NameCensus.

UK surname

Hunting

An English surname derived from a word meaning "the practice of hunting game."

In the 1881 census there were 301 people recorded with the Hunting surname, ranking it #9,694 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 362, ranked #12,810, down from #9,694 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ditchingham, Wolverhampton and Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, Babergh and Wychavon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hunting is 451 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.3%.

1881 census count

301

Ranked #9,694

Modern count

362

2016, ranked #12,810

Peak year

1998

451 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hunting had 301 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,694 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016, ranked #12,810.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 450 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hunting surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hunting surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hunting 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 186 #11,024
1861 historical 242 #10,154
1881 historical 301 #9,694
1891 historical 336 #10,158
1901 historical 434 #8,940
1911 historical 450 #8,507
1997 modern 446 #10,142
1998 modern 451 #10,393
1999 modern 442 #10,606
2000 modern 446 #10,516
2001 modern 432 #10,584
2002 modern 447 #10,501
2003 modern 449 #10,313
2004 modern 428 #10,737
2005 modern 408 #11,024
2006 modern 419 #10,837
2007 modern 407 #11,228
2008 modern 407 #11,310
2009 modern 404 #11,636
2010 modern 398 #12,039
2011 modern 385 #12,195
2012 modern 375 #12,292
2013 modern 379 #12,399
2014 modern 379 #12,483
2015 modern 368 #12,661
2016 modern 362 #12,810

Geography

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Where Huntings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ditchingham, Wolverhampton, Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, St Leonard Shoreditch and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, Babergh, Wychavon and Kensington and Chelsea. 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 Ditchingham Norfolk
2 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
3 Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick Worcestershire
4 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 013 Waveney
2 Babergh 005 Babergh
3 Waveney 012 Waveney
4 Wychavon 019 Wychavon
5 Kensington and Chelsea 018 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hunting

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hunting

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Hunting is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hunting is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hunting falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hunting

The surname Hunting is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "hunta" meaning a hunter or huntsman. It likely originated in England during the medieval period, with early bearers of the name living in areas known for hunting activities or employed as huntsmen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hunting surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and estates in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Huntinc" in this historical document.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Hunting surname was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in areas with large forests and hunting grounds. Some early spelling variations included Huntynge, Huntingge, and Huntinge, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that time.

Notable individuals with the Hunting surname include John Hunting (c. 1530-1593), an English priest and author who wrote on theological subjects. Another prominent figure was Robert Hunting (1594-1668), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Wigan during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, William Hunting (1722-1797) was a renowned English architect known for his work on Ranelagh Gardens in Chelsea, London. He also designed several notable buildings in the city.

During the 19th century, James Hunting (1832-1907) was a British businessman and industrialist who founded the Hunting Corporation, a major manufacturer of industrial and oilfield equipment.

Another notable bearer of the Hunting surname was Sir Everard Hunting (1867-1936), a British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Governor of Punjab in British India from 1919 to 1924.

The Hunting surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire and Huntington in Herefordshire, further reinforcing its connection to hunting activities and locations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hunting families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hunting 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. Suffolk leads with 45 Huntings recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.50x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 45 12.50x
Norfolk 30 6.60x
Worcestershire 30 7.77x
Middlesex 24 0.81x
Staffordshire 24 2.41x
Huntingdonshire 23 39.20x
Kent 16 1.59x
Warwickshire 15 2.01x
Essex 14 2.40x
Lancashire 13 0.37x
Durham 12 1.36x
Surrey 9 0.62x
Northamptonshire 8 2.88x
Northumberland 7 1.59x
Cornwall 5 1.49x
Gloucestershire 4 0.69x
Lanarkshire 4 0.42x
Sussex 3 0.60x
Yorkshire 3 0.10x
Devon 2 0.33x
Hampshire 2 0.33x
Lincolnshire 2 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.50x
Berkshire 1 0.45x
Cheshire 1 0.15x
Glamorgan 1 0.19x
Monmouthshire 1 0.47x
Oxfordshire 1 0.55x
Royal Navy 1 2.84x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Fletton in Huntingdonshire leads with 18 Huntings recorded in 1881 and an index of 957.45x.

