NameCensus.

UK surname

Harby

A locational surname originating from places named Harby in Leicestershire, England or Lincolnshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 229 people recorded with the Harby surname, ranking it #11,784 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 388, ranked #12,133, down from #11,784 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Claxton, or Long Clawson, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Blidworth (incl. Haywood Oaks, Lindhurst). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Nottingham, South Lakeland and Derbyshire Dales.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harby is 512 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 69.4%.

1881 census count

229

Ranked #11,784

Modern count

388

2016, ranked #12,133

Peak year

1861

512 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harby had 229 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,784 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 388 in 2016, ranked #12,133.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 512 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Harby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harby 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 272 #8,240
1861 historical 512 #5,112
1881 historical 229 #11,784
1891 historical 399 #8,898
1901 historical 339 #10,682
1911 historical 417 #9,022
1997 modern 393 #11,144
1998 modern 400 #11,335
1999 modern 396 #11,527
2000 modern 403 #11,333
2001 modern 384 #11,565
2002 modern 390 #11,646
2003 modern 381 #11,667
2004 modern 378 #11,757
2005 modern 370 #11,875
2006 modern 365 #12,076
2007 modern 382 #11,775
2008 modern 383 #11,876
2009 modern 390 #11,950
2010 modern 401 #11,973
2011 modern 392 #12,038
2012 modern 389 #11,963
2013 modern 386 #12,243
2014 modern 387 #12,299
2015 modern 378 #12,405
2016 modern 388 #12,133

Geography

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Where Harbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Claxton, or Long Clawson, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Blidworth (incl. Haywood Oaks, Lindhurst), Nottingham St Mary and Long Bennington, Bennington Grange. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Nottingham, South Lakeland, Derbyshire Dales, Melton and South Kesteven. 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 Claxton, or Long Clawson Leicestershire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Blidworth (incl. Haywood Oaks, Lindhurst) Nottinghamshire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Long Bennington, Bennington Grange Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Nottingham 013 Nottingham
2 South Lakeland 003 South Lakeland
3 Derbyshire Dales 001 Derbyshire Dales
4 Melton 002 Melton
5 South Kesteven 010 South Kesteven

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harby

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Harby 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

Harby is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harby falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Harby

The surname HARBY is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the place name Harby, a village in Leicestershire. The name Harby itself is thought to come from the Old Norse words "hár" meaning "grey" and "by" meaning "settlement" or "village", suggesting it was originally a descriptive name for a grey-colored village.

Records show the name Harby appearing in various historic documents and manuscripts from as early as the 12th century. One notable mention is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where the village of Harby is listed under its Norman spelling of "Herebi". This suggests the name and its associated place were well-established by the time of the Norman conquest.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Harby was John de Harby, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire in 1202. Another early bearer of the name was William de Harby, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Warwickshire in 1271.

In the 14th century, a family by the name of Harby held lands in the village of the same name in Leicestershire. This is evidenced by a record from 1349 mentioning a Richard de Harby who was the lord of the manor of Harby.

During the 16th century, the name Harby began to appear with various alternate spellings, such as Harbie, Harbye, and Harbey. One notable individual from this time was John Harby, a scholar and theologian who was born in Leicestershire around 1510 and went on to become a Fellow of New College, Oxford.

In the 17th century, a prominent bearer of the Harby name was Sir Erasmus Harby, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Warwickshire who was born in 1628 and died in 1707. His descendants continued to hold significant estates in the region for several generations.

Other individuals of note with the surname Harby include William Harby, a 19th-century architect from Lincolnshire who designed several notable buildings in the area, and Elizabeth Harby, a 20th-century artist and painter from Derbyshire who gained recognition for her landscape paintings.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harby 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. Lincolnshire leads with 63 Harbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.64x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 63 17.64x
Nottinghamshire 42 13.95x
Leicestershire 34 13.73x
Middlesex 28 1.25x
Derbyshire 16 4.58x
Lancashire 12 0.45x
Yorkshire 8 0.36x
Kent 6 0.79x
Rutland 5 30.49x
Hampshire 4 0.87x
Essex 3 0.68x
Lanarkshire 3 0.42x
Warwickshire 3 0.53x
Surrey 1 0.09x
Westmorland 1 2.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pinchbeck in Lincolnshire leads with 15 Harbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 655.02x.

