NameCensus.

UK surname

Harbour

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a harbor or port.

In the 1881 census there were 771 people recorded with the Harbour surname, ranking it #4,799 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,158, ranked #5,099, down from #4,799 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Chard and Rushden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Peterborough, Isle of Wight and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harbour is 1,300 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.2%.

1881 census count

771

Ranked #4,799

Modern count

1,158

2016, ranked #5,099

Peak year

1998

1,300 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harbour had 771 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,799 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,158 in 2016, ranked #5,099.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,238 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Harbour surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harbour surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harbour 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 554 #4,574
1861 historical 523 #5,015
1881 historical 771 #4,799
1891 historical 837 #4,867
1901 historical 1,086 #4,452
1911 historical 1,238 #3,822
1997 modern 1,233 #4,606
1998 modern 1,300 #4,568
1999 modern 1,276 #4,679
2000 modern 1,252 #4,730
2001 modern 1,213 #4,760
2002 modern 1,233 #4,785
2003 modern 1,192 #4,835
2004 modern 1,201 #4,808
2005 modern 1,174 #4,849
2006 modern 1,165 #4,890
2007 modern 1,175 #4,900
2008 modern 1,195 #4,861
2009 modern 1,234 #4,829
2010 modern 1,243 #4,900
2011 modern 1,215 #4,919
2012 modern 1,166 #5,027
2013 modern 1,167 #5,113
2014 modern 1,179 #5,103
2015 modern 1,162 #5,107
2016 modern 1,158 #5,099

Geography

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Where Harbours are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Chard, Rushden and Peterborough St John the Baptist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Peterborough, Isle of Wight, Breckland and East Northamptonshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Chard Somerset
3 London parishes London 3
4 Rushden Northamptonshire
5 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Peterborough 013 Peterborough
2 Isle of Wight 014 Isle of Wight
3 Breckland 005 Breckland
4 Isle of Wight 016 Isle of Wight
5 East Northamptonshire 008 East Northamptonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harbour

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harbour

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Harbour is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Harbour 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

Harbour falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Harbour

The surname Harbour is of English and Norman-French origin, deriving from the Old French word 'herbor', meaning a shelter or lodging. It first emerged in the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

The name likely referred to someone who lived near a harbour or port, or possibly an innkeeper who provided lodging for travelers. Early spellings of the name include Herbour, Harbur, and Herbergh.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Harbour surname is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a Robert de Herberga in Gloucestershire. This suggests the name had already established itself in England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Harbour name was particularly concentrated in the coastal regions of southern England, such as Devon, Dorset, and Cornwall, reflecting the maritime connections of the name.

Notable individuals with the Harbour surname include John Harbour (c.1455-1529), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Bristol; Sir Nicholas Harbour (1547-1615), an English naval commander who served under Sir Francis Drake; and Mary Harbour (1668-1734), an English Quaker missionary who traveled extensively throughout the American colonies.

In the 17th century, the surname spread to Ireland, where it appeared in records as Harbour and Harbor. One prominent Irish bearer was Thomas Harbour (1730-1806), a Protestant minister and author from County Down.

Other notable Harbours include William Harbour (1820-1905), an English architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London; and Sir Michael Harbour (1938-2017), a British diplomat who served as Ambassador to Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

The geographical concentrations and occupational connections of the Harbour name reflect its origins as a locative surname, tied to the maritime and coastal regions of medieval England and later Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harbour families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harbour 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. Surrey leads with 93 Harbours recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.53x.

County Total Index
Surrey 93 2.53x
Middlesex 92 1.22x
Kent 79 3.07x
Norfolk 62 5.34x
Sussex 53 4.16x
Northamptonshire 52 7.32x
Somerset 49 4.03x
Hampshire 48 3.10x
Worcestershire 33 3.35x
Herefordshire 24 7.75x
Essex 18 1.21x
Lancashire 18 0.20x
Berkshire 16 2.82x
Warwickshire 15 0.79x
Suffolk 14 1.52x
Buckinghamshire 13 2.85x
Yorkshire 10 0.13x
Derbyshire 9 0.76x
Devon 9 0.57x
Hertfordshire 8 1.54x
Huntingdonshire 7 4.67x
Lincolnshire 7 0.58x
Northumberland 6 0.53x
Dorset 5 1.01x
Gloucestershire 5 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.49x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.84x
Monmouthshire 4 0.73x
Staffordshire 4 0.16x
Durham 3 0.13x
Oxfordshire 3 0.64x
Wiltshire 3 0.45x
Bedfordshire 1 0.26x
Royal Navy 1 1.11x
Rutland 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. Peterborough in Northamptonshire leads with 42 Harbours recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.68x.

