NameCensus.

UK surname

Hardacre

A locational surname referring to someone living in, or originating from, a hard or harsh field or area of land.

In the 1881 census there were 710 people recorded with the Hardacre surname, ranking it #5,119 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 747, ranked #7,318, down from #5,119 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Giggleswick, Whalley and Blackburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, North Lincolnshire and Burnley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hardacre is 978 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.2%.

1881 census count

710

Ranked #5,119

Modern count

747

2016, ranked #7,318

Peak year

1901

978 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hardacre had 710 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,119 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 747 in 2016, ranked #7,318.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 978 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Hardacre surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hardacre surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hardacre 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 458 #5,402
1861 historical 398 #6,441
1881 historical 710 #5,119
1891 historical 764 #5,225
1901 historical 978 #4,843
1911 historical 904 #4,934
1997 modern 760 #6,812
1998 modern 758 #7,039
1999 modern 777 #6,948
2000 modern 759 #7,038
2001 modern 739 #7,063
2002 modern 756 #7,069
2003 modern 744 #7,063
2004 modern 748 #7,033
2005 modern 749 #6,964
2006 modern 734 #7,105
2007 modern 760 #6,978
2008 modern 777 #6,920
2009 modern 785 #6,989
2010 modern 789 #7,107
2011 modern 765 #7,191
2012 modern 744 #7,275
2013 modern 781 #7,110
2014 modern 771 #7,205
2015 modern 755 #7,266
2016 modern 747 #7,318

Geography

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Where Hardacres are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Giggleswick, Whalley, Blackburn and Keighley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, North Lincolnshire, Burnley and Pendle. 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 Giggleswick Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Whalley Lancashire
3 Blackburn Lancashire
4 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 002 Caerphilly
2 North Lincolnshire 020 North Lincolnshire
3 Burnley 004 Burnley
4 Pendle 011 Pendle
5 Caerphilly 006 Caerphilly

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hardacre

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hardacre

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Hardacre surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hardacre household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Hardacre is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Hardacre is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hardacre

The surname "HARDACRE" is of English origin, and it dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from the place name "Hardacre," which means "hard or tough land" or "hard-cultivated land." This surname is found primarily in the northern counties of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a John de Hardacre is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in various records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from 1523, where a Thomas Hardacre is listed. The variant spelling "Hardacre" is also found in the Wills and Inventories of Yorkshire from 1592, where a John Hardacre is mentioned.

Notable individuals with the surname "HARDACRE" include Richard Hardacre (1639-1689), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Mattersey in Nottinghamshire. Another notable bearer of the name was William Hardacre (1728-1798), a British surveyor and cartographer who is best known for his maps of Yorkshire.

In the 19th century, John Hardacre (1821-1901) was a prominent English architect and surveyor who designed several buildings in Lancashire, including churches and schools. Samuel Hardacre (1852-1927) was a British businessman and philanthropist who established the Hardacre Trust, which supported educational and charitable causes.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname "HARDACRE" was Sir William Hardacre (1873-1954), a British businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party and was also involved in the coal mining industry in Yorkshire.

While the surname "HARDACRE" has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration patterns in the past few centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hardacre families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hardacre 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. Lancashire leads with 344 Hardacres recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.19x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 344 4.19x
Yorkshire 194 2.83x
Somerset 50 4.48x
Cheshire 20 1.31x
Durham 18 0.87x
Monmouthshire 15 3.00x
Westmorland 13 8.54x
Angus 11 1.71x
Aberdeenshire 10 1.56x
Suffolk 9 1.07x
Surrey 8 0.24x
Sussex 8 0.69x
Staffordshire 5 0.21x
Warwickshire 3 0.17x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Northamptonshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Walton Le Dale in Lancashire leads with 61 Hardacres recorded in 1881 and an index of 276.27x.

