NameCensus.

UK surname

Humberstone

A locational surname derived from a place name Humberstone in Leicestershire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 590 people recorded with the Humberstone surname, ranking it #5,919 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 883, ranked #6,385, down from #5,919 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Clee. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire, Boston and East Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Humberstone is 985 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.7%.

1881 census count

590

Ranked #5,919

Modern count

883

2016, ranked #6,385

Peak year

1998

985 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Humberstone had 590 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,919 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 883 in 2016, ranked #6,385.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 951 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Humberstone surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Humberstone surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Humberstone 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 242 #9,001
1861 historical 259 #9,561
1881 historical 590 #5,919
1891 historical 630 #6,141
1901 historical 805 #5,605
1911 historical 951 #4,738
1997 modern 954 #5,699
1998 modern 985 #5,742
1999 modern 975 #5,819
2000 modern 950 #5,924
2001 modern 943 #5,857
2002 modern 965 #5,842
2003 modern 942 #5,867
2004 modern 914 #6,014
2005 modern 885 #6,099
2006 modern 883 #6,125
2007 modern 895 #6,114
2008 modern 894 #6,154
2009 modern 912 #6,194
2010 modern 927 #6,237
2011 modern 908 #6,281
2012 modern 900 #6,248
2013 modern 931 #6,189
2014 modern 930 #6,229
2015 modern 911 #6,277
2016 modern 883 #6,385

Geography

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Where Humberstones are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Clee and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire, Boston and East Lindsey. 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 Clee Lincolnshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 006 Central Bedfordshire
2 Central Bedfordshire 005 Central Bedfordshire
3 Central Bedfordshire 003 Central Bedfordshire
4 Boston 007 Boston
5 East Lindsey 001 East Lindsey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Humberstone

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Humberstone

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Humberstone 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

Humberstone 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

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

Meaning and origin of Humberstone

The surname Humberstone originated in England, specifically in the county of Lincolnshire, during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the village of Humberston, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Humbrestone."

The name itself can be traced back to the Old English words "humbra" and "tun," meaning "humble" and "farm" or "settlement," respectively. This suggests that the name originally referred to a modest or humble settlement located near the River Humber.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Humberstone can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1176, where a person named William de Humbreston is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use as a surname by the late 12th century.

During the 13th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219, which mentions a Robert de Humberstane. The spelling variations found in these early records, such as Humbreston, Humberstane, and Humberstone, reflect the evolution of the name over time.

One notable individual with the surname Humberstone was Sir Nicholas Humberstone, a 15th-century English landowner and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire (born around 1420, died in 1486). Another prominent figure was John Humberstone, a 16th-century English clergyman and theologian who served as a chaplain to Queen Elizabeth I (born around 1530, died in 1602).

In the 17th century, the name appears in records from the American colonies, indicating that some Humberstones had emigrated from England to the New World. For example, Thomas Humberstone, born in 1624 in Lincolnshire, settled in Virginia and later moved to Maryland.

Another notable individual was Sir Thomas Humberston, a 17th-century English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas (born in 1595, died in 1666).

In the 18th century, the name continued to be found in various records, such as the baptismal registers of St. Saviour's Church in Southwark, London, where a child named Elizabeth Humberstone was baptized in 1734.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Humberstone families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Humberstone 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. Lincolnshire leads with 153 Humberstones recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.77x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 153 16.77x
Middlesex 124 2.17x
Yorkshire 62 1.10x
Surrey 59 2.12x
Leicestershire 53 8.38x
Hertfordshire 29 7.37x
Bedfordshire 19 6.43x
Northamptonshire 17 3.17x
Cambridgeshire 10 2.77x
Nottinghamshire 10 1.30x
Warwickshire 10 0.69x
Derbyshire 7 0.78x
Essex 6 0.53x
Kent 5 0.26x
Lancashire 4 0.06x
Gloucestershire 3 0.27x
Hampshire 3 0.26x
Huntingdonshire 3 2.65x
Berkshire 2 0.47x
Suffolk 2 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.29x
Devon 1 0.08x
Dorset 1 0.27x
Somerset 1 0.11x

