NameCensus.

UK surname

Halford

A surname of English origin referring to someone who lived near or worked at a halh (hall) ford.

In the 1881 census there were 2,242 people recorded with the Halford surname, ranking it #1,985 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,285, ranked #2,066, down from #1,985 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Dudley and Sevenoaks.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Halford is 3,380 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.5%.

1881 census count

2,242

Ranked #1,985

Modern count

3,285

2016, ranked #2,066

Peak year

2014

3,380 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Halford had 2,242 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,985 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,285 in 2016, ranked #2,066.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,946 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Halford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Halford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Halford 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 1,418 #2,031
1861 historical 1,504 #1,879
1881 historical 2,242 #1,985
1891 historical 2,391 #1,969
1901 historical 2,545 #2,161
1911 historical 2,946 #1,762
1997 modern 3,181 #2,021
1998 modern 3,273 #2,047
1999 modern 3,315 #2,043
2000 modern 3,295 #2,043
2001 modern 3,226 #2,042
2002 modern 3,316 #2,033
2003 modern 3,211 #2,044
2004 modern 3,170 #2,070
2005 modern 3,145 #2,060
2006 modern 3,149 #2,066
2007 modern 3,151 #2,079
2008 modern 3,172 #2,084
2009 modern 3,294 #2,066
2010 modern 3,368 #2,071
2011 modern 3,354 #2,048
2012 modern 3,251 #2,069
2013 modern 3,328 #2,061
2014 modern 3,380 #2,043
2015 modern 3,313 #2,062
2016 modern 3,285 #2,066

Geography

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Where Halfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Cow Honeyborne. 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, Dudley, Sevenoaks and Malvern Hills. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Cow Honeyborne Worcestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 008 Forest of Dean
2 Dudley 004 Dudley
3 Forest of Dean 009 Forest of Dean
4 Sevenoaks 002 Sevenoaks
5 Malvern Hills 008 Malvern Hills

Forenames

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First names often paired with Halford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Halford

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

Halford is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Halford falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Halford 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Halford

The surname Halford is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the medieval period. The name is derived from a place name, specifically Halford, a village in Shropshire, England. The place name itself is composed of two Old English elements: "halh," meaning a remote meadow or nook of land, and "ford," referring to a shallow river crossing.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Halford surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry for Halford in the Domesday Book suggests that the name was already well-established in that region by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Halford family held significant landholdings in Shropshire and neighboring counties. In the 13th century, a Richard de Halford was recorded as a landowner in the area, indicating the family's prominence at that time.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Halford surname was Sir Richard Halford (c. 1510-1580), who served as a member of the Privy Council under Queen Elizabeth I. He was also appointed the Lieutenant of the Tower of London in 1570.

Another prominent individual with the Halford surname was Sir Henry Halford (1766-1844), a renowned physician who served as the President of the Royal College of Physicians. He was also the personal physician to King George III and other members of the British royal family.

In the 19th century, Sir Henry St. John Halford (1828-1897) was a distinguished English judge and legal scholar. He served as the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain from 1885 to 1886 and was also appointed as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.

The surname Halford has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Halford Bridge in Warwickshire, Halford Bury in Oxfordshire, and Halford Village in Shropshire, further reflecting the historical ties of the name to specific locations.

