NameCensus.

UK surname

Haven

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a safe harbor or place of shelter.

In the 1881 census there were 140 people recorded with the Haven surname, ranking it #16,151 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 134, ranked #25,636, down from #16,151 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and St Dunstan Stepney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Arun and Wolverhampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Haven is 162 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.3%.

1881 census count

140

Ranked #16,151

Modern count

134

2016, ranked #25,636

Peak year

1861

162 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Haven had 140 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,151 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016, ranked #25,636.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 162 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Haven surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Haven surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Haven 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 60 #22,584
1861 historical 162 #14,310
1881 historical 140 #16,151
1891 historical 85 #26,080
1901 historical 86 #24,508
1911 historical 94 #23,391
1997 modern 127 #23,352
1998 modern 129 #23,722
1999 modern 125 #24,366
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 113 #25,489
2002 modern 118 #25,358
2003 modern 115 #25,538
2004 modern 108 #26,741
2005 modern 112 #26,114
2006 modern 105 #27,479
2007 modern 119 #25,747
2008 modern 122 #25,638
2009 modern 127 #25,564
2010 modern 121 #27,005
2011 modern 125 #26,220
2012 modern 130 #25,559
2013 modern 133 #25,655
2014 modern 127 #26,634
2015 modern 125 #26,808
2016 modern 134 #25,636

Geography

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Where Havens are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Arun and Wolverhampton. 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 London parishes London 1
3 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
4 Alvescott Oxfordshire
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 008 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 003 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Arun 017 Arun
4 Wolverhampton 035 Wolverhampton
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 004 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Haven

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Haven

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Haven is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Haven 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

Haven falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Haven

The surname Haven is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "hæfen," meaning "haven" or "harbor." It is believed to have emerged as a surname in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.

The name Haven is thought to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a harbor or a safe anchorage for ships. It may have been given to individuals residing in coastal areas or near ports, serving as a descriptive identifier of their location or occupation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Haven can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, dated 1296, where a certain William atte Havene is mentioned. This spelling variation, "atte Havene," suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive phrase, meaning "at the haven" or "by the harbor."

In the 14th century, the surname Haven appeared in various records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1371, where a John Haven is mentioned. The spelling had evolved closer to its modern form by this time.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Haven throughout history include Thomas Haven (c. 1555-1629), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford. Another prominent figure was Nathaniel Haven (1638-1718), a Puritan minister and one of the founders of the First Church in Framingham, Massachusetts.

In the 18th century, Samuel Haven (1727-1806) was a prominent American educator and clergyman who served as the fifth president of the University of Rhode Island. Joseph Haven (1777-1852), an American soldier and politician, served as a brigadier general during the War of 1812 and later became a member of the United States House of Representatives.

The Haven surname has also been associated with notable authors and academics, such as Kendall Haven (1890-1965), an American writer and professor of English at the University of Richmond, and Cynthia Haven (born 1948), an American biographer and literary scholar known for her works on Peter Matthiessen and W.G. Sebald.

While the surname Haven has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and other English-speaking countries, carried by individuals and families who traced their ancestry back to its English origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Haven families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Haven 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. Warwickshire leads with 27 Havens recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.84x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 27 7.84x
Middlesex 25 1.83x
Gloucestershire 12 4.48x
Monmouthshire 11 11.14x
Cardiganshire 9 27.02x
Derbyshire 9 4.21x
Lancashire 7 0.43x
Norfolk 7 3.33x
Durham 5 1.23x
Lanarkshire 5 1.13x
Surrey 4 0.60x
Yorkshire 4 0.30x
Essex 3 1.11x
Kent 3 0.64x
Somerset 3 1.36x
Cheshire 1 0.33x
Glamorgan 1 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.54x
Pembrokeshire 1 2.30x
Perthshire 1 1.63x
Staffordshire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 19 Havens recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.56x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 19 16.56x
Llanvair Kilgedin 11 7857.14x
Melindwr 9 1956.52x
Aston 8 8.44x
Avening 7 736.84x
Mile End Old Town London 7 24.09x
St Marylebone London 7 9.60x
Heigham 6 53.24x
Glasgow 5 6.38x
Horsley 5 387.60x
Little Bolton 5 24.00x
Westoe 5 21.71x
Kensington London 4 5.27x
Litchurch 4 46.51x
Southwark St Saviour 4 56.98x
Bowling 3 22.39x
Bridgewater 3 50.25x
Great Badminton 3 1304.35x
Islington London 3 2.27x
Tollesbury 3 447.76x
Dodington 2 2857.14x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.69x
Eltham 1 36.63x
Great Yarmouth 1 5.75x
Greenwich 1 4.60x
Hackney London 1 1.31x
Kinnoull 1 62.11x
Liverpool 1 1.02x
Marloes 1 526.32x
Minster In Sheppey 1 12.95x
Nottingham St Mary 1 2.10x
Poplar London 1 3.88x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 1 28.82x
Sheffield 1 2.32x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 16.92x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 2.05x
Swansea Town 1 5.13x
Todmorden Walsden 1 23.04x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Haven surname: questions and answers

How common was the Haven surname in 1881?

In 1881, 140 people were recorded with the Haven surname. That placed it at #16,151 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Haven surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016. That gives Haven a modern rank of #25,636.

What does the Haven surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a safe harbor or place of shelter.

What does the Haven map show?

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