NameCensus.

UK surname

Halfacre

A surname denoting someone who lived on or owned half an acre of land.

In the 1881 census there were 225 people recorded with the Halfacre surname, ranking it #11,931 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 203, ranked #19,396, down from #11,931 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Basingstoke, Basing, Eastrop, Newnham, Nately Scures, Up Nately, Andwell, London parishes and Hurst. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Windsor and Maidenhead and Cotswold.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Halfacre is 302 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.8%.

1881 census count

225

Ranked #11,931

Modern count

203

2016, ranked #19,396

Peak year

1911

302 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Halfacre had 225 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,931 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016, ranked #19,396.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 302 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Halfacre surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Halfacre surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Halfacre 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 89 #18,446
1861 historical 121 #18,148
1881 historical 225 #11,931
1891 historical 240 #13,123
1901 historical 261 #12,775
1911 historical 302 #11,394
1997 modern 233 #15,975
1998 modern 237 #16,272
1999 modern 225 #16,931
2000 modern 226 #16,840
2001 modern 233 #16,260
2002 modern 233 #16,590
2003 modern 215 #17,286
2004 modern 219 #17,180
2005 modern 211 #17,520
2006 modern 217 #17,349
2007 modern 205 #18,194
2008 modern 206 #18,300
2009 modern 207 #18,600
2010 modern 204 #19,200
2011 modern 215 #18,379
2012 modern 205 #18,909
2013 modern 210 #18,932
2014 modern 208 #19,194
2015 modern 205 #19,269
2016 modern 203 #19,396

Geography

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Where Halfacres are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Basingstoke, Basing, Eastrop, Newnham, Nately Scures, Up Nately, Andwell, London parishes, Hurst, Bray, Maidenhead, Cookham and Farnborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Windsor and Maidenhead, Cotswold, Aboyne and South Deeside and Bracknell Forest. 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 Basingstoke, Basing, Eastrop, Newnham, Nately Scures, Up Nately, Andwell Hampshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Hurst Berkshire
4 Bray, Maidenhead, Cookham Berkshire
5 Farnborough Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 006 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Windsor and Maidenhead 009 Windsor and Maidenhead
3 Cotswold 005 Cotswold
4 Aboyne and South Deeside Aberdeenshire
5 Bracknell Forest 003 Bracknell Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Halfacre

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Halfacre

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Halfacre surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Halfacre household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Halfacre 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

Halfacre is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Halfacre 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 Halfacre 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 Halfacre, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Halfacre

The surname HALFACRE has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "healf" meaning half and "æcer" meaning acre, referring to a small plot of land or a half-acre. This suggests that the name may have originated as a locational surname, describing someone who lived on or near a half-acre of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HALFACRE can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, where a William de Halfacre is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use by the 14th century and had likely originated even earlier.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1553, which mention a John Halfacre. This suggests that the name had spread to different regions of England by this time.

The HALFACRE surname is closely associated with the village of Halfacre in the county of Derbyshire. It is believed that the name may have originated in this area, and some early bearers of the name may have taken it from this place name.

One notable figure in history with the surname HALFACRE was John Halfacre (1565-1631), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of St. John's College, Cambridge, from 1612 until his death.

Another individual of note was William Halfacre (1640-1705), a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, who served as a city alderman and was involved in various charitable endeavors.

In the 18th century, the name is found in various parish records, such as those of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, where the baptism of Samuel Halfacre is recorded in 1732.

One of the earliest known instances of the name in North America is that of Thomas Halfacre, who was born in England in 1620 and emigrated to Virginia in the 1640s, becoming one of the first settlers in the colony with this surname.

Another notable bearer of the name was Elizabeth Halfacre (1775-1856), a pioneering educator from Pennsylvania who established one of the earliest schools for girls in the United States.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Halfacre families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Halfacre 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. Berkshire leads with 81 Halfacres recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.17x.

County Total Index
Berkshire 81 49.17x
Hampshire 55 12.23x
Middlesex 39 1.78x
Surrey 26 2.43x
Oxfordshire 13 9.59x
Kent 4 0.53x
Lancashire 4 0.15x
Norfolk 2 0.59x
Hertfordshire 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bray in Berkshire leads with 24 Halfacres recorded in 1881 and an index of 495.87x.

Place Total Index
Bray 24 495.87x
Wokingham 19 505.32x
Andover 11 258.82x
Odiham 11 558.38x
Frimley 9 295.08x
Oxford St Thomas 9 142.18x
Basingstoke 8 154.74x
Clerkenwell London 8 15.44x
Hurst 8 370.37x
Battersea 7 8.67x
Eversley 7 1346.15x
Harrow On The Hill 6 136.99x
Islington London 6 2.82x
Reading St Giles 6 37.13x
Sherborne St John 6 1250.00x
St Marylebone London 6 5.12x
Thatcham 6 236.22x
Westminster St John 6 22.45x
West Swallowfield 5 641.03x
White Waltham 5 806.45x
Winchfield 5 1851.85x
Holywell 4 625.00x
Reading St Mary 4 30.30x
Leatherhead 3 111.94x
Newington 3 3.70x
Dorking 2 27.86x
Ealing 2 10.20x
Hampstead London 2 5.85x
Hartley Wintney 2 148.15x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 2 118.34x
Reading St Lawrence 2 56.82x
Seal 2 165.29x
Whitchurch 2 294.12x
Aldershot 1 6.64x
Berkhampstead 1 29.41x
Cheetham 1 5.15x
Hulme 1 1.84x
Lewisham 1 2.50x
Lyndhurst 1 81.30x
Old Alresford 1 270.27x
Oswaldtwistle 1 10.87x
Perivale 1 3333.33x
Ryde 1 10.35x
South Warnborough 1 416.67x
St Olave Hart Street 1 526.32x
St Pancras London 1 0.57x
Tonbridge 1 3.70x
Weybridge 1 43.67x
Winmarleigh 1 344.83x
Worplesdon 1 77.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 16
George 14
Charles 9
Alfred 8
Thomas 8
Albert 6
Edward 5
John 5
David 4
Henry 4
Arthur 3
Francis 3
Robert 3
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Fredrick 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
James 2
Richard 2
Adam 1
Algie 1
Beauchamp 1
Ellen 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Henry 1
Infant 1
Jesse 1
Llewellyn 1
Louis 1
Nimrod 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Roland 1
Samuel 1
Solomon 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Halfacre surname: questions and answers

How common was the Halfacre surname in 1881?

In 1881, 225 people were recorded with the Halfacre surname. That placed it at #11,931 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Halfacre surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016. That gives Halfacre a modern rank of #19,396.

What does the Halfacre surname mean?

A surname denoting someone who lived on or owned half an acre of land.

What does the Halfacre map show?

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