NameCensus.

UK surname

Halfpenny

A surname referring to coin worth half of one penny.

In the 1881 census there were 668 people recorded with the Halfpenny surname, ranking it #5,398 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,036, ranked #5,626, down from #5,398 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stone, Skegby and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swansea, Bromsgrove and Ashfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Halfpenny is 1,142 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.1%.

1881 census count

668

Ranked #5,398

Modern count

1,036

2016, ranked #5,626

Peak year

2000

1,142 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Halfpenny had 668 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,398 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,036 in 2016, ranked #5,626.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 791 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Halfpenny surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Halfpenny surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Halfpenny 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 379 #6,300
1861 historical 350 #7,295
1881 historical 668 #5,398
1891 historical 676 #5,774
1901 historical 785 #5,729
1911 historical 791 #5,516
1997 modern 1,002 #5,496
1998 modern 1,117 #5,195
1999 modern 1,127 #5,191
2000 modern 1,142 #5,105
2001 modern 1,098 #5,179
2002 modern 1,127 #5,181
2003 modern 1,081 #5,259
2004 modern 1,071 #5,300
2005 modern 1,058 #5,300
2006 modern 1,067 #5,259
2007 modern 1,068 #5,308
2008 modern 1,085 #5,279
2009 modern 1,081 #5,397
2010 modern 1,096 #5,456
2011 modern 1,087 #5,433
2012 modern 1,055 #5,471
2013 modern 1,071 #5,505
2014 modern 1,054 #5,607
2015 modern 1,052 #5,563
2016 modern 1,036 #5,626

Geography

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Where Halfpennys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stone, Skegby, London parishes, Glasgow and Luton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swansea, Bromsgrove and Ashfield. 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 Stone Staffordshire
2 Skegby Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Luton Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swansea 011 Swansea
2 Bromsgrove 013 Bromsgrove
3 Ashfield 002 Ashfield
4 Bromsgrove 008 Bromsgrove
5 Bromsgrove 014 Bromsgrove

Forenames

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First names often paired with Halfpenny

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Halfpenny

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Halfpenny surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Halfpenny household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Halfpenny 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

Halfpenny is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Halfpenny

The surname Halfpenny is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "half" and "pening," which together mean "half a penny." This name likely originated in the Middle Ages, when occupational surnames were common, and it may have referred to a moneyer or someone who dealt in coinage.

The Halfpenny surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mention a John Halfpeny in Oxfordshire. In the 14th century, the name appears in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire, where a William Halfpeny is listed in 1379.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Halfpenny surname is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which includes a reference to a place called "Halpenie" in Hertfordshire. This place name may have been derived from the same root as the surname and could have been the origin of the family name.

Variations in spelling were common in early records, and the Halfpenny surname has been recorded under different forms, such as Halfpeny, Halfpenny, and Halpeney. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation during the Middle Ages.

Notable individuals with the Halfpenny surname include:

1. John Halfpenny (c. 1390-1472), a 15th-century English MP and landowner. 2. Thomas Halfpenny (c. 1407-1485), an English Franciscan friar and theologian. 3. William Halfpenny (1723-1755), an English architect and author of books on architecture and design. 4. Joseph Halfpenny (1812-1873), an English-born Australian landowner and politician. 5. Erasmus Halfpenny (1835-1910), an English-born Australian politician and member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia.

The Halfpenny surname has been present in various regions of England, particularly in counties like Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Hertfordshire, where some of the earliest records of the name can be found. Over time, the name has spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, carried by individuals and families as they migrated and settled in new areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Halfpenny families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Halfpenny 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. Staffordshire leads with 83 Halfpennys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.78x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 83 3.78x
Durham 74 3.82x
Cheshire 68 4.73x
Lancashire 64 0.83x
Worcestershire 47 5.53x
Kent 38 1.71x
Shropshire 33 5.87x
Nottinghamshire 32 3.65x
Middlesex 30 0.46x
Surrey 24 0.76x
Lanarkshire 21 1.00x
Leicestershire 19 2.63x
Yorkshire 18 0.28x
Essex 17 1.32x
Warwickshire 16 0.98x
Bedfordshire 14 4.16x
Hampshire 13 0.97x
Fife 11 2.86x
Stirlingshire 10 4.17x
Derbyshire 7 0.69x
Monmouthshire 6 1.28x
Devon 5 0.37x
Hertfordshire 5 1.11x
Berkshire 4 0.82x
Midlothian 3 0.34x
Angus 1 0.17x
Lincolnshire 1 0.10x
Norfolk 1 0.10x
Northumberland 1 0.10x
Ross-shire 1 0.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bromsgrove in Worcestershire leads with 39 Halfpennys recorded in 1881 and an index of 136.36x.