Place Total Index
Peterborough 42 81.68x
Chard 32 217.39x
East Harling 30 1086.96x
Tonbridge 22 23.68x
Portsea 21 6.92x
Hackney London 17 4.02x
Bermondsey 16 7.12x
Deptford St Paul 16 8.05x
Croydon 13 6.37x
St George Hanover Square 13 9.77x
Worth 12 129.87x
Eynsford 11 248.87x
Hastings St Leonards 11 58.79x
Birmingham 10 1.58x
Isleworth 10 29.79x
Livesey 10 63.61x
Stoke Prior 10 164.47x
West Ham 10 3.04x
East Grinstead 9 49.94x
Islington London 9 1.23x
Tormoham 9 13.53x
Whittington 9 55.05x
Yeovil 9 36.45x
Denham 8 245.40x
Larling 8 1702.13x
Suckley 8 493.83x
Warmington 8 449.44x
Ledbury 7 65.85x
Much Cowarne 7 542.64x
South Lynn 7 53.44x
Tottenham 7 5.82x
Westmeston 7 833.33x
Deal 6 27.31x
Newcastle On Tyne St 6 10.30x
Powick 6 87.85x
Richmond 6 11.64x
Sandhurst 6 54.64x
Snodland 6 82.19x
Taunton St James 6 33.86x
Twickenham 6 18.54x
Warlingham 6 200.67x
West Harling 6 2000.00x
Woodmansterne 6 759.49x
Binsted 5 84.75x
Brading 5 24.31x
Epsom 5 27.89x
Fulham London 5 4.57x
Gilston 5 714.29x
Haddon 5 1388.89x
Portland 5 18.76x
Skegness 5 144.51x
St Pancras London 5 0.82x
West Derby 5 1.91x
Westminster St Margaret 5 13.73x
Arreton 4 80.65x
Beddington 4 28.11x
Bromyard 4 98.04x
Chevening 4 142.86x
Clapham 4 4.24x
Ewhurst 4 173.91x
Heigham 4 6.42x
Horsham 4 16.17x
Limpsfield 4 113.64x
Long Crendon 4 131.15x
New Windsor 4 21.00x
Newport 4 15.36x
Stourbridge 4 15.77x
Toton 4 800.00x
Wolverhampton 4 2.04x
Wortham 4 162.60x
Aston 3 0.57x
Clifton 3 4.01x
Hastings St Mary 3 9.47x
Reading St Giles 3 5.40x
Ryde 3 9.03x
Shelley 3 68.49x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 1.97x
Thame 3 35.38x
Whittlesey St Mary St 3 17.96x
Wilton In Guisbrough 3 89.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 48
James 40
George 35
John 35
Henry 24
Charles 22
Thomas 20
Joseph 15
Arthur 12
Robert 12
Walter 10
Alfred 9
Edward 9
David 8
Albert 6
Frederick 5
Harry 5
Stephen 5
Ernest 4
Herbert 4
Richard 4
Wm. 4
Jesse 3
Ambrose 2
Fredrick 2
Jacob 2
Levi 2
Robt. 2
Amos 1
Charlotte 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Eustace 1
Fouyer 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frderick 1
Fred 1
Fredc. 1
Gard 1
Geo. 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Jessie 1
Jno. 1
Kate 1
Louis 1
Martin 1
Matthew 1

FAQ

Harbour surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harbour surname in 1881?

In 1881, 771 people were recorded with the Harbour surname. That placed it at #4,799 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harbour surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,158 in 2016. That gives Harbour a modern rank of #5,099.

What does the Harbour surname mean?

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a harbor or port.

What does the Harbour map show?

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