NameCensus.

UK surname

Hardstaff

In the 1881 census there were 391 people recorded with the Hardstaff surname, ranking it #8,090 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 417, ranked #11,504, down from #8,090 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Skegby, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Hucknall Torkard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Boston, Gedling and Ashfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hardstaff is 517 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.6%.

1881 census count

391

Ranked #8,090

Modern count

417

2016, ranked #11,504

Peak year

1911

517 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hardstaff had 391 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,090 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 417 in 2016, ranked #11,504.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 517 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hardstaff surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hardstaff surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hardstaff 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 307 #7,502
1861 historical 328 #7,771
1881 historical 391 #8,090
1891 historical 459 #7,965
1901 historical 476 #8,356
1911 historical 517 #7,634
1997 modern 415 #10,709
1998 modern 443 #10,526
1999 modern 438 #10,695
2000 modern 431 #10,785
2001 modern 420 #10,811
2002 modern 418 #11,084
2003 modern 419 #10,875
2004 modern 404 #11,199
2005 modern 380 #11,639
2006 modern 379 #11,688
2007 modern 388 #11,630
2008 modern 400 #11,468
2009 modern 422 #11,221
2010 modern 430 #11,306
2011 modern 424 #11,314
2012 modern 433 #10,996
2013 modern 444 #10,946
2014 modern 449 #10,926
2015 modern 425 #11,346
2016 modern 417 #11,504

Geography

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Where Hardstaffs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Skegby, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Hucknall Torkard, Nottingham St Mary and Alfreton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Boston, Gedling and Ashfield. 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 Skegby Nottinghamshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Hucknall Torkard Nottinghamshire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Alfreton Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Boston 002 Boston
2 Gedling 001 Gedling
3 Boston 004 Boston
4 Boston 003 Boston
5 Ashfield 014 Ashfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hardstaff

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hardstaff

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

Hardstaff 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

Hardstaff falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hardstaff is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Hardstaff families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hardstaff 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 240 Hardstaffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.68x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 240 46.68x
Derbyshire 32 5.36x
Lancashire 28 0.62x
Warwickshire 19 1.98x
Yorkshire 18 0.48x
Lincolnshire 14 2.30x
Kent 12 0.92x
Bedfordshire 6 3.04x
Cheshire 6 0.71x
Berkshire 4 1.40x
Somerset 4 0.65x
Middlesex 3 0.08x
Leicestershire 2 0.47x
Staffordshire 2 0.16x
Surrey 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hucknall Torkard in Nottinghamshire leads with 38 Hardstaffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 291.41x.

Place Total Index
Hucknall Torkard 38 291.41x
Nottingham St Mary 35 26.32x
Mansfield 30 168.63x
Kirkby In Ashfield 22 400.00x
Sutton In Ashfield 20 179.21x
Alfreton 12 66.15x
Birmingham 10 3.12x
Radford 10 38.28x
Selston 10 174.22x
Aston 9 3.40x
Gorton 9 21.15x
East Leake 8 650.41x
Hasland 8 131.58x
Erith 7 54.60x
Linby 7 1666.67x
Manchester 7 3.44x
Bingham 6 273.97x
Brightside Bierlow 6 8.09x
Luton 6 17.55x
Arnold 5 66.67x
Broughton In Salford 5 12.08x
Coal Aston 5 485.44x
Monks Coppenhall 5 15.74x
Sheffield 5 4.16x
South Muskham 5 1562.50x
Annesley 4 207.25x
Boston 4 21.62x
Epperstone 4 701.75x
Hatch Beauchamp 4 851.06x
Milton In Milton 4 72.33x
New Windsor 4 41.58x
Nottingham St Nicholas 4 57.14x
Skegby 4 126.98x
Stapleford 4 95.69x
Woodborough 4 344.83x
Basford 3 12.66x
Bramcote 3 306.12x
Heckington 3 129.31x
Huyton With Roby 3 56.60x
Kensington London 3 1.41x
Litchurch 3 12.48x
Ruskington 3 193.55x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 2 5.68x
Edwinstowe 2 163.93x
Fulstone 2 72.20x
Rusholme 2 16.57x
Salford 2 1.50x
Standard Hill 2 163.93x
West Leake 2 952.38x
Wollaton 2 215.05x
Anwick 1 222.22x
Borden 1 60.61x
Burton Upon Trent 1 3.32x
Coleby 1 175.44x
Eastwood 1 21.74x
Elston 1 166.67x
Glen Parva 1 101.01x
Great Hale 1 108.70x
Handsworth 1 10.01x
Horninglow 1 16.50x
Leicester St Margaret 1 0.97x
Lenton 1 8.26x
Little Ponton 1 333.33x
Matlock 1 12.47x
Newstead 1 79.37x
North Muskham 1 140.85x
Partington 1 175.44x
Pinxton 1 32.89x
Ripley 1 13.55x
Saddleworth 1 3.43x
Shipley 1 5.10x
Streatham 1 3.53x
Whittington 1 12.11x
Willington 1 149.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 29
Elizabeth 21
Sarah 15
Ann 13
Annie 10
Hannah 8
Eliza 6
Alice 5
Emma 5
Fanny 5
Harriet 5
Charlotte 4
Harriett 4
Louisa 4
Ada 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Florence 3
Jemima 3
Kate 3
Rebecca 3
Bertha 2
Ethel 2
Jane 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Avice 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Diana 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elezibth 1
Eliz 1
Elizbeth 1
Elsie 1
Gertrude 1
Henrietta 1
Ida 1
Jessie 1
June 1
Katherine 1
Laura 1
Leah 1
Leviana 1
Maggie 1
Marie 1
May 1
Youna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 37
John 27
George 24
James 12
Henry 11
Joseph 9
Richard 7
Thomas 5
Arthur 4
Charles 4
Frederick 4
Samuel 4
Alfred 3
Edward 3
Robert 3
Thos. 3
Benjamin 2
Dodson 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Albert 1
Allen 1
Bernard 1
Bruce 1
Fred 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Hiram 1
Infant 1
Ismael 1
Jno. 1
Mark 1
Morgan 1
Noble 1
Percy 1
Sam. 1
Sidney 1
Thos.W. 1
Tom 1
Walker 1
Wallace 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Hardstaff surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hardstaff surname in 1881?

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

How common is the Hardstaff surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 417 in 2016. That gives Hardstaff a modern rank of #11,504.

What does the Hardstaff map show?

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