NameCensus.

UK surname

Harmon

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "rocky hill" or "stone hill" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 386 people recorded with the Harmon surname, ranking it #8,165 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 958, ranked #5,998, up from #8,165 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Dudley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kettering, St. Helens and Mendip.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harmon is 958 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 148.2%.

1881 census count

386

Ranked #8,165

Modern count

958

2016, ranked #5,998

Peak year

2016

958 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harmon had 386 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,165 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 958 in 2016, ranked #5,998.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 412 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Harmon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harmon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harmon 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 227 #9,448
1861 historical 226 #10,797
1881 historical 386 #8,165
1891 historical 270 #12,027
1901 historical 412 #9,283
1911 historical 411 #9,112
1997 modern 837 #6,316
1998 modern 830 #6,561
1999 modern 846 #6,508
2000 modern 832 #6,572
2001 modern 826 #6,496
2002 modern 840 #6,523
2003 modern 814 #6,558
2004 modern 824 #6,507
2005 modern 819 #6,485
2006 modern 810 #6,557
2007 modern 848 #6,386
2008 modern 839 #6,501
2009 modern 859 #6,522
2010 modern 898 #6,402
2011 modern 886 #6,393
2012 modern 900 #6,248
2013 modern 911 #6,295
2014 modern 934 #6,213
2015 modern 945 #6,092
2016 modern 958 #5,998

Geography

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Where Harmons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Dudley and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kettering, St. Helens, Mendip and Halton. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Dudley Staffordshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kettering 011 Kettering
2 St. Helens 014 St. Helens
3 Mendip 011 Mendip
4 St. Helens 008 St. Helens
5 Halton 013 Halton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harmon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harmon

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Harmon, 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 Harmon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Harmon 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Harmon is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Harmon 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

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

Meaning and origin of Harmon

The surname Harmon is of English origin, derived from the medieval personal name "Heremannus" which means "army man" or "soldier". It is believed to have originated in the 12th century during the Norman conquest of England.

The Harmon name is thought to have first appeared in the county of Warwickshire, England. Some early recordings of the name include Richard Harman listed in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire in 1191, and Ralph Harman mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199.

Harmon is a variation of the earlier spellings Hermannus, Hareman, Harman, and Harmon. It is believed that some of the earliest bearers of the name may have been soldiers or men-at-arms who accompanied the Norman conquerors to England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Harmon name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Hermannus is listed in the county of Middlesex.

Notable bearers of the Harmon surname throughout history include John Harmon (1585-1670), an English colonist who settled in Virginia in the early 17th century; Daniel Harmon (1778-1845), a fur trader and explorer in the Pacific Northwest region of North America; and William Harmon (1786-1853), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.

