NameCensus.

UK surname

Hurst

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a wooded hill.

In the 1881 census there were 10,712 people recorded with the Hurst surname, ranking it #399 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,792, ranked #463, down from #399 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Oadby and Wigston and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hurst is 14,421 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.8%.

1881 census count

10,712

Ranked #399

Modern count

13,792

2016, ranked #463

Peak year

1999

14,421 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hurst had 10,712 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #399 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,792 in 2016, ranked #463.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 14,218 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hurst surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hurst surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hurst 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 6,587 #419
1861 historical 7,923 #347
1881 historical 10,712 #399
1891 historical 11,495 #390
1901 historical 13,029 #404
1911 historical 14,218 #343
1997 modern 13,676 #445
1998 modern 14,208 #445
1999 modern 14,421 #441
2000 modern 14,167 #447
2001 modern 13,902 #445
2002 modern 14,044 #449
2003 modern 13,675 #450
2004 modern 13,685 #449
2005 modern 13,382 #455
2006 modern 13,415 #456
2007 modern 13,408 #459
2008 modern 13,462 #461
2009 modern 13,778 #462
2010 modern 14,175 #457
2011 modern 13,879 #459
2012 modern 13,570 #461
2013 modern 13,912 #462
2014 modern 14,013 #461
2015 modern 13,876 #464
2016 modern 13,792 #463

Geography

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Where Hursts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Wigan, Manchester and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Oadby and Wigston and Huntingdonshire. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 018 Wigan
2 Wigan 011 Wigan
3 Wigan 006 Wigan
4 Oadby and Wigston 007 Oadby and Wigston
5 Huntingdonshire 014 Huntingdonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hurst

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hurst

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Hurst is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Hurst is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hurst

The surname Hurst has its origins in England and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'hyrst', meaning a wooded hill or a hillock. The name was likely given to someone who lived near a prominent wooded hill or a small forest.

One of the earliest records of the surname Hurst can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as 'de Hurst', indicating that the person was from a place called Hurst.

In the 13th century, the name Hurst was frequently associated with various places in England, including Hurst in Berkshire, Hurst in Lancashire, and Hurst in Wiltshire. The spelling variations included Hirst, Hurst, and Hyrst.

One notable person with the surname Hurst was Sir John Hurst (1596-1667), an English politician and military commander who served as a Member of Parliament and fought in the English Civil War on the side of the Parliamentarians.

Another historical figure with this surname was Henry Hurst (1629-1690), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1685 to 1689.

In the 18th century, Thomas Hurst (1737-1808) was a prominent English bookseller and publisher who worked in London's Paternoster Row, a center of the book trade at the time.

William Hurst (1789-1849) was an English engraver and painter who is known for his landscapes and topographical prints depicting various parts of England.

A more recent figure with the surname Hurst was Geoffrey Hurst (born 1941), an English professional football player who played as a striker and was a member of the England national team that won the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hurst families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hurst 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. Lancashire leads with 3,585 Hursts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.90x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 3,585 2.90x
Middlesex 877 0.84x
Yorkshire 789 0.76x
Surrey 550 1.08x
Leicestershire 545 4.71x
Cheshire 484 2.10x
Hampshire 381 1.78x
Staffordshire 376 1.07x
Nottinghamshire 356 2.53x
Kent 333 0.94x
Durham 225 0.73x
Sussex 206 1.17x
Lincolnshire 175 1.05x
Derbyshire 171 1.05x
Warwickshire 162 0.62x
Suffolk 151 1.19x
Oxfordshire 119 1.85x
Cumberland 104 1.16x
Northamptonshire 100 1.02x
Cambridgeshire 91 1.38x
Buckinghamshire 77 1.22x
Dorset 76 1.11x
Northumberland 71 0.46x
Norfolk 65 0.41x
Essex 64 0.31x
Gloucestershire 55 0.27x
Wiltshire 46 0.50x
Berkshire 43 0.55x
Bedfordshire 41 0.76x
Hertfordshire 39 0.54x
Midlothian 37 0.26x
Lanarkshire 33 0.10x
Worcestershire 33 0.24x
Somerset 31 0.18x
Devon 24 0.11x
Glamorgan 23 0.13x
Huntingdonshire 23 1.11x
Shropshire 17 0.19x
Rutland 13 1.70x
Angus 11 0.11x
Flintshire 11 0.39x
Herefordshire 9 0.21x
Royal Navy 9 0.72x
Ayrshire 8 0.10x
Channel Islands 8 0.26x
Monmouthshire 8 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 7 0.21x
Radnorshire 5 0.59x
Roxburghshire 5 0.26x
Denbighshire 4 0.10x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.17x
Westmorland 4 0.17x
Anglesey 2 0.11x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.05x
Cornwall 2 0.02x
Isle of Man 1 0.05x
Stirlingshire 1 0.03x
Wigtownshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashton Under Lyne in Lancashire leads with 187 Hursts recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.91x.

