NameCensus.

UK surname

Huntsman

An occupational surname referring to a hunter or provider of game.

In the 1881 census there were 97 people recorded with the Huntsman surname, ranking it #20,127 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 116, ranked #28,197, down from #20,127 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hornsea with Burton, Moulton and Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, East Riding of Yorkshire and Brighton and Hove.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Huntsman is 133 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.6%.

1881 census count

97

Ranked #20,127

Modern count

116

2016, ranked #28,197

Peak year

1911

133 bearers

Map years

5

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Huntsman had 97 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,127 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016, ranked #28,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 133 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Huntsman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Huntsman surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Huntsman 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 121 #15,049
1861 historical 88 #22,554
1881 historical 97 #20,127
1891 historical 87 #25,802
1901 historical 115 #21,050
1911 historical 133 #19,214
1997 modern 112 #25,244
1998 modern 116 #25,332
1999 modern 117 #25,362
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 99 #28,082
2003 modern 102 #27,383
2004 modern 102 #27,637
2005 modern 92 #29,271
2006 modern 95 #29,113
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 103 #28,519
2009 modern 106 #28,666
2010 modern 111 #28,509
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 112 #28,934
2015 modern 109 #29,327
2016 modern 116 #28,197

Geography

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Where Huntsmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hornsea with Burton, Moulton, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, St George Bloomsbury and Hull Holy Trinity. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, East Riding of Yorkshire, Brighton and Hove and Northumberland. 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 Hornsea with Burton Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Moulton Lincolnshire
3 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
4 St George Bloomsbury London (Central Districts)
5 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 004 County Durham
2 County Durham 012 County Durham
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 013 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Brighton and Hove 013 Brighton and Hove
5 Northumberland 030 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Huntsman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Huntsman

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

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Huntsman is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Huntsman is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Huntsman falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Huntsman

The surname "HUNTSMAN" originated in medieval England, deriving from the Old English words "hunta" (hunter) and "mann" (man). It was an occupational surname given to individuals whose primary occupation was hunting, either as a professional hunter or as a gamekeeper on a noble estate.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the late 12th century, with references appearing in various legal documents and parish records. One notable early bearer of the name was William le Huntesman, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1199.

In the 13th century, the surname was often spelled "Huntesman" or "Huntman," reflecting the evolving English language. During this period, it was particularly common in regions with large forests and hunting grounds, such as Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and the Yorkshire Dales.

The Huntsman surname is also closely associated with the English tradition of fox hunting, which emerged as a popular pursuit among the aristocracy in the 16th and 17th centuries. Many families with the surname were employed as huntsmen, responsible for training and managing packs of hounds for their noble patrons.

One famous Huntsman was Robert Huntsman (1637-1701), who served as the huntsman to King Charles II and is credited with establishing the modern standards for fox hunting. Another notable figure was John Huntsman (1714-1776), a Yorkshire-born clockmaker who pioneered the manufacture of crucible steel, which was widely used in the production of hunting weapons and tools.

In the 19th century, the surname spread across the British Empire as Huntsmen and their families migrated to colonies such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. One prominent bearer of the name during this period was Benjamin Huntsman (1776-1859), a British-born Australian pioneer and explorer who led several expeditions into the interior of the continent.

Other notable Huntsmans throughout history include Sir Adolphus Frederick Octavius Huntsman (1856-1936), a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, and Sir Charles Huntsman (1892-1973), a British businessman and industrialist who served as the chairman of the Huntsman Group, a major manufacturer of hunting and sporting equipment.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Huntsman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Huntsman 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 27 Huntsmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.42x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 27 18.42x
Middlesex 27 2.95x
Yorkshire 27 2.97x
Nottinghamshire 6 4.86x
Devon 2 1.05x
Glamorgan 2 1.25x
Durham 1 0.37x
Lancashire 1 0.09x
Surrey 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hornsea in Yorkshire leads with 11 Huntsmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1896.55x.

Place Total Index
Hornsea 11 1896.55x
St Marylebone London 11 22.48x
Moulton 10 1408.45x
Goxhill 6 30000.00x
Islington London 6 6.75x
Southcoates 6 119.05x
Spalding 6 206.19x
West Retford 6 2307.69x
Great Grimsby 5 53.76x
St Pancras London 5 6.78x
Barton St Mary St Peter 3 1111.11x
Hornsey 3 25.88x
Devonport 2 91.32x
Llanedarn 2 2857.14x
Sculcoates 2 13.89x
Twickenham 2 50.89x
Appleby 1 588.24x
Chertsey 1 34.60x
Chopwell 1 196.08x
Holy Trinity 1 4.58x
Northolme 1 1666.67x
Pinchbeck 1 106.38x
Toxteth Park 1 2.71x
Wakefield 1 14.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Sarah 5
Annie 3
Martha 3
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
A. 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Anny 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Helen 1
Hilda 1
Jessie 1
Julin 1
Lily 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Rebecca 1
Slueth 1
Sophie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
John 4
Robert 4
George 3
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Danby 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Benj. 1
Chas. 1
Edmund 1
Enos 1
James 1
Jno. 1
Richard 1
Seth 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Huntsman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Huntsman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 97 people were recorded with the Huntsman surname. That placed it at #20,127 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Huntsman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016. That gives Huntsman a modern rank of #28,197.

What does the Huntsman surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a hunter or provider of game.

What does the Huntsman map show?

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