NameCensus.

UK surname

Heald

An English occupational surname referring to a person who made or repaired items using a forge or furnace.

In the 1881 census there were 1,858 people recorded with the Heald surname, ranking it #2,345 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,094, ranked #3,090, down from #2,345 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Wakefield and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chorley, Sheffield and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heald is 2,604 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.7%.

1881 census count

1,858

Ranked #2,345

Modern count

2,094

2016, ranked #3,090

Peak year

1911

2,604 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heald had 1,858 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,345 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,094 in 2016, ranked #3,090.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,604 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Heald surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heald surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heald 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 1,132 #2,492
1861 historical 1,225 #2,327
1881 historical 1,858 #2,345
1891 historical 2,060 #2,245
1901 historical 2,338 #2,322
1911 historical 2,604 #1,968
1997 modern 2,227 #2,784
1998 modern 2,282 #2,829
1999 modern 2,313 #2,812
2000 modern 2,272 #2,842
2001 modern 2,210 #2,859
2002 modern 2,232 #2,886
2003 modern 2,196 #2,866
2004 modern 2,157 #2,915
2005 modern 2,127 #2,913
2006 modern 2,116 #2,931
2007 modern 2,120 #2,956
2008 modern 2,106 #2,995
2009 modern 2,171 #2,990
2010 modern 2,208 #3,001
2011 modern 2,170 #3,010
2012 modern 2,123 #3,013
2013 modern 2,149 #3,034
2014 modern 2,161 #3,039
2015 modern 2,128 #3,053
2016 modern 2,094 #3,090

Geography

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Where Healds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Wakefield, Preston, Sheffield and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chorley, Sheffield and Rotherham. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chorley 010 Chorley
2 Sheffield 003 Sheffield
3 Sheffield 060 Sheffield
4 Rotherham 012 Rotherham
5 Chorley 006 Chorley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heald

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heald

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Heald, 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 Heald surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Heald 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, Heald 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

Heald is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Heald

The surname HEALD is of Anglo-Saxon origin, primarily found in England. It is derived from the Old English word "heald," which means "bent or inclined." This name likely originated as a topographic name referring to someone who lived on or near a slope or hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the HEALD surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Healde" and "Heald." These entries suggest that the name was already well-established in various parts of England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

During the medieval period, the HEALD surname was particularly prevalent in Yorkshire and Lancashire. One notable bearer of this name was John Heald, a 14th-century landowner from Yorkshire, who was mentioned in various legal records of the time.

In the 16th century, the HEALD surname appeared in the Subsidy Rolls for Lancashire, indicating that the family had spread across the region. One prominent individual was William Heald, a merchant from Manchester born in 1542, who played a significant role in the city's textile trade.

As the centuries progressed, the HEALD surname continued to spread across England and beyond. Reverend Benjamin Heald, born in 1665 in Lincolnshire, was a notable clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In the 18th century, the HEALD family had established a presence in the American colonies. Nathaniel Heald, born in 1729 in Massachusetts, served as a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

The 19th century saw the rise of several prominent individuals with the HEALD surname. Thomas Heald, born in 1816 in Yorkshire, was a successful industrialist and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in Manchester.

Another notable figure was Sir Lionel Heald, born in 1859 in Lancashire, who was a prominent lawyer and judge. He served as the Lord Justice of Appeal and was knighted for his contributions to the legal profession.

Throughout history, the HEALD surname has been associated with various places and locations, including Heald Moor in West Yorkshire, Heald Green in Greater Manchester, and Heald Town in Cheshire, all of which likely derived their names from the surname itself or its Old English root.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Heald families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heald 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 791 Healds recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.67x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 791 3.67x
Yorkshire 546 3.04x
Cheshire 99 2.47x
Nottinghamshire 94 3.84x
Derbyshire 71 2.50x
Durham 45 0.83x
Lincolnshire 45 1.55x
Middlesex 35 0.19x
Surrey 24 0.27x
Staffordshire 18 0.29x
Kent 12 0.19x
Sussex 12 0.39x
Glamorgan 10 0.32x
Northumberland 10 0.37x
Ayrshire 7 0.52x
Suffolk 7 0.32x
Warwickshire 7 0.15x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.55x
Hampshire 6 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.35x
Essex 3 0.08x
Westmorland 3 0.75x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.14x
Cumberland 1 0.06x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x
Oxfordshire 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chorley in Lancashire leads with 143 Healds recorded in 1881 and an index of 118.37x.

