NameCensus.

UK surname

Hulme

An English locational surname derived from various places named Hulme, meaning "island" or "dry ground in a marsh."

In the 1881 census there were 6,417 people recorded with the Hulme surname, ranking it #663 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,859, ranked #981, down from #663 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Stockport and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hulme is 8,448 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.9%.

1881 census count

6,417

Ranked #663

Modern count

6,859

2016, ranked #981

Peak year

1911

8,448 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hulme had 6,417 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #663 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,859 in 2016, ranked #981.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,448 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hulme surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hulme surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hulme 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 3,844 #736
1861 historical 3,534 #799
1881 historical 6,417 #663
1891 historical 6,672 #685
1901 historical 7,712 #696
1911 historical 8,448 #588
1997 modern 6,434 #1,011
1998 modern 7,362 #921
1999 modern 7,447 #917
2000 modern 7,330 #920
2001 modern 7,237 #911
2002 modern 7,340 #916
2003 modern 7,108 #925
2004 modern 7,031 #934
2005 modern 6,914 #942
2006 modern 6,900 #945
2007 modern 6,975 #940
2008 modern 7,006 #941
2009 modern 7,140 #944
2010 modern 7,226 #956
2011 modern 7,168 #944
2012 modern 6,994 #951
2013 modern 7,019 #964
2014 modern 7,038 #971
2015 modern 6,922 #982
2016 modern 6,859 #981

Geography

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Where Hulmes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Stockport, Manchester, Bolton-le-Moors and Ashton-under-Lyne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
5 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 028 Stoke-on-Trent
2 Stoke-on-Trent 006 Stoke-on-Trent
3 Stoke-on-Trent 012 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hulme

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hulme

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hulme, 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 Hulme surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hulme 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hulme 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

Hulme 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

Hulme falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hulme

The surname Hulme originated in England, specifically in the region of Lancashire. It is derived from the Old English words "hol" meaning "hollow" and "holh" meaning "hill," combined with the suffix "-m" indicating a locational place name. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a hill with a hollow or valley.

The earliest recorded instance of the Hulme surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Holme" and "Hulme." This indicates that the name was already well-established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Hulme, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. The name was also associated with several place names in Lancashire, such as Hulme Walfield and Hulme Moss, further reinforcing its locational origins.

In the 14th century, the Hulme family held a prominent position in the area around Manchester, with records showing that they owned lands and properties in the region. A notable member of the family during this time was Adam de Hulme, who served as a bailiff in Manchester in the late 1300s.

The Hulme surname continued to be influential in Lancashire throughout the following centuries. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in the village of Reddish, near Stockport, where they became prominent landowners and benefactors. One of the most notable figures from this line was William Hulme, who was born in 1631 and left a substantial bequest to establish the Hulme Trust and the Hulme Grammar School in Oldham.

Another significant individual with the Hulme surname was Nathaniel Hulme, born in 1701, who was a renowned physician and author. He wrote several notable works on medical topics, including a treatise on the smallpox epidemic of 1752.

In the 19th century, the Hulme name was associated with the industrialist and philanthropist William Hulme, born in 1788, who made his fortune in the cotton trade. He established the Hulme Trust in Manchester, which provided education and housing for the underprivileged members of the community.

