NameCensus.

UK surname

Harbord

An English surname derived from the town name "Harbord" in Norfolk.

In the 1881 census there were 338 people recorded with the Harbord surname, ranking it #8,962 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 512, ranked #9,823, down from #8,962 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hemsby, London parishes and Battersea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Great Yarmouth, Merthyr Tydfil and North East Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harbord is 561 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.5%.

1881 census count

338

Ranked #8,962

Modern count

512

2016, ranked #9,823

Peak year

1997

561 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harbord had 338 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,962 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 512 in 2016, ranked #9,823.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 513 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Harbord surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harbord surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harbord 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 191 #10,808
1861 historical 129 #17,271
1881 historical 338 #8,962
1891 historical 413 #8,638
1901 historical 456 #8,624
1911 historical 513 #7,687
1997 modern 561 #8,538
1998 modern 553 #8,892
1999 modern 559 #8,872
2000 modern 548 #8,976
2001 modern 542 #8,904
2002 modern 559 #8,861
2003 modern 543 #8,932
2004 modern 545 #8,919
2005 modern 525 #9,120
2006 modern 520 #9,208
2007 modern 528 #9,174
2008 modern 524 #9,299
2009 modern 538 #9,327
2010 modern 545 #9,420
2011 modern 523 #9,634
2012 modern 507 #9,761
2013 modern 521 #9,722
2014 modern 513 #9,899
2015 modern 510 #9,875
2016 modern 512 #9,823

Geography

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Where Harbords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hemsby, London parishes, Battersea, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Great Yarmouth, Merthyr Tydfil, North East Lincolnshire, Herefordshire and Surrey Heath. 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 Hemsby Norfolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 Battersea London (South Districts)
4 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Great Yarmouth 001 Great Yarmouth
2 Merthyr Tydfil 006 Merthyr Tydfil
3 North East Lincolnshire 001 North East Lincolnshire
4 Herefordshire 023 Herefordshire, County of
5 Surrey Heath 001 Surrey Heath

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harbord

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harbord

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

Harbord 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

Harbord falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Harbord 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 Harbord, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Harbord

The surname Harbord originates from England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "here" meaning army and "bord" meaning board or plank, referring to a military structure or fortification. The name was likely adopted by someone who lived near such a structure or worked in its construction.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1195, where a William Herbord is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer during the Middle Ages.

Another early reference to the name appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1236, which mentions a Robert Harebord. The Feet of Fines were legal documents recording the transfer of land ownership in medieval England.

The name was also found in various locations across England, with slightly different spellings such as Harboard, Harberde, and Harbert. One notable example is Sir Harbottle Grimston (1603-1685), an English lawyer and politician who served as Master of the Rolls.

In the 16th century, the name Harbord was associated with the town of Harbord in Norfolk, England. This place name is believed to have derived from the same Old English root words as the surname.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Harbord was Sir Charles Harbord (1592-1679), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Launceston and Thetford. He was also the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk from 1660 to 1679.

Another notable figure was Sir John Harbord (1625-1666), an English politician and landowner who was a Member of Parliament for Norfolk and served as High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1665.

In the 18th century, Sir Harbord Harbord (1711-1786) was a prominent figure in Norfolk. He served as a Member of Parliament for Norwich and was appointed as the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk in 1762.

Sir Ralph Harbord (1803-1886) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy and participated in several significant battles during the Napoleonic Wars.