It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as Halforde, Hallforde, and Hallford, were common in earlier centuries due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and orthographic conventions at the time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Halford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Halford 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 303 Halfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.39x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 303 1.39x
Leicestershire 252 10.45x
Gloucestershire 242 5.67x
Worcestershire 199 7.01x
Warwickshire 179 3.26x
Staffordshire 171 2.33x
Lancashire 126 0.49x
Surrey 78 0.74x
Northamptonshire 69 3.37x
Herefordshire 63 7.06x
Yorkshire 63 0.29x
Derbyshire 47 1.38x
Kent 41 0.55x
Nottinghamshire 39 1.33x
Shropshire 36 1.92x
Devon 31 0.68x
Lincolnshire 29 0.83x
Hampshire 25 0.56x
Sussex 21 0.57x
Cambridgeshire 20 1.45x
Norfolk 19 0.57x
Monmouthshire 17 1.08x
Essex 16 0.37x
Renfrewshire 16 0.95x
Rutland 16 10.02x
Huntingdonshire 14 3.24x
Buckinghamshire 11 0.84x
Cheshire 11 0.23x
Lanarkshire 11 0.16x
Wiltshire 10 0.52x
Radnorshire 9 5.13x
Durham 8 0.12x
Hertfordshire 8 0.53x
Oxfordshire 7 0.52x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.87x
Montgomeryshire 5 1.00x
Ayrshire 4 0.25x
Somerset 3 0.09x
Angus 1 0.05x
Berkshire 1 0.06x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Northumberland 1 0.03x
Shetland 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. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 68 Halfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.56x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 68 11.56x
Aston 41 2.71x
Chadderton 41 32.49x
Islington London 39 1.85x
Paddington London 38 4.75x
Cow Honeybourne 37 1350.37x
Castle Donnington 33 165.00x
Cheltenham 31 9.42x
Shoreditch London 30 3.18x
Leicester St Mary 29 14.88x
Harborne 28 11.90x
Birmingham 27 1.48x
Camberwell 23 1.66x
Lambeth 23 1.21x
Nottingham St Mary 23 3.03x
Kensington London 21 1.74x
Upton On Severn 19 102.10x
Broadway 18 147.30x
Hemington 18 636.04x
Sedgley 18 6.60x
West Dean 18 25.97x
Abbey 16 6.22x
Fownhope 16 205.13x
Hammersmith London 16 2.99x
Liverpool 16 1.02x
Wolverhampton 16 2.83x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 15 19.21x
Rowley Regis 15 7.33x
Poplar London 14 3.41x
Stoke Newington London 14 8.26x
Warrington 14 4.58x
Dudley 13 3.76x
Hamerton 13 935.25x
Leicester St Nicholas 13 95.17x
Eldersfield 12 269.06x
Kings Norton 12 4.71x
Leicester All Sts 12 25.33x
Swanscombe 12 35.99x
Warwick St Nicholas 12 29.83x
Bretforton 11 261.28x
Govan 11 0.63x
Kingswinford 11 4.13x
Leamington 11 30.26x
Lydney 11 49.93x
Newent 11 50.74x
Oldham 11 1.32x
West Bromwich 11 2.62x
Alveston 10 138.89x
Blockley 10 62.27x
Rewe 10 473.93x
St Martin In Fields 10 7.68x
St Marylebone London 10 0.86x
Swindon 10 6.70x
West Wratting 10 226.76x
Whittington 10 21.22x
Aldridge 9 63.78x
Blaby 9 92.69x
Colwall 9 81.37x
Derby St Peter 9 8.30x
Derby St Werburgh 9 4.58x
Eastington 9 63.69x
Heigham 9 5.01x
Heston 9 12.46x
Isleworth 9 9.31x
Rhayader 9 135.75x
St Pancras London 9 0.51x
Tipton 9 4.00x
Trevethin 9 6.06x
Wednesbury 9 4.90x
Westbury On Severn East 9 9.33x
Whitwood 9 29.39x
Yardley 9 12.38x
Ashleworth 8 212.77x
Barrow Upon Soar 8 40.16x
Battersea 8 1.00x
Chipping Barnet 8 30.50x
Gillingham 8 5.23x
Gloucester St John Baptist 8 29.04x
Mickleover 8 76.05x
Thrapston 8 77.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 152
Sarah 97
Elizabeth 89
Emma 42
Ann 41
Jane 37
Eliza 34
Ellen 32
Emily 31
Alice 30
Annie 29
Fanny 27
Hannah 24
Maria 22
Edith 19
Harriet 19
Florence 18
Kate 17
Martha 17
Charlotte 16
Lucy 16
Caroline 15
Clara 14
Frances 14
Louisa 12
Margaret 12
Ada 10
Rose 10
Harriett 9
Agnes 8
Anne 6
Catherine 6
Elizth. 6
Julia 6
Esther 5
Gertrude 5
Nellie 5
Rebecca 5
Rosa 5
Susan 5
Amelia 4
Beatrice 4
Eleanor 4
Lavinia 4
Lizzie 4
Louise 4
Matilda 4
Ruth 4
Sophia 4
Jessie 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 144
John 132
Thomas 84
George 69
James 65
Charles 61
Henry 55
Alfred 29
Samuel 25
Joseph 24
Robert 23
Edward 22
Arthur 19
Richard 19
Frederick 17
Albert 15
Harry 13
Ernest 12
Edwin 8
Francis 7
Frank 7
Fredk. 6
Walter 6
Wm. 6
Andrew 4
Isaac 4
Thos. 4
Tom 4
Willie 4
Alexander 3
David 3
Edgar 3
Edmund 3
Fredrick 3
Herbert 3
Robt. 3
Willm. 3
Alfd. 2
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
Fred 2
Horace 2
Mark 2
Nehemiah 2
Ralph 2
Richd. 2
Saml. 2
Sidney 2
Stanley 2
Vincent 2

FAQ

Halford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Halford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,242 people were recorded with the Halford surname. That placed it at #1,985 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Halford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,285 in 2016. That gives Halford a modern rank of #2,066.

What does the Halford surname mean?

A surname of English origin referring to someone who lived near or worked at a halh (hall) ford.

What does the Halford map show?

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