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 37 Humberstones recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.69x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 37 6.69x
St Pancras London 28 6.10x
Battersea 18 8.57x
Leicester St Mary 18 35.21x
North Somercotes 18 753.14x
Camberwell 17 4.66x
Brightside Bierlow 16 14.43x
Leicester St Margaret 14 9.07x
Wrestlingworth 14 1102.36x
Warmington 12 888.89x
Kensington London 11 3.47x
Southwark St Saviour 11 37.50x
Bromley London 10 7.97x
Coventry St Michael 10 21.63x
Heckington 10 288.18x
Shoreditch London 10 4.04x
Tetney 10 632.91x
Cleethorpes 9 167.60x
East Ardsley 8 163.27x
Great Grimsby 8 13.81x
Horsington 8 1142.86x
Layston 8 382.78x
Sheffield 8 4.44x
Swineshead 8 266.67x
Belgrave 7 49.02x
Codnor Loscoe 7 98.87x
Ecclesall Bierlow 7 6.09x
Holy Trinity Cambridge 7 178.57x
Southwark St Olave 7 160.55x
Walkeringham 7 507.25x
Burwell 6 1935.48x
Conisholme 6 2222.22x
Eston 6 48.70x
Hackney London 6 1.88x
Hemel Hempstead 6 33.86x
Hornsey 6 8.31x
Mile End Old Town London 6 4.94x
Nether Hallam 6 7.84x
Nettleham 6 320.86x
West Ham 6 2.41x
Peterborough 5 12.87x
Copping Syke 4 8000.00x
Donington On Bain 4 434.78x
Essendon 4 336.13x
Great Munden 4 465.12x
Harrington 4 1666.67x
Hinckley 4 26.65x
Legbourne 4 430.11x
Louth 4 19.13x
Sculcoates 4 4.46x
Sheepshed 4 46.14x
Worlaby By Aldford 4 3076.92x
Beelsby 3 909.09x
Clee With Weelsby 3 15.02x
Gainsborough 3 13.95x
Maltby Le Marsh 3 508.47x
Newchurch 3 5.42x
Rushden 3 566.04x
Saltfleetby St Peter 3 468.75x
St Luke London 3 3.28x
Tetford 3 258.62x
Wigston Magna 3 35.76x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 2 3.80x
Berkeley 2 32.10x
Castle Carlton 2 5000.00x
Chelsea London 2 1.16x
Clewer 2 11.40x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.33x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 5.49x
Ipswich St Margaret 2 8.48x
Little Berkhampstead 2 240.96x
Radford 2 5.12x
Saltfleetby All Sts 2 606.06x
Shadwell London 2 12.52x
Skidbrook 2 246.91x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 1.74x
St Neots 2 32.47x
Strubby 2 357.14x
Wisbech St Mary 2 48.19x
Droylsden 1 4.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 47
John 25
George 24
Thomas 23
Charles 19
Henry 11
James 11
Joseph 11
Edward 10
Alfred 8
Frederick 7
Arthur 6
Samuel 6
David 5
Robert 5
Benjamin 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Fred 3
Herbert 3
Matthew 3
Reuben 3
Daniel 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Horace 2
Richard 2
Vine 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Dan 1
Danl.E. 1
Edwin 1
Evans 1
Ezra 1
Fk.James 1
Fosbert 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Gregory 1
J.H. 1
Jesse 1
Jonson 1
Leonard 1
Malachi 1
Mathew 1
Moses 1
Pell 1

FAQ

Humberstone surname: questions and answers

How common was the Humberstone surname in 1881?

In 1881, 590 people were recorded with the Humberstone surname. That placed it at #5,919 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Humberstone surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 883 in 2016. That gives Humberstone a modern rank of #6,385.

What does the Humberstone surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name Humberstone in Leicestershire, England.

What does the Humberstone map show?

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