NameCensus.

UK surname

Harty

An English occupational surname for someone who herded deer or an anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hAthairne.

In the 1881 census there were 272 people recorded with the Harty surname, ranking it #10,409 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 717, ranked #7,575, up from #10,409 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirkshaws, Greenend and Carnbroe and Leicester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harty is 717 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 163.6%.

1881 census count

272

Ranked #10,409

Modern count

717

2016, ranked #7,575

Peak year

2016

717 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harty had 272 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,409 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 717 in 2016, ranked #7,575.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 272 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Harty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harty 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 149 #12,967
1861 historical 221 #11,031
1881 historical 272 #10,409
1891 historical 257 #12,476
1901 historical 230 #13,851
1911 historical 241 #13,229
1997 modern 621 #7,952
1998 modern 623 #8,172
1999 modern 629 #8,168
2000 modern 645 #7,982
2001 modern 621 #8,078
2002 modern 626 #8,196
2003 modern 594 #8,391
2004 modern 610 #8,246
2005 modern 614 #8,134
2006 modern 633 #7,967
2007 modern 646 #7,901
2008 modern 643 #7,982
2009 modern 672 #7,886
2010 modern 682 #7,939
2011 modern 666 #8,003
2012 modern 676 #7,825
2013 modern 695 #7,763
2014 modern 700 #7,768
2015 modern 701 #7,703
2016 modern 717 #7,575

Geography

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Where Hartys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Lambeth, Liverpool and Ramsgate. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirkshaws, Greenend and Carnbroe, Leicester, Chorley and County Durham. 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 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Ramsgate Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirkshaws North Lanarkshire
2 Greenend and Carnbroe North Lanarkshire
3 Leicester 012 Leicester
4 Chorley 008 Chorley
5 County Durham 060 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harty

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Harty, 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 Harty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Harty 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, Harty 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

Harty 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

Harty 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 Harty is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Harty

The surname Harty originated in Ireland. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name O'hAirtchidh, meaning "descendent of Airtech". Airtech was a personal name derived from the Old Irish word "art", meaning bear or stone.

The name can be traced back to County Limerick, where it was first found in the baronies of Coshma and Smallcounty. The family held a seat at Harty's Cross, near the town of Rathkeale, from ancient times.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. It mentions a Hugh O'Harty, who was the Chief of his Sept in 1470.

In the 16th century, the Hartys were among the most influential families in County Limerick. During the Elizabethan era, they fiercely resisted the efforts of the English to colonize their lands. In 1598, John Harty, the Chief of the Sept, was killed in a skirmish with English forces.

The name Harty is also associated with some notable figures in Irish history. In the 18th century, Walter Harty (1726-1805) was a prominent Catholic priest and scholar who wrote extensively on Irish language and history.

Another prominent Harty was William Harty (1828-1880), a barrister and judge who served as the Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1876 to 1880. He was born in County Limerick and was a member of the same Harty family that had held lands there for centuries.

In more recent times, the name Harty has been borne by several accomplished musicians and composers. These include Hamilton Harty (1879-1941), an Irish composer and conductor who was known for his orchestral and choral works, and Patricia Harty (born 1947), an Irish-American singer and actress who has appeared on stage and screen.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harty 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. Surrey leads with 38 Hartys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.10x.

County Total Index
Surrey 38 3.10x
Kent 34 3.96x
Durham 30 4.01x
Lanarkshire 29 3.56x
Lancashire 29 0.97x
Middlesex 29 1.15x
Yorkshire 15 0.60x
Peeblesshire 6 50.68x
Somerset 6 1.48x
Brecknockshire 5 9.93x
Herefordshire 5 4.85x
Glamorgan 4 0.91x
Midlothian 4 1.19x
Monmouthshire 4 2.20x
Northumberland 3 0.80x
Fife 2 1.34x
Gloucestershire 2 0.41x
Hampshire 2 0.39x
Norfolk 2 0.52x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.59x
Staffordshire 2 0.24x
Buteshire 1 6.56x
Cheshire 1 0.18x
Devon 1 0.19x
Essex 1 0.20x
Sussex 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 16 Hartys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.29x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 16 7.29x
St Peters 15 377.83x
Glasgow 12 8.30x
Sheffield 12 15.11x
Ramsgate 11 78.46x
Heworth 9 61.02x
Bishopwearmouth 8 12.45x
Islington London 8 3.28x
Bermondsey 7 9.34x
Manchester 7 5.21x
Mile End New Town London 7 140.85x
Old Monkland 7 21.67x
Innerleithen 6 191.08x
Margate St John Baptist 6 38.17x
Lesmahagow 5 58.07x
Liverpool 5 2.76x
Llangattock 5 121.95x
Monkwearmouth Shore 5 34.20x
Paulton 5 270.27x
Bedwellty 4 12.45x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 2.95x
Farnworth 4 22.36x
Gateshead 4 7.14x
Kingston On Thames 4 13.58x
Rotherhithe 4 12.86x
Walford 4 388.35x
Cardiff St John 3 20.96x
Great Crosby 3 36.86x
Great Little Marsden 3 21.93x
Monkwearmouth 3 41.84x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 3 60.98x
Southwark Christchurch 3 25.45x
St Marylebone London 3 2.23x
St Pancras London 3 1.48x
Darlaston 2 17.04x
Kinghorn 2 63.29x
New Monkland 2 8.31x
Nottingham St Mary 2 2.28x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 1.53x
Bathwick 1 22.32x
Battersea 1 1.08x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 4.22x
Bristol St Augustine 1 12.55x
Bristol St Paul In 1 7.60x
Camberwell 1 0.62x
Carmichael 1 149.25x
Chadwell St Mary 1 196.08x
Chiswick 1 7.27x
Clifton In York 1 19.16x
Colwall 1 78.13x
Devonport 1 16.61x
Dewsbury 1 3.91x
East Farleigh 1 69.44x
Enfield 1 6.06x
Farnborough 1 18.45x
Freckleton 1 102.04x
Govan 1 0.50x
Great Bolton 1 2.53x
Great Yarmouth 1 3.12x
Heap 1 6.31x
Houghton Le Spring 1 19.31x
Lanark 1 15.27x
Limehouse London 1 3.62x
Marske In Guisbrough 1 22.57x
Melton Constable 1 1000.00x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 2.37x
Oldham 1 1.04x
Penge 1 6.22x
Portsmouth 1 8.42x
Rothesay 1 13.55x
Runcorn 1 7.81x
Shoreditch London 1 0.92x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.97x
St Anne Soho London 1 6.96x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.26x
St Lawrence 1 16.95x
St Martin In Fields 1 6.64x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 1 11.63x
West Grinstead 1 78.13x
Westminster St John 1 3.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 13
John 12
James 9
Thomas 7
Michael 6
Robert 6
George 5
Edward 4
Richard 4
Henry 3
Patrick 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Denis 2
Joseph 2
Martin 2
Abraham 1
Adam 1
Albert 1
Bernard 1
Brian 1
Collins 1
Cornelius 1
Dennis 1
Ed. 1
Edmond 1
Eli. 1
Ernest 1
Fred.J. 1
Geo. 1
Griffith 1
Herman 1
Jeremiah 1
Micheal 1
Owen 1
Pathrick 1
Peter 1
Roger 1
Samuel 1
Simon 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Timothy 1
Willm.J. 1

FAQ

Harty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 272 people were recorded with the Harty surname. That placed it at #10,409 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 717 in 2016. That gives Harty a modern rank of #7,575.

What does the Harty surname mean?

An English occupational surname for someone who herded deer or an anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hAthairne.

What does the Harty map show?

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