NameCensus.

UK surname

Hudspeth

An English occupational surname referring to someone who raises or herds animals, derived from "herd" and "spaeth" (swineherd).

In the 1881 census there were 284 people recorded with the Hudspeth surname, ranking it #10,100 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 371, ranked #12,561, down from #10,100 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Corbridge and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Caerphilly and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hudspeth is 417 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.6%.

1881 census count

284

Ranked #10,100

Modern count

371

2016, ranked #12,561

Peak year

2010

417 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hudspeth had 284 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,100 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 371 in 2016, ranked #12,561.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 356 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Hudspeth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hudspeth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hudspeth 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 236 #9,174
1861 historical 222 #10,993
1881 historical 284 #10,100
1891 historical 345 #9,944
1901 historical 356 #10,305
1911 historical 354 #10,192
1997 modern 389 #11,238
1998 modern 399 #11,354
1999 modern 401 #11,422
2000 modern 403 #11,333
2001 modern 386 #11,509
2002 modern 405 #11,335
2003 modern 388 #11,508
2004 modern 403 #11,224
2005 modern 392 #11,355
2006 modern 397 #11,317
2007 modern 405 #11,270
2008 modern 404 #11,374
2009 modern 410 #11,503
2010 modern 417 #11,606
2011 modern 408 #11,681
2012 modern 405 #11,627
2013 modern 394 #12,064
2014 modern 394 #12,144
2015 modern 381 #12,345
2016 modern 371 #12,561

Geography

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Where Hudspeths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Corbridge, Gateshead, Newcastle All Saints and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Caerphilly and Northumberland. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Corbridge Northumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 058 County Durham
2 County Durham 046 County Durham
3 Caerphilly 009 Caerphilly
4 Northumberland 026 Northumberland
5 County Durham 055 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hudspeth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hudspeth

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Hudspeth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hudspeth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Hudspeth 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

Hudspeth is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hudspeth falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hudspeth

The surname Hudspeth is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to the regions of northern England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hude," meaning "hide," and "speth," meaning "mallet" or "hammer." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or trade involving the use of a mallet, possibly in the tanning or leather-working industry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a John Hodspeth is listed as a resident of the village of Wressle. The name appeared in various spellings in medieval records, including Hodspethe, Hudspethe, and Hudspith, reflecting the variation in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

The Hudspeth surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such individual was John Hudspeth (c. 1590-1664), an English politician and member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War. Another was Samuel Hudspeth (1673-1747), a prominent merchant and shipowner from Newcastle upon Tyne, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade.

In the 18th century, the name gained recognition through the work of John Hudspeth (1712-1786), a celebrated English clockmaker and inventor from Penrith, Cumbria. His innovative timepieces and astronomical clocks were highly regarded and sought after by wealthy patrons and institutions.

The 19th century saw the rise of Henry Hudspeth (1822-1892), a British civil engineer and surveyor who contributed to the construction of several notable landmarks, including the Tay Bridge in Scotland and the Manchester Ship Canal.

Another notable figure bearing the Hudspeth surname was William Hudspeth (1857-1930), a British artist and painter known for his landscape and marine scenes, particularly those depicting the rugged coastlines of Cornwall and Devon.

While the Hudspeth name has its origins in England, over time it has spread to other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond, as families migrated and established new roots. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide insight into the rich heritage and significance of this Anglo-Saxon surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hudspeth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hudspeth 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. Durham leads with 111 Hudspeths recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.66x.

County Total Index
Durham 111 13.66x
Northumberland 108 26.58x
Yorkshire 18 0.67x
Essex 12 2.23x
Cumberland 11 4.68x
Lancashire 7 0.22x
Middlesex 6 0.22x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.54x
Gloucestershire 1 0.19x
Midlothian 1 0.27x
Norfolk 1 0.24x
Somerset 1 0.23x
Warwickshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishopwearmouth in Durham leads with 27 Hudspeths recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.71x.

Place Total Index
Bishopwearmouth 27 38.71x
Byker 19 94.57x
Gateshead 18 29.59x
Longbenton 13 75.54x
West Ham 12 10.08x
Chirton 10 108.70x
Cowpen 9 96.15x
Alston 8 184.76x
Newcastle On Tyne St 8 37.99x
Stanhope 8 95.35x
Brancepeth 7 472.97x
Esh 7 118.44x
Sherburn 7 283.40x
Brightside Bierlow 6 11.30x
Eccleston In Prescot 6 36.88x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 6 24.72x
Seaton Delaval 6 168.07x
Stockton On Tees 6 15.32x
Corbridge 5 335.57x
Elswick 5 15.42x
Henshaw 5 1063.83x
Thornaby 5 49.46x
Thornley 5 170.07x
Tynemouth 5 22.98x
Dawdon 4 40.04x
Edmondbyers 4 1212.12x
North Shields 4 49.32x
Brampton 3 93.17x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 8.53x
Monw Wearmouth Shore 3 384.62x
Westoe 3 6.51x
Bedlington 2 14.74x
Chelsea London 2 2.43x
Gate Fulford 2 31.65x
Islington London 2 0.76x
Newbottle 2 45.05x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 2 37.45x
St Pancras London 2 0.91x
Wallsend 2 15.52x
Yarm 2 143.88x
Acomb 1 101.01x
Aismunderby Cum 1 131.58x
Allendale 1 26.53x
Alnmouth 1 200.00x
Birmingham 1 0.44x
Bishop Auckland 1 9.17x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 14.06x
Gloucester St John Baptist 1 28.90x
Hartwith Cum Winsley 1 101.01x
Healeyfield 1 294.12x
Heworth 1 6.25x
Jesmond 1 17.48x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 7.93x
Liverpool 1 0.51x
Monkwearmouth Shore 1 6.31x
Morpeth 1 20.92x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.05x
Shildon 1 15.31x
Snenton 1 6.92x
South Blyth Newsham 1 125.00x
Thornton Le Moor 1 322.58x
Walcot 1 4.27x
Warden 1 120.48x
West Auckland 1 33.67x
Wolviston 1 175.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 22
Mary 22
Hannah 8
Sarah 8
Jane 7
Margaret 6
Alice 5
Isabella 5
Annie 4
Charlotte 4
Dorothy 4
Ellen 4
Ann 3
Frances 3
Susannah 3
Dinah 2
Emily 2
Jessie 2
Minnie 2
Rachael 2
Ruth 2
Ada 1
Barbara 1
Beaty 1
Betsey 1
Catharine 1
Diana 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Harriet 1
Henrietta 1
Jemima 1
John 1
Leah 1
Lillie 1
M.E. 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Marie 1
Martha 1
May 1
Meggy 1
Perdy 1
Phoebe 1
Priscilla 1
Rachel 1
Susan 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 24
William 24
James 12
Joseph 10
George 9
Thomas 9
Robert 7
Henry 5
Edward 4
Edwd. 2
Mathew 2
Matthew 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Charles 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Findley 1
Humphrey 1
Jabez 1
Michael 1
Micheal 1
Ralph 1
Susanah 1
Tho. 1
Thos. 1
Vincent 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Hudspeth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hudspeth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 284 people were recorded with the Hudspeth surname. That placed it at #10,100 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hudspeth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 371 in 2016. That gives Hudspeth a modern rank of #12,561.

What does the Hudspeth surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who raises or herds animals, derived from "herd" and "spaeth" (swineherd).

What does the Hudspeth map show?

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