NameCensus.

UK surname

Harling

A locational surname referring to someone from a place with a name derived from "hare" and "leah" (Old English for meadow).

In the 1881 census there were 1,298 people recorded with the Harling surname, ranking it #3,153 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,232, ranked #4,842, down from #3,153 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Lancaster Borough and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Fylde and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harling is 1,753 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.1%.

1881 census count

1,298

Ranked #3,153

Modern count

1,232

2016, ranked #4,842

Peak year

1911

1,753 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harling had 1,298 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,153 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,232 in 2016, ranked #4,842.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,753 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Harling surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harling surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harling 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 828 #3,263
1861 historical 1,080 #2,606
1881 historical 1,298 #3,153
1891 historical 1,549 #2,852
1901 historical 1,634 #3,159
1911 historical 1,753 #2,804
1997 modern 1,334 #4,312
1998 modern 1,352 #4,404
1999 modern 1,376 #4,365
2000 modern 1,378 #4,350
2001 modern 1,341 #4,363
2002 modern 1,347 #4,443
2003 modern 1,307 #4,464
2004 modern 1,304 #4,466
2005 modern 1,261 #4,555
2006 modern 1,259 #4,568
2007 modern 1,265 #4,591
2008 modern 1,274 #4,590
2009 modern 1,299 #4,613
2010 modern 1,331 #4,599
2011 modern 1,287 #4,693
2012 modern 1,257 #4,711
2013 modern 1,273 #4,743
2014 modern 1,279 #4,747
2015 modern 1,263 #4,757
2016 modern 1,232 #4,842

Geography

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Where Harlings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Lancaster Borough, London parishes and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Fylde, Kirklees and Hyndburn. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 004 Wakefield
2 Wakefield 001 Wakefield
3 Fylde 002 Fylde
4 Kirklees 048 Kirklees
5 Hyndburn 001 Hyndburn

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harling

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harling

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

Harling is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harling falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Harling 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 Harling, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Harling

The surname "Harling" is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have originated in England during the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the village of Harling in Norfolk, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Harlinga". The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hara" meaning "hare" and "inga" meaning "people of", suggesting that the name may have originally referred to the people living in an area associated with hares.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Harling" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1198, where a Robert de Harlinge is mentioned. The name also appears in the Feet of Fines for Norfolk in 1292, where a John de Harling is listed as holding land in the county.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir Robert Harling, a member of the English gentry and a prominent landowner in Norfolk. He is mentioned in various historical records from the period, including the Close Rolls of 1343 and the Patent Rolls of 1349.

During the 15th century, the name "Harling" can be found in the Register of the Freemen of York from 1459, which lists a William Harlyng as a freeman of the city. Around the same time, a John Harling is recorded in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from the wealthy Paston family of Norfolk, dated between 1422 and 1509.

In the 16th century, one notable figure was William Harling, a merchant and member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers in York, who lived from around 1510 to 1586. Another individual of note was John Harling, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in Norwich in 1555 during the Marian Persecutions under the reign of Queen Mary I.

Moving into the 17th century, the name appears in various records, including the Visitation of Norfolk from 1613, which mentions a family of Harlings who were members of the landed gentry in the county. Additionally, a Robert Harling is listed as a member of the Virginia Company, which was responsible for the establishment of the Virginia colony in North America in the early 1600s.

The surname "Harling" has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history, including the 19th century English author and poet Robert Harling (1810-1896), and the 20th century Australian politician and member of parliament, Frank Harling (1892-1962). The name has also been associated with various places, such as the village of Harling in Norfolk, which has retained its name since the 11th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harling families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harling 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 431 Harlings recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.89x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 431 2.89x
Yorkshire 236 1.90x
Surrey 125 2.04x
Middlesex 112 0.89x
Kent 109 2.54x
Suffolk 41 2.68x
Durham 33 0.88x
Norfolk 21 1.09x
Berkshire 20 2.12x
Essex 20 0.81x
Oxfordshire 15 1.93x
Cheshire 14 0.51x
Westmorland 13 4.71x
Glamorgan 12 0.55x
Sussex 12 0.57x
Warwickshire 9 0.28x
Roxburghshire 8 3.52x
Staffordshire 8 0.19x
Hampshire 7 0.27x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.41x
Cumberland 6 0.56x
Hertfordshire 5 0.58x
Lincolnshire 5 0.25x
Denbighshire 3 0.63x
Derbyshire 3 0.15x
Gloucestershire 3 0.12x
Lanarkshire 3 0.07x
Shropshire 2 0.18x
Brecknockshire 1 0.40x
Northamptonshire 1 0.08x
Somerset 1 0.05x
Wiltshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spotland in Lancashire leads with 59 Harlings recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.62x.

