NameCensus.

UK surname

Husk

A surname derived from the English word "husk", referring to one who worked with husks or chaff.

In the 1881 census there were 206 people recorded with the Husk surname, ranking it #12,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 206, ranked #19,183, down from #12,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Brixton and Wivenhoe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dover, Bridgend and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Husk is 270 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.0%.

1881 census count

206

Ranked #12,596

Modern count

206

2016, ranked #19,183

Peak year

1911

270 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Husk had 206 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016, ranked #19,183.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 270 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Husk surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Husk surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Husk 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 99 #17,294
1861 historical 124 #17,797
1881 historical 206 #12,596
1891 historical 191 #15,437
1901 historical 242 #13,392
1911 historical 270 #12,273
1997 modern 231 #16,049
1998 modern 234 #16,404
1999 modern 228 #16,790
2000 modern 237 #16,331
2001 modern 226 #16,620
2002 modern 213 #17,603
2003 modern 205 #17,851
2004 modern 203 #18,061
2005 modern 199 #18,198
2006 modern 201 #18,226
2007 modern 209 #17,951
2008 modern 206 #18,300
2009 modern 204 #18,779
2010 modern 202 #19,322
2011 modern 199 #19,346
2012 modern 196 #19,463
2013 modern 201 #19,454
2014 modern 205 #19,375
2015 modern 203 #19,381
2016 modern 206 #19,183

Geography

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Where Husks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Brixton, Wivenhoe, London parishes and Dover St James, Dover St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dover, Bridgend and Cornwall. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Brixton Devon
3 Wivenhoe Essex
4 London parishes London 3
5 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dover 010 Dover
2 Dover 009 Dover
3 Bridgend 004 Bridgend
4 Dover 013 Dover
5 Cornwall 071 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Husk

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Husk

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Husk surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Husk household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Husk is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Husk is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Husk falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Husk is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Husk, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Husk

The surname Husk is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English word "husc," which means "husk" or "outer covering of a seed or grain." The name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who worked with husks or grains, or perhaps to someone with a peculiar physical characteristic resembling a husk.

The earliest known recorded instances of the Husk surname date back to the 13th century in various English records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a person named Robert Husk is mentioned. Other early examples can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, which record a John Husk in 1315.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Husk surname. One of the earliest was Sir William Husk (c. 1470-1545), a prominent member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Henry VIII.

In the 17th century, John Husk (1634-1719) was an English Puritan minister and author who served as a rector in several parishes in Wiltshire and Somerset. His published works include "The Spiritual Husbandman" and "The Glory of Christ's Visible Kingdom."

Another notable figure was Sir Robert Husk (1792-1857), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars. He commanded several ships and participated in numerous engagements, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

In the 19th century, William Husk (1814-1887) was a distinguished British musician and writer who served as the librarian at the Sacred Harmonic Society in London. He authored several books on music history and theory, including "An Account of the Musical Celebrations on St. Cecilia's Day in the 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries."

More recently, Sir Roger Husk (1920-2003) was a British diplomat who served as the British Ambassador to Spain from 1977 to 1980. He played a crucial role in strengthening the ties between the two countries during the transition to democracy in Spain after the Franco regime.

While the Husk surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, carried by migrants and settlers from the British Isles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Husk families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Husk 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. Middlesex leads with 58 Husks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.77x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 58 2.77x
Shropshire 26 14.35x
Devon 22 5.04x
Kent 22 3.07x
Essex 20 4.83x
Suffolk 18 7.05x
Surrey 17 1.66x
Ayrshire 10 6.37x
Channel Islands 7 11.26x
Lancashire 6 0.24x
Hampshire 3 0.70x
Lincolnshire 2 0.60x
Anglesey 1 2.69x
Cheshire 1 0.22x
Royal Navy 1 4.00x
Yorkshire 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. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 26 Husks recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.40x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 26 15.40x
Buckland In Dover 20 843.88x
Hargrave 18 6000.00x
Ludlow St Lawrence 14 388.89x
Ludford 12 3636.36x
Bermondsey 10 16.02x
Brixton 10 2040.82x
Wivenhoe 10 609.76x
Islington London 8 3.94x
St Helier 7 34.60x
Wanstead 7 96.55x
East Stonehouse 6 69.77x
Galston 6 139.86x
Westminster St John 6 23.49x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 12.65x
Mitcham 5 77.40x
St Marylebone London 5 4.47x
Stonehouse East 5 226.24x
Kilmarnock 4 21.41x
Leyton Low 3 35.63x
St George Hanover Square 3 8.12x
Charlton 2 42.11x
Clerkenwell London 2 4.04x
Ealing 2 10.67x
Newington 2 2.58x
Stoke Newington London 2 12.24x
Sutton St Mary 2 63.09x
Aldershot 1 6.94x
Beaumaris 1 72.99x
Broughton In Salford 1 4.39x
Hackney London 1 0.85x
Hampstead London 1 3.06x
Higher Bebington 1 33.78x
Leeds 1 0.85x
Paddington London 1 1.30x
Portsea 1 1.19x
Portsmouth 1 10.10x
Royal Navy 1 4.68x
St Giles In Fields London 1 9.72x
Yealmpton 1 149.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 16
Charles 12
John 12
George 9
Frederick 7
Edward 5
James 5
Henry 4
Edwin 3
Thomas 3
Walter 3
Adolphus 2
Alfred 2
Archibald 2
Aaron 1
Albert 1
Bertie 1
Clement 1
Cornelius 1
Francis 1
Geo.S. 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
Jeremiah 1
Jesse 1
Mary 1
Matthew 1
Nicholas 1
Percy 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Silas 1
Sydney 1
Theodore 1
Wallace 1

FAQ

Husk surname: questions and answers

How common was the Husk surname in 1881?

In 1881, 206 people were recorded with the Husk surname. That placed it at #12,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Husk surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016. That gives Husk a modern rank of #19,183.

What does the Husk surname mean?

A surname derived from the English word "husk", referring to one who worked with husks or chaff.

What does the Husk map show?

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