NameCensus.

UK surname

Hayward

An English occupational surname referring to a person who protected an enclosed forest or was responsible for fencing.

In the 1881 census there were 12,741 people recorded with the Hayward surname, ranking it #325 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 18,712, ranked #322, up from #325 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Telford and Wrekin, Cotswold and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hayward is 19,756 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.9%.

1881 census count

12,741

Ranked #325

Modern count

18,712

2016, ranked #322

Peak year

1999

19,756 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hayward had 12,741 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #325 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 18,712 in 2016, ranked #322.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 18,724 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hayward surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hayward surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hayward 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 8,430 #319
1861 historical 8,303 #333
1881 historical 12,741 #325
1891 historical 14,043 #300
1901 historical 16,562 #304
1911 historical 18,724 #249
1997 modern 18,968 #303
1998 modern 19,682 #303
1999 modern 19,756 #305
2000 modern 19,722 #303
2001 modern 19,227 #303
2002 modern 19,526 #304
2003 modern 19,000 #306
2004 modern 18,950 #306
2005 modern 18,512 #311
2006 modern 18,373 #314
2007 modern 18,395 #317
2008 modern 18,444 #318
2009 modern 18,764 #320
2010 modern 19,105 #320
2011 modern 18,800 #321
2012 modern 18,537 #320
2013 modern 19,063 #319
2014 modern 19,072 #321
2015 modern 18,825 #322
2016 modern 18,712 #322

Geography

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Where Haywards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Telford and Wrekin, Cotswold, Shropshire and New Forest. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Telford and Wrekin 019 Telford and Wrekin
2 Cotswold 008 Cotswold
3 Shropshire 001 Shropshire
4 New Forest 019 New Forest
5 Shropshire 029 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hayward

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hayward

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hayward 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

Hayward 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

Hayward falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hayward

The surname Hayward originates from England and dates back to the 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English words "haye" meaning hedge and "weard" meaning guard or keeper. The name was initially given to someone who was responsible for guarding or maintaining hedges or enclosures.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Hayward can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as "Heywarde." This document was a survey of land ownership and individuals' occupations during the reign of King Edward I.

Another early reference to the name Hayward is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a "Johannes Haywarde." These rolls were tax records that provided valuable information about the population and their professions during that era.

In the 14th century, the surname Hayward appeared in various forms, such as "Heyward," "Haywarde," and "Haywerd," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.

One notable historical figure with the surname Hayward was Sir John Hayward (c. 1560-1627), an English historian and author who wrote "The Life and Raigne of King Edward the Sixth." He was born in Felixstowe, Suffolk, and served as a Member of Parliament.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Hayward (c. 1567-1645), an English clergyman and writer. He was the rector of St. Giles-in-the-Fields in London and wrote several religious works, including "The Banquet of Celestial Doctrine."

In the 17th century, the surname Hayward was associated with several place names, such as Hayward's Field in Staffordshire and Hayward's Heath in Sussex. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname who owned or were associated with those locations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hayward in America can be found in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635, where a William Hayward is listed as a freeman.

Another notable figure was Giles Hayward (c. 1617-1668), an English-born settler in Virginia who served as a member of the House of Burgesses and was involved in the colony's tobacco trade.

