NameCensus.

UK surname

Haire

Derived from Middle English "haire," referring to someone with a mass of hair or a long-haired appearance.

In the 1881 census there were 83 people recorded with the Haire surname, ranking it #21,808 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 441, ranked #10,971, up from #21,808 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Walthamstow, Low Leyton and Dundonald. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, South Derbyshire and Cardiff.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Haire is 456 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 431.3%.

1881 census count

83

Ranked #21,808

Modern count

441

2016, ranked #10,971

Peak year

2014

456 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Haire had 83 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,808 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 441 in 2016, ranked #10,971.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 149 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Haire surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Haire surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Haire 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 87 #18,695
1861 historical 76 #24,114
1881 historical 83 #21,808
1891 historical 124 #20,818
1901 historical 149 #18,146
1911 historical 124 #20,023
1997 modern 416 #10,696
1998 modern 431 #10,754
1999 modern 437 #10,717
2000 modern 423 #10,941
2001 modern 419 #10,835
2002 modern 436 #10,712
2003 modern 435 #10,571
2004 modern 448 #10,355
2005 modern 437 #10,437
2006 modern 430 #10,624
2007 modern 415 #11,047
2008 modern 425 #10,934
2009 modern 444 #10,797
2010 modern 442 #11,066
2011 modern 448 #10,829
2012 modern 447 #10,720
2013 modern 454 #10,762
2014 modern 456 #10,781
2015 modern 448 #10,854
2016 modern 441 #10,971

Geography

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Where Haires are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Walthamstow, Low Leyton, Dundonald, London parishes and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell, South Derbyshire, Cardiff, South Gloucestershire and Wandsworth. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex
3 Dundonald Ayr
4 London parishes London 3
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 005 Sandwell
2 South Derbyshire 001 South Derbyshire
3 Cardiff 040 Cardiff
4 South Gloucestershire 021 South Gloucestershire
5 Wandsworth 017 Wandsworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Haire

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Haire

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

Haire 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

Haire falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Haire 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Haire

The surname Haire is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Old English word "haer" meaning "hair" or "haired". It is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with distinctive or noticeable hair.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century in the Scottish counties of Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. Records from the 14th century mention a John Hare in the county of Dunfries, which is likely an early spelling variation.

In the early 16th century, the name is found in various historical records including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which document Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One such landowner was William Hare of Ayrshire.

The surname Haire is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. This early reference suggests the name may have Anglo-Norman roots as well.

Notable individuals with the surname Haire include:

- Sir David Haire (1544-1616), a Scottish landowner and courtier who served as a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King James VI of Scotland and later King James I of England. - John Haire (1770-1839), a Scottish minister and author who wrote several theological works. - Robert Haire (1851-1920), a Scottish-born farmer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, Canada. - Thomas Haire (1863-1942), an Irish-born American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Phillies in the late 19th century. - David Haire (1917-1992), a Scottish actor best known for his roles in films such as "Greyfriars Bobby" and "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie".

While the surname Haire is not among the most common, it has a long history dating back to the Middle Ages in Scotland and England, with roots in the descriptive nickname for someone with distinctive hair.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Haire families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Haire 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. Yorkshire leads with 16 Haires recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.97x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 16 1.97x
Lincolnshire 13 9.93x
Lancashire 12 1.23x
Midlothian 9 8.20x
Middlesex 8 0.98x
Lanarkshire 6 2.26x
Ayrshire 4 6.52x
Cheshire 3 1.66x
Devon 3 1.76x
Channel Islands 2 8.24x
Sussex 2 1.45x
Durham 1 0.41x
Essex 1 0.62x
Fife 1 2.06x
Hampshire 1 0.60x
Kent 1 0.36x
Staffordshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Metheringham in Lincolnshire leads with 13 Haires recorded in 1881 and an index of 2500.00x.

Place Total Index
Metheringham 13 2500.00x
South Leith 9 72.87x
Sculcoates 7 54.39x
Barony 5 7.46x
Beverley St Nicholas 5 746.27x
Dundonald 4 176.99x
Preston 4 15.38x
St George Bloomsbury 4 85.11x
Compton Gifford 3 566.04x
Liverpool 3 5.08x
Westminster St John 3 30.06x
Beverley St Mary 2 168.07x
Brighton 2 7.18x
Chadderton 2 42.11x
Kirkdale 2 12.23x
Monks Coppenhall 2 29.33x
St Helier 2 25.32x
Allerton 1 434.78x
Alverstoke 1 16.45x
Blackwell 1 833.33x
Cliff Cum Lund 1 555.56x
Cupar 1 47.39x
Govan 1 1.53x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 19.12x
Hyde 1 18.73x
Kensington London 1 2.20x
Lichfield St Mary 1 125.00x
Sevenoaks 1 44.05x
Stanstead 1 769.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Emma 4
Anna 2
Anne 2
Elizabeth 2
Sarah 2
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Celia 1
Emily 1
Evelyn 1
Fannie 1
Fanny 1
Georgina 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
June 1
Katherine 1
Maude 1
Phoebe 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
James 4
William 4
Anthony 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Bertie 1
Frank 1
Galen 1
George 1
Glossop 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Peter 1
Scoley 1
Thomas 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 Haire households.

FAQ

Haire surname: questions and answers

How common was the Haire surname in 1881?

In 1881, 83 people were recorded with the Haire surname. That placed it at #21,808 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Haire surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 441 in 2016. That gives Haire a modern rank of #10,971.

What does the Haire surname mean?

Derived from Middle English "haire," referring to someone with a mass of hair or a long-haired appearance.

What does the Haire map show?

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