NameCensus.

UK surname

Harknett

In the 1881 census there were 132 people recorded with the Harknett surname, ranking it #16,744 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 321, ranked #14,065, up from #16,744 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Netswell, Walthamstow, Low Leyton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Colchester, Epping Forest and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harknett is 380 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 143.2%.

1881 census count

132

Ranked #16,744

Modern count

321

2016, ranked #14,065

Peak year

1999

380 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harknett had 132 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,744 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 321 in 2016, ranked #14,065.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 279 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Harknett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harknett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harknett 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 117 #15,456
1861 historical 138 #16,365
1881 historical 132 #16,744
1891 historical 178 #16,264
1901 historical 237 #13,574
1911 historical 279 #12,018
1997 modern 368 #11,719
1998 modern 372 #12,008
1999 modern 380 #11,907
2000 modern 362 #12,264
2001 modern 348 #12,419
2002 modern 351 #12,583
2003 modern 334 #12,847
2004 modern 328 #13,058
2005 modern 328 #12,992
2006 modern 331 #12,990
2007 modern 336 #12,975
2008 modern 331 #13,237
2009 modern 333 #13,434
2010 modern 354 #13,135
2011 modern 335 #13,528
2012 modern 307 #14,288
2013 modern 317 #14,186
2014 modern 321 #14,150
2015 modern 317 #14,183
2016 modern 321 #14,065

Geography

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Where Harknetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Netswell, Walthamstow, Low Leyton, London parishes, Lambeth and Roydon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Colchester, Epping Forest, Mid Suffolk, Southwark and Sutton. 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 Netswell Essex
2 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Roydon Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Colchester 008 Colchester
2 Epping Forest 002 Epping Forest
3 Mid Suffolk 002 Mid Suffolk
4 Southwark 004 Southwark
5 Sutton 002 Sutton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harknett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harknett

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Harknett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Harknett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Harknett is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

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Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Harknett is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harknett falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Harknett is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Harknett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harknett 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. Essex leads with 51 Harknetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.91x.

County Total Index
Essex 51 19.91x
Middlesex 32 2.47x
Surrey 29 4.59x
Hertfordshire 12 13.42x
Devon 4 1.48x
Hampshire 3 1.13x
Kent 2 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bermondsey in Surrey leads with 12 Harknetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.07x.

Place Total Index
Bermondsey 12 31.07x
Roydon 10 2631.58x
South Shoebury 10 970.87x
Netteswell 9 6000.00x
Edmonton 8 76.56x
Lambeth 8 7.07x
Gilston 7 5833.33x
Walthamstow 7 75.92x
Shoreditch London 6 10.67x
Bethnal Green London 5 8.87x
Chingford 5 806.45x
Bideford 4 138.41x
Bow London 4 24.21x
Broxbourne 4 225.99x
Portsea 3 5.76x
Southwark St Thomas 3 857.14x
Camberwell 2 2.41x
Hornchurch 2 158.73x
Sheering 2 833.33x
Southchurch 2 833.33x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 7.66x
Speldhurst 2 88.89x
St George Hanover Square 2 8.75x
St Luke London 2 9.61x
St Marylebone London 2 2.89x
Waltham Holy Cross 2 83.68x
Chipping Barnet 1 64.10x
Croydon 1 2.85x
Enfield 1 11.75x
Hendon 1 21.41x
Islington London 1 0.80x
Nazeing 1 303.03x
Newington 1 2.09x
West Ham 1 1.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Mary 5
Ann 4
Emma 4
Jane 4
Louisa 4
Rosa 3
Sarah 3
Susan 3
Amy 2
Emily 2
Maria 2
Sophia 2
Alena 1
Alice 1
Alise 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Carolina 1
Caroline 1
Celia 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Fannie 1
Francis 1
Jenny 1
Kathy 1
Kezia 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Matilda 1
Rebecca 1
Rosalie 1
Rose 1
Rosina 1
Sarahann 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 9
John 9
Alfred 6
William 6
James 5
Benjamin 4
Charles 4
Thomas 3
Henry 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
David 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.T. 1
Fredrick 1
Horace 1
Jas. 1
Richard 1
Ruben 1
Willm. 1
Willm.John 1

FAQ

Harknett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harknett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 132 people were recorded with the Harknett surname. That placed it at #16,744 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harknett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 321 in 2016. That gives Harknett a modern rank of #14,065.

What does the Harknett map show?

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