NameCensus.

UK surname

Harpur

In the 1881 census there were 238 people recorded with the Harpur surname, ranking it #11,476 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 355, ranked #13,020, down from #11,476 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Alkmund, London parishes and St Werburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Merton, Knowsley and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harpur is 355 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.2%.

1881 census count

238

Ranked #11,476

Modern count

355

2016, ranked #13,020

Peak year

2016

355 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harpur had 238 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,476 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 355 in 2016, ranked #13,020.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 238 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Harpur surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harpur surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harpur 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 163 #12,156
1861 historical 110 #19,562
1881 historical 238 #11,476
1891 historical 197 #15,101
1901 historical 226 #14,006
1911 historical 149 #17,937
1997 modern 298 #13,593
1998 modern 316 #13,424
1999 modern 320 #13,398
2000 modern 308 #13,685
2001 modern 294 #13,896
2002 modern 315 #13,561
2003 modern 318 #13,291
2004 modern 311 #13,549
2005 modern 300 #13,837
2006 modern 298 #13,973
2007 modern 298 #14,103
2008 modern 315 #13,686
2009 modern 330 #13,513
2010 modern 339 #13,523
2011 modern 347 #13,167
2012 modern 353 #12,877
2013 modern 350 #13,186
2014 modern 347 #13,350
2015 modern 353 #13,086
2016 modern 355 #13,020

Geography

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Where Harpurs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Alkmund, London parishes, St Werburgh, Merthyr Tydfil and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Merton, Knowsley, Cheshire West and Chester, Sefton and Central Bedfordshire. 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 St Alkmund Derbyshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Werburgh Derbyshire
4 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Merton 004 Merton
2 Knowsley 008 Knowsley
3 Cheshire West and Chester 011 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Sefton 023 Sefton
5 Central Bedfordshire 007 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harpur

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harpur

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Harpur surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Harpur household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Harpur is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Harpur is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harpur falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Harpur 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 - Irish

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

1881 census detail

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Harpur families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harpur 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. Bedfordshire leads with 50 Harpurs recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.25x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 50 41.25x
Derbyshire 40 10.91x
Glamorgan 23 5.64x
Lancashire 21 0.76x
Leicestershire 21 8.09x
Staffordshire 13 1.65x
Huntingdonshire 10 21.51x
Yorkshire 9 0.39x
Cornwall 8 3.02x
Cheshire 7 1.35x
Lanarkshire 7 0.92x
Middlesex 7 0.30x
Ayrshire 6 3.42x
Northamptonshire 4 1.82x
Berkshire 3 1.71x
Brecknockshire 2 4.27x
Isle of Man 2 4.60x
Surrey 2 0.18x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.67x
Essex 1 0.22x
Hampshire 1 0.21x
Lincolnshire 1 0.27x
Somerset 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashby De La Zouch in Leicestershire leads with 21 Harpurs recorded in 1881 and an index of 348.84x.

Place Total Index
Ashby De La Zouch 21 348.84x
Cranfield 19 1623.93x
Merthyr Tydfil 16 40.84x
Bedford St Peter 12 380.95x
Derby St Werburgh 12 56.71x
Ravensden 12 3157.89x
Uttoxeter 11 272.28x
Ramsey 9 241.94x
Walton On Hill 9 59.80x
Kimberworth 8 62.16x
Repton 8 575.54x
Carstairs 7 445.86x
Castle Northwich 7 409.36x
Derby St Peter 7 59.98x
Llandaff 7 51.62x
Largs 6 145.28x
Wavertree 6 67.49x
North Wingfield 5 304.88x
Belper 4 56.26x
Burton Latimer 4 300.75x
Hulme 4 6.90x
Kenwyn 4 57.72x
St George Bloomsbury 4 29.78x
Biggleswade 3 75.57x
Callington 3 194.81x
Reading St Giles 3 17.40x
Bedford St Paul 2 24.07x
Carlton 2 526.32x
Derby St Alkmund 2 18.21x
Hasland 2 53.62x
High Offley 2 307.69x
Kirkdale 2 4.28x
Llangattock 2 52.49x
Christ Church Newgate 1 91.74x
Epsom 1 17.99x
Grantham 1 20.49x
Graveley 1 588.24x
Halstead 1 18.55x
Keynsham 1 36.90x
Onchan 1 7.99x
Patrick 1 47.17x
Pinner 1 48.78x
Richmond 1 6.26x
Sheffield 1 1.35x
South Petherwin 1 151.52x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 9.87x
St Michael Winchester 1 102.04x
Upwood 1 370.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 15
Mary 14
Elizabeth 7
Ann 5
Alice 4
Fanny 4
Annie 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Catherine 2
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Hannah 2
Harriett 2
Henrietta 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Alexandra 1
Alina 1
Amelia 1
Augustor 1
Caroline 1
Constava 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Gwendoline 1
Gwladys 1
Harrett 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Lilian 1
Lillie 1
Lilly 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Mercy 1
Rebecca 1
Romanda 1
Rosina 1
S.C. 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
John 14
James 8
Samuel 8
Thomas 8
George 7
Henry 7
Charles 3
Joseph 3
Arthur 2
David 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alexr 1
Alfred 1
Amos 1
Andrew 1
Clement 1
Edward 1
Elliott 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
H.C. 1
Horace 1
Isaac 1
Jabez 1
Lancelot 1
Osmond 1
Philip 1
Rees 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Sarah 1
Timothy 1
W.F. 1

FAQ

Harpur surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harpur surname in 1881?

In 1881, 238 people were recorded with the Harpur surname. That placed it at #11,476 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harpur surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 355 in 2016. That gives Harpur a modern rank of #13,020.

What does the Harpur map show?

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