NameCensus.

UK surname

Halsey

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Hal's island" or "nook of land."

In the 1881 census there were 1,286 people recorded with the Halsey surname, ranking it #3,175 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,767, ranked #3,556, down from #3,175 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cublington, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Devon, East Staffordshire and High Peak.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Halsey is 1,990 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.4%.

1881 census count

1,286

Ranked #3,175

Modern count

1,767

2016, ranked #3,556

Peak year

1998

1,990 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Halsey had 1,286 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,175 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,767 in 2016, ranked #3,556.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,841 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Halsey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Halsey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Halsey 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 785 #3,397
1861 historical 879 #3,157
1881 historical 1,286 #3,175
1891 historical 1,366 #3,178
1901 historical 1,598 #3,233
1911 historical 1,841 #2,682
1997 modern 1,866 #3,230
1998 modern 1,990 #3,169
1999 modern 1,982 #3,200
2000 modern 1,913 #3,284
2001 modern 1,881 #3,265
2002 modern 1,937 #3,254
2003 modern 1,865 #3,284
2004 modern 1,853 #3,308
2005 modern 1,790 #3,383
2006 modern 1,779 #3,408
2007 modern 1,773 #3,455
2008 modern 1,752 #3,513
2009 modern 1,796 #3,515
2010 modern 1,836 #3,510
2011 modern 1,802 #3,528
2012 modern 1,780 #3,517
2013 modern 1,838 #3,471
2014 modern 1,828 #3,505
2015 modern 1,786 #3,544
2016 modern 1,767 #3,556

Geography

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Where Halseys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cublington, London parishes, St Pancras and Watford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Devon, East Staffordshire, High Peak, West Dorset and Central Bedfordshire. 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 Cublington Buckinghamshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Watford Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Devon 011 Mid Devon
2 East Staffordshire 001 East Staffordshire
3 High Peak 012 High Peak
4 West Dorset 003 West Dorset
5 Central Bedfordshire 026 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Halsey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Halsey

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Halsey 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

Halsey is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Halsey

The surname Halsey is of English origin, deriving from a habitation name referring to someone from the village of Halsey in Essex. This place name is believed to come from the Old English words 'halh' meaning 'nook' or 'hollow' and 'ieg' meaning 'island' or 'dry ground in a marsh'.

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it appears as 'Halsige'. Other early spellings include Halseye in 1275 and Halsey in 1327. These variations reflect the evolution of the name's pronunciation and spelling over time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Hugh Halsey, a knight who lived in the 13th century and held lands in Essex. In the 14th century, records show a John Halsey who was a merchant in London.

The Halsey family established itself as a prominent landowning family in Hertfordshire during the 16th and 17th centuries. Notable members include Thomas Halsey (1528-1591), who served as a Member of Parliament, and his son James Halsey (1559-1612), who was also an MP and a Justice of the Peace.

Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Halsey (1615-1679), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire. He was a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Robert Halsey (1703-1769) was a successful merchant and shipowner in New York City. He was instrumental in the establishment of the city's maritime trade with the West Indies.

