NameCensus.

UK surname

Hartnett

A surname of Irish origin, derived from Ó hAirtnéada, meaning "descendant of Airtnéad" (a person's name of unknown meaning).

In the 1881 census there were 92 people recorded with the Hartnett surname, ranking it #20,709 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 661, ranked #8,066, up from #20,709 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St Anne Soho and Odiham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Coventry and Horsham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hartnett is 676 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 618.5%.

1881 census count

92

Ranked #20,709

Modern count

661

2016, ranked #8,066

Peak year

2013

676 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hartnett had 92 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,709 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 661 in 2016, ranked #8,066.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 182 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hartnett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hartnett surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hartnett 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 55 #23,413
1861 historical 70 #24,911
1881 historical 92 #20,709
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 157 #17,577
1911 historical 182 #15,859
1997 modern 600 #8,140
1998 modern 607 #8,318
1999 modern 632 #8,139
2000 modern 633 #8,101
2001 modern 625 #8,028
2002 modern 641 #8,044
2003 modern 632 #7,994
2004 modern 635 #7,972
2005 modern 604 #8,238
2006 modern 626 #8,029
2007 modern 634 #8,028
2008 modern 629 #8,112
2009 modern 647 #8,107
2010 modern 664 #8,104
2011 modern 667 #7,995
2012 modern 656 #8,011
2013 modern 676 #7,960
2014 modern 670 #8,060
2015 modern 659 #8,109
2016 modern 661 #8,066

Geography

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Where Hartnetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St Anne Soho, Odiham and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Coventry, Horsham, Ealing and Kettering. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 St Anne Soho London (Central Districts)
3 Odiham Hampshire
4 London parishes London 1
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 004 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Coventry 020 Coventry
3 Horsham 011 Horsham
4 Ealing 018 Ealing
5 Kettering 005 Kettering

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hartnett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hartnett

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Hartnett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hartnett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hartnett 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

Hartnett 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

Hartnett 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 Hartnett is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Hartnett

The surname Hartnett originates from Ireland and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "ard" meaning high or noble, and "neit" meaning a champion or warrior. The name was first found in County Cork, where the family was part of the Dalcassian sept.

In ancient Irish records, the name appears as "O'hArdnety" or "O'Hartnettie", indicating it was a prominent surname in the region. The earliest known record of the name is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a medieval Irish chronicle, which mentions an O'Hartnettie as a member of the Dál gCais clan in the year 1171.

The Hartnett family played a role in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s, with several members fighting alongside the Catholic Confederates against the English Parliamentarians. One notable figure was Sir Donough Hartnett, who commanded a regiment of foot soldiers during the siege of Limerick in 1651.

The surname can also be found in various historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which record land grants and appointments. In the 1630s, a John Hartnett was granted lands in County Cork by Charles I.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Hartnett family settled in the town of Millstreet, County Cork, where they became prominent landowners and merchants. One member, William Hartnett (1720-1795), served as the High Sheriff of County Cork in 1772.

Other notable individuals with the surname include:

1. Catherine Hartnett (1848-1910), an Irish-born American labor organizer and suffragist. 2. John Joseph Hartnett (1858-1926), an American prelate who served as the Bishop of Omaha from 1916 to 1923. 3. Cornelius Hartnett (1875-1944), an Irish politician and member of the First Dáil Éireann. 4. John Hartnett (1915-1975), an Irish hurler who played for Cork Senior Hurling Team and won three All-Ireland medals. 5. Peter Hartnett (born 1948), an Australian actor known for his roles in films such as "Breaker Morant" and "The Lighthorsemen".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hartnett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hartnett 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 42 Hartnetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.49x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 42 4.49x
Surrey 17 3.73x
Lancashire 9 0.81x
Cumberland 8 9.92x
East Lothian 5 40.32x
Kent 4 1.25x
Channel Islands 3 10.81x
Monmouthshire 2 2.95x
Bedfordshire 1 2.06x
Brecknockshire 1 5.34x
Cheshire 1 0.48x
Royal Navy 1 8.96x
Warwickshire 1 0.42x
Yorkshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Anne Soho London in Middlesex leads with 9 Hartnetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 168.22x.

Place Total Index
St Anne Soho London 9 168.22x
Camberwell 8 13.38x
Workington 8 173.16x
Clerkenwell London 7 31.67x
Fulham London 6 44.18x
Berwick North 5 574.71x
Chelsea London 5 17.72x
Kensington London 5 9.60x
Islington London 4 4.41x
Liverpool 4 5.93x
Bermondsey 3 10.76x
Croydon 3 11.85x
Habergham Eaves 3 29.53x
Putney 3 70.26x
St Helier 3 33.22x
St Pancras London 2 2.65x
Aberystruth 1 16.75x
Ashford 1 135.14x
Birkenhead 1 6.07x
Birmingham 1 1.27x
Brecknock St John 1 63.29x
Cheetham 1 12.06x
Greenwich 1 6.71x
Heaton Norris 1 15.82x
Heston 1 32.15x
Keighley 1 10.11x
Maidstone 1 10.50x
Royal Navy 1 10.48x
Shefford 1 294.12x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 24.69x
St Marylebone London 1 2.00x
Trevethin 1 15.65x
Walmer 1 71.94x
Woolwich 1 8.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Ellen 6
Catherine 4
Margaret 3
Bridget 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Bessy 1
Clara 1
Elan 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Georgina 1
Hanorah 1
Hanoria 1
Maud 1
Nelly 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 6
Daniel 3
George 2
James 2
Maurice 2
Michael 2
Patrick 2
Thomas 2
Wm. 2
Charles 1
Cornelius 1
Danl. 1
Dennis 1
Jeremiah 1
Joseph 1
Peter 1
W. 1

FAQ

Hartnett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hartnett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 92 people were recorded with the Hartnett surname. That placed it at #20,709 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hartnett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 661 in 2016. That gives Hartnett a modern rank of #8,066.

What does the Hartnett surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin, derived from Ó hAirtnéada, meaning "descendant of Airtnéad" (a person's name of unknown meaning).

What does the Hartnett map show?

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