NameCensus.

UK surname

Hull

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived in a town or village called Hull.

In the 1881 census there were 6,279 people recorded with the Hull surname, ranking it #689 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,625, ranked #766, down from #689 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Wyre and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hull is 9,283 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.4%.

1881 census count

6,279

Ranked #689

Modern count

8,625

2016, ranked #766

Peak year

1999

9,283 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hull had 6,279 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #689 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,625 in 2016, ranked #766.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 9,099 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hull surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hull surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hull 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 3,964 #720
1861 historical 5,479 #503
1881 historical 6,279 #689
1891 historical 7,704 #582
1901 historical 7,522 #717
1911 historical 9,099 #540
1997 modern 9,008 #698
1998 modern 9,243 #714
1999 modern 9,283 #716
2000 modern 9,222 #714
2001 modern 8,982 #718
2002 modern 9,218 #718
2003 modern 8,870 #724
2004 modern 8,781 #736
2005 modern 8,706 #730
2006 modern 8,686 #736
2007 modern 8,689 #740
2008 modern 8,747 #739
2009 modern 8,920 #742
2010 modern 9,101 #744
2011 modern 8,913 #745
2012 modern 8,579 #760
2013 modern 8,734 #759
2014 modern 8,768 #767
2015 modern 8,657 #769
2016 modern 8,625 #766

Geography

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Where Hulls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, Wyre, Wiltshire and St. Helens. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 007 Ryedale
2 Wyre 004 Wyre
3 Wiltshire 050 Wiltshire
4 St. Helens 016 St. Helens
5 St. Helens 020 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hull

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hull

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hull is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hull is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hull 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 Hull 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 Hull, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hull

The surname Hull is of English origin and is believed to have emerged during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "hull," which referred to a hill or a rounded ridge. This suggests that the name Hull was likely a topographic surname, given to individuals who lived near or on a hill or a ridge.

The name Hull is recorded in various historical documents, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions several individuals with the surname Hull or similar spellings, such as Hulla or Hulle. This indicates that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hull is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mentions a man named William de Hull. This suggests that the surname had already become hereditary by the 12th century.

Many individuals with the surname Hull have been associated with various locations throughout history. For example, the city of Hull in East Yorkshire, England, is believed to have derived its name from the Old English word "hull," meaning a hill or a ridge. This connection between the surname and the place name reinforces the topographic origins of the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Hull throughout history include:

1. Robert Hull (c. 1499 - c. 1539), an English mathematician and writer who authored several works on navigation and astronomy. 2. Thomas Hull (1628 - 1683), one of the founders of the town of Windsor, Connecticut, in the United States. 3. Isaac Hull (1773 - 1843), an American naval officer who commanded the USS Constitution during the War of 1812. 4. Edith Hull (1880 - 1947), a British author and translator known for her works on spiritualism and theosophy. 5. Cordell Hull (1871 - 1955), an American politician who served as the United States Secretary of State from 1933 to 1944 and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945.

