UK surname

Harns

An archaic variant of the surname Harnes, likely of English origin, derived from place names.

In the 1881 census there were 6 people recorded with the Harns surname, ranking it #32,926 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4, ranked #38,419, down from #32,926 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Dundry, Winford, Nempnett Thrubwell, Blagdon, Butcombe and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and Bromley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harns is 235 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 33.3%.

1881 census count

Ranked #32,926

Modern count

2016, ranked #38,419

Peak year

1861

235 bearers

Map years

1861 to 1891

Key insights

• Harns had 6 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,926 surname in that year.
• The latest modern count shown here is 4 in 2016, ranked #38,419.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 235 in 1861.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Map

Harns surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harns surname density by area, 1891 census.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Harns 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	53	#23,739
1861	historical	235	#10,427
1881	historical	6	#32,926
1891	historical	166	#17,077
1901	historical	45	#29,156
1911	historical	31	#29,952
1997	modern	144	#21,660
1998	modern	31	#34,740
1999	modern	23	#35,612
2000	modern	11	#36,879
2001	modern	5	#37,652
2002	modern	4	#37,921
2003	modern	2	#38,424
2004	modern	4	#38,013
2005	modern	1	#38,814
2006	modern	1	#38,879
2007	modern	3	#38,372
2008	modern	4	#38,216
2009	modern	4	#38,287
2010	modern	4	#38,371
2011	modern	4	#38,338
2012	modern	3	#38,530
2013	modern	6	#38,049
2014	modern	4	#38,376
2015	modern	4	#38,392
2016	modern	4	#38,419

Geography

Where Harns' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Dundry, Winford, Nempnett Thrubwell, Blagdon, Butcombe, London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, Bromley and South Bucks. 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	Dundry, Winford, Nempnett Thrubwell, Blagdon, Butcombe	Somerset
3	London parishes	London 3
4	St Pancras	London (North Districts)
5	Lambeth	London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	South Oxfordshire 020	South Oxfordshire
2	Vale of White Horse 016	Vale of White Horse
3	Bromley 025	Bromley
4	South Bucks 001	South Bucks
5	South Oxfordshire 016	South Oxfordshire

Forenames

First names often paired with Harns

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

Historical female names

Mary Sarah Elizabeth Ann Eliza Emma Alice Emily Jane Ellen

Historical male names

William John James Thomas George Charles Henry Joseph Samuel Frederick

Recent female names

Elizabeth Janet Margaret Barbara Pamela Sadie Kathleen Patricia Naomi Lisa

Recent male names

Michael Steven Stephen Simon John Peter Paul Frederick Richard Christopher

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Harns

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Harns is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Harns is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harns falls in decile 10 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.

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Harns 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.

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - British

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

Origin

Meaning and origin of Harns

The surname HARNS is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, possibly in the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "hærn," meaning a hearn or heron, a type of wading bird. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or occupational surname for someone who worked with or lived near herons, such as a hunter or a person living near a heron colony.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname HARNS can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Harne is mentioned. The spelling variations during this time included Harne, Harn, and Harns, reflecting the regional dialects and inconsistent record-keeping practices of the era.

In the 15th century, there are records of a Nicholas Harns residing in the village of Hartington, Derbyshire, in 1458. This may indicate a connection between the surname and the place name Hartington, which could have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name over time.

During the Tudor period, the surname HARNS appeared in various historical documents, including the Muster Rolls of Yorkshire from 1539, which listed a Thomas Harnes among the able-bodied men. This suggests that the name had spread across different regions of England by the 16th century.

One notable figure bearing the surname HARNS was John Harns (c. 1555-1623), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament who served during the reign of King James I. He represented the borough of Fowey in Cornwall in the Parliaments of 1597 and 1601.

Another individual of note was William Harns (1604-1679), a English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Buckworth in Huntingdonshire. He published several religious works, including "A Treatise on the Sacrament of Baptism" in 1651.

In the 18th century, the surname HARNS gained recognition through the achievements of George Harns (1720-1788), a prominent architect and surveyor from London. He designed several notable buildings, including the Guildhall in the City of London and the Royal Naval Hospital in Plymouth.

The literary world saw the contribution of Elizabeth Harns (1774-1845), a British novelist and poet who wrote under the pseudonym "Mrs. Favell Lee Bevan." Her most famous work was the novel "The Merchant's Widow and Her Family," published in 1812.

In the 19th century, Charles Harns (1835-1904) made a name for himself as a respected botanist and horticulturist. He was the head gardener at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew and contributed significantly to the study and cultivation of various plant species.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Harns families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harns 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. Staffordshire leads with 2 Harns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.14x.

County	Total	Frequency	Index
Staffordshire	2	0.00%	10.14x
Glamorgan	1	0.00%	9.83x
Lancashire	1	0.00%	1.44x
Surrey	1	0.00%	3.51x
Sussex	1	0.00%	10.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wolverhampton in Staffordshire leads with 2 Harns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 131.58x.

Place	Total	Frequency	Index
Wolverhampton	2	0.00%	131.58x
Brighton	1	0.00%	50.25x
Bury	1	0.00%	126.58x
Croydon	1	0.00%	63.29x
Llanguick	1	0.01%	555.56x

Top female names

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

Name	Count
Ellen	1
Florence	1
Margaret	1
Mary	1

Top male names

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

Name	Count
David	1
Robert	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 Harns households.

Occupation	Count
Cook	1
Domestic General	1
Laborer Out Of Employment	1

FAQ

Harns surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harns surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6 people were recorded with the Harns surname. That placed it at #32,926 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harns surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4 in 2016. That gives Harns a modern rank of #38,419.

What does the Harns surname mean?