NameCensus.

UK surname

Hunter

An occupational surname denoting someone who hunted game for a living, or who served as a huntsman.

In the 1881 census there were 30,834 people recorded with the Hunter surname, ranking it #103 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 44,986, ranked #111, down from #103 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Alva, Lerwick North and Alloa North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hunter is 45,417 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.9%.

1881 census count

30,834

Ranked #103

Modern count

44,986

2016, ranked #111

Peak year

2010

45,417 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hunter had 30,834 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #103 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 44,986 in 2016, ranked #111.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 38,184 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hunter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hunter surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hunter 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 21,603 #99
1861 historical 22,555 #97
1881 historical 30,834 #103
1891 historical 33,000 #100
1901 historical 38,184 #105
1911 historical 23,718 #182
1997 modern 42,356 #104
1998 modern 43,736 #105
1999 modern 43,931 #106
2000 modern 43,929 #107
2001 modern 42,762 #107
2002 modern 43,707 #108
2003 modern 42,515 #110
2004 modern 42,645 #110
2005 modern 42,422 #111
2006 modern 42,581 #111
2007 modern 43,087 #110
2008 modern 43,593 #110
2009 modern 44,612 #110
2010 modern 45,417 #110
2011 modern 44,668 #111
2012 modern 44,015 #111
2013 modern 44,879 #111
2014 modern 45,333 #111
2015 modern 45,071 #111
2016 modern 44,986 #111

Geography

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Where Hunters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, London parishes, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Alva, Lerwick North, Alloa North, Tillicoultry and Sauchie. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Alva Clackmannanshire
2 Lerwick North Shetland Islands
3 Alloa North Clackmannanshire
4 Tillicoultry Clackmannanshire
5 Sauchie Clackmannanshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hunter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hunter

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Hunter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hunter household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hunter 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

Hunter is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hunter

The surname HUNTER has its origins in England, originating in the Middle Ages around the 11th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "huntere," meaning "hunter" or "huntsman." The name referred to individuals who engaged in hunting game or worked as professional hunters.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname HUNTER can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Huntor" and "Huntere." This historical record provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of the name during the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 12th century, the surname HUNTER appeared in various forms, such as "Huntere," "Huntare," and "Hontere," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common in those times. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal practices.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname HUNTER was William Hunter, a renowned Scottish anatomist and physician who lived from 1718 to 1783. He made significant contributions to the fields of anatomy and obstetrics and was a respected teacher and author.

Another prominent individual with the HUNTER surname was John Hunter, the younger brother of William Hunter. Born in 1728, John Hunter was a pioneering surgeon and naturalist who made groundbreaking discoveries in fields such as human anatomy, surgery, and comparative anatomy.

In the 16th century, the surname HUNTER was found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Lancashire. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Hunter's Hill in Kent and Hunter's Lodge in Worcestershire.

Robert Hunter, a Scottish poet and songwriter, lived from 1874 to 1958 and is renowned for his contributions to the folk music revival in Scotland. He was a significant figure in preserving and promoting traditional Scottish songs and ballads.

Evelyn Underhill, born in 1875 and died in 1941, was an English Anglo-Catholic writer and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of mysticism and spirituality. She bore the surname HUNTER through her marriage to Hubert Stuart Moore.

Throughout its history, the surname HUNTER has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including hunters, naturalists, physicians, poets, and writers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who bear this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hunter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hunter 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. Lanarkshire leads with 3,357 Hunters recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.46x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 3,357 3.46x
Durham 3,208 3.59x
Lancashire 2,705 0.76x
Yorkshire 2,673 0.90x
Midlothian 1,809 4.50x
Northumberland 1,661 3.72x
Middlesex 1,248 0.42x
Ayrshire 1,197 5.33x
Fife 993 5.59x
Renfrewshire 875 3.76x
Stirlingshire 823 7.44x
Angus 768 2.76x
Clackmannanshire 739 29.83x
Aberdeenshire 642 2.31x
Surrey 601 0.41x
Cumberland 419 1.62x
Kent 396 0.39x
Shetland 390 12.73x
Norfolk 347 0.75x
Perthshire 335 2.49x
Lincolnshire 293 0.61x
Dumfriesshire 291 4.39x
Kirkcudbrightshire 260 5.99x
East Lothian 258 6.49x
Hampshire 238 0.39x
Warwickshire 221 0.29x
Dunbartonshire 218 2.70x
Staffordshire 217 0.21x
Roxburghshire 211 3.88x
Sussex 207 0.41x
West Lothian 207 4.58x
Berwickshire 199 5.48x
Buteshire 189 10.40x
Cheshire 174 0.26x
Westmorland 161 2.44x
Essex 148 0.25x
Wigtownshire 145 3.64x
Gloucestershire 138 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 125 0.31x
Suffolk 124 0.34x
Argyllshire 116 1.39x
Derbyshire 111 0.24x
Selkirkshire 104 3.83x
Devon 101 0.16x
Kincardineshire 95 2.60x
Glamorgan 91 0.17x
Berkshire 72 0.32x
Wiltshire 68 0.26x
Peeblesshire 64 4.54x
Orkney 61 1.85x
Monmouthshire 44 0.20x
Hertfordshire 40 0.19x
Banffshire 39 0.63x
Inverness-shire 38 0.42x
Somerset 38 0.08x
Worcestershire 36 0.09x
Dorset 34 0.17x
Northamptonshire 30 0.11x
Bedfordshire 29 0.19x
Leicestershire 26 0.08x
Morayshire 26 0.56x
Royal Navy 26 0.73x
Ross-shire 22 0.27x
Shropshire 21 0.08x
Cambridgeshire 20 0.11x
Denbighshire 20 0.18x
Isle of Man 20 0.36x
Caithness 19 0.46x
Channel Islands 19 0.21x
Oxfordshire 18 0.10x
Cornwall 15 0.04x
Sutherland 13 0.56x
Caernarfonshire 11 0.09x
Kinross-shire 11 1.45x
Pembrokeshire 10 0.10x
Buckinghamshire 9 0.05x
Flintshire 9 0.11x
Herefordshire 5 0.04x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.07x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.03x
Anglesey 1 0.02x
Brecknockshire 1 0.02x
Cardiganshire 1 0.01x
Merionethshire 1 0.02x
Nairnshire 1 0.11x
Rutland 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 845 Hunters recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.52x.