While the surname Hull has been associated with various locations and individuals throughout history, its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "hull," reflecting the topographic nature of many early English surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hull families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hull 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 974 Hulls recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.60x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 974 1.60x
Lancashire 919 1.27x
Durham 357 1.97x
Yorkshire 343 0.57x
Surrey 294 0.99x
Leicestershire 288 4.25x
Essex 280 2.32x
Bedfordshire 251 7.94x
Northamptonshire 234 4.07x
Somerset 189 1.92x
Warwickshire 174 1.13x
Kent 154 0.74x
Hampshire 151 1.21x
Wiltshire 133 2.46x
Hertfordshire 130 3.09x
Northumberland 126 1.39x
Sussex 114 1.11x
Lincolnshire 100 1.02x
Nottinghamshire 96 1.17x
Dorset 92 2.30x
Derbyshire 89 0.93x
Gloucestershire 78 0.65x
Cheshire 70 0.52x
Worcestershire 58 0.73x
Herefordshire 56 2.24x
Cambridgeshire 55 1.42x
Glamorgan 55 0.52x
Huntingdonshire 47 3.88x
Staffordshire 41 0.20x
Suffolk 35 0.47x
Berkshire 29 0.63x
Norfolk 26 0.28x
Lanarkshire 24 0.12x
Devon 23 0.18x
Oxfordshire 20 0.53x
Buckinghamshire 18 0.49x
Shropshire 17 0.32x
Cumberland 16 0.30x
Midlothian 14 0.17x
Monmouthshire 14 0.32x
Westmorland 14 1.04x
Royal Navy 11 1.51x
Flintshire 9 0.55x
Rutland 8 1.78x
Angus 4 0.07x
Cornwall 4 0.06x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.24x
Argyllshire 3 0.18x
Channel Islands 3 0.17x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.21x
Perthshire 3 0.11x
Ayrshire 2 0.04x
Renfrewshire 2 0.04x
Banffshire 1 0.08x
Cardiganshire 1 0.07x
Denbighshire 1 0.04x
Fife 1 0.03x
Radnorshire 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 138 Hulls recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.33x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 138 2.33x
Preston 137 7.07x
Hackney London 91 2.66x
Leicester St Margaret 75 4.54x
Kensington London 73 2.15x
St Pancras London 72 1.47x
Bethnal Green London 71 2.68x
Bishop Auckland 67 27.49x
Lambeth 61 1.15x
Shoreditch London 58 2.19x
West Ham 52 1.95x
Mile End Old Town London 49 3.77x
St Marylebone London 48 1.47x
Paddington London 47 2.09x
Loughborough 42 13.67x
Aston 41 0.97x
Camberwell 36 0.92x
Layton With Warbreck 36 13.54x
St Albans St Peter 35 24.65x
Woodnewton 35 350.35x
St George Hanover Square 34 3.16x
Gateshead 33 2.43x
Bedford St Paul 32 14.76x
Blackburn 32 1.66x
Everton 32 1.39x
Luton 32 5.85x
Newington 32 1.42x
Sundon 32 407.12x
Thornton In Fylde 32 20.19x
Nottingham St Mary 31 1.46x
Inworth 29 217.23x
Portsea 29 1.18x
Elswick 28 3.86x
Kirkdale 27 2.22x
Whitwick 27 31.37x
Wimbledon 26 7.78x
Battersea 25 1.11x
Bishopwearmouth 25 1.60x
Gillingham 25 36.31x
Kempston 24 33.44x
Llantwit Vairdre 24 20.09x
Woolwich 23 2.99x
Isleworth 22 8.10x
Messing 22 146.18x
Salford 22 1.03x
Lytham 21 18.99x
Manchester 21 0.64x
Southampton St Mary 21 2.67x
Westoe 20 1.94x
Yeovil 20 10.02x
Boston 19 6.41x
Burton Latimer 19 54.77x
Hornsey 19 2.46x
West Derby 19 0.90x
Apethorpe 18 400.89x
Fulham London 18 2.03x
Northampton All Sts 18 9.24x
Northampton St Giles 18 8.23x
Semley 18 125.52x
Wellingborough 18 6.23x
Blackrod 17 18.88x
Clifton In York 17 13.43x
Foleshill 17 10.49x
Great Amwell 17 40.28x
Hambleton 17 209.10x
Leicester St Mary 17 3.11x
Lyndhurst 17 49.59x
Newburn 17 65.49x
Birmingham 16 0.31x
Church Gresley 16 10.52x
Cornsay 16 32.71x
Downham 16 38.94x
Leyton Low 16 6.53x
Nether Hallam 16 1.95x
Peterborough 16 3.85x
Tynemouth 16 3.29x
Bedminster 15 1.62x
Middlesbrough 15 1.90x
Northampton Priory St 15 4.35x
Tolleshunt Knights 15 156.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 420
Elizabeth 251
Sarah 191
Jane 142
Ann 114
Eliza 100
Emma 99
Alice 98
Emily 92
Ellen 91
Annie 75
Margaret 62
Hannah 61
Martha 56
Charlotte 50
Maria 40
Caroline 37
Harriet 37
Louisa 34
Edith 32
Florence 31
Ada 30
Catherine 30
Anne 29
Fanny 29
Kate 29
Agnes 28
Clara 28
Isabella 28
Lucy 28
Susan 23
Esther 22
Frances 22
Amelia 20
Rose 20
Minnie 19
Jessie 17
Rebecca 17
Amy 16
Harriett 16
Sophia 14
Eleanor 13
Susannah 13
Gertrude 12
Julia 12
Helen 11
Henrietta 11
Beatrice 10
Bertha 10
Matilda 10

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 393
John 356
George 257
Thomas 211
James 167
Henry 166
Joseph 126
Charles 109
Alfred 76
Robert 76
Edward 62
Frederick 59
Arthur 57
Samuel 56
Richard 50
Albert 41
Walter 34
Harry 33
Ernest 24
David 23
Edwin 23
Frank 22
Wm. 20
Herbert 19
Francis 16
Matthew 13
Ralph 13
Thos. 13
Benjamin 11
Mark 11
Tom 10
Alexander 9
Chas. 9
Fredk. 9
Fredrick 9
Percy 9
Christopher 8
Daniel 8
Isaac 8
Job 8
Frederic 7
Jacob 7
Jonathan 7
Mathew 7
Peter 7
Edgar 6
Edmund 6
Fred 6
Jesse 6
Sidney 6

FAQ

Hull surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hull surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,279 people were recorded with the Hull surname. That placed it at #689 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hull surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,625 in 2016. That gives Hull a modern rank of #766.

What does the Hull surname mean?

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived in a town or village called Hull.

What does the Hull map show?

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