NameCensus.

UK surname

Haworth

From a place name meaning "hedged enclosure" in Old English, originating from locations in Lancashire and Yorkshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 6,313 people recorded with the Haworth surname, ranking it #679 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,573, ranked #1,486, down from #679 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) and Whalley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rossendale, Hyndburn and Blackburn with Darwen.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Haworth is 8,531 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 27.6%.

1881 census count

6,313

Ranked #679

Modern count

4,573

2016, ranked #1,486

Peak year

1911

8,531 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Haworth had 6,313 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #679 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,573 in 2016, ranked #1,486.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,531 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Haworth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Haworth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Haworth 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 4,907 #567
1861 historical 5,021 #563
1881 historical 6,313 #679
1891 historical 6,808 #668
1901 historical 7,357 #734
1911 historical 8,531 #577
1997 modern 5,080 #1,287
1998 modern 5,244 #1,296
1999 modern 5,207 #1,313
2000 modern 5,192 #1,309
2001 modern 5,046 #1,313
2002 modern 5,077 #1,337
2003 modern 4,903 #1,348
2004 modern 4,935 #1,337
2005 modern 4,833 #1,347
2006 modern 4,745 #1,380
2007 modern 4,754 #1,388
2008 modern 4,710 #1,409
2009 modern 4,765 #1,429
2010 modern 4,800 #1,452
2011 modern 4,702 #1,459
2012 modern 4,565 #1,480
2013 modern 4,658 #1,476
2014 modern 4,680 #1,475
2015 modern 4,616 #1,482
2016 modern 4,573 #1,486

Geography

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Where Haworths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth), Whalley and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rossendale, Hyndburn and Blackburn with Darwen. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire
3 Whalley Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rossendale 002 Rossendale
2 Hyndburn 001 Hyndburn
3 Hyndburn 002 Hyndburn
4 Blackburn with Darwen 001 Blackburn with Darwen
5 Hyndburn 004 Hyndburn

Forenames

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First names often paired with Haworth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Haworth

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Haworth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Haworth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Haworth 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

Haworth is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Haworth 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 Haworth 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 Haworth, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Haworth

The surname Haworth is of English origin, deriving from a place name in Yorkshire, England. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "hara" meaning "hare" and "worth" signifying an enclosure or settlement, suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have lived in an area inhabited by hares.

Haworth can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hauwrth" and "Hawrth." These early spellings indicate the name's evolution from its Old English roots. The village of Haworth, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire, is likely the place from which the surname originated.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William de Haworth, who lived in Lancashire in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was John Haworth, a 15th-century English landowner and merchant from Yorkshire.

In the 16th century, the surname Haworth gained prominence through the literary works of the Brontë family. The famous novelist and poet Anne Brontë (1820-1849) was born in the village of Haworth, and her sisters, Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855) and Emily Brontë (1818-1848), also hailed from the same place.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Walter Haworth (1883-1950), a British chemist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1937 for his work on carbohydrates and vitamin C.

In the realm of sports, Sir Geoffrey Haworth (1923-2003) was an English cricketer and diplomat who played first-class cricket for Oxford University and Lancashire County Cricket Club in the 1940s and 1950s.