Place Total Index
Ashton Under Lyne 187 6.91x
Wigan 173 10.00x
Manchester 158 2.84x
Oldham 133 3.33x
Leicester St Margaret 126 4.47x
Lambeth 117 1.29x
St Pancras London 103 1.23x
Dukinfield 100 9.40x
Wigston Magna 99 64.53x
Farnworth 98 13.21x
Westhoughton 96 29.06x
Salford 95 2.61x
Pemberton 94 19.04x
Camberwell 93 1.40x
Cheadle 91 53.81x
Hulme 90 3.48x
Sheffield 83 2.52x
Islington London 77 0.76x
Nottingham St Mary 77 2.12x
Liverpool 76 1.01x
Stoke Upon Trent 76 2.04x
Worsley 70 9.17x
West Derby 69 1.91x
Glossop Dale 67 8.76x
Great Bolton 66 4.03x
Little Hulton 65 31.71x
St Marylebone London 62 1.11x
Kensington London 59 1.02x
Southampton St Mary 57 4.24x
Upholland 56 35.30x
Macclesfield 54 5.28x
Kearsley 51 19.58x
Margate St John Baptist 51 7.83x
Bedford 49 18.92x
Little Bolton 48 3.02x
Newark Upon Trent 48 9.50x
Stockport 47 3.97x
Winlaton 47 15.79x
Aston 46 0.64x
Leicester St Mary 44 4.71x
Mansfield 44 9.04x
Toxteth Park 44 1.05x
Castleton 42 3.40x
Hinckley 42 15.31x
Millbrook 42 7.80x
Pendleton In Salford 42 2.85x
Westleigh 42 14.94x
Eastbourne 41 5.07x
Butterworth 40 13.26x
North Meols 40 3.30x
Portsea 40 0.95x
Birmingham 38 0.43x
Hammersmith London 38 1.48x
Holy Trinity 38 1.53x
Orrell 38 24.69x
Ramsgate 38 6.54x
Shoreditch London 37 0.82x
Bermondsey 36 1.16x
Billinge Higher End 36 71.80x
Aspull 35 12.02x
Kirkdale 35 1.68x
St George Hanover Square 35 1.90x
Hyde 34 5.00x
Barton Upon Irwell 33 3.54x
Hindley 33 6.25x
Oadby 32 51.65x
Oswaldtwistle 32 7.32x
Paddington London 32 0.83x
Ecclesall Bierlow 31 1.47x
Gorton 31 2.66x
Habergham Eaves 31 2.74x
Hackney London 31 0.53x
Heaton Norris 31 4.40x
Wickhambrook 31 64.94x
Windle 31 4.45x
Chadderton 30 4.96x
Great Grimsby 30 2.83x
Nether Hallam 30 2.15x
Cheadle 29 6.59x
Deptford St Paul 29 1.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 750
Elizabeth 435
Sarah 410
Ann 231
Alice 214
Jane 206
Ellen 188
Annie 159
Eliza 157
Emma 140
Margaret 126
Martha 126
Hannah 117
Emily 112
Harriet 83
Maria 71
Ada 63
Edith 62
Charlotte 54
Louisa 54
Fanny 53
Clara 50
Caroline 48
Catherine 48
Florence 47
Anne 44
Agnes 40
Frances 40
Esther 38
Kate 38
Harriett 35
Susan 35
Amelia 29
Elizth. 27
Isabella 27
Lucy 27
Betsy 26
Sophia 26
Rebecca 23
Eleanor 22
Rose 19
Julia 18
Lydia 18
Rachel 17
Susannah 16
Amy 15
Jessie 15
Bertha 14
Gertrude 14
Nancy 14

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 674
John 661
James 429
Thomas 371
George 368
Henry 247
Joseph 242
Charles 192
Robert 138
Edward 117
Alfred 92
Arthur 92
Samuel 88
Richard 73
Albert 71
Frederick 71
Harry 70
Walter 65
Herbert 35
Peter 31
Frank 29
Benjamin 28
David 27
Ernest 27
Wm. 27
Edwin 24
Francis 24
Isaac 24
Fred 21
Thos. 21
Abraham 19
Stephen 19
Daniel 17
Tom 16
Fredk. 14
Chas. 12
Alexander 11
Andrew 11
Geo. 11
Jacob 11
Philip 11
Elijah 10
Jonathan 10
Mathew 10
Reuben 10
Sidney 10
Adam 9
Joshua 9
Matthew 9
Harold 8

FAQ

Hurst surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hurst surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10,712 people were recorded with the Hurst surname. That placed it at #399 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hurst surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,792 in 2016. That gives Hurst a modern rank of #463.

What does the Hurst surname mean?

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a wooded hill.

What does the Hurst map show?

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