NameCensus.

UK surname

Haywood

From the English place name meaning "fenced wood" or referring to someone living near a hedged enclosure.

In the 1881 census there were 6,299 people recorded with the Haywood surname, ranking it #683 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,410, ranked #783, down from #683 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Derbyshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth and Malvern Hills.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Haywood is 8,848 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.5%.

1881 census count

6,299

Ranked #683

Modern count

8,410

2016, ranked #783

Peak year

1999

8,848 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Haywood had 6,299 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #683 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,410 in 2016, ranked #783.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,945 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Haywood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Haywood surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Haywood 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 4,455 #636
1861 historical 5,339 #523
1881 historical 6,299 #683
1891 historical 6,684 #684
1901 historical 6,992 #792
1911 historical 7,945 #643
1997 modern 8,460 #746
1998 modern 8,828 #745
1999 modern 8,848 #748
2000 modern 8,739 #758
2001 modern 8,515 #759
2002 modern 8,721 #757
2003 modern 8,473 #763
2004 modern 8,460 #758
2005 modern 8,306 #765
2006 modern 8,376 #762
2007 modern 8,392 #764
2008 modern 8,411 #767
2009 modern 8,638 #768
2010 modern 8,750 #776
2011 modern 8,648 #773
2012 modern 8,438 #774
2013 modern 8,599 #773
2014 modern 8,656 #774
2015 modern 8,516 #778
2016 modern 8,410 #783

Geography

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Where Haywoods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Derbyshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Malvern Hills, Nottingham and North West Leicestershire. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Derbyshire 012 South Derbyshire
2 Nuneaton and Bedworth 013 Nuneaton and Bedworth
3 Malvern Hills 001 Malvern Hills
4 Nottingham 035 Nottingham
5 North West Leicestershire 008 North West Leicestershire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Haywood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Haywood

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

Haywood is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Haywood

The surname Haywood has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the Old English words "hæg" meaning "hay" and "wudu" meaning "wood," referring to a woodland where hay was grown or a clearing in a forest where hay was harvested.

The name can be traced back to the 11th century, and is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name include Hugo de Haiawuda in Oxfordshire in 1176 and Radulfus de Heyewode in Staffordshire in 1203.

Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Heywoode, Heywood, and Haywood. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of scribes or record keepers.

One notable bearer of the name was John Heywood (c. 1497-c. 1580), an English playwright and epigrammatist who served as a court musician and Player of the Virginals to King Henry VIII. His works included interludes, poems, and proverbs, and he is considered a significant figure in the development of English drama.

Another prominent individual was Eliza Haywood (c. 1693-1756), an English novelist and actress who is considered one of the most prolific writers of the early 18th century. She wrote several popular novels, including "Love in Excess" and "The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless," and was known for her frank depictions of female sexuality.

In the 19th century, Benjamin Haywood (1809-1886) was an American educator and historian who served as a teacher and principal in North Carolina. He authored several works on the history of the state, including "The Christian Advocate" and "The Raleigh Register."

Thomas Haywood (1768-1858) was a British portrait painter and miniaturist who worked in Liverpool and London. His portraits were highly sought after by the aristocracy and gentry of the time, and many of his works can be found in museum collections.

Sir Walter Haywood (1892-1988) was a British civil servant and diplomat who held various positions in the Foreign Office and served as Ambassador to Sweden from 1949 to 1954. He played a significant role in shaping British foreign policy during the mid-20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Haywood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Haywood 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 907 Haywoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.49x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 907 1.49x
Staffordshire 862 4.17x
Middlesex 552 0.90x
Derbyshire 543 5.66x
Warwickshire 491 3.18x
Leicestershire 439 6.46x
Nottinghamshire 368 4.45x
Lancashire 317 0.44x
Worcestershire 305 3.81x
Surrey 254 0.85x
Kent 179 0.86x
Devon 133 1.04x
Cheshire 127 0.94x
Lincolnshire 96 0.98x
Essex 77 0.64x
Durham 65 0.36x
Shropshire 51 0.96x
Gloucestershire 41 0.34x
Sussex 41 0.40x
Norfolk 40 0.42x
Herefordshire 36 1.43x
Hampshire 30 0.24x
Hertfordshire 29 0.69x
Suffolk 27 0.36x
Somerset 26 0.26x
Northamptonshire 25 0.43x
Northumberland 23 0.25x
Cambridgeshire 22 0.57x
Midlothian 19 0.23x
Bedfordshire 15 0.47x
Berkshire 15 0.33x
Lanarkshire 15 0.08x
Monmouthshire 13 0.29x
Flintshire 12 0.73x
Dorset 11 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 9 0.24x
Glamorgan 9 0.08x
Wiltshire 8 0.15x
Brecknockshire 6 0.49x
Denbighshire 5 0.22x
Fife 5 0.14x
Cornwall 4 0.06x
Royal Navy 4 0.55x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.25x
Merionethshire 3 0.27x
Radnorshire 3 0.61x
Rutland 3 0.67x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.04x
Channel Islands 2 0.11x
Cumberland 2 0.04x
Inverness-shire 2 0.11x
Oxfordshire 2 0.05x
Westmorland 2 0.15x
Anglesey 1 0.09x
Angus 1 0.02x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.04x