Place Total Index
Fletton 18 957.45x
Aston 15 7.31x
Shoreditch London 13 10.15x
Brooke 9 1267.61x
Harborne 9 28.15x
Wolverhampton 9 11.73x
Eye 8 601.50x
Chediston 7 1891.89x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 18.38x
Worcester St Peter 7 95.76x
Greenwich 6 12.75x
Halvergate 6 1224.49x
Aldeby 5 769.23x
Claines 5 47.21x
East Dereham 5 87.11x
Farnworth 5 23.80x
Great Bolton 5 10.76x
Hampstead London 5 10.86x
Ipswich St Helen 5 117.10x
Kirton 5 781.25x
Sedgley 5 13.49x
Southwark St Saviour 5 32.92x
West Ham 5 3.88x
West Looe 5 568.18x
Woodstone 5 537.63x
Ashton Under Hill 4 1081.08x
Dalziel 4 38.91x
Eltham 4 67.68x
Jesmond 4 64.62x
Wanstead 4 39.14x
Brighton 3 2.98x
Carlton Colville 3 227.27x
Hawthorn 3 1071.43x
Kings Norton 3 8.67x
Kirkley 3 99.67x
Lambeth 3 1.16x
Lowestoft 3 17.64x
St George Hanover Square 3 5.76x
Westgate 3 11.02x
Worcester Blockhouse 3 141.51x
Bedingfield 2 588.24x
Bengeworth 2 150.38x
Boston 2 13.95x
Covehithe 2 1111.11x
Eston 2 31.35x
Evesham St Lawrence 2 97.56x
Ilketshall St Andrew 2 416.67x
Little Bolton 2 4.44x
Loddon 2 170.94x
Milton In Gravesend 2 13.23x
Naunton Beauchamp 2 1428.57x
Radford 2 9.88x
South Elmham St James 2 869.57x
Stanford Le Hope 2 238.10x
Stoke Damerel 2 4.64x
Walpole 2 500.00x
Walthamstow 2 9.52x
Walton 2 155.04x
Whippingham 2 43.57x
Woodbridge 2 43.48x
Woolwich 2 5.37x
Worlingham 2 1052.63x
Acton 1 5.77x
Beoley 1 161.29x
Curbridge 1 163.93x
East Tilbury 1 243.90x
Erith 1 10.07x
Great Little Hampton 1 156.25x
North Bailey South 1 227.27x
Northfield 1 13.66x
Norwich St Julian 1 52.36x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 1 43.86x
St Botolph Aldgate London 1 16.42x
Stoke Prior 1 42.02x
Swansea Town 1 2.37x
Thurton 1 500.00x
Trevethin 1 4.96x
Upper Penn 1 40.00x
Worcester St Michael 1 227.27x
York Holy Trinity 1 39.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 24
John 13
George 12
Charles 11
Henry 10
Thomas 10
Frederick 9
Arthur 6
James 6
Samuel 5
Albert 4
Alfred 3
Jonathan 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Walter 3
Daniel 2
Ernest 2
Fredk. 2
Alexander 1
Alfd. 1
Danl. 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Georg. 1
Harley 1
Harry 1
Holly 1
Horace 1
J. 1
Jeremiah 1
Jesse 1
Josiah 1
Kate 1
Ma... 1
Obadiah 1
Percy 1
Ricard 1
Richmond 1
Saml. 1
Simon 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Hunting surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hunting surname in 1881?

In 1881, 301 people were recorded with the Hunting surname. That placed it at #9,694 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hunting surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016. That gives Hunting a modern rank of #12,810.

What does the Hunting surname mean?

An English surname derived from a word meaning "the practice of hunting game."

What does the Hunting map show?

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