Place Total Index
Spotland 59 35.62x
Chorley 43 51.44x
Habergham Eaves 39 28.64x
Whitwood 32 181.10x
Lambeth 31 2.83x
Preston 29 7.28x
Hackney London 20 2.84x
Blackburn 19 4.79x
Lancaster 19 21.44x
Godstone 17 155.11x
Islington London 17 1.40x
Clayton Le Moors 16 55.36x
Kelsale 16 376.47x
Skerton 15 122.65x
Newington 14 3.02x
West Ham 14 2.56x
Bowling 13 10.55x
Lockwood 13 29.04x
Brighton 12 2.81x
Walton Le Dale 12 29.98x
Elland Cum Greetland 11 19.63x
Horsforth 11 40.32x
Llandaff 11 15.13x
Plumstead 11 7.70x
Wardleworth 11 12.92x
Willesden 11 9.30x
Wychling 11 1746.03x
Bow London 10 6.26x
Bradford 10 3.32x
Great Little Marsden 10 14.65x
St Paul Covent Garden 10 79.62x
West Derby 10 2.29x
Bury 9 5.29x
Camberwell 9 1.12x
Dewsbury 9 7.05x
Leiston 9 85.71x
Lower Booths 9 33.72x
Salford 9 2.05x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 3.56x
Stockton On Tees 9 5.00x
Almondbury 8 13.30x
Atherton 8 14.75x
Battersea 8 1.73x
Bexley 8 21.12x
Bingley 8 10.10x
Caterham 8 29.59x
Chester St Oswald 8 15.94x
Combrook 8 860.22x
Darlington 8 5.55x
Deptford St Paul 8 2.42x
Enstone 8 168.78x
Jedburgh 8 35.89x
Oldham 8 1.66x
Sculcoates 8 4.06x
Tettenhall 8 30.88x
Batley 7 5.92x
Bethnal Green London 7 1.28x
Castleford 7 15.45x
Erith 7 16.59x
Garstang 7 208.33x
Gravesend 7 19.30x
Holy Trinity 7 2.34x
Little Bolton 7 3.65x
St Marylebone London 7 1.04x
St Pancras London 7 0.69x
Swanscombe 7 36.38x
Winkfield 7 44.76x
Aldeburgh 6 66.30x
Bentham 6 63.29x
Cransford 6 759.49x
Greenwich 6 3.00x
Hurst 6 48.66x
Liversedge 6 10.83x
Mereworth 6 173.91x
Middlesbrough 6 3.70x
Nottingham St Mary 6 1.37x
Oswaldtwistle 6 11.40x
Rochester St Margaret 6 13.28x
Skelton In Guisbrough 6 17.83x
Spelsbury 6 256.41x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 79
John 75
Thomas 61
James 45
George 41
Edward 22
Henry 22
Joseph 21
Robert 21
Richard 18
Charles 16
Albert 10
Alfred 9
Harry 8
Ralph 8
Arthur 7
Daniel 5
Edgar 4
Ernest 4
Francis 4
Fred 4
Samuel 4
Walter 4
Wm. 4
Abraham 3
Benjamin 3
Jas. 3
Leonard 3
Oliver 3
Alfd. 2
Christopher 2
Frank 2
Frederic 2
Frederick 2
Harold 2
Herbert 2
Hiram 2
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Matthew 2
R.W. 2
Robt. 2
Thos. 2
Allen 1
Elvey 1
Fred. 1
Jno. 1
Job 1
Joe 1
Wm.Chs. 1

FAQ

Harling surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harling surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,298 people were recorded with the Harling surname. That placed it at #3,153 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harling surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,232 in 2016. That gives Harling a modern rank of #4,842.

What does the Harling surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place with a name derived from "hare" and "leah" (Old English for meadow).

What does the Harling map show?

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