Throughout its history, the Hulme surname has been widely distributed across various regions of England, with concentrations in Lancashire, Cheshire, and the surrounding areas. While the name has evolved in its spelling over the centuries, it has retained its strong connection to its locational origins and the rich heritage of the English families who bore it.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hulme families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hulme 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 3,113 Hulmes recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.20x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 3,113 4.20x
Cheshire 1,336 9.69x
Staffordshire 1,243 5.89x
Yorkshire 144 0.23x
Middlesex 79 0.13x
Derbyshire 77 0.79x
Warwickshire 73 0.46x
Surrey 72 0.24x
Shropshire 55 1.02x
Kent 21 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 21 0.25x
Gloucestershire 20 0.16x
Hampshire 17 0.13x
Lincolnshire 14 0.14x
Wiltshire 14 0.25x
Leicestershire 12 0.17x
Flintshire 11 0.66x
Somerset 11 0.11x
Durham 10 0.05x
Lanarkshire 9 0.04x
Worcestershire 9 0.11x
Suffolk 8 0.11x
Cumberland 5 0.09x
Berkshire 4 0.09x
Norfolk 4 0.04x
Sussex 4 0.04x
Herefordshire 3 0.12x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.05x
Denbighshire 2 0.08x
Devon 2 0.02x
Dorset 2 0.05x
Essex 2 0.02x
Hertfordshire 2 0.05x
Northumberland 1 0.01x
Oxfordshire 1 0.03x
Royal Navy 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 347 Hulmes recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.52x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 347 15.52x
Ashton Under Lyne 215 13.27x
Stockport 169 23.81x
Macclesfield 168 27.41x
Manchester 150 4.50x
Oldham 132 5.52x
Burslem 128 21.19x
Hulme 128 8.27x
Little Bolton 110 11.54x
Leek Lowe 107 38.14x
Salford 104 4.77x
Great Bolton 96 9.78x
Newton 96 16.80x
Pendleton In Salford 87 9.85x
Heaton Norris 83 19.67x
Wolstanton 78 12.18x
Dukinfield 77 12.08x
Stretford 76 18.64x
Farnworth 64 14.41x
Pilkington 63 22.37x
Caverswall 55 50.18x
Hyde 55 13.52x
Barton Upon Irwell 54 9.68x
Trentham 53 29.55x
Chadderton 51 14.07x
Newcastle Under Lyme 49 13.13x
Timperley 48 100.13x
Biddulph 47 39.50x
Altrincham 45 18.68x
Widnes 45 8.42x
Brinnington 44 34.16x
Cheadle 43 16.33x
West Derby 43 1.98x
Chorlton On Medlock 41 3.48x
Gorton 37 5.31x
Sale 37 21.87x
Kirkdale 35 2.81x
Preston 35 1.76x
Fulshaw 34 133.96x
Halliwell 34 12.60x
Bollington In 33 26.89x
Horton 33 127.86x
Knutsford Nether 33 39.59x
Prestwich 33 17.84x
Birmingham 32 0.61x
Everton 31 1.31x
Sutton In Macclesfield 30 20.96x
Monks Coppenhall 29 5.57x
Worsley 29 6.35x
Blackrod 27 29.31x
Liverpool 27 0.60x
Norton In Moors 27 24.19x
Openshaw 27 7.78x
Toxteth Park 27 1.08x
Leek Frith 26 148.06x
Congleton 24 10.07x
Droylsden 24 9.92x
Moss Side 24 6.15x
Saddleworth 24 5.03x
Dunham Massey 23 54.44x
Haughton 23 21.27x
Pownall Fee 23 37.28x
Atherton 22 8.15x
Baguley 22 139.77x
Blackburn 22 1.12x
Levenshulme 22 28.83x
Skelmersdale 22 17.81x
Westleigh 22 13.07x
Cannock 21 5.71x
Hurdsfield 21 24.75x
Bedford 20 12.90x
Bradford 20 5.76x
Camberwell 20 0.50x
Cheetham 20 3.62x
Rumworth 20 18.88x
Titteworth 20 61.82x
Abram 19 33.40x
Bollin Fee 19 31.07x
Lambeth 19 0.35x
Tonge 19 12.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 473
Elizabeth 300
Sarah 282
Ann 167
Hannah 140
Alice 122
Ellen 109
Martha 106
Jane 103
Annie 98
Emma 85
Margaret 79
Eliza 77
Emily 73
Harriet 57
Esther 36
Catherine 31
Edith 31
Florence 29
Ada 28
Charlotte 28
Maria 28
Anne 26
Lucy 26
Elizth. 24
Fanny 22
Frances 19
Clara 18
Gertrude 18
Betty 17
Caroline 16
Susannah 16
Betsy 15
Isabella 15
Harriett 13
Louisa 13
Nancy 13
Amelia 12
Bertha 11
Minnie 10
Phoebe 10
Grace 8
Lilly 8
Rachel 8
Anna 7
Helen 7
Jessie 7
Lydia 7
Matilda 7
Ruth 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 413
William 393
Thomas 296
James 284
George 187
Joseph 171
Henry 118
Samuel 113
Robert 76
Charles 73
Edward 70
Alfred 50
Frederick 49
Arthur 47
Richard 44
Walter 44
Albert 37
Herbert 34
Harry 27
Ernest 26
Peter 23
David 21
Frank 21
Wm. 20
Edwin 19
Isaac 19
Thos. 17
Fred 14
Benjamin 10
Harold 10
Hugh 10
Daniel 9
Francis 9
Edmund 8
Humphrey 8
Jonathan 8
Josiah 8
Andrew 7
Joshua 7
Ralph 7
Richd. 7
Tom 7
Chas. 6
Elijah 6
Fredk. 6
Percy 6
Wright 6
Abraham 5
Geo. 5
Jeremiah 5

FAQ

Hulme surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hulme surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,417 people were recorded with the Hulme surname. That placed it at #663 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hulme surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,859 in 2016. That gives Hulme a modern rank of #981.

What does the Hulme surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from various places named Hulme, meaning "island" or "dry ground in a marsh."

What does the Hulme map show?

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