NameCensus.

UK surname

Harm

A surname derived from the German word "Harem," meaning a wooded or mountainous area.

In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Harm surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #24,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Compton, Nether and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harm is 133 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.2%.

1881 census count

67

Ranked #24,104

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

1861

133 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harm had 67 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 133 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Harm surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harm surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harm 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 60 #22,584
1861 historical 133 #16,835
1881 historical 67 #24,104
1891 historical 85 #26,080
1901 historical 57 #27,846
1911 historical 66 #26,249
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 111 #25,990
1999 modern 114 #25,766
2000 modern 113 #25,843
2001 modern 106 #26,468
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 108 #26,486
2004 modern 109 #26,607
2005 modern 105 #27,203
2006 modern 111 #26,565
2007 modern 108 #27,391
2008 modern 112 #27,061
2009 modern 112 #27,685
2010 modern 120 #27,124
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 117 #27,394
2013 modern 107 #29,561
2014 modern 107 #29,827
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Harms are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Compton, Nether, Gateshead, St Werburgh 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 Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Compton, Nether Dorset
3 Gateshead Durham
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gateshead 019 Gateshead
2 Gateshead 007 Gateshead
3 Gateshead 013 Gateshead
4 Gateshead 023 Gateshead
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 003 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harm

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harm

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Harm surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Harm household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Harm is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Harm is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harm 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 Harm is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Harm

The surname Harm has its origins in the Germanic regions of Europe, dating back to the medieval period. Originally, it was derived from the Old German word "harm," meaning "harm" or "injury." This name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who had been injured or had caused harm to others.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Harm can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the 9th century. Here, a man named Harimann is mentioned, which is believed to be an early variant of the surname Harm.

In England, the Harm surname is first documented in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Harme" and "Herm." This suggests that the name had already been established in parts of England by the 11th century, likely brought over by Germanic settlers.

During the Middle Ages, the Harm surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Saxony and Westphalia in modern-day Germany. Several notable individuals bearing this name emerged from these areas, including Johannes Harm (1485-1549), a German theologian and reformer who played a role in the Protestant Reformation.

In the Netherlands, the Harm surname can be traced back to the 16th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is Pieter Harm, who was born in Utrecht in 1521 and became a respected merchant and civic leader in the city.

The Harm surname also has a strong presence in Scandinavia, particularly in Denmark and Norway. In Denmark, the name is believed to have originated from the Old Norse word "harmr," meaning "sorrow" or "grief." One notable Danish bearer of the Harm name was Hans Harm (1639-1709), a renowned painter and architect during the Danish Golden Age.

In Norway, the Harm surname can be found in historical records dating back to the 17th century. One prominent Norwegian with this name was Nils Harm (1733-1817), a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a district governor in Trondheim.

Over the centuries, the Harm surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Harme, Herm, Harmsen, and Harmson, among others. These variations often indicate regional differences or the influence of different languages and dialects.

While the Harm surname may not be as widely recognized as some other European surnames, it has a rich and diverse history spanning multiple countries and cultural traditions. Its origins can be traced back to the Germanic regions of Europe, where it was likely first used as a descriptive nickname before becoming an established surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harm families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harm 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. Durham leads with 19 Harms recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.23x.

County Total Index
Durham 19 10.23x
Devon 9 6.93x
Middlesex 8 1.28x
Yorkshire 7 1.13x
Cornwall 6 8.49x
Dorset 3 7.32x
Hampshire 2 1.56x
Lancashire 2 0.27x
Surrey 2 0.66x
Caithness 1 11.70x
Gloucestershire 1 0.82x
Kent 1 0.47x
Northumberland 1 1.08x
Somerset 1 1.00x
Warwickshire 1 0.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bentley Cum Arksey in Yorkshire leads with 7 Harms recorded in 1881 and an index of 2187.50x.

Place Total Index
Bentley Cum Arksey 7 2187.50x
Holsworthy 7 1891.89x
Whickham 7 409.36x
Birtley 6 789.47x
Budock 6 1132.08x
Stockton On Tees 6 67.04x
Kensington London 4 11.52x
St Marylebone London 4 12.00x
Hawkchurch 3 2307.69x
Bermondsey 2 10.76x
Honiton 2 277.78x
Portsea 2 7.97x
Salford 2 9.18x
Cheltenham 1 10.58x
Deptford St Paul 1 6.09x
Dundry 1 833.33x
Edgbaston 1 20.49x
Longbenton 1 25.45x
Wick 1 36.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Ann 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Margt. 2
Ames 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Blanch 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.M. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Harriet 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Jennet 1
Joanna 1
Kalina 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Melia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
William 3
Henry 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Wm. 2
Ann 1
Charles 1
Danl. 1
Harkham 1
L. 1
Ralph 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Harm households.

FAQ

Harm surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harm surname in 1881?

In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Harm surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harm surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Harm a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Harm surname mean?

A surname derived from the German word "Harem," meaning a wooded or mountainous area.

What does the Harm map show?

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