NameCensus.

UK surname

Harriman

From an English place name meaning "stone boundary" or "boundary stone," or referring to someone living near one.

In the 1881 census there were 769 people recorded with the Harriman surname, ranking it #4,804 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,075, ranked #5,435, down from #4,804 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Loughborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Charnwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harriman is 1,172 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.8%.

1881 census count

769

Ranked #4,804

Modern count

1,075

2016, ranked #5,435

Peak year

1998

1,172 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harriman had 769 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,804 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,075 in 2016, ranked #5,435.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 971 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Harriman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harriman surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harriman 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 474 #5,250
1861 historical 450 #5,752
1881 historical 769 #4,804
1891 historical 733 #5,416
1901 historical 910 #5,099
1911 historical 971 #4,657
1997 modern 1,144 #4,908
1998 modern 1,172 #4,975
1999 modern 1,156 #5,084
2000 modern 1,145 #5,088
2001 modern 1,138 #5,034
2002 modern 1,160 #5,059
2003 modern 1,150 #4,991
2004 modern 1,147 #5,010
2005 modern 1,113 #5,088
2006 modern 1,128 #5,028
2007 modern 1,138 #5,030
2008 modern 1,137 #5,075
2009 modern 1,125 #5,218
2010 modern 1,120 #5,354
2011 modern 1,104 #5,355
2012 modern 1,087 #5,344
2013 modern 1,100 #5,369
2014 modern 1,115 #5,332
2015 modern 1,093 #5,376
2016 modern 1,075 #5,435

Geography

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Where Harrimans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Loughborough, Barrow-on-Soar (Barrow-on-Soar, Mountsorrel, Woodhouse, Woodhouse Eaves, Maplewell), Beaumanor, Roth and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Charnwood and East Lindsey. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Loughborough Leicestershire
4 Barrow-on-Soar (Barrow-on-Soar, Mountsorrel, Woodhouse, Woodhouse Eaves, Maplewell), Beaumanor, Roth Leicestershire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 025 County Durham
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 001 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Charnwood 013 Charnwood
4 East Lindsey 008 East Lindsey
5 Charnwood 011 Charnwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harriman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harriman

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Harriman is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Harriman is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Harriman

The surname Harriman is of English origin and dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the county of Hampshire, derived from the Old English words "hær" meaning army or warrior, and "mann" meaning man. As such, it was likely an occupational name given to a soldier or warrior.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Michael's Church in Southampton, where a Thomas Harriman was christened in 1587. Another early reference is in the Subsidy Rolls of Hampshire from 1628, which list a John Harriman as a resident of the village of Romsey.

In the 17th century, the Harriman family appears to have spread to other parts of southern England, with records showing bearers of the name in the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. One notable individual from this era was Edward Harriman (1631-1689), a merchant and ship owner from the port town of Poole.

The 18th and 19th centuries saw the Harriman name continuing to flourish, with several individuals achieving notable status. Among them was Benjamin Harriman (1756-1823), a prominent banker and financier in London. Another was Edward Avery Harriman (1848-1909), an American railroad executive and financier who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Other notable individuals with the surname Harriman include James Harriman (1820-1897), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, and Walter Harriman (1917-1998), an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Nigeria in the 1960s.

Throughout its history, the Harriman surname has also been recorded with various alternate spellings, such as Hariman, Haryman, and Harriman, reflecting the evolving nature of English spelling and pronunciation over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harriman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harriman 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. Leicestershire leads with 218 Harrimans recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.21x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 218 26.21x
Staffordshire 107 4.23x
Nottinghamshire 88 8.70x
Yorkshire 88 1.18x
Derbyshire 48 4.09x
Lancashire 30 0.34x
Durham 28 1.25x
Cumberland 23 3.56x
Lincolnshire 21 1.75x
Warwickshire 18 0.95x
Devon 13 0.83x
Kent 12 0.47x
Kirkcudbrightshire 12 11.05x
Dorset 11 2.23x
Middlesex 11 0.15x
Surrey 8 0.22x
Shropshire 7 1.08x
Oxfordshire 6 1.30x
Essex 5 0.34x
Northamptonshire 3 0.43x
Worcestershire 3 0.31x
Hampshire 2 0.13x
Northumberland 2 0.18x
Berkshire 1 0.18x
Cheshire 1 0.06x
Gloucestershire 1 0.07x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 1.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Loughborough in Leicestershire leads with 41 Harrimans recorded in 1881 and an index of 108.64x.

