 4 634.92x
Hunslet 4 5.13x
Kimberworth 4 14.42x
Kirkland 4 727.27x
Liverpool 4 1.10x
Nether Hallam 4 5.92x
Radford 4 11.58x
Watton 4 727.27x
Whitwood 4 56.34x
Wimbledon 4 14.50x
Alfreton 3 12.51x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.37x
Bollington In 3 30.27x
Burton Upon Trent 3 7.53x
Cheetham 3 6.72x
Combmartin 3 131.58x
Langtoft 3 280.37x
Lockwood 3 16.69x
Preston 3 1.87x
Roath 3 7.52x
Stratford On Avon 3 42.55x
Toxteth Park 3 1.48x
Wandsworth 3 6.18x
Worsley 3 8.13x
Bow London 2 3.12x
Croft 2 152.67x
Edenham 2 206.19x
Eston 2 18.38x
Glossop Dale 2 5.41x
Glusburn 2 70.92x
Great Yarmouth 2 3.11x
Leverton 2 194.17x
Llangyfelach 2 60.79x
Martinhoe 2 606.06x
Mettingham 2 317.46x
Pinchbeck 2 38.68x
Portsea 2 0.99x
Rixton With Glazebrook 2 131.58x
St Helier 2 4.11x
St Mark Lincoln 2 116.28x
Trentishoe 2 1333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 44
Sarah 25
Elizabeth 17
Alice 13
Ellen 13
Ann 12
Annie 7
Jane 7
Margaret 6
Susan 6
Eliza 5
Hannah 5
Louisa 5
Lucy 5
Rose 5
Ada 4
Betsy 4
Dinah 4
Edith 4
Emma 4
Susannah 4
Eleanor 3
Emily 3
Florence 3
Kate 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Deborah 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Maria 2
Nancy 2
Nanny 2
Anne 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Elizth. 1
Emelar 1
Emelay 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Hilda 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Lilley 1
Manna 1
Willie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 33
John 22
James 19
Joseph 17
Thomas 15
George 14
Robert 10
Albert 8
Henry 8
Edward 7
Alfred 6
Arthur 6
Charles 6
David 5
Harry 4
Edwin 3
Fred 3
Nicholas 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Abraham 2
Benjamin 2
Benjn. 2
Frederick 2
Giles 2
Harold 2
Isaac 2
Lawrence 2
Mathew 2
Samuell 2
Thos. 2
Bartholamew 1
Bartholomew 1
Creasey 1
Edmund 1
Emanuel 1
Enoch 1
Ephriam 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Herbert 1
Hy.Richardson 1
J.Thomas 1
Jabez 1
Josh. 1
Markwell 1
Neshan 1
Rowland 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Hoyles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hoyles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 514 people were recorded with the Hoyles surname. That placed it at #6,635 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hoyles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 632 in 2016. That gives Hoyles a modern rank of #8,362.

What does the Hoyles surname mean?

A surname derived from a Middle English nickname referring to a dweller or inhabitant of a nook or small hollow.

What does the Hoyles map show?

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