Place Total Index
Pinchbeck 15 655.02x
Long Eaton 14 303.03x
Clawson 9 1578.95x
Hackney London 9 7.19x
Pickworth 8 4705.88x
Hucknall Torkard 7 91.74x
Islington London 7 3.23x
Salford 7 8.98x
Bulwell 6 91.60x
Long Bennington 6 857.14x
Paddington London 6 7.31x
Thorpe Satchville 6 4615.38x
Barkstone 5 1315.79x
Blidworth 5 1282.05x
Carlton Upon Trent 5 3333.33x
Charlton 5 98.81x
Claypole 5 961.54x
Nottingham St Mary 5 6.42x
Scredington 5 1923.08x
Nether Hallam 4 13.36x
Whissendine 4 714.29x
Balderton 3 365.85x
Barony 3 1.64x
Birmingham 3 1.60x
Branston 3 1578.95x
Leicester St Leonard 3 128.21x
Leicester St Margaret 3 4.97x
Newark Upon Trent 3 27.73x
Toxteth Park 3 3.34x
West Ham 3 3.08x
Wildmore 3 638.30x
Acklam With Barthorpe 2 909.09x
Billesdon Rolleston 2 4000.00x
Blaby 2 200.00x
Broughton In Salford 2 8.25x
Burton Joyce 2 392.16x
Caythorpe 2 289.86x
Heckington 2 147.06x
Nether Broughton 2 571.43x
Portsmouth 2 18.98x
Ripley 2 46.30x
Spalding 2 28.21x
St George Hanover Square 2 5.08x
Wilsthorpe 2 3333.33x
Alverstoke 1 6.04x
Barrow 1 1111.11x
Basford 1 7.20x
Belvoir 1 909.09x
Bingham 1 78.13x
Bow London 1 3.52x
Chelsea London 1 1.49x
Colston Bassett 1 416.67x
Corby 1 166.67x
Farnsfield 1 125.00x
Frisby On The Wreake 1 333.33x
Gedney Hill 1 400.00x
Grantham 1 21.51x
Hammersmith London 1 1.82x
Holdingham 1 909.09x
Holy Trinity 1 1.88x
Horncastle 1 27.10x
Idle 1 9.75x
Kendal 1 11.12x
Lenton 1 14.10x
North South Killingholme 1 169.49x
Norwell 1 312.50x
Portsea 1 1.11x
Scopwick 1 322.58x
Sproxton 1 384.62x
St Marylebone London 1 0.84x
St Peters 1 28.33x
Stoke 1 19.46x
Syston 1 43.10x
Syston 1 588.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 12
Ann 7
Sarah 7
Charlotte 4
Alice 3
Annie 3
Catherine 3
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Kate 3
Alicia 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Jessie 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Millicent 2
Rebecca 2
Susannah 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Amie 1
Anne 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
E. 1
Eilzabeth 1
Eleanor 1
Elizath. 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Ellonor 1
Fanney 1
Flora 1
Gertrude 1
Jane 1
Kezia 1
Louise 1
Minnie 1
Roseanna 1
Selina 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 24
John 17
Thomas 12
Joseph 8
George 6
James 6
Richard 5
Arthur 3
Henry 3
Job 3
Edward 2
Albert 1
Arther 1
Charlotte 1
Claude 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
Jos.N. 1
Leopold 1
Losker 1
Luke 1
Maurice 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Harby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 229 people were recorded with the Harby surname. That placed it at #11,784 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 388 in 2016. That gives Harby a modern rank of #12,133.

What does the Harby surname mean?

A locational surname originating from places named Harby in Leicestershire, England or Lincolnshire, England.

What does the Harby map show?

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