Finally, Sir Victor Alexander Harbord (1870-1960) was a British army officer who served in the First World War and later became the first British High Commissioner to the Dominion of Newfoundland in 1924.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harbord families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harbord 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. Norfolk leads with 170 Harbords recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.76x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 170 32.76x
Surrey 25 1.52x
Middlesex 24 0.71x
Suffolk 22 5.35x
Cheshire 19 2.55x
Yorkshire 16 0.48x
Kent 14 1.22x
Lancashire 9 0.22x
Dorset 7 3.16x
Lincolnshire 7 1.30x
Isle of Man 6 9.57x
Sussex 5 0.88x
Cumberland 4 1.38x
Berkshire 2 0.79x
Durham 2 0.20x
Flintshire 2 2.20x
Midlothian 2 0.44x
Royal Navy 2 4.97x
Glamorgan 1 0.17x
Hampshire 1 0.14x
Hertfordshire 1 0.43x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.49x
Northumberland 1 0.20x
Somerset 1 0.18x
Wiltshire 1 0.34x
Worcestershire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Yarmouth in Norfolk leads with 73 Harbords recorded in 1881 and an index of 169.81x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 73 169.81x
Hemsby 26 3466.67x
Battersea 11 8.86x
Corton 11 1692.31x
Heigham 11 39.50x
Ormesby St Margaret W 9 692.31x
West Derby 9 7.68x
Willaston In Wirral 9 1698.11x
Bradeston 8 4210.53x
Ipswich St Peter 8 144.67x
Caistor Next Yarmouth 7 382.51x
Charlton Next Woolwich 7 58.28x
Islington London 7 2.14x
Birkenhead 6 10.10x
Jurby 6 789.47x
Louth 6 48.50x
Potter Heigham 6 1250.00x
Reigate Foreign 6 33.69x
Sculcoates 6 11.32x
St George Hanover Square 6 10.09x
Brightside Bierlow 5 7.62x
Camberwell 5 2.32x
Gillingham 5 21.06x
Gunton 5 5555.56x
Melcombe Regis 5 54.47x
Mile End Old Town London 5 6.96x
Brighton 4 3.48x
Norwich St Stephen 4 84.03x
South Mimms 4 86.39x
West Newton Allonby 4 396.04x
Bridlington 3 39.16x
Burgh St Margaret 3 468.75x
Catfield 3 410.96x
Hadleigh 2 50.13x
Martham 2 157.48x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 2 76.63x
Oxton 2 47.51x
Portland 2 16.79x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 2 23.34x
Rhuddlan 2 25.03x
Royal Navy 2 5.82x
Seaton Carew 2 99.01x
South Leith 2 3.93x
South Walsham St Mary 2 465.12x
Southwark St John 2 19.38x
Swaffham 2 47.39x
Thorpe Next Norwich 2 36.36x
Bermondsey 1 1.00x
Bowling 1 3.02x
Britford 1 50.76x
Clewer 1 9.63x
Godshill 1 62.50x
Great Amwell 1 42.92x
Hawkhurst 1 27.93x
Jesmond 1 14.14x
Lee 1 5.98x
Leeds 1 0.53x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 1 31.65x
Penarth 1 17.42x
Poplar London 1 1.57x
Porlock 1 113.64x
Preston 1 10.06x
Pulham St Mary Magdalen 1 76.92x
St Anne Soho London 1 5.19x
St Neots 1 27.47x
St Swithin Lincoln 1 11.79x
Stowmarket 1 21.05x
Upton With Fishley 1 161.29x
Walcott 1 714.29x
Wargrave 1 45.87x
Winterton 1 109.89x
Worcester St Clement 1 35.71x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 25
Henry 13
John 13
Arthur 8
Charles 8
George 7
Richard 6
Thomas 6
Harbord 4
James 4
Joseph 4
Robert 4
Albert 3
Harry 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
Griffin 2
Martin 2
Samuel 2
C. 1
Clifford 1
Daniel 1
Dodgson 1
Earnest 1
Earnst 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Horatio 1
Jno. 1
Josiah 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Maurice 1
Montague 1
Morden 1
Oliver 1
Paul 1
Philip 1
Ralph 1
Sidney 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Harbord surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harbord surname in 1881?

In 1881, 338 people were recorded with the Harbord surname. That placed it at #8,962 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harbord surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 512 in 2016. That gives Harbord a modern rank of #9,823.

What does the Harbord surname mean?

An English surname derived from the town name "Harbord" in Norfolk.

What does the Harbord map show?

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