NameCensus.

UK surname

Harbin

A habitational surname derived from any of the various places named Harbin, likely meaning "Heribert's settlement."

In the 1881 census there were 104 people recorded with the Harbin surname, ranking it #19,296 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 134, ranked #25,636, down from #19,296 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stapleton, Bewcastle and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hertsmere, Doncaster and Darlington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harbin is 138 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.8%.

1881 census count

104

Ranked #19,296

Modern count

134

2016, ranked #25,636

Peak year

2013

138 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harbin had 104 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,296 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016, ranked #25,636.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 135 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Harbin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harbin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harbin 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 98 #17,383
1861 historical 99 #21,294
1881 historical 104 #19,296
1891 historical 77 #27,169
1901 historical 124 #20,163
1911 historical 135 #19,058
1997 modern 125 #23,567
1998 modern 123 #24,449
1999 modern 126 #24,239
2000 modern 128 #24,015
2001 modern 128 #23,665
2002 modern 130 #23,903
2003 modern 129 #23,783
2004 modern 124 #24,559
2005 modern 119 #25,193
2006 modern 119 #25,413
2007 modern 124 #25,086
2008 modern 123 #25,505
2009 modern 125 #25,823
2010 modern 130 #25,775
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 138 #25,020
2014 modern 137 #25,345
2015 modern 135 #25,481
2016 modern 134 #25,636

Geography

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Where Harbins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stapleton, Bewcastle, Gateshead, Tadlow and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hertsmere, Doncaster, Darlington and Melton. 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 Stapleton Cumberland
2 Bewcastle Cumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Tadlow Cambridgeshire
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hertsmere 012 Hertsmere
2 Doncaster 005 Doncaster
3 Darlington 014 Darlington
4 Melton 003 Melton
5 Doncaster 022 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harbin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harbin

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Harbin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Harbin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Harbin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Harbin is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Harbin

The surname Harbin has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated in the town of Harbyn or Harburn, located in the county of Yorkshire. The name is derived from the Old English words "hær" meaning army or host, and "byrne" meaning a stream or brook, suggesting a connection to a stream or river inhabited by soldiers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Harbin can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named Richard de Herbrun is mentioned. The name has also been found in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Herburn."

In the 13th century, the surname Harbin was associated with the village of Harburn, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. This village was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Harbrun," indicating the long-standing presence of the name in the region.

Notable individuals with the surname Harbin include Sir John Harbin (c. 1554-1643), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Wigan in the early 17th century. Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Harbin (1663-1735), a British naval officer who served as Captain of the HMS Falmouth during the War of the Spanish Succession.

In the 19th century, Robert Walter Weir Harbin (1842-1918) was a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. George Harbin Brown (1870-1938) was an English painter and illustrator best known for his depictions of rural life in the early 20th century.

During World War II, Lieutenant Commander John Harbin (1913-1944) was a Royal Navy officer who received the Victoria Cross, the highest military honor in the British Empire, for his actions during the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944.

Throughout its history, the surname Harbin has maintained a strong presence in various parts of England, particularly in Yorkshire and the surrounding counties. It has also been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in fields such as politics, architecture, art, and military service.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harbin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harbin 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. Durham leads with 12 Harbins recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.22x.

County Total Index
Durham 12 4.22x
Yorkshire 11 1.16x
Bedfordshire 10 20.20x
Lancashire 10 0.88x
Worcestershire 9 7.21x
Hampshire 8 4.08x
Monmouthshire 8 11.58x
Northumberland 8 5.63x
Somerset 6 3.90x
Middlesex 3 0.31x
Warwickshire 3 1.24x
Cambridgeshire 2 3.30x
Cumberland 2 2.43x
Gloucestershire 2 1.07x
Surrey 2 0.43x
Kent 1 0.31x
Leicestershire 1 0.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 9 Harbins recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.43x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 9 23.43x
Bedwellty 8 65.57x
Haltwhistle 7 1014.49x
Usworth 7 463.58x
Linthorpe 6 106.19x
Blunham 5 1470.59x
Claines 5 145.77x
Portsea 5 13.02x
Whickham 5 190.84x
Hartlebury 4 540.54x
Wortley In Bramley 4 53.33x
Aston 3 4.52x
Cranfield 3 625.00x
Friern Barnet 3 142.18x
Chard 2 107.53x
Cherry Hinton 2 714.29x
Portsmouth 2 44.35x
Preston Plucknett 2 2857.14x
Westbury On Severn East 2 47.17x
Ashford 1 31.45x
Bewcastle 1 344.83x
Camberwell 1 1.64x
Kingwater 1 909.09x
Kirkdale 1 5.24x
Leeds 1 1.87x
Leicester St Mary 1 11.68x
Potton 1 151.52x
Ringwood 1 80.00x
Shapwick 1 714.29x
Streatham 1 14.10x
Thirlwall 1 526.32x
Wrestlingworth 1 476.19x
Yeovil 1 31.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Ellen 4
Alice 3
Elizabeth 3
Harriet 3
Ann 2
Emma 2
Margaret 2
Sarah 2
Abigail 1
Ada 1
Agness 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Jane 1
Lizabeth 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Rachael 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
John 8
Henry 5
Thomas 5
Arthur 2
George 2
Christopher 1
Clifford 1
David 1
Enoch 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Jarred 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Harbin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harbin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 104 people were recorded with the Harbin surname. That placed it at #19,296 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harbin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016. That gives Harbin a modern rank of #25,636.

What does the Harbin surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from any of the various places named Harbin, likely meaning "Heribert's settlement."

What does the Harbin map show?

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