Place Total Index
Bromsgrove 39 136.36x
Monks Coppenhall 34 62.73x
Skegby 26 484.17x
Stoke Upon Trent 23 9.88x
Liverpool 20 4.27x
Stone 20 71.20x
Deptford St Paul 18 10.51x
Maryhill 17 41.27x
Leicester St Mary 15 25.74x
Wellington 13 41.15x
West Ham 13 4.58x
Luton 12 20.58x
Portsea 12 4.59x
Rotherhithe 11 13.68x
Baldernock 10 787.40x
Wolstanton Oldcott 10 125.63x
Cornsay 9 172.74x
Gateshead 9 6.21x
Heworth 9 23.60x
Stockton On Tees 9 9.65x
Aston 8 1.77x
Birmingham 8 1.46x
Edgmond 8 129.24x
Eston 8 56.98x
Fulshaw 8 303.03x
Islington London 8 1.27x
Lewisham 8 6.76x
Manchester 8 2.30x
Poole 8 2424.24x
Auchterderran 7 72.31x
Blakenhall 7 1590.91x
Bromley London 7 4.89x
Wednesfield 7 21.66x
Willington 7 62.61x
Bedwellty 6 7.22x
Bollington In 6 46.95x
Everton 6 2.44x
Hartlepool 6 21.81x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 7.16x
Long Eaton 6 44.61x
Norton In Hales 6 722.89x
Shitlington 6 89.96x
St Pancras London 6 1.15x
Toxteth Park 6 2.30x
Winlaton 6 32.31x
Essington 5 172.41x
Hucknall Torkard 5 22.48x
Lindridge 5 232.56x
Pirton 5 198.41x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 6.52x
Govan 4 0.77x
Minster In Sheppey 4 10.88x
Newington 4 1.66x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 3.83x
Sunninghill 4 59.00x
West Auckland 4 56.50x
Wolstanton 4 6.00x
Wrockwardine 4 32.36x
Bermondsey 3 1.55x
Church Eaton 3 202.70x
Dunfermline 3 5.07x
Egham 3 15.42x
Heaton Norris 3 6.83x
Preston 3 1.45x
Stretford 3 7.06x
Abberley 2 148.15x
Brandon Byshottles 2 8.25x
Burton Upon Trent 2 3.89x
Charlton Next Woolwich 2 8.64x
Limehouse London 2 2.80x
Madeley 2 36.56x
Middlesbrough 2 2.38x
Nantwich 2 11.98x
Romford 2 9.85x
Temple 2 57.64x
Westoe 2 1.82x
Whitwick 2 21.81x
Wolverhampton 2 1.18x
Woolwich 2 2.44x
Hackney London 1 0.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 49
Elizabeth 28
Sarah 21
Ann 12
Annie 12
Jane 11
Alice 9
Catherine 9
Ellen 9
Bridget 7
Margaret 7
Maria 7
Eliza 6
Emma 6
Hannah 6
Martha 6
Anne 4
Clara 4
Emily 4
Harriet 4
Kate 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Florence 3
Frances 3
Rebecca 3
Catharine 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Eliz. 2
Elizth. 2
Fanny 2
Harriett 2
Louise 2
Mirah 2
Olive 2
Rhoda 2
Rose 2
Angelina 1
Caroline 1
Cecelia 1
Eda 1
Elisabeth 1
Elisabth. 1
Harriot 1
Henrietta 1
Herodias 1
J.E. 1
Violetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 38
John 37
James 29
Thomas 24
George 22
Henry 17
Joseph 16
Samuel 9
Charles 8
Richard 7
Walter 7
Alfred 5
Edward 5
Albert 4
Elijah 4
Frederick 4
Geo. 4
Herbert 4
Patrick 4
Arthur 3
Peter 3
Reuben 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
Christopher 2
Edwin 2
F.W. 2
Fredrick 2
Harry 2
Lawrence 2
Aurther 1
Barnard 1
Caleb 1
Cyril 1
Edgar 1
Enock 1
F. 1
F.Nathaniel 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Geo.Newbold 1
H. 1
Jabez 1
Josh 1
Lancelot 1
Lionel 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Myrtle 1
Owen 1

FAQ

Halfpenny surname: questions and answers

How common was the Halfpenny surname in 1881?

In 1881, 668 people were recorded with the Halfpenny surname. That placed it at #5,398 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Halfpenny surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,036 in 2016. That gives Halfpenny a modern rank of #5,626.

What does the Halfpenny surname mean?

A surname referring to coin worth half of one penny.

What does the Halfpenny map show?

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