NameCensus.

UK surname

Hunn

Derived from the Old Norse personal name Húnn, which means "bear cub" or "young bear."

In the 1881 census there were 409 people recorded with the Hunn surname, ranking it #7,842 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 505, ranked #9,919, down from #7,842 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gorleston and Burgh St Margaret. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hunn is 592 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.5%.

1881 census count

409

Ranked #7,842

Modern count

505

2016, ranked #9,919

Peak year

1911

592 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hunn had 409 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,842 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 505 in 2016, ranked #9,919.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 592 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hunn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hunn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hunn 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 284 #7,977
1861 historical 346 #7,377
1881 historical 409 #7,842
1891 historical 563 #6,744
1901 historical 443 #8,804
1911 historical 592 #6,912
1997 modern 573 #8,415
1998 modern 572 #8,663
1999 modern 574 #8,692
2000 modern 555 #8,883
2001 modern 544 #8,875
2002 modern 562 #8,835
2003 modern 542 #8,947
2004 modern 536 #9,032
2005 modern 508 #9,340
2006 modern 511 #9,331
2007 modern 513 #9,393
2008 modern 501 #9,618
2009 modern 526 #9,487
2010 modern 544 #9,430
2011 modern 516 #9,731
2012 modern 515 #9,663
2013 modern 514 #9,824
2014 modern 515 #9,872
2015 modern 496 #10,057
2016 modern 505 #9,919

Geography

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Where Hunns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gorleston, Burgh St Margaret and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn and West Norfolk. 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 3
2 Gorleston Suffolk
3 Burgh St Margaret Norfolk
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 010 Cornwall
2 Great Yarmouth 003 Great Yarmouth
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 008 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 Great Yarmouth 009 Great Yarmouth
5 Great Yarmouth 002 Great Yarmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hunn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hunn

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Hunn is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hunn is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hunn falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hunn

The surname Hunn is of English origin, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "huna," which referred to a person who lived near a ridge or a hill. The name may also have roots in the Old Norse word "hunnr," meaning a bear cub.

The earliest known recorded instance of the surname Hunn appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a man named Robert Hunn is mentioned. Another early record is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, listing a John Hunn.

In the 14th century, the surname Hunn can be found in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1301, which mentions a William Hunn. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 list a Thomas Hunn, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332 record a John Hunn.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Hunn was Sir William Hunn, a prominent English politician and landowner who lived in the late 14th century. He served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire in 1388 and 1390.

The Hunn surname also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the spelling of the name in this record is not entirely clear.

In the 16th century, the surname Hunn was found in various locations across England, including Kent, Surrey, and Somerset. During this period, the name was sometimes spelled as "Huyne" or "Hune."

One notable bearer of the Hunn surname was John Hunn, a 16th-century English Protestant reformer and theologian who was born in Norfolk around 1501. He was a vocal critic of the Roman Catholic Church and played a significant role in the English Reformation.

Another prominent individual with the surname Hunn was Thomas Hunn, an English politician and landowner who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as a Member of Parliament for Malmesbury in 1604 and 1614.

In the 18th century, the Hunn surname was particularly common in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. One notable bearer from this period was William Hunn, a successful businessman and landowner from Gloucestershire who lived from 1701 to 1771.

By the 19th century, the Hunn surname had spread across various parts of England and had also made its way to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, through migration and colonial expansion.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hunn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hunn 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. Norfolk leads with 110 Hunns recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.63x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 110 17.63x
Cornwall 54 11.75x
Suffolk 41 8.30x
Middlesex 39 0.96x
Kent 21 1.52x
Devon 20 2.37x
Lancashire 19 0.39x
Surrey 14 0.71x
Yorkshire 14 0.35x
Lincolnshire 13 2.00x
Oxfordshire 11 4.39x
Durham 10 0.83x
Essex 10 1.25x
Hampshire 9 1.08x
Isle of Man 7 9.29x
Leicestershire 7 1.56x
Hertfordshire 4 1.43x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.73x
Cheshire 3 0.33x
Westmorland 2 2.24x
Berkshire 1 0.33x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.39x
Fife 1 0.42x
Royal Navy 1 2.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Calstock in Cornwall leads with 51 Hunns recorded in 1881 and an index of 566.04x.

