NameCensus.

UK surname

Hardwick

From an English place name meaning "livestock farm in a hard enclosure," referring to a farm with sturdy fencing.

In the 1881 census there were 4,571 people recorded with the Hardwick surname, ranking it #977 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,725, ranked #1,173, down from #977 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Wakefield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Derbyshire, Powys and Ashfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hardwick is 6,267 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.2%.

1881 census count

4,571

Ranked #977

Modern count

5,725

2016, ranked #1,173

Peak year

1911

6,267 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hardwick had 4,571 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #977 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,725 in 2016, ranked #1,173.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,267 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hardwick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hardwick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hardwick 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 3,003 #963
1861 historical 2,915 #989
1881 historical 4,571 #977
1891 historical 4,917 #949
1901 historical 5,707 #976
1911 historical 6,267 #821
1997 modern 5,981 #1,096
1998 modern 6,154 #1,102
1999 modern 6,215 #1,103
2000 modern 6,169 #1,103
2001 modern 6,013 #1,106
2002 modern 6,086 #1,119
2003 modern 5,921 #1,119
2004 modern 5,893 #1,124
2005 modern 5,719 #1,141
2006 modern 5,673 #1,145
2007 modern 5,683 #1,151
2008 modern 5,688 #1,154
2009 modern 5,785 #1,157
2010 modern 5,855 #1,172
2011 modern 5,880 #1,160
2012 modern 5,746 #1,159
2013 modern 5,855 #1,158
2014 modern 5,875 #1,160
2015 modern 5,796 #1,161
2016 modern 5,725 #1,173

Geography

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Where Hardwicks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Wakefield, Sheffield and Guiseley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Derbyshire, Powys, Ashfield and Wyre Forest. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Guiseley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Derbyshire 004 North East Derbyshire
2 Powys 011 Powys
3 Ashfield 010 Ashfield
4 North East Derbyshire 010 North East Derbyshire
5 Wyre Forest 001 Wyre Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hardwick

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hardwick

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

Hardwick is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hardwick

The surname Hardwick has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Hardwick, which is found in several counties across the country. The name Hardwick itself is composed of two Old English words, "heard" meaning hardy or robust, and "wic" meaning a farm or dwelling place, suggesting the name may have initially referred to a hardy or well-fortified farm or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Hardwick can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hardewic" and "Hardewica." This historical record provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of the name during the Norman conquest of England.

In the 13th century, the surname Hardwick is documented in various records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1230, where a Robert de Hardwyk is mentioned. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, which lists a John de Hardewyk.

Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the surname Hardwick. One of the most prominent is Elizabeth Hardwick (1516-1608), also known as Bess of Hardwick, who was a wealthy English noblewoman and builder of notable estates like Hardwick Hall and Chatsworth House. Another significant figure is Thomas Hardwick (1752-1829), an English architect who designed several notable buildings, including St. Mary's Church in Nottingham and the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.

Other notable individuals include Charles Hardwick (1817-1889), an English clergyman and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of insects, and Philip Hardwick (1792-1870), an English architect responsible for designing several important buildings, such as Euston Station in London and the Hall of the Skinners' Company.

The surname Hardwick has also been associated with various place names throughout England. For instance, the village of Hardwick in Oxfordshire is recorded in the Domesday Book as "Herdewic," while the village of Hardwick in Cambridgeshire appears as "Hardeuuic" in the same historical record.

