NameCensus.

UK surname

Hale

Derived from a place name meaning "nook, hollow" or from an Old English word meaning "hero."

In the 1881 census there were 10,827 people recorded with the Hale surname, ranking it #394 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,836, ranked #462, down from #394 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hale is 14,613 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.8%.

1881 census count

10,827

Ranked #394

Modern count

13,836

2016, ranked #462

Peak year

2000

14,613 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hale had 10,827 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #394 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,836 in 2016, ranked #462.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 13,432 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hale surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hale 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 6,685 #415
1861 historical 8,157 #336
1881 historical 10,827 #394
1891 historical 10,297 #428
1901 historical 11,662 #447
1911 historical 13,432 #364
1997 modern 14,011 #433
1998 modern 14,437 #436
1999 modern 14,591 #436
2000 modern 14,613 #434
2001 modern 14,093 #437
2002 modern 14,305 #438
2003 modern 14,003 #438
2004 modern 14,006 #438
2005 modern 13,724 #440
2006 modern 13,635 #444
2007 modern 13,598 #450
2008 modern 13,653 #453
2009 modern 13,937 #454
2010 modern 14,143 #460
2011 modern 13,924 #456
2012 modern 13,661 #459
2013 modern 13,976 #458
2014 modern 14,107 #459
2015 modern 13,982 #458
2016 modern 13,836 #462

Geography

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Where Hales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean and Dudley. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
2 Forest of Dean 003 Forest of Dean
3 Dudley 008 Dudley
4 Forest of Dean 007 Forest of Dean
5 Dudley 007 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hale

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hale 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

Hale is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hale falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hale 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 Hale, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hale

The surname Hale has its origins in England and dates back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English words "hale" or "halig," which mean "healthy" or "wholesome." The name was likely given as a nickname to someone who appeared hale and hearty or to describe someone's physical strength and well-being.

Hale is a common place name in various parts of England, and the surname may have also been derived from these locations. For instance, there is a town called Hale in Cheshire, another in Hampshire, and a village in Lancashire. These place names are believed to have originated from the Old English word "halh," meaning a nook, corner, or remote valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hale can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Hale." This suggests that the name was already established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named William Hale was appointed as the Archbishop of Dol in Brittany, France, by King Henry III of England. Another early record is of a Sir Roger Hale, who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire in 1324.

During the 16th century, Sir Matthew Hale (1609-1676) was a prominent English judge and writer on legal matters. He is remembered for his influential works, such as "The History of the Pleas of the Crown" and "The History of the Common Law of England."

Other notable individuals with the surname Hale include the American author and playwright Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879), who is credited with successfully campaigning to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday in the United States. Additionally, the English astronomer William Hale (1797-1870) made significant contributions to the study of sunspots and solar phenomena.

In the 20th century, the American actor and comedian Alan Hale Jr. (1921-1990) is widely recognized for his role as the Skipper on the popular television series "Gilligan's Island." Another notable figure is the American author and journalist Sarah Hale Folger (1858-1940), who was a pioneer in the field of women's education and served as the president of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hale 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 1,437 Hales recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.37x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,437 1.37x
Gloucestershire 1,332 6.48x
Staffordshire 986 2.79x
Lancashire 888 0.71x
Surrey 691 1.35x
Wiltshire 434 4.68x
Yorkshire 399 0.38x
Essex 384 1.86x
Hampshire 355 1.65x
Worcestershire 350 2.56x
Hertfordshire 333 4.61x
Somerset 320 1.90x
Warwickshire 296 1.12x
Cheshire 266 1.15x
Kent 257 0.72x
Monmouthshire 224 2.96x
Suffolk 164 1.28x
Northumberland 137 0.88x
Glamorgan 133 0.73x
Berkshire 121 1.54x
Sussex 121 0.68x
Durham 109 0.35x
Lincolnshire 94 0.56x
Derbyshire 88 0.54x
Devon 83 0.38x
Bedfordshire 81 1.49x
Northamptonshire 80 0.81x
Oxfordshire 70 1.08x
Cambridgeshire 67 1.01x
Nottinghamshire 56 0.40x
Norfolk 52 0.32x
Buckinghamshire 42 0.66x
Cumberland 37 0.41x
Leicestershire 36 0.31x
Shropshire 23 0.25x
Lanarkshire 20 0.06x
Dorset 18 0.26x
Huntingdonshire 18 0.86x
Pembrokeshire 14 0.42x
Westmorland 13 0.56x
Ayrshire 12 0.15x
Herefordshire 11 0.26x
Channel Islands 10 0.32x
Royal Navy 9 0.72x
Clackmannanshire 8 0.92x
Anglesey 7 0.38x
Flintshire 6 0.21x
Isle of Man 6 0.31x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.11x
Cornwall 5 0.04x
Midlothian 5 0.04x
Rutland 5 0.65x
Stirlingshire 5 0.13x
Wigtownshire 5 0.36x
Brecknockshire 4 0.19x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.03x
Roxburghshire 2 0.11x
Angus 1 0.01x
Argyllshire 1 0.03x
Buteshire 1 0.16x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.02x
Denbighshire 1 0.03x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.04x
East Lothian 1 0.07x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.07x
Shetland 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sedgley in Staffordshire leads with 343 Hales recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.10x.

