NameCensus.

UK surname

Heap

A surname derived from the Old English word "heap" referring to a hill or mound.

In the 1881 census there were 5,089 people recorded with the Heap surname, ranking it #872 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,410, ranked #1,998, down from #872 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Whalley and Ashton-under-Lyne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pendle, Hyndburn and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heap is 6,164 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 33.0%.

1881 census count

5,089

Ranked #872

Modern count

3,410

2016, ranked #1,998

Peak year

1911

6,164 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heap had 5,089 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #872 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,410 in 2016, ranked #1,998.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,164 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Heap surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heap surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heap 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 3,371 #851
1861 historical 3,268 #875
1881 historical 5,089 #872
1891 historical 5,188 #906
1901 historical 5,529 #1,011
1911 historical 6,164 #838
1997 modern 3,796 #1,711
1998 modern 3,883 #1,736
1999 modern 3,905 #1,744
2000 modern 3,862 #1,747
2001 modern 3,773 #1,748
2002 modern 3,835 #1,770
2003 modern 3,717 #1,781
2004 modern 3,709 #1,781
2005 modern 3,614 #1,807
2006 modern 3,531 #1,851
2007 modern 3,537 #1,866
2008 modern 3,538 #1,875
2009 modern 3,599 #1,894
2010 modern 3,640 #1,916
2011 modern 3,594 #1,920
2012 modern 3,502 #1,929
2013 modern 3,530 #1,951
2014 modern 3,546 #1,950
2015 modern 3,464 #1,970
2016 modern 3,410 #1,998

Geography

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Where Heaps are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Whalley and Ashton-under-Lyne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pendle, Hyndburn, Calderdale and Rossendale. 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 Whalley Lancashire
3 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pendle 008 Pendle
2 Hyndburn 004 Hyndburn
3 Calderdale 020 Calderdale
4 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
5 Rossendale 004 Rossendale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heap

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heap

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Heap is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Heap 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

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

Meaning and origin of Heap

The surname Heap is of English origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "heap," which referred to a pile or mound. This could suggest that the name may have initially been a topographic name given to someone who lived near a prominent hill or mound.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several references to places named "Heap" or variations of the word, indicating the surname's early presence in the country. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname itself is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1170, where a person named Willelmus de la Hepe is mentioned.

The surname Heap has also been associated with certain place names, such as Heapey in Lancashire, which was recorded as "Hepey" in the 13th century. This village may have been named after an early bearer of the surname or vice versa.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Heap include William Heap (1675-1744), an English goldsmith and banker who served as the Master of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in London. Another prominent figure was Sir Andrew Heap (1839-1918), a British industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the cotton industry in Lancashire.

In the realm of literature, the surname Heap is associated with the English poet and novelist Jane Heap (1766-1842), whose works included the novel "St. Katharine's Monastery" and several volumes of poetry. Additionally, Gwynne Heap (1884-1964) was a Welsh actor and playwright known for his contributions to the theater in the early 20th century.

Moving across the Atlantic, one notable bearer of the surname was David Heap (1737-1824), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Ohio. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the state's Western Reserve region.

Throughout history, the surname Heap has been present in various parts of England and beyond, with its origins rooted in the Old English language and potentially linked to geographic features or place names. It has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including craftsmen, industrialists, artists, and pioneers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Heap families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heap 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 3,242 Heaps recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.51x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 3,242 5.51x
Yorkshire 952 1.94x
Cheshire 227 2.07x
Staffordshire 115 0.69x
Derbyshire 92 1.19x
Warwickshire 86 0.69x
Leicestershire 84 1.53x
Middlesex 67 0.14x
Westmorland 32 2.94x
Surrey 24 0.10x
Cumberland 17 0.40x
Nottinghamshire 16 0.24x
Northamptonshire 13 0.28x
Durham 12 0.08x
Kent 12 0.07x
Shropshire 12 0.28x
Glamorgan 9 0.10x
Somerset 9 0.11x
Devon 8 0.08x
Wiltshire 7 0.16x
Northumberland 6 0.08x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.16x
Hampshire 5 0.05x
Herefordshire 4 0.20x
Sussex 4 0.05x
Berkshire 3 0.08x
Lanarkshire 3 0.02x
Suffolk 3 0.05x
Bedfordshire 2 0.08x
Essex 2 0.02x
Worcestershire 2 0.03x
Berwickshire 1 0.17x
Gloucestershire 1 0.01x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.10x
Lincolnshire 1 0.01x
Oxfordshire 1 0.03x
Roxburghshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Accrington in Lancashire leads with 216 Heaps recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.40x.

