NameCensus.

UK surname

Hayford

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "hay ford" or ford over a hay meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 110 people recorded with the Hayford surname, ranking it #18,695 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 269, ranked #15,956, up from #18,695 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Docking, St Leonard Shoreditch and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bexley, South Hams and City of London.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hayford is 269 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 144.5%.

1881 census count

110

Ranked #18,695

Modern count

269

2016, ranked #15,956

Peak year

2016

269 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hayford had 110 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,695 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 269 in 2016, ranked #15,956.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 163 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Hayford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hayford surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hayford 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 83 #19,181
1861 historical 163 #14,242
1881 historical 110 #18,695
1891 historical 122 #21,053
1901 historical 128 #19,822
1911 historical 144 #18,325
1997 modern 178 #18,958
1998 modern 173 #19,821
1999 modern 180 #19,454
2000 modern 195 #18,494
2001 modern 186 #18,773
2002 modern 210 #17,753
2003 modern 209 #17,620
2004 modern 208 #17,758
2005 modern 222 #16,983
2006 modern 221 #17,149
2007 modern 236 #16,617
2008 modern 242 #16,432
2009 modern 262 #15,888
2010 modern 262 #16,252
2011 modern 246 #16,833
2012 modern 239 #17,027
2013 modern 248 #16,877
2014 modern 256 #16,643
2015 modern 253 #16,669
2016 modern 269 #15,956

Geography

Back to top

Where Hayfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Docking, St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, Battersea and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bexley, South Hams and City of London. 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 Docking Norfolk
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Battersea London (South Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bexley 014 Bexley
2 Bexley 010 Bexley
3 South Hams 006 South Hams
4 City of London 001 City of London
5 Bexley 019 Bexley

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hayford

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hayford

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Hayford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Hayford 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Hayford is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Hayford 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

Hayford falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hayford is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hayford

The surname Hayford has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from the Old English words 'heg' meaning 'hay' and 'ford' meaning 'a shallow place for crossing a river'. This suggests that the name originated from a place where hay was harvested near a ford or river crossing.

Early variations of the spelling include Hayford, Haiford, and Heyford. The name is found in several areas of England, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Buckinghamshire, where villages bearing similar names existed.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1176, which mentions a Richard de Heyford. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a John de Heyford in Buckinghamshire.

The Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name Hayford, but it does record several places with similar names, such as Heiford in Oxfordshire and Heyford in Northamptonshire.

Noteworthy individuals with the surname Hayford throughout history include:

1. Sir John Hayford (c. 1470 - 1544), an English lawyer and landowner from Oxfordshire. 2. Roger Hayford (c. 1550 - 1621), an English clergyman and author from Northamptonshire. 3. William Hayford (1604 - 1683), an English settler in New England who was one of the founders of Milford, Connecticut. 4. Thomas Hayford (1671 - 1729), an English clockmaker and inventor from Northamptonshire. 5. George Hayford (1825 - 1891), an English-born Australian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Council of Victoria.

While the surname Hayford is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history rooted in the early settlements of England and the migration of its bearers to other parts of the world, particularly North America and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hayford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hayford 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. Middlesex leads with 63 Hayfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.77x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 63 5.77x
Surrey 32 6.01x
Hampshire 4 1.79x
Staffordshire 4 1.08x
Kent 3 0.81x
Essex 1 0.46x
Norfolk 1 0.60x
Shropshire 1 1.06x
Wiltshire 1 1.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shoreditch London in Middlesex leads with 22 Hayfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.46x.

Place Total Index
Shoreditch London 22 46.46x
Lambeth 13 13.65x
Bethnal Green London 12 25.29x
Battersea 7 17.42x
Hackney London 7 11.43x
Newington 6 14.87x
Paddington London 6 14.94x
Camberwell 5 7.17x
Portsea 4 9.12x
Chelsea London 3 9.11x
Hampstead London 3 17.64x
St Anne Soho London 3 48.08x
Tettenhall 3 133.33x
Deptford St Paul 2 6.96x
St Bartholomew Great 2 202.02x
St Pancras London 2 2.27x
Caistor Next Yarmouth 1 169.49x
Fisherton Anger 1 55.87x
Gillingham 1 13.02x
Hammersmith London 1 3.72x
Kensington London 1 1.65x
Mortlake 1 42.19x
Poplar London 1 4.85x
Preston On Wild Moors 1 1111.11x
Wednesfield 1 18.42x
West Thurrock 1 138.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Ann 4
Annie 4
Alice 3
Caroline 3
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Sarah 3
Clara 2
Emma 2
Louisa 2
Louise 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Emblon 1
Esther 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
J. 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Lydia 1
Mae 1
Maryann 1
Mit 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Hayford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hayford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 110 people were recorded with the Hayford surname. That placed it at #18,695 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hayford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 269 in 2016. That gives Hayford a modern rank of #15,956.

What does the Hayford surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "hay ford" or ford over a hay meadow.

What does the Hayford map show?

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