Place Total Index
Chorley 143 118.37x
Leeds 80 7.88x
Preston 59 10.24x
Sheffield 50 8.74x
Blackburn 48 8.38x
Hulme 43 9.57x
Salford 43 6.79x
Newton 36 21.69x
Ecclesall Bierlow 27 7.38x
Manchester 27 2.79x
Hunslet 24 8.56x
Knottingley 23 72.78x
Chorlton On Medlock 22 6.43x
Stockton On Tees 22 8.46x
Ardwick 21 10.81x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 20 30.63x
Batley 20 11.70x
Bollington In 20 56.10x
Halliwell 19 24.25x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 19 22.75x
Wigan 18 5.98x
Great Bolton 17 5.96x
Nottingham St Mary 17 2.69x
Wortley In Bramley 17 11.94x
Barnsley 16 8.63x
Bradford 16 3.68x
Normanton 16 29.61x
Selston 16 58.57x
Wakefield 16 11.59x
Aspull 15 29.62x
Hyde 15 12.69x
Warrington 15 5.88x
Ashton Under Lyne 13 2.76x
Old Sleaford 13 397.55x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 13 20.24x
Barrow In Furness 12 4.10x
Derby St Werburgh 12 7.32x
Beswick 11 19.98x
Bowling 11 6.18x
Bradford 11 10.91x
Dewsbury 11 5.97x
Mexborough 11 30.82x
Pendleton In Salford 11 4.29x
Birkenhead 10 3.13x
Burslem 10 5.70x
Cridling Stubbs 10 578.03x
Dewsbury Ossett Cum 10 255.75x
Holy Trinity 10 2.31x
Horbury 10 31.80x
Kersall 10 1470.59x
Lancaster 10 7.81x
Little Bolton 10 3.61x
Withington 10 14.42x
Beard 9 97.40x
Ardsley 8 38.61x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 8 42.80x
Heath Charnock 8 139.62x
Ardrossan 7 14.89x
Aston 7 0.56x
Belton 7 59.42x
Camberwell 7 0.60x
Chester Le Street 7 16.89x
Cornforth 7 44.05x
Failsworth 7 14.21x
Heaton Norris 7 5.71x
Macclesfield 7 3.93x
Northwich 7 109.89x
Oldham 7 1.01x
Ollerton 7 137.80x
Saddleworth 7 5.05x
Stretford 7 5.91x
Theberton 7 187.17x
Thornhill 7 13.34x
Warsop 7 108.02x
Whitwood 7 27.41x
Wigsley 7 1228.07x
Witton 7 25.84x
Cheetham 6 3.74x
Tarporley 6 71.60x
Wooldale 6 19.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 155
Sarah 73
Elizabeth 72
Ann 39
Alice 36
Jane 34
Ellen 33
Martha 26
Annie 25
Eliza 25
Hannah 25
Margaret 25
Emily 17
Harriet 17
Emma 16
Ada 14
Florence 13
Agnes 12
Anne 11
Charlotte 10
Isabella 10
Maria 10
Clara 9
Harriett 8
Lucy 7
Frances 6
Kate 6
Sophia 6
Amelia 5
Catherine 5
Edith 5
Elizth. 5
Esther 5
Gertrude 5
Maud 5
Amy 4
Beatrice 4
Eleanor 4
Helen 4
Julia 4
Lilly 4
Louisa 4
Rachel 4
Betsy 3
Caroline 3
Charlott 3
Lydia 3
Matilda 3
Phoebe 3
Rebecca 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 122
William 102
James 74
Thomas 74
George 62
Joseph 43
Charles 28
Henry 27
Robert 27
Alfred 24
Walter 21
Frederick 19
Herbert 17
Albert 15
Samuel 15
Edward 14
Arthur 12
Harry 12
Richard 10
Benjamin 9
Ernest 7
Wm. 7
David 6
Fred 6
Joe 5
Peter 5
Andrew 4
Daniel 4
Edmund 4
Hugh 4
Isaac 4
Jonathan 4
Ralph 4
Willm. 4
Benjn. 3
Edwin 3
Geo. 3
Thos. 3
Allen 2
Basil 2
Elijah 2
Frank 2
Jas. 2
Jas.H. 2
Louis 2
Luke 2
Mark 2
Nicholas 2
Rowland 2
Seth 2

FAQ

Heald surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heald surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,858 people were recorded with the Heald surname. That placed it at #2,345 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heald surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,094 in 2016. That gives Heald a modern rank of #3,090.

What does the Heald surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who made or repaired items using a forge or furnace.

What does the Heald map show?

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