NameCensus.

UK surname

Harrower

A surname derived from the occupation of harrowing or cultivating land.

In the 1881 census there were 677 people recorded with the Harrower surname, ranking it #5,320 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,047, ranked #5,569, down from #5,320 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Alloa, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Alva, Tillicoultry and Sauchie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harrower is 1,064 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.7%.

1881 census count

677

Ranked #5,320

Modern count

1,047

2016, ranked #5,569

Peak year

2010

1,064 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harrower had 677 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,320 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,047 in 2016, ranked #5,569.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 911 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Harrower surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harrower surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Harrower 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 523 #4,797
1861 historical 585 #4,514
1881 historical 677 #5,320
1891 historical 802 #5,019
1901 historical 911 #5,096
1911 historical 74 #25,423
1997 modern 946 #5,739
1998 modern 975 #5,797
1999 modern 978 #5,807
2000 modern 981 #5,787
2001 modern 967 #5,741
2002 modern 988 #5,755
2003 modern 952 #5,827
2004 modern 991 #5,640
2005 modern 1,016 #5,478
2006 modern 991 #5,598
2007 modern 994 #5,634
2008 modern 1,001 #5,652
2009 modern 1,056 #5,521
2010 modern 1,064 #5,590
2011 modern 1,034 #5,662
2012 modern 1,017 #5,665
2013 modern 1,039 #5,663
2014 modern 1,038 #5,684
2015 modern 1,042 #5,612
2016 modern 1,047 #5,569

Geography

Back to top

Where Harrowers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Alloa, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Clackmannan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Alva, Tillicoultry, Sauchie, Alloa North and Kennoway and Bonnybank. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Alloa Clackmannan
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Clackmannan Clackmannan

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Alva Clackmannanshire
2 Tillicoultry Clackmannanshire
3 Sauchie Clackmannanshire
4 Alloa North Clackmannanshire
5 Kennoway and Bonnybank Fife

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Harrower

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Harrower

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Harrower 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

Harrower is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harrower 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 Harrower is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Harrower

The surname Harrower originates from Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the ancient Scottish Gaelic word 'araire', which translates to 'ploughman' or 'tiller of the soil'. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely farmers or agricultural workers.

The name Harrower is thought to have first appeared in the historical records of Ayrshire, a county on the western coast of Scotland. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage scrolls submitted to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. The Ragman Rolls list a certain 'William le Harour' from the county of Peebles.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including 'Harrour', 'Haroure', and 'Harrouer'. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and differences in spelling conventions during that era. One notable figure from this period was Sir John Harrower, a Scottish knight who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence against the English in the early 14th century.

As the centuries passed, the spelling of the name gradually evolved into its modern form, 'Harrower'. In the 16th century, records show a Robert Harrower who was a merchant in the town of Leith, near Edinburgh. Another prominent individual was John Harrower, a Scottish minister who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries and served as the Rector of the University of St. Andrews.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Harrower name appeared in various parts of Scotland, including Lanarkshire, Perthshire, and Aberdeenshire. One notable figure from this period was James Harrower, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1660 to 1737. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and was a Fellow of the Royal Society.

In the 19th century, the Harrower surname spread beyond Scotland as Scottish emigrants began to settle in other parts of the British Isles and overseas. One notable figure from this era was Sir John Harrower, a British military officer who served in the Crimean War and later became a Member of Parliament for Perthshire from 1868 to 1880.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Harrower families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harrower 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. Clackmannanshire leads with 177 Harrowers recorded in 1881 and an index of 327.41x.

County Total Index
Clackmannanshire 177 327.41x
Fife 120 30.97x
Lanarkshire 87 4.11x
Midlothian 78 8.90x
Perthshire 57 19.40x
Stirlingshire 34 14.08x
East Lothian 18 20.76x
Renfrewshire 18 3.55x
Lancashire 16 0.21x
Angus 14 2.31x
Middlesex 13 0.20x
Roxburghshire 8 6.75x
Banffshire 6 4.42x
Durham 6 0.31x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.66x
Peeblesshire 3 9.74x
Inverness-shire 2 1.02x
Ross-shire 2 1.11x
Surrey 2 0.06x
Berwickshire 1 1.26x
Devon 1 0.07x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.57x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 1.06x
Sussex 1 0.09x
Yorkshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clackmannan in Clackmannanshire leads with 83 Harrowers recorded in 1881 and an index of 812.13x.

Place Total Index
Clackmannan 83 812.13x
Tillicoultry 65 540.77x
Dunfermline 56 93.99x
Govan 35 6.69x
Alloa 29 110.64x
South Leith 21 21.28x
Aberdour 19 487.18x
Beath 19 155.23x
Bothkennar 19 263.52x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 18 5.10x
Barony 17 3.17x
Culross 16 629.92x
Tulliallan 16 321.29x
Shotts 15 59.22x
New Monkland 13 20.78x
Stenton 11 827.07x
Cockpen 9 87.80x
Dundee 9 3.98x
Abernethy 8 208.33x
Inverkeithing 8 136.99x
Perth West Church 8 57.39x
Cathcart 7 25.51x
Stoke Newington London 7 13.73x
Strathmiglo 7 151.19x
Edinburgh St Marys 6 35.19x
Inveravon 6 103.63x
Islington London 6 0.95x
West Greenock 6 6.59x
Wilton 6 46.12x
Edinburgh St Stephens 5 28.97x
Falkirk 5 8.85x
Liff Benvie 5 5.43x
Rusholme 5 24.13x
Saline 5 233.64x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 4 3.53x
Balfron 4 134.23x
Cramond 4 60.15x
Gateshead 4 2.74x
Glasgow 4 1.06x
Lasswade 4 19.95x
North Leith 4 9.86x
Alva 3 26.06x
Auchterderran 3 30.80x
Gorton 3 4.11x
Innerleithen 3 36.72x
Liberton 3 22.17x
Logierait 3 58.03x
Ormiston 3 130.43x
West Derby 3 1.32x
Aberdalgie 2 298.51x
Battersea 2 0.83x
Contin 2 61.35x
Eastwood 2 6.40x
Edinburgh St Georges 2 10.99x
Haddington 2 15.63x
Hawick 2 7.54x
Inverkip 2 16.72x
Moss Side 2 4.89x
Old Monkland 2 2.38x
Pencaitland 2 80.97x
Stirling 2 6.57x
Westoe 2 1.81x
Abbey 1 1.29x
Boleskine Abertarff 1 30.86x
Brighton 1 0.45x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 0.81x
Dunblane 1 14.22x
Edinburgh New 1 14.68x
Eyemouth 1 15.13x
Huddersfield 1 1.06x
Hulme 1 0.62x
Kilmadock 1 14.79x
Kilmorack 1 16.86x
Lanark 1 5.87x
Little Dunkeld 1 20.04x
Logie 1 9.49x
Lower Darwen 1 9.81x
Newburgh 1 20.33x
St Leonards 1 57.80x
Troqueer 1 8.05x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 3
George 2
James 2
Peter 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Alexandor 1
David 1
Frederick 1
John 1
Laurence 1
Patrick 1

FAQ

Harrower surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harrower surname in 1881?

In 1881, 677 people were recorded with the Harrower surname. That placed it at #5,320 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harrower surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,047 in 2016. That gives Harrower a modern rank of #5,569.

What does the Harrower surname mean?

A surname derived from the occupation of harrowing or cultivating land.

What does the Harrower map show?

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