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 123 Haywoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.39x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 123 2.39x
Aston 116 2.73x
Leicester St Margaret 87 5.25x
Sheffield 85 4.40x
Nottingham St Mary 84 3.93x
West Bromwich 71 5.99x
St Pancras London 70 1.42x
Nether Hallam 68 8.28x
Sedgley 66 8.59x
Coventry Holy Trinity 61 13.22x
Walsall Foreign 60 5.61x
Camberwell 59 1.51x
Dudley 59 6.06x
Bermondsey 58 3.18x
Stoke Upon Trent 56 2.55x
Hackney London 51 1.48x
Alfreton 48 16.47x
Armley 48 17.92x
Ecclesall Bierlow 48 3.89x
Lambeth 44 0.82x
Cannock 39 10.80x
Bedworth 38 33.69x
Bethnal Green London 38 1.43x
Burslem 38 6.41x
Wednesbury 35 6.77x
Church Gresley 34 22.27x
Rotherham 33 9.64x
Shoreditch London 31 1.17x
Barnsley 30 4.79x
Brightside Bierlow 30 2.52x
Staveley 30 17.61x
Manchester 29 0.89x
South Normanton 29 43.02x
Breedon On The Hill 28 136.72x
Golcar 28 17.44x
Kegworth 28 61.99x
Rochford 27 402.38x
Bolsover 26 54.04x
Chelsea London 26 1.41x
Radford 26 6.20x
Wortley In Bramley 26 5.41x
Clerkenwell London 25 1.73x
Eltham 25 20.40x
Kingswinford 25 3.33x
Leeds 25 0.73x
Liverpool 25 0.57x
Rowley Regis 25 4.34x
Wolverhampton 25 1.57x
Bilston 24 5.99x
Islington London 24 0.40x
Kings Norton 24 3.34x
Mile End Old Town London 24 1.84x
Kimberworth 23 6.82x
St Marylebone London 23 0.70x
Ashby De La Zouch 22 13.97x
Battersea 22 0.98x
Tamworth 22 19.89x
Bulwell 21 11.69x
Audley 20 9.77x
Burton Upon Trent 20 4.13x
Chesterfield 20 5.56x
Derby St Peter 20 6.54x
Hunslet 20 2.11x
Paddington London 20 0.89x
Deptford St Paul 19 1.18x
Derby St Alkmund 19 6.61x
Polesworth 19 25.89x
Rushall 19 15.61x
St George Hanover Square 19 1.76x
Tormoham 19 3.52x
Derby St Werburgh 18 3.25x
Ecclesfield 18 4.04x
Greasley 18 9.66x
Kensington London 18 0.53x
Leek Lowe 18 6.54x
Long Eaton 18 14.21x
Coventry St Michael 17 3.42x
Great Grimsby 17 2.73x
Harby 17 137.10x
Horninglow 17 17.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 449
Sarah 275
Elizabeth 210
Ann 126
Eliza 118
Hannah 112
Emma 110
Jane 104
Annie 91
Alice 86
Ellen 75
Emily 54
Harriet 54
Maria 53
Martha 52
Louisa 43
Fanny 40
Clara 38
Edith 37
Lucy 37
Florence 35
Catherine 30
Charlotte 29
Margaret 28
Anne 25
Ada 24
Caroline 20
Harriett 20
Rose 20
Kate 19
Susan 19
Sophia 18
Esther 17
Lydia 16
Frances 14
Julia 14
Matilda 14
Susannah 14
Agnes 13
Amy 13
Betsy 13
Minnie 13
Ruth 12
Beatrice 11
Gertrude 11
Isabella 11
Rebecca 11
Elizth. 10
Jessie 10
Henrietta 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 392
John 350
George 248
Thomas 201
James 160
Joseph 142
Henry 137
Charles 133
Samuel 95
Alfred 70
Edward 69
Arthur 65
Robert 60
Walter 54
Richard 51
Albert 48
Harry 47
Herbert 44
Frederick 40
Edwin 30
Frank 29
David 28
Benjamin 20
Ernest 18
Thos. 18
Fred 17
Francis 16
Tom 16
Fredrick 10
Enoch 9
Wm. 9
Jonathan 8
Percy 8
Willie 8
Willm. 8
Earnest 7
Eli 7
Isaac 7
Joshua 7
Stephen 7
Ephraim 6
Chas. 5
Christopher 5
Daniel 5
Fredk. 5
Geo. 5
Hugh 5
Joe 5
Lewis 5
Peter 5

FAQ

Haywood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Haywood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,299 people were recorded with the Haywood surname. That placed it at #683 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Haywood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,410 in 2016. That gives Haywood a modern rank of #783.

What does the Haywood surname mean?

From the English place name meaning "fenced wood" or referring to someone living near a hedged enclosure.

What does the Haywood map show?

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