NameCensus.

UK surname

Harker

An occupational surname referring to someone who works with a hark, a rack for drying or storing grain.

In the 1881 census there were 3,155 people recorded with the Harker surname, ranking it #1,427 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,599, ranked #1,887, down from #1,427 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arkengarth Dale, Gateshead and Leeds. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Richmondshire, Hambleton and Harrogate.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harker is 3,882 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.1%.

1881 census count

3,155

Ranked #1,427

Modern count

3,599

2016, ranked #1,887

Peak year

1911

3,882 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harker had 3,155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,427 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,599 in 2016, ranked #1,887.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,882 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Harker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harker surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Harker 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 2,140 #1,362
1861 historical 2,299 #1,280
1881 historical 3,155 #1,427
1891 historical 3,289 #1,443
1901 historical 3,643 #1,542
1911 historical 3,882 #1,329
1997 modern 3,470 #1,867
1998 modern 3,613 #1,873
1999 modern 3,664 #1,854
2000 modern 3,605 #1,884
2001 modern 3,504 #1,887
2002 modern 3,585 #1,891
2003 modern 3,439 #1,924
2004 modern 3,443 #1,923
2005 modern 3,354 #1,945
2006 modern 3,400 #1,909
2007 modern 3,425 #1,913
2008 modern 3,479 #1,908
2009 modern 3,590 #1,902
2010 modern 3,603 #1,932
2011 modern 3,618 #1,900
2012 modern 3,534 #1,900
2013 modern 3,627 #1,891
2014 modern 3,651 #1,891
2015 modern 3,613 #1,887
2016 modern 3,599 #1,887

Geography

Back to top

Where Harkers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arkengarth Dale, Gateshead, Leeds, Manchester and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Richmondshire, Hambleton, Harrogate and County Durham. 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 Arkengarth Dale Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Richmondshire 005 Richmondshire
2 Hambleton 004 Hambleton
3 Richmondshire 006 Richmondshire
4 Harrogate 006 Harrogate
5 County Durham 040 County Durham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Harker

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Harker

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

Harker 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

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

Meaning and origin of Harker

The surname Harker has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hara" meaning hare and "covert" meaning a thicket or small wood, thus referring to someone who lived near a hare's covert or a place where hares sought shelter.

The name was initially found in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire, where it was often spelled as Harker, Harkar, or Harcart. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named William Harker is mentioned.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to places that may have contributed to the surname Harker, such as Harcourt in Oxfordshire and Harecort in Warwickshire.

The surname Harker has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was John Harker, a merchant from York who lived in the 14th century. Another prominent figure was William Harker, a English mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1579 to 1625 and contributed to the development of logarithms.

In the 17th century, a family of Harkers played a significant role in the English Civil War. Colonel Thomas Harker (1610-1667) was a Parliamentarian officer who fought for the Roundheads, while his brother, Captain John Harker (1612-1689), served in the Royalist army.

During the 18th century, John Harker (1700-1780) was a notable English clockmaker who became renowned for his longcase clocks, which were highly sought after by the aristocracy of the time.

Another notable figure was Samuel Harker (1820-1892), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Whitechapel Art Gallery and the St. Pancras Chambers.

The surname Harker has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Harker Moss in Lancashire, Harker Scar in Yorkshire, and Harker Village in County Durham. These place names likely originated from the Old English words "hara" and "covert," further emphasizing the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Harker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harker 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 1,237 Harkers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.06x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,237 4.06x
Lancashire 516 1.41x
Durham 482 5.27x
Cumberland 121 4.57x
Middlesex 100 0.33x
Lincolnshire 70 1.42x
Surrey 58 0.39x
Northumberland 51 1.11x
Warwickshire 41 0.53x
Denbighshire 37 3.18x
Worcestershire 36 0.90x
Westmorland 30 4.44x
Kent 29 0.28x
Cheshire 28 0.41x
Nottinghamshire 27 0.65x
Sussex 25 0.48x
Hampshire 24 0.38x
Berkshire 22 0.95x
Lanarkshire 21 0.21x
Northamptonshire 18 0.62x
Staffordshire 17 0.16x
Leicestershire 15 0.44x
Derbyshire 14 0.29x
Caernarfonshire 11 0.88x
Gloucestershire 11 0.18x
Essex 10 0.16x
Herefordshire 9 0.71x
Banffshire 8 1.25x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.36x
Ayrshire 6 0.26x
Bedfordshire 6 0.38x
Dunbartonshire 6 0.73x
East Lothian 6 1.47x
Norfolk 6 0.13x
Somerset 6 0.12x
Stirlingshire 5 0.44x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.14x
Devon 4 0.06x
Midlothian 4 0.10x
Dorset 3 0.15x
Hertfordshire 3 0.14x
Suffolk 3 0.08x
Berwickshire 2 0.54x
Flintshire 2 0.24x
Glamorgan 2 0.04x
Oxfordshire 2 0.11x
Wiltshire 2 0.07x
Angus 1 0.04x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.05x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.16x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.22x
Renfrewshire 1 0.04x
Roxburghshire 1 0.18x