Overall, the surname Hardwick has a rich history rooted in the medieval period of England, with its origins reflecting the rugged and fortified nature of early settlements. Its presence in historical records and association with notable individuals and places further solidify its significance within the annals of English surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hardwick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hardwick 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,171 Hardwicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.64x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,171 2.64x
Derbyshire 403 5.76x
Middlesex 319 0.71x
Northamptonshire 215 5.12x
Staffordshire 211 1.40x
Somerset 190 2.64x
Worcestershire 181 3.10x
Lancashire 168 0.32x
Nottinghamshire 145 2.41x
Gloucestershire 144 1.64x
Surrey 133 0.61x
Lincolnshire 104 1.46x
Suffolk 104 1.91x
Herefordshire 92 5.02x
Bedfordshire 86 3.72x
Durham 81 0.61x
Cambridgeshire 78 2.76x
Sussex 73 0.97x
Warwickshire 69 0.61x
Essex 65 0.74x
Cheshire 61 0.62x
Huntingdonshire 59 6.65x
Monmouthshire 57 1.76x
Radnorshire 55 15.26x
Shropshire 55 1.42x
Kent 42 0.28x
Northumberland 40 0.60x
Hertfordshire 27 0.88x
Leicestershire 24 0.48x
Hampshire 23 0.25x
Buckinghamshire 22 0.81x
Glamorgan 19 0.24x
Dorset 13 0.44x
Berkshire 6 0.18x
Brecknockshire 6 0.67x
Channel Islands 6 0.45x
Wiltshire 6 0.15x
Cornwall 5 0.10x
Royal Navy 5 0.94x
Devon 4 0.04x
Norfolk 4 0.06x
Oxfordshire 4 0.15x
Rutland 2 0.61x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.06x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.05x
Midlothian 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 93 Hardwicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.72x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 93 3.72x
Guiseley 57 100.55x
Sheffield 53 3.76x
Wakefield 53 15.59x
Hunslet 51 7.39x
Lambeth 44 1.13x
St Pancras London 44 1.22x
Fulbourn 37 136.68x
Wolverley 37 72.24x
Walsall Foreign 36 4.62x
Eckington 34 20.01x
Shoreditch London 33 1.70x
Kingswinford 32 5.84x
Northampton Priory St 31 12.29x
Bradford 30 2.80x
Nottingham St Mary 30 1.93x
Alfreton 29 13.65x
Bethnal Green London 28 1.44x
Ecclesall Bierlow 28 3.11x
Aston 26 0.84x
Batley 25 5.94x
Bedminster 25 3.70x
Dronfield 25 27.89x
Earls Barton 24 66.95x
Kensington London 24 0.97x
Stapenhill 24 23.05x
Clifton 23 5.19x
Eskdaleside 23 105.70x
Islington London 23 0.53x
Llanbister 23 184.59x
West Ham 23 1.18x
Kirkby In Ashfield 22 34.15x
West Derby 22 1.42x
Birmingham 21 0.56x
Idle 21 10.23x
Mile End Old Town London 21 2.21x
Stanwick 21 210.00x
Battersea 20 1.22x
Bramford 20 97.80x
Stanton Newhall 20 89.21x
Unstone 20 72.73x
Wrelton 20 571.43x
Burton Upon Trent 19 5.39x
Chesterfield 19 7.25x
Easton In Gordano 19 65.63x
Great Staughton 19 110.47x
Heath 19 349.26x
West Dean 19 13.35x
Claylane 18 18.51x
Derby St Peter 18 8.08x
Eastbourne 18 5.19x
Harborne 18 3.72x
Headingley Cum Burley 18 6.32x
Congresbury 17 93.25x
Stevington 17 177.82x
Whitwell 17 61.11x
Yeadon 17 17.01x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 16 9.95x
Keighley 16 3.39x
Leighton Buzzard 16 16.08x
Nether Hallam 16 2.67x
Raunds 16 37.39x
Staveley 16 12.89x
Worksop 16 8.96x
Backwell 15 101.63x
Burwell 15 44.23x
Cheltenham 15 2.22x
Dewsbury 15 3.30x
Kidderminster Borough 15 4.39x
Mansfield 15 7.20x
Northampton St Sepulchre 15 7.02x
Wortley In Bramley 15 4.28x
Ampthill 14 40.54x
Brampton Bierlow 14 24.70x
Cannock 14 5.32x
North Bierley 14 5.86x
North Newbald 14 140.56x
Soothill 14 8.75x
West Bromwich 14 1.62x
Whitchurch 14 125.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 329
Sarah 186
Elizabeth 180
Ann 97
Jane 88
Annie 81
Eliza 77
Emma 69
Martha 61
Hannah 58
Emily 55
Ellen 52
Alice 46
Harriet 36
Maria 36
Lucy 30
Fanny 27
Florence 26
Edith 25
Ada 23
Caroline 22
Louisa 22
Catherine 21
Kate 21
Margaret 20
Susan 19
Charlotte 18
Clara 18
Julia 16
Agnes 14
Frances 14
Rose 14
Amy 13
Gertrude 13
Anne 12
Rachel 11
Eleanor 10
Elizth. 10
Esther 10
Harriett 10
Isabella 10
Jessie 10
Lydia 10
Rebecca 10
Ruth 10
Ethel 9
Sophia 9
Amelia 8
Matilda 8
Rosa 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 319
John 267
Thomas 174
George 158
James 127
Charles 106
Joseph 95
Henry 92
Arthur 57
Samuel 56
Walter 44
Alfred 41
Robert 41
Frederick 35
Edward 33
Richard 33
Herbert 28
Harry 23
Albert 22
Francis 17
Benjamin 16
Ernest 15
Frank 14
Edwin 13
Fred 13
David 12
Wm. 12
Isaac 11
Thos. 10
Tom 9
Fredk. 8
Geo. 7
Fredrick 6
Jesse 6
Percy 6
Willie 6
Willm. 6
Andrew 5
Chas. 5
Joe 5
Jonathan 5
Stephen 5
Abraham 4
Jacob 4
Jethro 4
Mark 4
Reuben 4
Saml. 4
Matthew 3
Oliver 3

FAQ

Hardwick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hardwick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,571 people were recorded with the Hardwick surname. That placed it at #977 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hardwick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,725 in 2016. That gives Hardwick a modern rank of #1,173.

What does the Hardwick surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "livestock farm in a hard enclosure," referring to a farm with sturdy fencing.

What does the Hardwick map show?

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