The name Halsey has also been associated with several notable individuals in more recent history, such as the American poet and writer Robert Lowell Halsey (1855-1920) and the singer-songwriter Ashley Frangipane, better known by her stage name Halsey (born 1994).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Halsey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Halsey 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 445 Halseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.54x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 445 3.54x
Hertfordshire 373 43.07x
Surrey 109 1.78x
Buckinghamshire 100 13.16x
Bedfordshire 65 9.99x
Kent 35 0.82x
Sussex 32 1.51x
Essex 24 0.97x
Warwickshire 18 0.57x
Gloucestershire 10 0.41x
Hampshire 9 0.35x
Suffolk 7 0.46x
Northumberland 6 0.32x
Oxfordshire 6 0.77x
Worcestershire 6 0.37x
Cheshire 5 0.18x
Leicestershire 5 0.36x
Dunbartonshire 4 1.18x
Herefordshire 4 0.78x
Norfolk 4 0.21x
Staffordshire 3 0.07x
Yorkshire 3 0.02x
Berkshire 2 0.21x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.25x
Northamptonshire 2 0.17x
Channel Islands 1 0.27x
Derbyshire 1 0.05x
Dorset 1 0.12x
Durham 1 0.03x
Lancashire 1 0.01x
Royal Navy 1 0.67x
Shropshire 1 0.09x
Somerset 1 0.05x
Wiltshire 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. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 59 Halseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.84x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 59 4.84x
St Pancras London 56 5.54x
Cublington 42 3783.78x
Watford 31 46.17x
Great Gaddesden 29 714.29x
Redbourn 29 306.55x
Rickmansworth 27 113.26x
Bromley London 26 9.41x
Hemel Hempstead 24 61.51x
Kensington London 22 3.15x
Luton 22 19.53x
St Albans St Peter 21 71.87x
Ealing 19 16.92x
Paddington London 19 4.11x
Wandsworth 19 15.71x
Hammersmith London 18 5.82x
Hitchin 18 46.05x
Northchurch 18 194.59x
St Albans St Michael 18 185.95x
Berkhampstead 17 87.31x
Hatfield 15 85.42x
St Albans 15 84.51x
West Ham 15 2.74x
Aston Abbotts 14 1120.00x
Hackney London 14 1.99x
Ivinghoe 14 235.69x
Lambeth 14 1.28x
Finchley 13 26.99x
St Marylebone London 13 1.94x
Bermondsey 12 3.21x
Birmingham 12 1.14x
Harpenden 12 90.84x
Chelsea London 11 2.91x
Monken Hadley 11 219.12x
Poplar London 11 4.64x
Subdeanery 11 68.45x
Abbots Langley 10 77.76x
Eastbourne 10 10.26x
Harrow 10 52.08x
Hendon 10 22.12x
Willesden 10 8.44x
Aldenham 9 114.21x
Billington 9 491.80x
Holwell 9 978.26x
Hornsey 9 5.66x
Leighton Buzzard 9 32.15x
Little Stanmore 9 241.94x
Penge 9 11.21x
Shenley 9 157.62x
South Mimms 9 52.23x
Tottenham 9 4.50x
Edgware 8 227.92x
Welwyn 8 106.67x
Bethnal Green London 7 1.28x
Bushey 7 33.95x
Enfield 7 8.49x
Lindfield 7 78.21x
Little Gaddesden 7 437.50x
Offley 7 124.33x
St George Hanover Square 7 3.16x
St George In East London 7 5.92x
Ayott St Peter 6 638.30x
Battersea 6 1.30x
Bexley 6 15.83x
Broxbourne 6 34.97x
Camberwell 6 0.75x
Charlton Next Woolwich 6 13.42x
Elswick 6 4.02x
Kingston On Thames 6 4.08x
Lowestoft 6 8.30x
Mile End Old Town London 6 2.24x
Aldbury 5 127.55x
All Hallows Barking 5 159.24x
Ashby De La Zouch 5 15.48x
Aston 5 0.57x
Caterham 5 18.48x
Denham 5 92.25x
Fulham London 5 2.74x
Henlow 5 124.38x
North Mimms 5 91.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 76
Elizabeth 63
Sarah 37
Ann 26
Emma 26
Alice 25
Jane 25
Eliza 24
Ellen 22
Annie 21
Emily 17
Charlotte 15
Kate 15
Fanny 14
Hannah 13
Clara 12
Harriet 12
Florence 11
Louisa 10
Susan 10
Caroline 9
Maria 9
Martha 8
Rose 7
Sophia 7
Amelia 6
Edith 6
Agnes 5
Catherine 5
Frances 5
Ada 4
Anne 4
Esther 4
Lucy 4
Eleanor 3
Georgina 3
Harriett 3
Jessie 3
Lizzie 3
Phoebe 3
Susannah 3
Amy 2
Cecilia 2
Emmeline 2
Eva 2
Ket 2
Lily 2
Margaret 2
Maud 2
May 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 89
George 58
John 43
Thomas 41
James 37
Henry 31
Edward 26
Frederick 25
Alfred 24
Charles 23
Joseph 23
Arthur 22
Harry 11
Walter 11
Samuel 10
Albert 8
Robert 8
Frank 7
Herbert 7
Richard 7
David 6
Ernest 5
Benjamin 4
Daniel 4
Francis 4
Thos. 4
Aurthur 2
Christopher 2
Leonard 2
Percy 2
Sidney 2
Sydney 2
Wm. 2
Chalsey 1
Charlie 1
Chas. 1
Cherubim 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Ethelbert 1
Euston 1
Ezra 1
F.H. 1
Geo. 1
Gerald 1
Godfrey 1
Harrold 1
Howard 1
Israel 1
J. 1

FAQ

Halsey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Halsey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,286 people were recorded with the Halsey surname. That placed it at #3,175 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Halsey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,767 in 2016. That gives Halsey a modern rank of #3,556.

What does the Halsey surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Hal's island" or "nook of land."

What does the Halsey map show?

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