NameCensus.

UK surname

Harwood

From the English place name, referring to someone who lived near a road through a wood.

In the 1881 census there were 7,975 people recorded with the Harwood surname, ranking it #521 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,025, ranked #725, down from #521 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Halifax and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Somerset, Blackburn with Darwen and North East Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harwood is 10,285 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.2%.

1881 census count

7,975

Ranked #521

Modern count

9,025

2016, ranked #725

Peak year

1911

10,285 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harwood had 7,975 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #521 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,025 in 2016, ranked #725.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,285 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Harwood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harwood surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harwood 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 5,268 #524
1861 historical 5,452 #508
1881 historical 7,975 #521
1891 historical 8,477 #520
1901 historical 9,385 #557
1911 historical 10,285 #477
1997 modern 9,272 #676
1998 modern 9,563 #682
1999 modern 9,561 #689
2000 modern 9,476 #692
2001 modern 9,298 #690
2002 modern 9,482 #692
2003 modern 9,262 #693
2004 modern 9,210 #696
2005 modern 9,079 #697
2006 modern 9,045 #699
2007 modern 9,037 #705
2008 modern 9,047 #706
2009 modern 9,235 #707
2010 modern 9,383 #719
2011 modern 9,203 #723
2012 modern 8,997 #723
2013 modern 9,222 #719
2014 modern 9,258 #718
2015 modern 9,064 #727
2016 modern 9,025 #725

Geography

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Where Harwoods are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to South Somerset, Blackburn with Darwen, North East Lincolnshire and Stratford-on-Avon. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Somerset 021 South Somerset
2 Blackburn with Darwen 014 Blackburn with Darwen
3 Blackburn with Darwen 017 Blackburn with Darwen
4 North East Lincolnshire 019 North East Lincolnshire
5 Stratford-on-Avon 015 Stratford-on-Avon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harwood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harwood

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Harwood is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Harwood is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harwood falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Harwood 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 Harwood, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Harwood

The surname Harwood has its roots in England, originating in the late 11th or early 12th century. It is a locational name derived from various places in England called Harwood, meaning "the hare wood" or "the wood frequented by hares." The name likely originated in areas where these woodlands were located, such as Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Northumberland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Harwood can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a person named Willelmus de Harewode. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, also contains references to places with similar names, such as Harewood in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

In the 13th century, the surname Harwood appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentioned individuals named Harewode in counties like Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 also recorded several instances of the surname in different spellings, such as Harwode and Harewode.

Notable historical figures with the surname Harwood include John Harwood (c. 1512-1554), an English Protestant reformer and Bishop of Hereford during the reign of Edward VI. Another prominent individual was Sir Edward Harwood (1598-1663), an English politician who served as a member of the House of Commons during the English Civil War.

In the literary realm, Sir John Harwood (1589-1653) was an English poet and translator, known for his translations of works by Virgil and Ovid. Sir Nathaniel Harwood (1662-1711) was a notable English merchant and landowner in the West Indies, who played a significant role in the early colonization of the Bahamas.

Sir Robert Harwood (1718-1779) was a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the American Revolutionary War, particularly in the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781. His actions contributed to the eventual surrender of British forces at Yorktown, marking a pivotal moment in the conflict.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Harwood who made notable contributions throughout history, reflecting the rich heritage and diverse backgrounds associated with this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harwood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harwood 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. Lancashire leads with 1,827 Harwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.97x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,827 1.97x
Middlesex 835 1.07x
Yorkshire 669 0.86x
Surrey 658 1.73x
Warwickshire 330 1.67x
Durham 324 1.39x
Sussex 286 2.17x
Lincolnshire 234 1.87x
Oxfordshire 222 4.60x
Nottinghamshire 206 1.95x
Gloucestershire 199 1.30x
Kent 184 0.69x
Hampshire 165 1.03x
Norfolk 165 1.37x
Somerset 163 1.29x
Worcestershire 143 1.40x
Hertfordshire 137 2.54x
Staffordshire 135 0.51x
Devon 118 0.72x
Essex 117 0.76x
Derbyshire 91 0.74x
Glamorgan 91 0.67x
Dorset 78 1.52x
Cheshire 75 0.43x
Berkshire 65 1.11x
Wiltshire 63 0.91x
Northumberland 60 0.52x
Suffolk 37 0.39x
Channel Islands 36 1.55x
Cambridgeshire 33 0.67x
Pembrokeshire 32 1.29x
Bedfordshire 31 0.77x
Monmouthshire 29 0.51x
Buckinghamshire 25 0.53x
Lanarkshire 22 0.09x
Shropshire 20 0.30x
Herefordshire 19 0.59x
Caernarfonshire 18 0.57x
Leicestershire 17 0.20x
Isle of Man 13 0.90x
Cornwall 10 0.11x
Royal Navy 10 1.07x
Cumberland 4 0.06x
Morayshire 4 0.33x
Northamptonshire 4 0.05x
Midlothian 3 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.13x
Westmorland 2 0.12x
Ayrshire 1 0.02x
Brecknockshire 1 0.06x
Cardiganshire 1 0.05x
Denbighshire 1 0.03x
East Lothian 1 0.10x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.06x
Rutland 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Over Darwen in Lancashire leads with 476 Harwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.21x.

