NameCensus.

UK surname

Haw

A topographic surname derived from the Old English word "haw" meaning a hedge or fenced enclosure.

In the 1881 census there were 992 people recorded with the Haw surname, ranking it #3,932 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 861, ranked #6,510, down from #3,932 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Escrick and Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hambleton, Boston and Selby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Haw is 1,091 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.2%.

1881 census count

992

Ranked #3,932

Modern count

861

2016, ranked #6,510

Peak year

1901

1,091 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Haw had 992 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,932 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 861 in 2016, ranked #6,510.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,091 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Haw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Haw surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Haw 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 778 #3,430
1881 historical 992 #3,932
1891 historical 4 #34,098
1901 historical 1,091 #4,426
1997 modern 954 #5,699
1998 modern 956 #5,873
1999 modern 962 #5,895
2000 modern 952 #5,916
2001 modern 918 #5,987
2002 modern 924 #6,073
2003 modern 910 #6,032
2004 modern 885 #6,178
2005 modern 849 #6,315
2006 modern 828 #6,442
2007 modern 837 #6,454
2008 modern 849 #6,431
2009 modern 869 #6,456
2010 modern 891 #6,444
2011 modern 887 #6,382
2012 modern 858 #6,478
2013 modern 860 #6,569
2014 modern 870 #6,536
2015 modern 872 #6,467
2016 modern 861 #6,510

Geography

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Where Haws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Escrick, Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall, Bradford and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hambleton, Boston, Selby and Scarborough. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Escrick Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hambleton 004 Hambleton
2 Boston 002 Boston
3 Selby 002 Selby
4 Hambleton 008 Hambleton
5 Scarborough 014 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Haw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Haw

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Haw is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Haw is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Haw falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Haw

The surname "Haw" is believed to have originated in England, and it can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "haga," which means "enclosure" or "hedged area." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked on a hedged or enclosed property.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Haw" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where it appears as "Hawe." This spelling variation likely arose from the different pronunciations and dialectal variations of the Old English word "haga" across different regions of England.

In the 13th century, the name "Haw" appeared in various historical records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it was listed as "Hugh de la Hawe" in Oxfordshire. This entry suggests that the name may have been associated with a specific place name or location during that time.

A notable bearer of the name "Haw" was John Haw, a 14th-century English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire in 1395. Another individual with this surname was Thomas Haw, a 16th-century English clergyman who was appointed as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1534.

In the 17th century, the name "Haw" was found in various parish records and legal documents. One example is William Haw, a yeoman from Gloucestershire, who was mentioned in the Gloucestershire Feet of Fines in 1673. Additionally, John Haw, a merchant from Bristol, was listed in the city's records in 1680.

The 18th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the surname "Haw." One such person was John Haw, a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and was involved in the Battle of Chesapeake Bay in 1781. Another was James Haw, a Scottish gardener and horticulturist born in 1761, who wrote several influential works on gardening and plant cultivation.

As the surname "Haw" spread across different regions of England and beyond, it may have evolved into various spellings and variations, such as "Hawe," "Hawes," and "Hawkes." However, the core meaning and origins of the name remained rooted in the Old English word "haga," reflecting its historical association with enclosed or hedged areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Haw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Haw 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. Yorkshire leads with 527 Haws recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.50x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 527 5.50x
Durham 123 4.28x
Lincolnshire 74 4.79x
Middlesex 63 0.65x
Lancashire 34 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 28 2.15x
Northumberland 20 1.39x
Leicestershire 14 1.31x
Warwickshire 14 0.57x
Cumberland 11 1.32x
Essex 11 0.58x
Kent 11 0.33x
Cheshire 10 0.47x
Somerset 8 0.51x
Northamptonshire 7 0.77x
Surrey 7 0.15x
Buckinghamshire 6 1.03x
Devon 5 0.25x
Gloucestershire 4 0.21x
Staffordshire 4 0.12x
Hampshire 2 0.10x
Hertfordshire 2 0.30x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.16x
Derbyshire 1 0.07x
Oxfordshire 1 0.17x
Sussex 1 0.06x
Westmorland 1 0.47x
Worcestershire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Keighley in Yorkshire leads with 40 Haws recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.17x.

Place Total Index
Keighley 40 39.17x
Darlington 25 22.51x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 16 48.84x
Stockton On Tees 15 10.82x
Donington 14 252.25x
Halton Holegate 14 848.48x
Bishop Auckland 13 33.70x
Skelton In Guisbrough 13 50.17x
Snape 13 838.71x
St Pancras London 13 1.67x
Tynemouth 13 16.88x
Bolton In Bradford 12 195.44x
Hunslet 12 8.03x
Neasham 12 857.14x
Pannal 12 130.58x
Shoreditch London 12 2.86x
York St Maurice 12 66.52x
Aston 11 1.64x
Azerley 11 482.46x
Bradford 11 4.74x
Leeds 11 2.03x
Nottingham St Mary 11 3.26x
Ratcliffe London 11 20.60x
Clifton In York 10 49.90x
Thorpe In Wakefield 10 4347.83x
Boltby 9 891.09x
Mavis Enderby 9 1956.52x
Rickergate 9 51.11x
Scruton 9 756.30x
Skelton In York 9 865.38x
South Kilvington 9 1046.51x
West Ham 9 2.14x
Yeadon 9 41.61x
York St Mary 9 22.68x
Arkendale 8 1250.00x
Bromley 8 15.91x
Collierley 8 62.45x
Coundon 8 68.61x
Knaresborough 8 53.16x
Little Ayton 8 2962.96x
Middlesbrough 8 6.41x
Templenewsam 8 115.27x
Thirsk 8 72.40x
Wakefield 8 10.88x
Woodhouse 8 187.79x
Wykeham 8 421.05x
York St Sampson 8 390.24x
Bramley In Bramley 7 19.09x
Heckington 7 119.05x
Kensington London 7 1.30x
Kimberworth 7 13.17x
Laceby 7 207.72x
Lenton 7 22.81x
Liverpool 7 1.00x
Bishopwearmouth 6 2.43x
Chapel Allerton 6 41.84x
Doncaster 6 8.57x
Exelby Leeming Newton 6 263.16x
Gorton 6 5.56x
Heap 6 9.86x
Loughborough 6 12.34x
Mile End Old Town London 6 2.92x
Newark Upon Trent 6 12.81x
Redcar 6 78.95x
Winslow 6 109.09x
Wolsingham 6 22.89x
York St Lawrence 6 60.06x
Amber Hill 5 384.62x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 5.60x
Bedale 5 143.27x
Dukinfield 5 5.07x
Eccleshill 5 21.45x
Escrick 5 256.41x
Marske Near Richmond 5 561.80x
North Petherton 5 39.84x
Northampton St Giles 5 14.43x
Toxteth Park 5 1.29x
York St Cuthbert 5 57.01x
York St Giles In 5 55.37x
York St Nicholas In 5 92.76x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Haw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Haw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 992 people were recorded with the Haw surname. That placed it at #3,932 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Haw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 861 in 2016. That gives Haw a modern rank of #6,510.

What does the Haw surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from the Old English word "haw" meaning a hedge or fenced enclosure.

What does the Haw map show?

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