NameCensus.

UK surname

Harte

Derived from the Old English "heorot" or Old Norse "hjörtr," meaning a stag or deer, likely referring to a hunter.

In the 1881 census there were 197 people recorded with the Harte surname, ranking it #12,955 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,132, ranked #3,030, up from #12,955 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, Breich Valley and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harte is 2,154 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 982.2%.

1881 census count

197

Ranked #12,955

Modern count

2,132

2016, ranked #3,030

Peak year

2014

2,154 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harte had 197 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,955 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,132 in 2016, ranked #3,030.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 359 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Harte surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harte surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harte 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 66 #21,617
1861 historical 167 #13,956
1881 historical 197 #12,955
1891 historical 275 #11,847
1901 historical 359 #10,242
1911 historical 338 #10,521
1997 modern 1,973 #3,087
1998 modern 2,048 #3,099
1999 modern 2,096 #3,068
2000 modern 2,062 #3,095
2001 modern 2,037 #3,070
2002 modern 2,057 #3,102
2003 modern 1,979 #3,143
2004 modern 1,997 #3,119
2005 modern 2,002 #3,086
2006 modern 1,987 #3,113
2007 modern 2,014 #3,110
2008 modern 2,014 #3,135
2009 modern 2,058 #3,140
2010 modern 2,140 #3,092
2011 modern 2,093 #3,117
2012 modern 2,052 #3,122
2013 modern 2,107 #3,098
2014 modern 2,154 #3,052
2015 modern 2,122 #3,065
2016 modern 2,132 #3,030

Geography

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Where Hartes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, St Marylebone and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell, Breich Valley, Rochdale and Kensington and Chelsea. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 023 Sandwell
2 Breich Valley West Lothian
3 Rochdale 018 Rochdale
4 Kensington and Chelsea 015 Kensington and Chelsea
5 Kensington and Chelsea 008 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harte

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harte

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Harte, 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 Harte surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Harte 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Harte 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

Harte 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

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

Meaning and origin of Harte

The surname Harte is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "heorot," which means "hart" or "stag." This suggests that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who bore some resemblance to a stag or had a particular association with these animals.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Harte can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex in 1194, where it appears as "Heruic Hert." This document lists individuals who paid taxes to the Crown during the reign of King Richard I. The name is also mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1273, where it is spelled as "Hert."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Thomas Harte, who lived in the 14th century and was a notable figure in the court of King Edward III. He served as a knight and was granted lands in Hertfordshire, which may have influenced the spelling of the name to its modern form.

In the 15th century, the Harte family established themselves in the county of Kent, where they owned several estates and manors. A prominent member of this family was Sir Walter Harte, who was born in 1460 and served as a Member of Parliament for Kent in 1491.

During the Tudor period, the Harte surname gained further recognition with individuals like Richard Harte, a merchant and philanthropist who was born in London in 1512. He was a benefactor of the Merchant Taylors' Company and contributed to the founding of several schools and charitable institutions.

Another notable figure was Sir John Harte, who lived in the 16th century and was a member of the Privy Council under Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the English Reformation and was involved in the negotiations with Scotland during the reign of King James VI.

In the 17th century, the Harte family produced several prominent clergymen and scholars, including Henry Harte, who was born in 1629 and served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1689 to 1693.

Later, in the 18th century, the Harte surname was associated with the literary world, with writers such as Walter Harte, who was born in 1709 and is known for his poetic works and essays on various topics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harte families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harte 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. Middlesex leads with 43 Hartes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.28x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 43 2.28x
Yorkshire 30 1.61x
Lanarkshire 24 3.94x
Lancashire 17 0.76x
Surrey 11 1.20x
Sussex 11 3.47x
Somerset 8 2.64x
Durham 6 1.07x
Gloucestershire 6 1.63x
Dorset 5 4.05x
Angus 4 2.29x
Northamptonshire 4 2.26x
Warwickshire 4 0.84x
Cheshire 3 0.72x
Devon 2 0.51x
Essex 2 0.54x
Norfolk 2 0.69x
Bedfordshire 1 1.03x
Berkshire 1 0.71x
Glamorgan 1 0.31x
Hampshire 1 0.26x
Kent 1 0.16x
Lincolnshire 1 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.39x
Renfrewshire 1 0.69x
Royal Navy 1 4.46x
Staffordshire 1 0.16x
Worcestershire 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 11 Hartes recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.31x.

Place Total Index
Govan 11 7.31x
St Marylebone London 10 9.95x
Glasgow 9 8.32x
Hastings All Sts 9 301.00x
Leeds 8 7.59x
Halifax 7 25.56x
Horton In Bradford 7 24.03x
Salford 6 9.13x
Gateshead 5 11.92x
Lytham 5 146.63x
South Hamlet 5 219.30x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 13.20x
Wells St Cuthbert 5 241.55x
Bethnal Green London 4 4.89x
Blandford Forum 4 163.93x
Bow London 4 16.69x
Chelsea London 4 7.05x
Dundee 4 6.14x
Edmonton 4 26.37x
Hardingstone 4 236.69x
Reddish 4 129.87x
Streatham 4 28.63x
Bridgewater 3 36.45x
Hampstead London 3 10.23x
St George In East London 3 16.94x
Aston 2 1.53x
Birmingham 2 1.26x
Great Yarmouth 2 8.34x
Lanark 2 40.82x
Littleham 2 69.69x
Mile End Old Town London 2 4.99x
Paddington London 2 2.89x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 2 41.84x
St Pancras London 2 1.32x
Barony 1 0.65x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.08x
Blockley 1 71.94x
Bradford 1 2.21x
Bramley In Bramley 1 14.01x
Camberwell 1 0.83x
Cheadle 1 12.59x
Cheltenham 1 3.51x
Dalserf 1 16.45x
Dovercourt 1 76.34x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 2.64x
Forcett With Carkin 1 277.78x
Goole 1 31.95x
Great Grimsby 1 5.24x
Greenock Oldor West 1 250.00x
Greenwich 1 3.34x
Hartley Wintney 1 86.21x
Horsell 1 172.41x
Islington London 1 0.55x
Kensington London 1 0.96x
Luton 1 5.93x
New Malton 1 44.84x
Oystermouth 1 39.37x
Pendleton In Salford 1 3.76x
Penistone 1 68.97x
Preston 1 18.05x
Radford 1 7.76x
Reading St Mary 1 8.83x
Royal Navy 1 5.21x
Shoreditch London 1 1.23x
Spitalfields London 1 7.06x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 12.27x
Sturminster Marshall 1 192.31x
Subdeanery 1 41.49x
Tillingham 1 151.52x
West Derby 1 1.53x
Wolverhampton 1 2.05x
Worsbrough 1 18.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 8
Charles 6
Thomas 6
Edward 5
James 5
William 5
Harry 4
George 3
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Gideon 2
Hugh 2
Isaac 2
Patrick 2
Agnes 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Augustus 1
Edwin 1
Emor 1
Eugene 1
Frank 1
Frerick 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jude 1
Mark 1
Michel 1
Pat 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Reubins 1
Richard 1
Roche 1
Stuart 1
Thos. 1
Vernon 1

FAQ

Harte surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harte surname in 1881?

In 1881, 197 people were recorded with the Harte surname. That placed it at #12,955 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harte surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,132 in 2016. That gives Harte a modern rank of #3,030.

What does the Harte surname mean?

Derived from the Old English "heorot" or Old Norse "hjörtr," meaning a stag or deer, likely referring to a hunter.

What does the Harte map show?

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