Place Total Index
Walton Le Dale 61 276.27x
Keighley 30 41.01x
Colne 29 118.46x
Horton In Bradford 27 25.19x
Burnley 24 34.68x
Settle 21 400.00x
Whalley 15 125.21x
Chorley 14 30.36x
Oldham 14 5.28x
Casterton 13 942.03x
Manchester 13 3.52x
Padiham 13 65.46x
Preston 12 5.46x
Bishop Auckland 11 39.80x
Bury 11 11.72x
Dundee 11 4.59x
Everton 11 4.20x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 10 8.33x
Ovenden 10 32.73x
Twerton 10 86.96x
Upper Machen 10 291.55x
Chipstable 9 1153.85x
Habergham Eaves 9 11.98x
Pemberton 9 27.46x
Skipton 9 41.67x
Tockholes 9 769.23x
Wiveliscombe 9 144.93x
Brighton 8 3.40x
Salford 8 3.31x
Stockport 8 10.17x
Tranmere 8 14.24x
Battersea 7 2.75x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 7 29.83x
Clitheroe 7 28.94x
Gargrave 7 228.76x
Poulton Le Fylde 7 239.73x
Conistone Cum Kilnsey 6 1395.35x
Long Preston 6 359.28x
Milverton 6 145.99x
Morton In Keighley 6 111.32x
Shipley 6 16.84x
Toxteth Park 6 2.16x
Bedwas 5 137.74x
Bulk 5 1785.71x
Hulme 5 2.91x
Manningham 5 5.91x
Reedley Hallows 5 314.47x
West Derby 5 2.08x
Wigan 5 4.35x
Wolstanton Knutton 5 35.04x
Cuerdon 4 294.12x
Elton 4 14.08x
Giggleswick 4 172.41x
Hadleigh 4 48.90x
Hebden 4 540.54x
Holy Trinity 4 2.42x
Huntspill 4 87.72x
Hunwick Helmington 4 80.81x
Layham 4 314.96x
Newchurch 4 5.95x
Accrington 3 4.02x
Bishopwearmouth 3 1.70x
Blackburn 3 1.37x
Bootle Cum Linacre 3 4.60x
Bordley 3 3000.00x
Bradford 3 1.81x
Bradford Girlington 3 97.72x
Chapel Allerton 3 508.47x
Cheddar 3 53.48x
Great Bolton 3 2.76x
Husthwaite 3 288.46x
Lancaster 3 6.14x
Sculcoates 3 2.76x
York St Andrew 3 447.76x
Caton 2 77.82x
Kittisford 2 740.74x
Moston 2 24.27x
Mottram 2 28.86x
Trawden 2 38.91x
York St Lawrence 2 27.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 50
Elizabeth 49
Sarah 22
Jane 21
Margaret 21
Ann 16
Martha 13
Ellen 11
Hannah 11
Emma 10
Alice 8
Annie 7
Emily 7
Agnes 5
Ada 4
Grace 4
Anne 3
Caroline 3
Esther 3
Harriett 3
Isabella 3
Louisa 3
Margret 3
Maria 3
Nancy 3
Rose 3
Selina 3
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Marg. 2
Matilda 2
Rachel 2
Ruth 2
Anna 1
Betty 1
Cathrine 1
Eliz.A. 1
Elvira 1
Emely 1
Emmily 1
Jemima 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 56
John 53
Thomas 29
James 26
Richard 22
George 14
Joseph 14
Robert 14
Henry 9
Harry 5
Arthur 4
Christopher 4
Walter 4
Albert 3
Charles 3
Edward 3
Frank 3
Fred 3
Frederick 3
Geo. 3
Herbert 3
Tom 3
Edgar 2
Francis 2
Isaac 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Allan 1
Augustine 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Ellis 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Harold 1
Hugh 1
Luther 1
Martin 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Midgeley 1
Nathaniel 1
Oliver 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Pollard 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Hardacre surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hardacre surname in 1881?

In 1881, 710 people were recorded with the Hardacre surname. That placed it at #5,119 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hardacre surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 747 in 2016. That gives Hardacre a modern rank of #7,318.

What does the Hardacre surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone living in, or originating from, a hard or harsh field or area of land.

What does the Hardacre map show?

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