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 52 Harkers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.02x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 52 3.02x
Habergham Eaves 48 14.39x
Bradford 47 6.37x
Darlington 42 11.89x
Arkengarthdale 41 387.16x
Melbecks 36 293.16x
Burnley 35 11.39x
Llanrwst 34 84.54x
Great Little Marsden 29 17.35x
Bishopwearmouth 27 3.44x
Holy Trinity 27 3.68x
Middlesbrough 27 6.80x
Muker 27 306.47x
Sculcoates 26 5.38x
West Witton 25 475.29x
Crook Billy Row 24 20.48x
Ashton Under Lyne 22 2.76x
Abingdon St Helen 21 31.11x
Hunslet 21 4.42x
Ripon 21 29.70x
Shipley 21 13.28x
Bishop Auckland 20 16.29x
Grassington 20 305.34x
Lancaster 20 9.21x
Northowram 20 9.36x
Accrington 19 5.73x
Linthorpe 19 10.45x
Shildon 19 25.84x
Stockton On Tees 19 4.31x
Birmingham 18 0.70x
North Bierley 18 10.94x
Whorlton 18 250.35x
Islington London 17 0.57x
Manningham 17 4.53x
Pinchbeck 17 53.93x
Sherburn 17 61.04x
Skelton In Guisbrough 17 20.62x
Wyke In Bradford 17 31.19x
Aston 16 0.75x
Witton Le Wear 16 61.66x
Cleator 14 12.70x
Ford 14 51.06x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 14 3.53x
Moresby 14 138.75x
Westoe 14 2.70x
Gomersal 13 9.14x
Keswick 13 38.40x
Little Bolton 13 2.77x
Southcoates 13 7.68x
West Derby 13 1.22x
Birkenhead 12 2.22x
Blennerhasset Kirkland 12 233.01x
Litherland 12 15.73x
Portsea 12 0.97x
Radcliffe 12 6.82x
West Newton W Burton 12 774.19x
Wigan 12 2.35x
Brotton 11 27.65x
Chirton 11 10.62x
Great Crosby 11 11.06x
Great Little Hampton 11 164.42x
Horton In Bradford 11 2.31x
Richmond 11 23.10x
Spotland 11 2.71x
Thornton In Bradford 11 10.84x
Whitby 11 10.71x
Withington 11 9.36x
Bishop Thornton 10 198.41x
Camberwell 10 0.51x
Chester Le Street 10 14.23x
Evesham St Lawrence 10 46.86x
Grinton 10 251.89x
Heworth 10 5.55x
Hulme 10 1.31x
Liverpool 10 0.45x
Llanrhychwyn 10 177.62x
Openshaw 10 5.85x
Ryhope 10 15.74x
Thirsk 10 28.44x
Whitehaven 10 7.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 239
Elizabeth 139
Sarah 101
Ann 92
Jane 89
Margaret 74
Annie 47
Ellen 47
Hannah 42
Alice 33
Eliza 25
Harriet 22
Isabella 22
Edith 21
Emma 21
Esther 21
Martha 21
Emily 20
Catherine 17
Agnes 15
Ada 13
Fanny 11
Maria 10
Nancy 10
Susan 10
Caroline 9
Eliz. 9
Louisa 9
Clara 8
Kate 8
Susannah 8
Anne 7
Dorothy 7
Lucy 7
Margret 7
Rachel 7
Rose 7
Amelia 6
Florence 6
Frances 6
Gertrude 6
Harriett 6
Ruth 6
Betsy 5
Charlotte 5
Francis 5
Lilly 5
Rebecca 5
Amy 4
Margt. 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 234
William 188
James 127
Thomas 124
George 112
Joseph 70
Robert 55
Henry 42
Edward 38
Richard 32
Charles 31
Alfred 21
Harry 19
Simon 19
Arthur 18
Albert 17
Christopher 13
Frank 12
Frederick 12
Tom 12
David 11
Wm. 11
Herbert 10
Ralph 9
Benjamin 8
Ernest 8
Francis 8
Geo. 8
Matthew 8
Walter 8
Anthony 7
Jonathan 7
Samuel 7
Thos. 7
Adam 6
Michael 6
Leonard 5
Stephen 5
Jno. 4
Miles 4
Amos 3
Daniel 3
Edwin 3
Fred 3
Isaac 3
Levi 3
Luke 3
Simeon 3
Mathew 2
Mathias 2

FAQ

Harker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,155 people were recorded with the Harker surname. That placed it at #1,427 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,599 in 2016. That gives Harker a modern rank of #1,887.

What does the Harker surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who works with a hark, a rack for drying or storing grain.

What does the Harker map show?

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