In the 19th century, John Hayward (1781-1849) was a renowned English author and biographer who wrote works such as "The Book of Dignities" and "Illustrations of Butlers Lives of the Saints."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hayward families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hayward 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 1,536 Haywards recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.23x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,536 1.23x
Kent 1,186 2.79x
Gloucestershire 1,107 4.53x
Surrey 860 1.42x
Suffolk 732 4.82x
Wiltshire 707 6.42x
Hampshire 703 2.75x
Shropshire 666 6.19x
Staffordshire 576 1.37x
Somerset 501 2.50x
Lancashire 439 0.30x
Essex 419 1.70x
Sussex 395 1.88x
Warwickshire 374 1.19x
Dorset 313 3.83x
Yorkshire 290 0.23x
Worcestershire 198 1.22x
Berkshire 165 1.76x
Oxfordshire 155 2.02x
Glamorgan 154 0.71x
Devon 143 0.55x
Monmouthshire 137 1.52x
Cheshire 110 0.40x
Norfolk 79 0.41x
Cambridgeshire 76 0.96x
Buckinghamshire 68 0.90x
Lincolnshire 68 0.34x
Northamptonshire 67 0.57x
Nottinghamshire 67 0.40x
Derbyshire 66 0.34x
Herefordshire 51 1.00x
Durham 46 0.12x
Bedfordshire 45 0.70x
Hertfordshire 43 0.50x
Leicestershire 37 0.27x
Denbighshire 23 0.49x
Channel Islands 17 0.46x
Royal Navy 16 1.08x
Pembrokeshire 14 0.35x
Northumberland 13 0.07x
Montgomeryshire 12 0.42x
Westmorland 10 0.37x
Brecknockshire 9 0.36x
Caernarfonshire 9 0.18x
Carmarthenshire 9 0.17x
Huntingdonshire 9 0.36x
Lanarkshire 8 0.02x
Cornwall 7 0.05x
Flintshire 7 0.21x
Cumberland 6 0.06x
Renfrewshire 6 0.06x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.03x
Midlothian 3 0.02x
Isle of Man 2 0.09x
Fife 1 0.01x
Inverness-shire 1 0.03x
Kincardineshire 1 0.07x
Perthshire 1 0.02x
Rutland 1 0.11x
Selkirkshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 188 Haywards recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.73x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 188 1.73x
Camberwell 155 1.95x
St Pancras London 148 1.48x
Cheltenham 137 7.27x
Islington London 137 1.13x
Birmingham 136 1.30x
Wolverhampton 126 3.90x
Portsea 122 2.44x
Tonbridge 93 6.07x
Aston 89 1.03x
Hackney London 86 1.23x
Bethnal Green London 85 1.57x
Kensington London 83 1.20x
Dawley 74 18.90x
Deal 71 19.59x
Walcot 68 6.37x
St Marylebone London 67 1.01x
West Ham 67 1.23x
Croydon 66 1.96x
Wellington 66 10.91x
Mile End Old Town London 65 2.45x
Chelsea London 64 1.71x
St George Hanover Square 64 2.92x
Arlingham 63 235.69x
Battersea 63 1.37x
Newington 63 1.37x
Brighton 61 1.44x
Trowbridge 61 12.53x
Southampton St Mary 57 3.55x
Paddington London 54 1.18x
Maidstone 53 4.19x
Shoreditch London 53 0.98x
Lewisham 52 2.29x
Marnhull 52 87.37x
Deptford St Paul 46 1.40x
Yeovil 46 11.29x
Bedminster 45 2.39x
Corsham 45 28.00x
Kempsford 44 124.19x
Leeds 44 0.63x
Shifnal 44 15.06x
Drayton In Hales 43 19.38x
Hornsey 43 2.73x
Swindon 43 5.03x
Dudley 42 2.12x
Lilleshall 39 23.71x
Bermondsey 38 1.02x
Hampstead London 38 1.96x
Ipswich St Margaret 38 7.38x
Margate St John Baptist 38 4.88x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 37 1.61x
Folkestone 37 4.49x
Sudbury St Gregory 37 30.43x
Frittenden 36 90.79x
Westbury On Trym 36 4.35x
Bradford On Avon 35 9.92x
Madeley 34 8.62x
St Luke London 34 1.70x
Clerkenwell London 33 1.12x
Bury St Edmunds St James 32 7.90x
Cranbrook 31 17.22x
Millbrook 31 4.82x
Hammersmith London 30 0.98x
Liverpool 30 0.33x
Walsall Foreign 30 1.38x
Wednesfield 30 4.85x
Bilston 29 3.56x
Clapham 29 1.86x
Alverstoke 28 3.03x
Hastings St Mary 28 5.36x
Toxteth Park 28 0.56x
Chiswick 27 3.97x
Christchurch 27 4.88x
Everton 27 0.57x
Pontesbury 27 20.63x
Ellesmere 26 14.07x
Reading St Giles 26 2.83x
Bridport 25 14.86x
Sedgley 25 1.60x
Wotton Under Edge 25 17.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 753
Sarah 443
Elizabeth 442
Jane 243
Ellen 233
Emma 216
Alice 214
Eliza 210
Annie 202
Ann 196
Emily 192
Louisa 130
Martha 127
Hannah 107
Harriet 103
Caroline 99
Charlotte 98
Fanny 98
Florence 97
Edith 95
Kate 91
Maria 80
Margaret 72
Lucy 61
Susan 58
Clara 56
Ada 55
Catherine 53
Frances 49
Rose 49
Amelia 45
Agnes 43
Anne 40
Harriett 40
Matilda 40
Julia 38
Laura 33
Esther 29
Gertrude 29
Jessie 29
Susannah 28
Ethel 27
Rosa 27
Elizth. 26
Minnie 26
Anna 25
Maud 25
Eleanor 24
Ruth 23
Beatrice 20

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 794
John 673
George 518
Thomas 362
Charles 331
Henry 314
James 310
Edward 203
Joseph 169
Alfred 164
Frederick 132
Walter 129
Arthur 128
Robert 119
Richard 110
Samuel 109
Albert 103
Harry 89
Frank 77
Ernest 74
Herbert 57
Edwin 54
Francis 34
David 28
Stephen 27
Wm. 26
Benjamin 24
Thos. 24
Isaac 20
Fredk. 19
Percy 19
Tom 19
Chas. 16
Fred 16
Fredrick 15
Sidney 15
Daniel 14
Geo. 14
Willm. 14
Job 12
Lewis 12
Mark 11
Sydney 11
Willie 11
Earnest 10
Edgar 10
Horace 10
Peter 9
Philip 9
Robt. 9

FAQ

Hayward surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hayward surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,741 people were recorded with the Hayward surname. That placed it at #325 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hayward surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 18,712 in 2016. That gives Hayward a modern rank of #322.

What does the Hayward surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who protected an enclosed forest or was responsible for fencing.

What does the Hayward map show?

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