NameCensus.

UK surname

Harp

An English occupational surname for a player of the harp or someone who makes harps.

In the 1881 census there were 190 people recorded with the Harp surname, ranking it #13,270 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 223, ranked #18,222, down from #13,270 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Shoebury, South, London parishes and Crewkerne, Wayford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Dorset, Staffordshire Moorlands and Stoke-on-Trent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harp is 297 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.4%.

1881 census count

190

Ranked #13,270

Modern count

223

2016, ranked #18,222

Peak year

1911

297 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harp had 190 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,270 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016, ranked #18,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 297 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Harp surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harp surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harp 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 135 #13,964
1861 historical 259 #9,561
1881 historical 190 #13,270
1891 historical 251 #12,729
1901 historical 289 #11,944
1911 historical 297 #11,524
1997 modern 150 #21,119
1998 modern 206 #17,796
1999 modern 199 #18,293
2000 modern 193 #18,616
2001 modern 192 #18,388
2002 modern 198 #18,410
2003 modern 199 #18,195
2004 modern 206 #17,883
2005 modern 204 #17,893
2006 modern 197 #18,465
2007 modern 203 #18,303
2008 modern 205 #18,359
2009 modern 214 #18,220
2010 modern 212 #18,726
2011 modern 203 #19,098
2012 modern 213 #18,422
2013 modern 228 #17,864
2014 modern 229 #17,925
2015 modern 225 #18,050
2016 modern 223 #18,222

Geography

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Where Harps are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Shoebury, South, London parishes, Crewkerne, Wayford, Cardiff St John and St Mary 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 West Dorset, Staffordshire Moorlands and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Shoebury, South Essex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Crewkerne, Wayford Somerset
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Dorset 007 West Dorset
2 West Dorset 008 West Dorset
3 West Dorset 006 West Dorset
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 012 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Stoke-on-Trent 024 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harp

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harp

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Harp 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.

Read profile summary

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

Harp is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harp falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Harp

The surname Harp originates from England and can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hearpere," which translates to "a harper" or a person who played the harp, a stringed musical instrument. The name was likely a nickname initially given to someone whose profession or skill was playing the harp.

In medieval England, harpists were highly regarded and often employed by nobility and the clergy. They played a significant role in court entertainments and religious ceremonies. The earliest recorded instances of the name Harp can be found in various historical documents, such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the late 12th century, where a person named Richard le Harpur is mentioned.

The Harp surname is also closely associated with certain geographical locations in England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name are linked to places like Harpsden in Oxfordshire and Harbury in Warwickshire, suggesting that the name may have originated from these areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Harp throughout history include William Harp, a 14th-century English landowner from Gloucestershire, who is mentioned in the Feet of Fines records from 1347. Another prominent figure was John Harp, a successful merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 16th century (born around 1530, died in 1598).

In the 17th century, Thomas Harp (1624-1693) was a renowned English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire. During the same period, Robert Harp (1643-1699) was a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland.

In the 18th century, John Harp (1742-1826) was a distinguished English painter and engraver, known for his landscape paintings and engravings of historical events. He was born in Nottinghamshire and spent most of his career in London.

Throughout its history, the Harp surname has been subject to various spellings, such as Harpe, Harpur, Harper, and Harpour, reflecting the regional variations and changing orthography of the English language over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harp families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harp 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. Somerset leads with 50 Harps recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.76x.

County Total Index
Somerset 50 16.76x
Staffordshire 43 6.87x
Middlesex 27 1.46x
Dorset 22 18.09x
Essex 11 3.01x
Midlothian 7 2.82x
Surrey 7 0.78x
Lancashire 5 0.23x
Durham 4 0.73x
Orkney 3 14.71x
Warwickshire 3 0.64x
Devon 2 0.52x
Northumberland 2 0.73x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.58x
Gloucestershire 1 0.28x
Royal Navy 1 4.53x
Yorkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Crewkerne in Somerset leads with 46 Harps recorded in 1881 and an index of 1451.10x.

Place Total Index
Crewkerne 46 1451.10x
Stoke Upon Trent 43 64.82x
Islington London 16 8.91x
Rochford 9 849.06x
Broadwinsor 8 1000.00x
Mosterton 8 4000.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 5.01x
Bethnal Green London 4 4.97x
Chelsea London 4 7.16x
Hoy Graemsay 3 789.47x
Merriott 3 344.83x
Netherbury 3 297.03x
Bridport 2 80.00x
Colyton 2 135.14x
Mile End Old Town London 2 5.07x
Newington 2 2.92x
North Leith 2 17.41x
Penge 2 16.89x
Salford 2 3.09x
Southwark Christchurch 2 23.04x
West Ham 2 2.48x
Westoe 2 6.40x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 2.79x
Aston 1 0.78x
Atherstone 1 41.84x
Bristol St Michael 1 32.05x
Chard 1 27.70x
Durham College 1 2000.00x
Edgbaston 1 6.90x
Gomersal 1 11.67x
Hulme 1 2.18x
Manchester 1 1.01x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 6.07x
Portland 1 15.29x
Richmond 1 7.91x
Royal Navy 1 5.30x
St Pancras London 1 0.67x
Stockton On Tees 1 3.76x
Toxteth Park 1 1.34x
Wallsend 1 11.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Emma 9
Sarah 6
Ellen 5
Amelia 3
Ann 3
Caroline 3
Elizabeth 3
Ruth 3
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
N. 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Anne 1
Clara 1
Esterada 1
Ida 1
Jennie 1
Letitia 1
Lousia 1
Margaret 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
Nellie 1
Pleasance 1
Polly 1
Victoria 1
Zilpah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Harp surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harp surname in 1881?

In 1881, 190 people were recorded with the Harp surname. That placed it at #13,270 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harp surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016. That gives Harp a modern rank of #18,222.

What does the Harp surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a player of the harp or someone who makes harps.

What does the Harp map show?

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