NameCensus.

UK surname

Hainey

A topographic surname referring to someone living near a hedge.

In the 1881 census there were 143 people recorded with the Hainey surname, ranking it #15,955 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 798, ranked #6,931, up from #15,955 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Eccles and Old Luce. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields, Doon Valley South and Paisley Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hainey is 838 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 458.0%.

1881 census count

143

Ranked #15,955

Modern count

798

2016, ranked #6,931

Peak year

2010

838 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hainey had 143 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,955 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 798 in 2016, ranked #6,931.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 285 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Hainey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hainey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hainey 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 23 #29,205
1861 historical 76 #24,114
1881 historical 143 #15,955
1891 historical 168 #16,937
1901 historical 285 #12,063
1911 historical 37 #29,263
1997 modern 740 #6,956
1998 modern 771 #6,960
1999 modern 766 #7,023
2000 modern 777 #6,934
2001 modern 788 #6,726
2002 modern 785 #6,883
2003 modern 765 #6,904
2004 modern 762 #6,944
2005 modern 773 #6,792
2006 modern 787 #6,715
2007 modern 779 #6,839
2008 modern 786 #6,856
2009 modern 811 #6,810
2010 modern 838 #6,767
2011 modern 821 #6,797
2012 modern 770 #7,086
2013 modern 784 #7,085
2014 modern 790 #7,078
2015 modern 790 #7,007
2016 modern 798 #6,931

Geography

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Where Haineys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Eccles, Old Luce, Glasgow and Dalry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields, Doon Valley South, Paisley Central, Holmston and Forehill and Doon Valley North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Old Luce Wigtown
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Dalry Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields South Ayrshire
2 Doon Valley South East Ayrshire
3 Paisley Central Renfrewshire
4 Holmston and Forehill South Ayrshire
5 Doon Valley North East Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hainey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hainey

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Hainey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hainey is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hainey falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hainey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hainey

The surname Hainey originated in Scotland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be a variant of the Scottish surname Haney, which itself is derived from the Gaelic personal name Anu or Aonghas, meaning "one strength" or "vigor."

The name Hainey is thought to have its roots in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides. In historical records, the spelling variations include Hainey, Haney, Heaney, and Heney, among others.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hainey can be found in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, dated 1563, which mentions a certain John Hainey from Argyllshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in that region by the mid-16th century.

In the 17th century, the Hainey surname appeared in various parish records and legal documents across Scotland. Notable bearers of the name during this period include Robert Hainey, a landowner in Inverness-shire, who was mentioned in a charter from 1674.

As the centuries progressed, members of the Hainey family dispersed throughout Scotland and beyond. One prominent figure was William Hainey (1789-1865), a Scottish merchant and entrepreneur who made his fortune in the textile industry and played a significant role in the development of the city of Glasgow.

Another noteworthy individual was John Hainey (1824-1892), a Scottish-born civil engineer who emigrated to Australia and oversaw the construction of several major infrastructure projects, including the Goulburn Viaduct and the Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge.

In the literary realm, the Scottish writer and poet William Soutar (1898-1943) was born William Hainey and adopted the pseudonym Soutar later in life. His works, including the collection "Seeds in the Wind," are celebrated for their lyrical depictions of rural Scottish life.

While the surname Hainey is not among the most common in Scotland or globally, it has left an indelible mark on various fields throughout history, from business and engineering to literature and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hainey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hainey 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. Ayrshire leads with 26 Haineys recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.91x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 26 24.91x
Lancashire 22 1.33x
Dunbartonshire 17 45.36x
Wigtownshire 16 86.39x
Renfrewshire 14 12.95x
Northumberland 12 5.78x
Lanarkshire 9 2.00x
Midlothian 9 4.82x
Sussex 5 2.13x
Yorkshire 5 0.36x
Stirlingshire 4 7.78x
Middlesex 2 0.14x
Glamorgan 1 0.41x
Somerset 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dalry in Ayrshire leads with 18 Haineys recorded in 1881 and an index of 366.60x.

Place Total Index
Dalry 18 366.60x
Old Luce 15 1282.05x
New Kilpatrick 13 364.15x
Longbenton 12 136.52x
Cranston 9 1875.00x
Renfrew 9 252.10x
Kilmarnock 8 64.41x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 19.35x
Old Monkland 6 33.52x
Salford 6 12.33x
Leeds 5 6.41x
Sedlescombe 5 1612.90x
Sutton 5 90.09x
Paisley Middle Church 4 63.59x
Polmont 4 210.53x
Cardross 3 66.67x
Govan 3 2.69x
Hulme 3 8.68x
Bath St James 1 42.74x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.04x
Dumbarton 1 19.16x
Eaglesham 1 151.52x
Fulham London 1 4.94x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 4.28x
Stoneykirk 1 75.76x
Wigan 1 4.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 3
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Bridget 1
Hannah 1
Johanna 1
Margaret 1
Margeret 1
Rosea 1
Sushanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 5
John 4
Thomas 2
Andrew 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
George 1
H. 1
Hugh 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
William 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Hainey households.

FAQ

Hainey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hainey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 143 people were recorded with the Hainey surname. That placed it at #15,955 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hainey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 798 in 2016. That gives Hainey a modern rank of #6,931.

What does the Hainey surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone living near a hedge.

What does the Hainey map show?

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