NameCensus.

UK surname

Hynes

Derived from the Irish Ó hEidhin, meaning "descendant of Eidhin," a personal name of uncertain origin.

In the 1881 census there were 708 people recorded with the Hynes surname, ranking it #5,131 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,283, ranked #2,068, up from #5,131 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Merthyr Tydfil, Middlesbrough and Tendring.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hynes is 3,401 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 363.7%.

1881 census count

708

Ranked #5,131

Modern count

3,283

2016, ranked #2,068

Peak year

2010

3,401 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hynes had 708 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,131 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,283 in 2016, ranked #2,068.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,116 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hynes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hynes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hynes 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 253 #8,709
1861 historical 466 #5,573
1881 historical 708 #5,131
1891 historical 998 #4,160
1901 historical 1,105 #4,368
1911 historical 1,116 #4,165
1997 modern 3,129 #2,050
1998 modern 3,282 #2,038
1999 modern 3,297 #2,055
2000 modern 3,282 #2,052
2001 modern 3,208 #2,054
2002 modern 3,294 #2,047
2003 modern 3,235 #2,035
2004 modern 3,238 #2,034
2005 modern 3,167 #2,047
2006 modern 3,157 #2,061
2007 modern 3,259 #2,032
2008 modern 3,282 #2,033
2009 modern 3,368 #2,035
2010 modern 3,401 #2,052
2011 modern 3,387 #2,031
2012 modern 3,256 #2,066
2013 modern 3,305 #2,076
2014 modern 3,348 #2,061
2015 modern 3,298 #2,070
2016 modern 3,283 #2,068

Geography

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Where Hynes' are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Merthyr Tydfil, Middlesbrough, Tendring, St. Helens and Neath Port Talbot. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Merthyr Tydfil 008 Merthyr Tydfil
2 Middlesbrough 009 Middlesbrough
3 Tendring 003 Tendring
4 St. Helens 004 St. Helens
5 Neath Port Talbot 013 Neath Port Talbot

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hynes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hynes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hynes, 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 Hynes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hynes 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, Hynes 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

Hynes is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hynes 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 Hynes is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Hynes

The surname Hynes is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "O'hUigin" or "O'Higgin," meaning "descendant of Uigin." The name is believed to have originated in County Sligo, Ireland, in the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention "Tadhg O'Huigin," an Irish chieftain who lived in the 13th century.

The surname Hynes is also associated with the Irish clan of O'Higgins, which historically held lands in County Sligo and County Mayo. The name likely evolved from O'Higgin to Hynes due to anglicization and variations in spelling over time.

In the 16th century, the Hynes family was prominent in County Sligo, particularly in the area around Ballymote. Records from this period mention individuals such as Conor Hynes, a landowner in Ballymote, and Patrick Hynes, a member of the Irish Parliament in the late 1500s.

During the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s, several members of the Hynes family played notable roles, including Theobald Hynes, who served as a captain in the Confederate forces, and Patrick Hynes, who was involved in the defense of Sligo town.

In the 18th century, the Hynes family became more widespread throughout Ireland, with branches settling in counties such as Galway, Mayo, and Clare. One notable figure from this period was John Hynes (1766-1832), a Irish Catholic priest and writer who advocated for Catholic emancipation in Ireland.