Place Total Index
Loughborough 41 108.64x
Wolverhampton 34 17.46x
Nottingham St Mary 29 11.09x
Leicester St Margaret 23 11.34x
Sheepshed 21 184.21x
Seagrave 20 2150.54x
Broughton Astley 19 1043.96x
Leicester St Mary 18 26.79x
Leeds 15 3.57x
Snenton 15 37.75x
Stranton 15 19.97x
Ilkeston 14 42.51x
Lenton 14 58.77x
Penrith 14 58.68x
Brightside Bierlow 13 8.92x
Riccall 12 594.06x
Urr 12 84.93x
Cannock 11 24.90x
Escrick 11 728.48x
Hathern 11 326.41x
Long Eaton 11 70.97x
Prestwold Hoton 11 1392.41x
Thorncombe 11 388.69x
Welton Le Wold 11 1279.07x
Bilston 10 20.38x
Birmingham 10 1.59x
Colwich 10 166.11x
Narborough 10 438.60x
Charlton Next Woolwich 9 33.72x
Harborne 9 11.09x
Heanor 9 51.25x
St Pancras London 9 1.49x
Woodhouse 9 271.90x
Bilborough 8 1568.63x
Lambeth 8 1.22x
Mountsorrel North End 8 500.00x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 2.98x
Aston 7 1.34x
Bassenthwaite 7 534.35x
Dawdon 7 25.50x
Kirkdale 7 4.67x
Leicester All Sts 7 42.87x
Amblecote 6 83.10x
Barrow In Furness 6 4.96x
Henley On Thames 6 63.22x
Horninglow 6 50.29x
Huttons Ambo 6 560.75x
Monk Hesleden 6 96.46x
Stoke Bardolph 6 1333.33x
York St Saviour 6 84.51x
Barrow Upon Soar 5 72.78x
Marske In Guisbrough 5 37.88x
Salford 5 1.91x
Sedgley 5 5.32x
Ardsley 4 46.67x
Derby St Werburgh 4 5.90x
Hickling 4 314.96x
Hogsthorpe 4 215.05x
Lower Penn 4 459.77x
Shifnal 4 22.74x
Stoke Damerel 4 3.66x
Tormoham 4 6.05x
Bakewell 3 46.73x
Bingham 3 69.77x
Clifton In York 3 19.29x
East Stonehouse 3 9.75x
Higham 3 86.71x
Kings Norton 3 3.42x
Leicester St Nicholas 3 63.69x
Little Bolton 3 2.62x
Liverpool 3 0.55x
Oldham 3 1.04x
Walsall Foreign 3 2.29x
West Ham 3 0.92x
Whitwick 3 28.38x
Anstey 2 60.79x
Bowling 2 2.72x
Holdenhurst 2 4.96x
Rainham 2 62.11x
Tiverton 2 7.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 50
Sarah 34
Elizabeth 31
Jane 21
Eliza 18
Ann 17
Annie 13
Emma 13
Alice 11
Hannah 11
Ada 10
Ellen 9
Emily 9
Martha 8
Edith 7
Lucy 7
Fanny 6
Harriet 6
Anne 5
Caroline 5
Charlotte 5
Clara 4
Louisa 4
Frances 3
Isabella 3
Jemima 3
Rebecca 3
Selina 3
Susannah 3
Amelia 2
Catherine 2
Elizth. 2
Florance 2
Florence 2
Grace 2
Harriett 2
Helen 2
Kate 2
Lizzie 2
Lydia 2
Margaret 2
Margret 2
Phoebe 2
Rose 2
Ruth 2
Susan 2
Amy 1
Barbara 1
Elsie 1
Emely 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 46
William 43
Thomas 34
George 26
Joseph 25
Charles 19
James 19
Arthur 9
Henry 9
Albert 8
Samuel 8
Edward 6
Walter 6
Frederick 5
Richard 5
David 4
Edwin 4
Francis 4
Herbert 4
Nathaniel 4
Robert 4
Alfred 3
Frank 3
Fred 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
Fredrick 2
Harry 2
Jabez 2
Jacob 2
Jessie 2
Richd. 2
Tom 2
Clark 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Enoch 1
Geo 1
Geo. 1
Gorge 1
H. 1
Henary 1
Isaac 1
Leonard 1
Matthew 1
N.J.G. 1
Nicholas 1
Paul 1
Percy 1
Wm.Saml. 1

FAQ

Harriman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harriman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 769 people were recorded with the Harriman surname. That placed it at #4,804 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harriman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,075 in 2016. That gives Harriman a modern rank of #5,435.

What does the Harriman surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "stone boundary" or "boundary stone," or referring to someone living near one.

What does the Harriman map show?

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