Other historically significant individuals with the Harmon surname include Judson Harmon (1846-1927), a U.S. Attorney General and Governor of Ohio; William Elmer Harmon (1862-1928), an American educator and the founder of Tuskegee University; and William Harmon (1911-2000), a British film producer and screenwriter.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harmon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harmon 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. Middlesex leads with 87 Harmons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.34x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 87 2.34x
Yorkshire 46 1.25x
Hampshire 23 3.02x
Surrey 23 1.27x
Staffordshire 22 1.75x
Durham 20 1.81x
Lancashire 19 0.43x
Glamorgan 17 2.63x
Kent 17 1.34x
Essex 16 2.18x
Berkshire 13 4.66x
Hertfordshire 8 3.12x
Monmouthshire 8 2.98x
Sussex 8 1.28x
Worcestershire 8 1.65x
Cheshire 7 0.85x
Warwickshire 7 0.75x
Renfrewshire 6 2.08x
Lincolnshire 5 0.84x
Brecknockshire 3 4.04x
Lanarkshire 3 0.25x
Ayrshire 2 0.72x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.85x
Norfolk 2 0.35x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.40x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.45x
Cornwall 1 0.24x
Devon 1 0.13x
Gloucestershire 1 0.14x
Suffolk 1 0.22x
Wiltshire 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 30 Harmons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.33x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 30 8.33x
Lambeth 12 3.70x
Southampton St Mary 11 22.96x
West Bromwich 11 15.32x
Midgham 10 2631.58x
Hammersmith London 9 9.83x
Pleshey 9 2368.42x
Hemel Hempstead 8 69.32x
Liverpool 8 2.99x
Tipton 8 20.82x
Whitwood 8 152.96x
Bowling 7 19.19x
Bradford 7 7.85x
Southampton All Sts 7 53.56x
St Dunstan In West London 7 603.45x
St Luke London 7 11.74x
Upper Llanvrechva 7 167.87x
Welton Melton 7 648.15x
Abbey 6 13.65x
Birmingham 6 1.92x
Bishopwearmouth 6 6.32x
Cardiff St John 6 28.38x
Greencroft 6 295.57x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 9.65x
Norwood 6 70.59x
Sheffield 6 5.12x
St George Hanover Square 6 9.16x
Stockton On Tees 6 11.26x
Aberdare 5 11.26x
Ashford 5 40.49x
Streatham 5 18.14x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 11.42x
Chiswick 4 19.69x
Harwich St Nicholas 4 70.55x
Radcliffe 4 18.81x
Spalding 4 33.93x
St Pancras London 4 1.34x
Worcester St Clement 4 129.45x
Birkenhead 3 4.59x
Dudley 3 5.08x
Ecclesfield 3 11.11x
Hawkhurst 3 76.14x
Llangunider 3 64.79x
Nursling 3 245.90x
Runcorn 3 15.86x
St Marylebone London 3 1.51x
Upchurch 3 209.79x
Worth 3 65.93x
Battersea 2 1.46x
Beverley St Nicholas 2 66.23x
Cambuslang 2 16.50x
Clapham 2 4.30x
Framfield 2 103.09x
Hackney London 2 0.96x
Harrow On The Hill 2 26.95x
Hayes 2 52.77x
Leyton Low 2 13.41x
Norwich St Michael At 2 60.24x
Portsea 2 1.34x
Rotherfield 2 36.23x
South Shields 2 20.30x
St Benedict Cambridge 2 150.38x
St Quivox 2 21.28x
Wolverhampton 2 2.07x
Bedwellty 1 2.11x
Bromley London 1 1.22x
Clee With Weelsby 1 7.69x
Clewer 1 8.75x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.02x
East Donyland 1 56.50x
Elton 1 6.56x
Holy Trinity 1 1.13x
Ipswich St Lawrence 1 163.93x
Isleworth 1 6.05x
Nottingham St Mary 1 0.77x
Scarborough 1 2.99x
Tanshelf 1 34.01x
Uny Lelant 1 44.05x
Westmeston 1 243.90x
Westminster St James 1 2.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 32
Elizabeth 18
Ellen 8
Sarah 7
Emma 6
Jane 6
Alice 5
Ann 5
Annie 5
Bridget 5
Eliza 5
Emily 5
Edith 4
Anne 3
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Fanny 3
Hannah 3
Jessie 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Amelia 2
Chalotte 2
Clara 2
Dianah 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Francis 2
Martha 2
Betsy 1
Catharine 1
Cathrine 1
Christaina 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Emely 1
Georgiana 1
Georgina 1
Isabella 1
Ivy 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Katie 1
Leina 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
M.J. 1
Marion 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 25
John 22
James 20
Thomas 19
George 7
Henry 7
Arthur 6
Charles 6
Joseph 6
David 5
Alfred 3
Edward 3
Patrick 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Edmund 2
Ernest 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
Peter 2
Clement 1
Daniel 1
Dennis 1
Duglas 1
Edgar 1
Edmond 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Eli.N. 1
Esther 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Giles 1
H...ks 1
Harry 1
Hiram 1
Irvine 1
Job. 1
Jonathon 1
Mark 1
Michael 1
Minnie 1
Nicholas 1
Ramsey 1
Thos.James 1

FAQ

Harmon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harmon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 386 people were recorded with the Harmon surname. That placed it at #8,165 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harmon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 958 in 2016. That gives Harmon a modern rank of #5,998.

What does the Harmon surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "rocky hill" or "stone hill" in Old English.

What does the Harmon map show?

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