Place Total Index
Govan 845 3.52x
Barony 776 3.16x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 727 4.50x
Glasgow 534 3.10x
Bishopwearmouth 417 5.44x
Dunfermline 283 10.36x
Westoe 255 5.04x
Clackmannan 248 52.96x
Tillicoultry 240 43.55x
Dundee 223 2.15x
Alloa 214 17.81x
New Monkland 207 7.22x
Gateshead 204 3.05x
Aberdeen Old Machar 191 3.29x
Preston 176 1.85x
South Leith 162 3.58x
Beath 155 27.62x
Liff Benvie 147 3.48x
Old Monkland 143 3.71x
Alva 138 26.15x
Holy Trinity 137 1.92x
Kilmarnock 134 5.01x
Everton 127 1.12x
Leeds 127 0.76x
Islington London 124 0.43x
Falkirk 123 4.75x
West Derby 122 1.17x
Tynemouth 121 5.06x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 115 2.21x
Whiteness Weisdale 112 121.04x
Ayr 111 10.47x
West Greenock 111 2.66x
Liverpool 109 0.50x
Stranton 108 3.59x
Lambeth 106 0.41x
Cambusnethan 103 4.78x
Barrow In Furness 102 2.11x
Abbey 101 2.85x
Camberwell 100 0.52x
East Greenock 99 4.51x
St Pancras London 99 0.41x
Bothwell 97 3.69x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 97 3.64x
Sculcoates 95 2.02x
Toxteth Park 95 0.79x
Kensington London 94 0.56x
Hackney London 92 0.55x
Middlesbrough 91 2.35x
Sheffield 90 0.95x
Byker 88 3.99x
Dundonald 88 10.63x
Darlington 86 2.50x
Tanfield 86 8.10x
Manchester 84 0.52x
Auchterderran 83 18.59x
Paisley High Church 83 4.48x
St Ninians 82 7.48x
Elswick 81 2.27x
Salford 81 0.77x
Aston 80 0.38x
Ecclesall Bierlow 80 1.32x
Newton On Ayr 80 11.90x
Slamannan 80 13.20x
Cumbrae 79 41.32x
Heworth 78 4.44x
Longbenton 78 4.13x
Hartlepool 76 5.99x
Newcastle On Tyne St 76 3.28x
Dawdon 75 6.83x
Kirkdale 75 1.25x
Hamilton 73 2.70x
Maryhill 73 3.84x
Bothkennar 72 21.80x
Ardrossan 71 9.14x
Cathcart 70 5.56x
Lasswade 70 7.62x
Nesting Lunnas Whalsay 70 25.93x
Portsea 69 0.57x
Stirling 69 4.95x
Brighton 68 0.67x
Paddington London 68 0.62x
Windle 66 3.30x
Beith 65 9.70x
Eccleston In Prescot 64 3.58x
Paisley Middle Church 63 4.65x
Whickham 63 7.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,162
Elizabeth 773
Jane 526
Sarah 476
Margaret 424
Ann 387
Annie 237
Ellen 220
Alice 213
Isabella 211
Hannah 183
Emma 164
Eliza 161
Emily 110
Martha 100
Catherine 89
Edith 84
Louisa 79
Agnes 78
Florence 73
Maria 70
Charlotte 66
Ada 65
Harriet 65
Anne 62
Caroline 61
Jessie 60
Frances 59
Kate 55
Fanny 53
Dorothy 47
Eleanor 47
Clara 46
Susan 44
Elizth. 38
Esther 35
Lucy 34
Helen 33
Rose 32
Barbara 31
Rachel 30
Amelia 28
Susannah 28
Margt. 27
Sophia 26
Harriett 25
Julia 25
Gertrude 24
Grace 24
Rebecca 24

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1,154
William 1,064
Thomas 714
James 590
George 549
Robert 441
Joseph 265
Henry 252
Charles 184
Edward 173
Richard 130
Samuel 97
Alfred 96
Arthur 80
Frederick 78
David 75
Wm. 70
Walter 65
Albert 62
Harry 58
Matthew 56
Alexander 54
Andrew 54
Thos. 52
Francis 43
Frank 43
Herbert 43
Peter 41
Hugh 38
Ernest 32
Geo. 31
Christopher 29
Edwin 27
Ralph 27
Benjamin 26
Fred 25
Anthony 24
Robt. 24
Isaac 23
Tom 23
Daniel 18
Percy 18
Jas. 17
Stephen 17
Michael 16
Jonathan 15
Luke 15
Fredk. 13
Willm. 13
Fredrick 12

FAQ

Hunter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hunter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 30,834 people were recorded with the Hunter surname. That placed it at #103 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hunter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 44,986 in 2016. That gives Hunter a modern rank of #111.

What does the Hunter surname mean?

An occupational surname denoting someone who hunted game for a living, or who served as a huntsman.

What does the Hunter map show?

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