NameCensus.

UK surname

Hallford

A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a ford or shallow river crossing near a hall or manor.

In the 1881 census there were 79 people recorded with the Hallford surname, ranking it #22,357 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 197, ranked #19,777, up from #22,357 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dawley, Magna, Mexborough and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Craigneuk Wishaw, Motherwell West and Shotts.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hallford is 211 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 149.4%.

1881 census count

79

Ranked #22,357

Modern count

197

2016, ranked #19,777

Peak year

2010

211 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hallford had 79 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,357 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016, ranked #19,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 107 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Hallford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hallford surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hallford 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 35 #27,037
1861 historical 48 #27,896
1881 historical 79 #22,357
1891 historical 69 #28,188
1901 historical 102 #22,596
1911 historical 107 #21,842
1997 modern 205 #17,370
1998 modern 202 #17,991
1999 modern 208 #17,808
2000 modern 188 #18,916
2001 modern 191 #18,453
2002 modern 188 #19,012
2003 modern 186 #18,928
2004 modern 184 #19,183
2005 modern 176 #19,667
2006 modern 173 #19,995
2007 modern 180 #19,745
2008 modern 183 #19,735
2009 modern 201 #18,965
2010 modern 211 #18,774
2011 modern 192 #19,797
2012 modern 196 #19,463
2013 modern 199 #19,584
2014 modern 202 #19,575
2015 modern 195 #19,909
2016 modern 197 #19,777

Geography

Back to top

Where Hallfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dawley, Magna, Mexborough, London parishes, Broseley and Wath-on-Dearn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Craigneuk Wishaw, Motherwell West, Shotts, Havering and Rotherham. 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 Dawley, Magna Shropshire
2 Mexborough Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 1
4 Broseley Shropshire
5 Wath-on-Dearn Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Craigneuk Wishaw North Lanarkshire
2 Motherwell West North Lanarkshire
3 Shotts North Lanarkshire
4 Havering 018 Havering
5 Rotherham 018 Rotherham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hallford

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hallford

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Hallford is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Hallford 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hallford

The surname Hallford is of English origin, believed to have emerged in the medieval period around the 13th century. It is derived from a locational name, referring to a person who hailed from a place called Halford or Haleford. These place names are thought to be composed of the Old English elements "halh," meaning a hollow or nook, and "ford," referring to a shallow river crossing.

The earliest known record of the Hallford surname dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273. This document mentions a person named William de Halford, indicating the name's association with Halford, a village in Warwickshire.

In the 14th century, the Hallford surname appears in various historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a Richard de Halford. The surname is also found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1332, mentioning a John de Halleford.

One notable figure bearing the Hallford name was Sir John Hallford, a 16th-century English politician and landowner. He was born around 1495 and served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1547. Another individual of note was Henry Hallford, a 17th-century clergyman who served as the Rector of Halford in Warwickshire from 1624 until his death in 1666.

In the 18th century, the Hallford surname is associated with John Hallford, a British architect born in 1709. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford and the Old Ashmolean Building, also in Oxford.

Another prominent figure was Edward Hallford, a 19th-century English artist known for his landscape paintings. He was born in 1808 and exhibited his works at the Royal Academy and the British Institution throughout his career.

The Hallford surname has also been recorded in various spellings over time, such as Halford, Haleford, and Hallfort, reflecting the regional variations and historical transformations of the English language.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hallford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hallford 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 21 Hallfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.73x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 21 2.73x
Shropshire 21 31.55x
Yorkshire 16 2.10x
Staffordshire 12 4.61x
Surrey 5 1.33x
Leicestershire 2 2.34x
Lancashire 1 0.11x
Monmouthshire 1 1.80x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westminster St John in Middlesex leads with 19 Hallfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 202.56x.

Place Total Index
Westminster St John 19 202.56x
Brampton Bierlow 16 1632.65x
Dawley 11 454.55x
Wednesfield 11 287.21x
Pontesbury 10 1234.57x
Clapham 5 51.92x
Belgrave 2 103.63x
Hillingdon 2 81.30x
Newport 1 37.59x
Newton 1 14.18x
Wolstanton 1 12.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 5
Mary 4
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Ruth 2
Susannah 2
Alice 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Helolyguard 1
Jane 1
Jenny 1
Lousia 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Patience 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
William 6
Thomas 4
Benjamin 3
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
James 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Benjamine 1
Betton 1
Daniel 1
Danil 1
Fredrick 1
Joseph 1
Nicholas 1
Percy 1
Thos. 1
W.J. 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 Hallford households.

FAQ

Hallford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hallford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 79 people were recorded with the Hallford surname. That placed it at #22,357 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hallford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016. That gives Hallford a modern rank of #19,777.

What does the Hallford surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a ford or shallow river crossing near a hall or manor.

What does the Hallford map show?

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