Place Total Index
Calstock 51 566.04x
Great Yarmouth 32 61.92x
Burgh St Margaret 16 2077.92x
Gorleston 14 111.47x
Henstead 11 1466.67x
Topsham 10 250.63x
Hilborough 9 1914.89x
Hoveton St Peter 9 4736.84x
St Luke London 9 13.83x
Bethnal Green London 8 4.54x
Chorlton On Medlock 8 10.46x
Ellough 8 3809.52x
Plumstead 8 17.33x
Acle 7 551.18x
Burnham Westgate 7 518.52x
Hemington 7 1320.75x
Leeds 7 3.08x
Onchan 7 32.24x
Sculcoates 7 10.98x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 8.57x
Tolleshunt D Arcy 7 614.04x
Bensington 6 375.00x
Friskney 6 291.26x
Kirkley 6 144.93x
Maidstone 6 14.55x
Swaffham 6 118.11x
West Derby 6 4.26x
Godalming 5 40.16x
Hackney London 5 2.20x
Henley On Thames 5 97.47x
Liverpool 5 1.71x
Norwich St Augustine 5 198.41x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 7.68x
Portsea 5 3.07x
Stoke Damerel 5 8.46x
Westoe 5 7.31x
Clerkenwell London 4 4.18x
Islington London 4 1.02x
Kingston 4 344.83x
Lingwood 4 727.27x
Poplar London 4 5.22x
Whitlingham 4 4000.00x
Easington 3 171.43x
Heigham 3 8.96x
Hunstanton 3 142.18x
Malpas 3 227.27x
Northfleet 3 24.59x
Nottingham St Mary 3 2.12x
Watford 3 13.83x
Bennington By Boston 2 263.16x
Boston 2 10.16x
Bourn 2 38.17x
Freethorpe 2 357.14x
Halstead 2 21.41x
Kirkby Stephen 2 86.58x
St Pancras London 2 0.61x
Woolwich 2 3.91x
Burlingham St Peter 1 1111.11x
Camberwell 1 0.39x
Chiswick 1 4.51x
Christ Church Newgate 1 52.91x
Darlington 1 2.15x
Duloe 1 74.07x
Falmouth 1 6.15x
Gravesend 1 8.53x
Greenwich 1 1.55x
Harpenden 1 23.42x
Kensington London 1 0.44x
Lambeth 1 0.28x
March 1 11.61x
New Windsor 1 9.77x
Rollesby 1 128.21x
Royal Navy 1 2.42x
Scoonie 1 19.23x
South Cove 1 454.55x
Southwick 1 8.75x
Stoke Climsland 1 34.13x
Tydd St Mary 1 77.52x
West Ham 1 0.57x
Winkbourn 1 555.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 25
Elizabeth 16
Jane 11
Sarah 11
Emma 8
Edith 6
Eliza 6
Ann 5
Emily 5
Hannah 5
Anna 4
Alice 3
Annie 3
Elizth. 3
Fanny 3
Florence 3
Harriet 3
Maria 3
Rebecca 3
Rosina 3
Beatrice 2
Caroline 2
Ellen 2
Harriett 2
Jemima 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Maud 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Betrice 1
Birtha 1
Catherine 1
Eliz. 1
Emilie 1
Esther 1
Flora 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Jessy 1
Johanna 1
Lilian 1
Lillie 1
Lizzie 1
Thomas 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 24
John 16
George 15
Henry 12
James 10
Robert 10
Frederick 9
Thomas 9
Charles 8
Joseph 7
Arthur 6
Edward 6
Richard 6
Alfred 5
Samuel 5
Herbert 4
Thos. 4
Allen 3
Ernest 3
Isaac 3
Augustus 2
Fredk. 2
Josiah 2
Nicholas 2
Noah 2
Stephen 2
Walter 2
Benjamin 1
David 1
E.J.M. 1
Edwin 1
Frances 1
Frederic 1
Fredr. 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Howard 1
Jacob 1
Jane 1
Jeffery 1
Jesse 1
Job 1
Jos. 1
Jos.Benj. 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Oliver 1
Sidney 1
Susan 1

FAQ

Hunn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hunn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 409 people were recorded with the Hunn surname. That placed it at #7,842 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hunn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 505 in 2016. That gives Hunn a modern rank of #9,919.

What does the Hunn surname mean?

Derived from the Old Norse personal name Húnn, which means "bear cub" or "young bear."

What does the Hunn map show?

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