Throughout history, the Haworth surname has maintained a strong presence in various fields, from literature and science to sports and politics, reflecting its enduring legacy originating from the Yorkshire region of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Haworth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Haworth 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 5,782 Haworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.93x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 5,782 7.93x
Yorkshire 228 0.37x
Cheshire 60 0.44x
Derbyshire 39 0.41x
Middlesex 38 0.06x
Surrey 25 0.08x
Durham 16 0.09x
Berkshire 14 0.30x
Staffordshire 13 0.06x
Kent 12 0.06x
Denbighshire 11 0.47x
Lincolnshire 9 0.09x
Gloucestershire 7 0.06x
Warwickshire 7 0.05x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 4 0.16x
Sussex 4 0.04x
Hampshire 3 0.02x
Midlothian 3 0.04x
Somerset 3 0.03x
Lanarkshire 2 0.01x
Norfolk 2 0.02x
Westmorland 2 0.15x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.03x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.03x
Channel Islands 1 0.05x
Cumberland 1 0.02x
Devon 1 0.01x
Hertfordshire 1 0.02x
Northumberland 1 0.01x
Royal Navy 1 0.14x
Shropshire 1 0.02x
Worcestershire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 1,266 Haworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 65.26x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 1,266 65.26x
Accrington 564 85.08x
Haslingden 456 151.04x
Oswaldtwistle 299 116.06x
Newchurch 297 49.79x
Over Darwen 245 42.07x
Higher Booths 210 159.77x
Lower Darwen 198 206.90x
Lower Booths 121 92.62x
Bury 105 12.61x
Tottington Lower End 92 26.55x
Walmersley Cum 86 73.82x
Church 83 80.61x
Habergham Eaves 78 11.70x
Rishton 68 79.51x
Little Bolton 67 7.15x
Burnley 62 10.10x
Tottington Higher End 61 73.49x
Cowpe Lench Newhall Hey 57 73.16x
Spotland 54 6.66x
Great Harwood 51 38.70x
Witton 50 54.51x
Pendleton In Clitheroe 49 177.54x
Clayton Le Moors 42 29.69x
Preston 42 2.15x
Great Bolton 39 4.04x
Great Little Marsden 39 11.68x
Manchester 38 1.16x
Musbury 36 168.78x
Padiham 36 20.44x
Turton 36 30.15x
Huncoat 32 163.60x
Yate Pickup Bank 32 221.45x
Castleton 31 4.26x
Eccleshill 31 194.97x
Clitheroe 29 13.51x
Hapton 29 63.62x
Livesey 28 21.88x
Salford 23 1.07x
Oldham 22 0.93x
Moss Side 21 5.47x
Billington 20 67.20x
North Meols 20 2.80x
Halifax 19 2.13x
Gorton 18 2.63x
Altham 17 204.57x
Colne 17 7.83x
Heap 17 4.40x
Ovenden 17 6.27x
Pendleton In Salford 16 1.84x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 16 7.62x
Everton 15 0.65x
Layton With Warbreck 15 5.61x
Halliwell 14 5.28x
Tranmere 14 2.81x
Broughton In Salford 13 1.95x
Higham With West Close 13 82.28x
Read 13 66.67x
Saddleworth 13 2.77x
Liverpool 12 0.27x
Mellor 12 52.02x
Chorlton Cum Hardy 11 22.75x
Chorlton On Medlock 11 0.95x
Newton 11 1.96x
Tonge 11 7.19x
Wuerdle Wardle 11 4.97x
Elton 10 3.97x
Horton In Bradford 10 1.05x
Hulme 10 0.66x
Leeds 10 0.29x
Norland 10 23.93x
Walton Le Dale 10 5.10x
Wandsworth 10 1.69x
Wilpshire 10 170.36x
Wirksworth 10 11.43x
Boston 9 3.02x
Bowdon 9 16.72x
Derby St Peter 9 2.94x
Simonstone 9 101.58x
Withington 8 3.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 560
Elizabeth 293
Alice 260
Sarah 248
Ann 153
Jane 150
Ellen 145
Margaret 139
Martha 71
Hannah 69
Nancy 69
Betty 67
Annie 51
Betsy 44
Emma 37
Eliza 35
Catherine 34
Isabella 30
Esther 28
Emily 25
Ada 23
Clara 23
Grace 23
Maria 23
Elizth. 20
Fanny 20
Rachel 20
Susannah 20
Harriet 17
Lucy 15
Margret 15
Susan 15
Florence 13
Agnes 12
Edith 12
Matilda 12
Bertha 10
Caroline 10
Charlotte 10
Anne 9
Amelia 8
Frances 8
Gertrude 8
Maggie 8
Julia 7
Leah 7
Priscilla 7
Rachael 7
Ruth 7
Kate 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 532
James 334
William 254
Thomas 241
George 177
Richard 141
Robert 141
Henry 127
Joseph 84
Edward 55
Samuel 32
Albert 31
Arthur 28
Charles 28
Edmund 28
Alfred 27
Frederick 26
Peter 25
Benjamin 23
Fred 23
Giles 23
Abraham 21
Frank 18
Herbert 18
Walter 17
Thos. 16
Wm. 15
Jacob 14
Ralph 13
David 12
Ernest 12
Jonathan 12
Dennis 10
Harry 10
Joshua 10
Moses 9
Daniel 8
Geo. 8
Harold 8
Isaac 8
Edwin 7
Jno. 7
Lawrence 7
Mark 7
Ashworth 6
Hargreaves 6
Robt. 6
Roger 6
Squire 6
Willie 6

FAQ

Haworth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Haworth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,313 people were recorded with the Haworth surname. That placed it at #679 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Haworth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,573 in 2016. That gives Haworth a modern rank of #1,486.

What does the Haworth surname mean?

From a place name meaning "hedged enclosure" in Old English, originating from locations in Lancashire and Yorkshire, England.

What does the Haworth map show?

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