Another prominent individual with the surname Hynes was Samuel Hynes (1824-1909), an Irish-born British naval officer who served in the Crimean War and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in action.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many individuals with the surname Hynes emigrated from Ireland to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, contributing to the spread and diversity of the name globally.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hynes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hynes 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 293 Hynes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.51x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 293 3.51x
Middlesex 82 1.16x
Yorkshire 63 0.90x
Lanarkshire 48 2.11x
Cheshire 38 2.44x
Devon 24 1.64x
Northumberland 19 1.81x
Cornwall 18 2.26x
Kent 18 0.75x
Channel Islands 14 6.71x
Warwickshire 11 0.62x
Hampshire 10 0.69x
Staffordshire 9 0.38x
Surrey 9 0.26x
Durham 8 0.38x
Sussex 8 0.67x
Derbyshire 5 0.45x
Flintshire 5 2.64x
Berkshire 4 0.76x
Lincolnshire 4 0.36x
Midlothian 4 0.42x
Royal Navy 4 4.77x
Roxburghshire 3 2.35x
Essex 2 0.14x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.21x
Oxfordshire 2 0.46x
Renfrewshire 2 0.37x
Shropshire 2 0.33x
Somerset 2 0.18x
Bedfordshire 1 0.27x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.22x
Dorset 1 0.22x
Glamorgan 1 0.08x
Leicestershire 1 0.13x
Monmouthshire 1 0.20x
Northamptonshire 1 0.15x
Stirlingshire 1 0.39x
Worcestershire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 65 Hynes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.81x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 65 12.81x
Manchester 44 11.71x
Wigan 20 17.12x
Barony 18 3.12x
Everton 17 6.38x
Glasgow 16 3.96x
Bradford 15 38.34x
Bethnal Green London 13 4.25x
Govan 12 2.13x
Ormskirk 12 75.05x
St Michaelinthe Vale 12 161.07x
Oldham 11 4.08x
Sheffield 11 4.95x
St Luke London 11 9.74x
Westminster St James 11 15.19x
Macclesfield 10 14.47x
St Pancras London 10 1.76x
Ashton Under Lyne 9 4.93x
Birkenhead 9 7.26x
Glaisdale 9 338.35x
Berwick Upon Tweed 8 36.04x
Stockport 8 10.00x
Brede 7 281.12x
Elton 7 24.25x
Farnworth 7 13.98x
Great Lever 7 78.92x
Holy Trinity 7 4.17x
Preston 7 3.13x
West Derby 7 2.86x
Antony 6 77.92x
Bradford 6 3.55x
Heap 6 13.54x
Leeds 6 1.52x
St Clement 6 72.12x
Tavistock 6 35.93x
Widnes 6 9.95x
Chatham 5 7.56x
Gorton 5 6.36x
Huddersfield 5 4.92x
Hunslet 5 4.59x
Islington London 5 0.73x
Mold 5 29.12x
Warrington 5 5.05x
Witton Gilbert 5 60.46x
Wolstanton Oldcott 5 58.07x
Aston 4 0.82x
Barton Upon Irwell 4 6.36x
Broughton In Salford 4 5.23x
Cheetham 4 6.42x
Clerkenwell London 4 2.41x
Dover St Mary Virgin 4 17.20x
Ilkestonderbypart 4 123.84x
Kensington London 4 1.02x
Laira 4 1212.12x
North Shields 4 19.13x
Old Windsor 4 65.36x
Royal Navy 4 5.58x
Runcorn 4 11.16x
Shoreditch London 4 1.31x
Warwick St Mary 4 25.94x
Alnwick 3 16.65x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 2.26x
Hampstead London 3 2.74x
Kelso 3 23.60x
Louth 3 11.62x
Paignton 3 26.91x
Pelynt 3 185.19x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 2.66x
Salford 3 1.22x
Spotland 3 3.23x
St Botolph Aldgate London 3 20.69x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 3 30.09x
Westgate 3 4.62x
Wolstanton 3 4.16x
York St Giles In 3 45.59x
Birmingham 2 0.34x
Great Neston 2 38.99x
Roos 2 155.04x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 1.41x
Tonbridge 2 2.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 73
Elizabeth 25
Bridget 17
Margaret 17
Ann 15
Sarah 15
Ellen 14
Catherine 11
Annie 10
Eliza 9
Alice 7
Jane 7
Emily 5
Agnes 4
Anne 4
Kate 4
Martha 4
Susan 4
Emma 3
Hannah 3
Julia 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Caroline 2
Frances 2
Georgina 2
Helen 2
Henrietta 2
Honora 2
Louisa 2
Margret 2
Marian 2
Marion 2
Matilda 2
Rose 2
Theresa 2
Angela 1
Bessie 1
Bessy 1
C. 1
Dinah 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Fanny 1
Febey 1
Isabella 1
Jolia 1
Katherine 1
Katie 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 67
Thomas 29
James 27
Patrick 24
Michael 21
William 21
Edward 11
George 9
Francis 8
Martin 8
Richard 8
Joseph 7
Peter 7
Henry 5
Samuel 5
Charles 4
Arthur 3
Daniel 3
Robert 3
Andrew 2
Anthony 2
Benjamin 2
Dennis 2
Ezekiel 2
Geo. 2
Matthew 2
Micheal 2
Mortimer 2
Nicholas 2
Stephen 2
Austin 1
Carl 1
Chas.C. 1
Christopher 1
Cornelious 1
Ernest 1
F.G.G. 1
Felix 1
Frederic 1
Fredk.T. 1
Fredrick 1
Gerald 1
Luke 1
Mark 1
Mathew 1
Mathias 1
Matthis 1
Michiel 1
Michl. 1
Zekiel 1

FAQ

Hynes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hynes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 708 people were recorded with the Hynes surname. That placed it at #5,131 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hynes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,283 in 2016. That gives Hynes a modern rank of #2,068.

What does the Hynes surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Ó hEidhin, meaning "descendant of Eidhin," a personal name of uncertain origin.

What does the Hynes map show?

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