Place Total Index
Accrington 216 40.40x
Burnley 213 43.01x
Habergham Eaves 204 37.95x
Ashton Under Lyne 159 12.37x
Higher Booths 150 141.48x
Newchurch 144 29.93x
Haslingden 140 57.49x
Oldham 104 5.48x
Spotland 87 13.31x
Great Little Marsden 80 29.69x
Manchester 70 2.65x
Oswaldtwistle 70 33.69x
Colne 68 38.81x
Bury 62 9.23x
Tottington Lower End 62 22.18x
Over Darwen 59 12.56x
Castleton 53 9.02x
Aston 52 1.51x
Salford 52 3.01x
Dukinfield 51 10.09x
Soyland 48 81.47x
Sowerby In Halifax 43 26.77x
Saddleworth 42 11.09x
Honley 41 47.69x
Ovenden 40 18.30x
Padiham 37 26.04x
Thornton In Bradford 37 22.63x
Chadderton 34 11.82x
Stansfield 34 18.81x
Trawden 33 89.67x
Hulme 31 2.52x
Cliviger 30 90.58x
Failsworth 30 22.29x
North Meols 30 5.21x
Worsthorne Cum 30 160.43x
Wuerdle Wardle 30 16.80x
Blackburn 29 1.85x
Blatchinworth 29 21.66x
Droylsden 29 15.11x
Cartworth 28 68.93x
Great Bolton 28 3.59x
Liverpool 28 0.78x
Hopwood 27 35.12x
Kendal 27 13.54x
Ardwick 26 4.90x
Lower Booths 26 24.67x
Pendleton In Salford 26 3.71x
Keighley 25 4.78x
Rushall 25 25.39x
Bradford 24 2.02x
Gorton 24 4.34x
Halifax 24 3.33x
Heptonstall 23 33.37x
Horton In Bradford 23 3.00x
Little Bolton 22 2.91x
Tintwistle 22 37.63x
Glossop Dale 21 5.78x
Normanton 21 32.04x
Wardleworth 21 6.25x
Wooldale 21 25.21x
Chorlton On Medlock 20 2.14x
Heap 20 6.41x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 20 16.14x
Monks Coppenhall 20 4.84x
Layton With Warbreck 19 8.80x
Brightside Bierlow 18 1.87x
Haworth 18 15.42x
Northowram 18 5.23x
Stretford 18 5.56x
Broughton In Salford 17 3.16x
Church 17 20.47x
Church Gresley 17 13.77x
Clayton Le Moors 17 14.90x
Everton 17 0.91x
Great Harwood 17 15.99x
Hapton 17 46.23x
Stoke Upon Trent 17 0.96x
Royton 16 8.89x
Thornham 16 50.30x
Butterworth 15 10.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 432
Sarah 237
Elizabeth 210
Alice 121
Ann 118
Jane 105
Martha 82
Ellen 76
Hannah 73
Margaret 72
Annie 56
Eliza 46
Emily 42
Betty 41
Emma 40
Susannah 35
Agnes 30
Nancy 28
Ada 26
Florence 26
Betsy 24
Maria 24
Clara 23
Fanny 22
Harriet 22
Esther 18
Grace 18
Charlotte 17
Ruth 17
Edith 16
Rachel 16
Isabella 15
Louisa 15
Lucy 14
Amelia 12
Catherine 12
Rebecca 11
Ethel 10
Margret 10
Amy 9
Anne 9
Elizth. 9
Lydia 9
Margt. 9
Minnie 9
Sophia 9
Susan 9
Bertha 8
Caroline 8
Gertrude 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 354
James 285
William 271
Thomas 147
George 103
Joseph 103
Henry 94
Richard 68
Robert 67
Samuel 59
Arthur 47
Charles 38
Harry 38
Albert 36
Edward 28
David 27
Alfred 23
Herbert 23
Walter 22
Benjamin 21
Fred 21
Wm. 21
Frederick 18
Edmund 17
Frank 16
Edwin 12
Joshua 12
Lawrence 11
Ernest 10
Andrew 9
Daniel 9
Peter 9
Christopher 8
Eli 8
Jno. 8
Ralph 8
Sam 8
Francis 7
Hargreaves 7
Hartley 7
Willie 7
Abraham 6
Alexander 6
Stephen 6
Thos. 6
Harold 5
Holden 5
Jas. 5
Jonathan 5
Moses 5

FAQ

Heap surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heap surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,089 people were recorded with the Heap surname. That placed it at #872 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heap surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,410 in 2016. That gives Heap a modern rank of #1,998.

What does the Heap surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word "heap" referring to a hill or mound.

What does the Heap map show?

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