Place Total Index
Over Darwen 476 64.21x
Blackburn 268 10.85x
Lambeth 110 1.61x
Wadsworth 87 68.96x
Birmingham 84 1.28x
Camberwell 84 1.68x
Aston 78 1.44x
Islington London 78 1.03x
Bermondsey 72 3.09x
Scarborough 69 9.80x
Yate Pickup Bank 61 331.70x
Brighton 57 2.14x
Manchester 57 1.37x
Little Bolton 55 4.61x
Newington 55 1.90x
Preston 54 2.17x
Shoreditch London 53 1.56x
St Pancras London 52 0.83x
Battersea 49 1.70x
Salford 49 1.80x
Hackney London 48 1.09x
Chelsea London 46 1.95x
Clerkenwell London 41 2.22x
Greenwich 40 3.21x
Midgley 40 48.43x
Accrington 39 4.62x
Great Bolton 39 3.17x
Halliwell 39 11.55x
West Ham 39 1.14x
Boston 37 9.75x
Haslingden 37 9.63x
Bethnal Green London 34 1.00x
Glossop Dale 34 5.93x
Poplar London 34 2.30x
Harborne 32 3.78x
Church 31 23.65x
Mile End Old Town London 31 1.86x
St Marylebone London 31 0.74x
Greasley 30 12.61x
Holy Trinity 29 1.56x
Leeds 28 0.64x
Croydon 27 1.28x
Kensington London 27 0.62x
Paddington London 27 0.94x
Pembroke St Mary 27 8.43x
St George Hanover Square 27 1.96x
Bromley London 26 1.51x
Portsea 26 0.83x
Toxteth Park 26 0.83x
West Bromwich 26 1.72x
Byker 25 4.35x
Hammersmith London 25 1.30x
Littleport 25 26.42x
Willingham 25 202.92x
Bridgewater 24 7.02x
Charlbury 24 44.26x
Chipping Norton 24 21.49x
Heap 24 4.88x
Stockton On Tees 24 2.14x
Ash Normandy 23 44.42x
Irnham 23 302.63x
Northowram 23 4.23x
Nottingham St Mary 23 0.84x
Plumstead 23 2.59x
Sutton 23 266.82x
Whorlton 23 356.59x
Clifton 22 56.28x
Deptford St Paul 22 1.07x
Fulham London 22 1.94x
Tottenham 22 1.77x
Witney 22 27.23x
Elton 21 6.55x
Letton 21 688.52x
North Bedburn 21 32.29x
Pilsworth 21 102.94x
Bury 20 1.89x
Cold Waltham 20 188.68x
Westoe 20 1.52x
East Dereham 19 12.50x
Oxford St Thomas 19 8.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 540
Elizabeth 294
Sarah 287
Alice 189
Jane 179
Ann 161
Annie 130
Ellen 128
Emma 114
Eliza 108
Hannah 86
Emily 84
Margaret 80
Martha 80
Fanny 56
Ada 53
Maria 50
Catherine 47
Florence 47
Edith 45
Harriet 43
Louisa 43
Caroline 38
Kate 36
Charlotte 34
Anne 31
Betsy 31
Clara 30
Lucy 30
Susan 29
Agnes 28
Frances 27
Amelia 25
Nancy 25
Betty 24
Rose 23
Susannah 23
Harriett 22
Isabella 22
Julia 18
Ethel 17
Matilda 16
Rebecca 16
Esther 15
Minnie 15
Rachel 15
Ruth 15
Sophia 15
Elizth. 13
Jessie 13

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 484
John 461
Thomas 284
James 283
George 279
Henry 173
Charles 166
Joseph 99
Alfred 94
Edward 87
Robert 84
Richard 80
Frederick 66
Albert 64
Walter 62
Samuel 56
Arthur 48
Wm. 33
Harry 31
Edmund 30
Herbert 28
Frank 27
Benjamin 25
Edwin 25
Ernest 25
Ralph 25
Thos. 25
Francis 22
Fred 22
Jas. 14
Christopher 13
Peter 12
Michael 11
Fredrick 10
Alexander 9
Daniel 9
Geo. 9
Lawrence 9
Stephen 9
Andrew 8
David 8
Tom 8
Abraham 7
Edgar 7
J. 7
Levi 7
Robt. 7
Anthony 6
Matthew 6
Taylor 6

FAQ

Harwood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harwood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,975 people were recorded with the Harwood surname. That placed it at #521 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harwood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,025 in 2016. That gives Harwood a modern rank of #725.

What does the Harwood surname mean?

From the English place name, referring to someone who lived near a road through a wood.

What does the Harwood map show?

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