NameCensus.

UK surname

Hulford

A locational surname derived from a place name in England, possibly referring to someone from Holford in Somerset.

In the 1881 census there were 172 people recorded with the Hulford surname, ranking it #14,163 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 124, ranked #26,975, down from #14,163 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Minster, Odiham and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Reading, Mole Valley and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hulford is 232 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 27.9%.

1881 census count

172

Ranked #14,163

Modern count

124

2016, ranked #26,975

Peak year

1911

232 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hulford had 172 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,163 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016, ranked #26,975.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 232 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Hulford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hulford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hulford 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 119 #15,247
1861 historical 145 #15,715
1881 historical 172 #14,163
1891 historical 198 #15,033
1901 historical 202 #15,010
1911 historical 232 #13,592
1997 modern 147 #21,393
1998 modern 146 #22,031
1999 modern 138 #22,983
2000 modern 139 #22,855
2001 modern 136 #22,855
2002 modern 142 #22,687
2003 modern 135 #23,155
2004 modern 141 #22,689
2005 modern 136 #23,205
2006 modern 135 #23,486
2007 modern 134 #23,931
2008 modern 141 #23,383
2009 modern 138 #24,276
2010 modern 148 #23,697
2011 modern 145 #23,837
2012 modern 128 #25,852
2013 modern 131 #25,932
2014 modern 130 #26,216
2015 modern 130 #26,093
2016 modern 124 #26,975

Geography

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Where Hulfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Minster, Odiham, London parishes, Lambeth and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Reading, Mole Valley, Bath and North East Somerset, St Albans and Wiltshire. 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 Minster Kent
2 Odiham Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Reading 015 Reading
2 Mole Valley 007 Mole Valley
3 Bath and North East Somerset 027 Bath and North East Somerset
4 St Albans 001 St Albans
5 Wiltshire 017 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hulford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hulford

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Hulford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Hulford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Hulford is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hulford 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

Hulford falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hulford

The surname Hulford originated in England, with its earliest records dating back to the 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hol" meaning a hollow or depression, and "ford," referring to a shallow river crossing. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a ford in a hollow or valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1190, where a Robert de Holeforde is mentioned. The spelling variations during this period include Holeford, Holefordde, and Holforth.

In the 13th century, the Hulford name appears in various records across different counties in England. The Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273 mention a William de Hulford, while the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275 list a Roger de Hulford.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Hulford surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the formation of the name, such as Holford and Hulford.

One notable individual bearing the Hulford name was Sir John Hulford (1591-1666), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucester in the 17th century.

Another significant figure was Reverend Samuel Hulford (1634-1705), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Woodhull, Bedfordshire, and wrote several religious works.

In the 18th century, Elizabeth Hulford (1720-1805) gained recognition as an English diarist and writer, known for her detailed accounts of daily life in the countryside.

Moving into the 19th century, Thomas Hulford (1817-1892) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Wednesbury Town Hall in Staffordshire.

Finally, one of the more recent historical figures with the Hulford surname was William Hulford (1877-1955), a British Army officer who served in World War I and received the Military Cross for his bravery in action.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hulford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hulford 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 41 Hulfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.47x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 41 2.47x
Surrey 39 4.83x
Hampshire 29 8.53x
Kent 24 4.24x
Wiltshire 7 4.77x
Sussex 6 2.15x
Derbyshire 5 1.93x
Devon 5 1.45x
Lincolnshire 5 1.89x
Yorkshire 3 0.18x
Staffordshire 2 0.36x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.95x
Carmarthenshire 1 1.43x
Hertfordshire 1 0.87x
Royal Navy 1 5.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 16 Hulfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.07x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 16 11.07x
Minster In Sheppey 13 138.74x
Newington 9 14.69x
Plumstead 9 47.72x
Paddington London 8 13.12x
Alderbury 7 1014.49x
Bramshill 6 7500.00x
Hackney London 6 6.45x
Tottenham 6 22.72x
Chesterfield 5 51.39x
Heckfield 5 1562.50x
Hougham 5 3333.33x
Odiham 5 335.57x
Battersea 4 6.56x
Brighton 4 7.09x
Camberwell 4 3.78x
Farnham 4 63.69x
Islington London 4 2.49x
St George Bloomsbury 4 42.06x
Stoke Newington London 4 30.96x
Chelsea London 3 6.00x
Portsea 3 4.50x
Sherfield Upon Loddon 3 833.33x
Stratfieldsaye 3 909.09x
Eston 2 55.87x
Harborne 2 11.15x
Hartley Wintney 2 196.08x
Nether Exe 2 5000.00x
Rumbolds Wyke 2 392.16x
South Molton 2 105.26x
St George Hanover Square 2 6.84x
St Martin In Fields 2 20.14x
Calbourne 1 277.78x
Croydon 1 2.23x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 1 21.83x
Hemel Hempstead 1 19.42x
Lee 1 12.18x
Llanelly 1 6.35x
North Bierley 1 11.27x
Royal Navy 1 5.92x
Shoreditch London 1 1.39x
Silverton 1 138.89x
St Pancras London 1 0.75x
Tonbridge 1 4.90x
Weybridge 1 57.80x
Winchfield 1 476.19x

Top female names

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

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Hulford 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
William 7
Henry 6
James 6
George 5
Alfred 4
Thomas 4
Albert 3
Herbert 3
Frederick 2
Leonard 2
Richard 2
Septimus 2
Thos. 2
Benjamin 1
Chas 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fredk 1
Jas. 1
Maurice 1
Norbert 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Stewart 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Hulford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hulford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 172 people were recorded with the Hulford surname. That placed it at #14,163 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hulford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016. That gives Hulford a modern rank of #26,975.

What does the Hulford surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in England, possibly referring to someone from Holford in Somerset.

What does the Hulford map show?

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