Place Total Index
Sedgley 343 26.10x
Westbury On Severn East 194 41.74x
West Bromwich 179 8.84x
Lambeth 150 1.64x
Bristol St George 134 14.09x
Islington London 127 1.25x
St Pancras London 124 1.47x
West Ham 124 2.71x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 123 6.35x
Aston 117 1.61x
Paddington London 100 2.59x
St Marylebone London 99 1.77x
Camberwell 95 1.42x
Oldbury 95 14.11x
Hackney London 86 1.46x
Birmingham 83 0.94x
Liverpool 75 0.99x
West Dean 75 22.46x
Mile End Old Town London 74 3.32x
Tipton 74 6.83x
Bethnal Green London 70 1.54x
Everton 67 1.69x
Kensington London 65 1.12x
Shoreditch London 63 1.39x
Bedminster 62 3.91x
Kingswinford 62 4.83x
Aberystruth 57 8.53x
Cheltenham 56 3.53x
Lewisham 52 2.73x
Newington 49 1.27x
Birkenhead 48 2.60x
Clerkenwell London 47 1.90x
Elswick 46 3.70x
Dudley 45 2.70x
Darlaston 44 9.00x
Tottenham 43 2.58x
Limehouse London 42 3.65x
Portsea 41 0.97x
Little Hadham 40 130.68x
Tewkesbury 40 21.80x
Deptford St Paul 39 1.41x
Kirkdale 39 1.86x
Wolverhampton 39 1.43x
Bromley London 38 1.65x
Brighton 37 1.04x
Clifton 37 3.56x
Salford 37 1.01x
Battersea 36 0.93x
Chelsea London 35 1.11x
St George Hanover Square 35 1.90x
West Derby 35 0.96x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 34 9.04x
Harborne 34 3.00x
Toxteth Park 34 0.81x
Luton 33 3.51x
Bedwellty 32 2.39x
Bermondsey 32 1.03x
Cirencester 32 11.50x
Southwark St Saviour 32 5.94x
St Woollos 32 3.78x
Standish With Langtree 32 20.89x
Hampstead London 31 1.90x
Hertford St John 31 28.79x
Blockley 30 38.76x
Litherland 30 11.53x
Potterne Worton 30 245.90x
Urchfont 29 76.40x
Maghull 28 54.26x
Ormskirk 28 11.76x
Swindon 28 3.89x
Sible Hedingham 27 39.05x
Aughton 26 21.11x
North Nibley 26 88.38x
Romford 26 7.95x
Therfield 26 61.57x
Trevethin 26 3.63x
Barrow In Furness 25 1.48x
Kingston On Thames 25 2.04x
Chirton 24 196.72x
Corsham 24 17.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 663
Elizabeth 429
Sarah 410
Ann 201
Jane 184
Emma 176
Eliza 174
Alice 172
Ellen 167
Annie 148
Emily 148
Hannah 113
Martha 98
Harriet 85
Margaret 82
Louisa 78
Fanny 68
Edith 66
Charlotte 61
Florence 60
Clara 59
Caroline 58
Maria 57
Kate 55
Susan 49
Ada 43
Anne 41
Catherine 39
Agnes 34
Esther 32
Lucy 32
Rose 32
Frances 31
Amelia 30
Harriett 29
Sophia 27
Matilda 25
Julia 23
Rebecca 23
Susannah 23
Eleanor 21
Lydia 20
Minnie 20
Amy 19
Phoebe 19
Henrietta 18
Isabella 18
Rosa 18
Selina 18
Beatrice 17

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 677
John 530
George 355
James 329
Thomas 327
Henry 246
Charles 242
Joseph 218
Edward 126
Alfred 125
Samuel 118
Robert 106
Frederick 96
Albert 92
Richard 81
Arthur 79
Walter 70
Benjamin 51
Harry 50
Herbert 50
Edwin 49
Isaac 47
Ernest 43
Francis 42
Frank 37
David 31
Daniel 30
Stephen 24
Thos. 22
Wm. 22
Matthew 21
Moses 21
Tom 19
Sidney 18
Fredrick 16
Edmund 15
Enoch 14
Percy 13
Abraham 12
Oliver 12
Peter 12
Ralph 12
Fredk. 11
Willm. 11
Chas. 10
Josiah 10
Fred 9
Jesse 9
Mathew 9
Rowland 9

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 Hale households.

FAQ

Hale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10,827 people were recorded with the Hale surname. That placed it at #394 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,836 in 2016. That gives Hale a modern rank of #462.

What does the Hale surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "nook, hollow" or from an Old English word meaning "hero."

What does the Hale map show?

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