NameCensus.

UK surname

Harcus

A surname derived from the Old Norse word hargs, meaning "heathen temple".

In the 1881 census there were 391 people recorded with the Harcus surname, ranking it #8,090 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 483, ranked #10,240, down from #8,090 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkwall and St.Ola, Evie and Rendall and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Isles, West Kirkwall and East Mainland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harcus is 528 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.5%.

1881 census count

391

Ranked #8,090

Modern count

483

2016, ranked #10,240

Peak year

1901

528 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harcus had 391 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,090 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 483 in 2016, ranked #10,240.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 528 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Harcus surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harcus surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harcus 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 411 #5,901
1861 historical 337 #7,564
1881 historical 391 #8,090
1891 historical 495 #7,489
1901 historical 528 #7,740
1911 historical 65 #26,343
1997 modern 418 #10,648
1998 modern 438 #10,617
1999 modern 442 #10,606
2000 modern 456 #10,321
2001 modern 424 #10,740
2002 modern 459 #10,264
2003 modern 457 #10,156
2004 modern 475 #9,871
2005 modern 482 #9,685
2006 modern 503 #9,451
2007 modern 491 #9,689
2008 modern 494 #9,738
2009 modern 502 #9,818
2010 modern 497 #10,111
2011 modern 495 #10,026
2012 modern 454 #10,588
2013 modern 467 #10,544
2014 modern 479 #10,417
2015 modern 482 #10,281
2016 modern 483 #10,240

Geography

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Where Harcus' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkwall and St.Ola, Evie and Rendall, Edinburgh, Westray and Papa Westray and Eday, Pharay and Stronsay. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Isles, West Kirkwall, East Mainland, East Kirkwall and West Mainland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kirkwall and St.Ola Orkney
2 Evie and Rendall Orkney
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Westray and Papa Westray Orkney
5 Eday, Pharay and Stronsay Orkney

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Isles Orkney Islands
2 West Kirkwall Orkney Islands
3 East Mainland Orkney Islands
4 East Kirkwall Orkney Islands
5 West Mainland Orkney Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harcus

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harcus

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Harcus surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Harcus household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Harcus 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

Harcus is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harcus falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Harcus is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Harcus, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Harcus

The surname HARCUS is believed to have originated in the Orkney Islands of Scotland, with roots that can be traced back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old Norse words "hár" meaning "high" and "kaus" meaning "hut" or "pile of stones." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who lived in a high, stone-built dwelling or in an elevated area.

One of the earliest recorded references to the HARCUS name is found in the Orkneyinga Saga, a historical narrative written in the 13th century. This saga mentions a man named Hárkr, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of HARCUS. This suggests that the name was already established in the Orkney Islands by that time.

The HARCUS surname is also mentioned in the Rental Book of the Earldom of Orkney, a record of land holdings and rentals compiled in the late 16th century. This document lists several individuals with the surname, indicating that the HARCUS family had a presence in the Orkney Islands during that period.

In the 17th century, a man named William HARCUS (born around 1620) was recorded as a resident of the island of Westray in the Orkney Islands. His descendants continued to live in the area, and some of them later migrated to other parts of Scotland and beyond.

One notable bearer of the HARCUS name was John HARCUS (1752-1823), a Scottish-born merchant and shipowner who settled in Jamaica. He became a prominent figure in the local community and was involved in the island's trade and commerce.

Another individual of historical significance was Sir William HARCUS (1785-1854), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. He was commended for his bravery and leadership, and his exploits were recorded in various naval chronicles of the time.

In the 19th century, a family of HARCUS settled in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, where they established themselves as farmers and landowners. One member of this family, James HARCUS (1820-1897), became a respected community leader and served as a local magistrate.

Throughout its history, the HARCUS surname has been associated with various place names and locations, particularly in the Orkney Islands and other parts of Scotland. Some of these include Harcushowe, Harcusholm, and Harcusby, which reflect the surname's Norse origins and its connection to specific geographical features.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harcus families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harcus 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. Orkney leads with 294 Harcus' recorded in 1881 and an index of 702.51x.

County Total Index
Orkney 294 702.51x
Midlothian 26 5.10x
Fife 11 4.88x
Hampshire 11 1.41x
Aberdeenshire 8 2.27x
Durham 7 0.62x
Shetland 6 15.44x
Cumberland 5 1.53x
Kent 5 0.39x
Lanarkshire 5 0.41x
Lancashire 3 0.07x
Northumberland 3 0.53x
Royal Navy 2 4.41x
Angus 1 0.28x
Caithness 1 1.92x
Roxburghshire 1 1.45x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westray Papa Westray in Orkney leads with 149 Harcus' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4487.95x.

Place Total Index
Westray Papa Westray 149 4487.95x
Stronsay Eday 79 2883.21x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 22 10.73x
Kirkwall St Ola 16 255.18x
Evie Rendall 14 790.96x
Shapinshay 10 787.40x
St Andrews Deerness 10 454.55x
Portsea 8 5.23x
Aberdeen 6 12000.00x
Kirkcaldy 6 53.72x
Tingwall 6 309.28x
Barony 4 1.28x
Firth Stenness 4 223.46x
Holm 4 285.71x
Barrow In Furness 3 4.89x
Chatham 3 8.40x
Cramlington 3 40.11x
Dunfermline 3 8.66x
Great Clifton 3 236.22x
South Ronaldshay 3 69.28x
Westoe 3 4.68x
Burntisland 2 31.75x
Edinburgh St Stephens 2 19.94x
Gillingham 2 7.47x
Portsmouth 2 11.14x
Rousay Egilshay 2 136.99x
Workington 2 10.67x
Alverstoke 1 3.54x
Deerness 1 10000.00x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 10.09x
Forfar 1 5.24x
Gateshead 1 1.18x
Govan 1 0.33x
Hawick 1 6.49x
Lady 1 80.65x
Marske In Guisbrough 1 14.95x
Monkwearmouth Shore 1 4.53x
Orphir 1 75.19x
Peterhead 1 5.37x
Royal Navy 1 2.58x
South Leith 1 1.74x
South Shields 1 9.92x
St Nicholas 1 476.19x
Usworth 1 16.64x
Wick 1 5.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 3
Alice 2
Eliza 2
Lavinia 2
Mary 2
Annie 1
Betsey 1
Bridget 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Helen 1
Maud 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
George 3
James 3
Henry 2
Thomas 2
Arthur 1
Percy 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Harcus households.

FAQ

Harcus surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harcus surname in 1881?

In 1881, 391 people were recorded with the Harcus surname. That placed it at #8,090 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harcus surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 483 in 2016. That gives Harcus a modern rank of #10,240.

What does the Harcus surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old Norse word hargs, meaning "heathen temple".

What does the Harcus map show?

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