NameCensus.

UK surname

Hearl

From a contracted form of "herald", referring to a messenger or crier.

In the 1881 census there were 79 people recorded with the Hearl surname, ranking it #22,357 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 102, ranked #30,722, down from #22,357 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Stanford-le-Hope and Bristol City: Temple. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Greenock Upper Central and Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hearl is 143 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.1%.

1881 census count

79

Ranked #22,357

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

1911

143 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hearl had 79 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,357 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 143 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Hearl surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hearl surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hearl 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 73 #20,581
1861 historical 56 #26,864
1881 historical 79 #22,357
1891 historical 105 #23,241
1901 historical 109 #21,712
1911 historical 143 #18,401
1997 modern 105 #26,188
1998 modern 96 #28,188
1999 modern 98 #28,050
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 102 #27,637
2005 modern 100 #28,025
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 95 #29,493
2008 modern 93 #30,123
2009 modern 99 #29,754
2010 modern 90 #31,621
2011 modern 88 #31,801
2012 modern 99 #30,442
2013 modern 104 #30,076
2014 modern 104 #30,365
2015 modern 102 #30,624
2016 modern 102 #30,722

Geography

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Where Hearls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Stanford-le-Hope, Bristol City: Temple and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Greenock Upper Central, Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig, Greenock Town Centre and East Central and Thurrock. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Stanford-le-Hope Essex
4 Bristol City: Temple Gloucestershire
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 022 Cornwall
2 Greenock Upper Central Inverclyde
3 Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig Inverclyde
4 Greenock Town Centre and East Central Inverclyde
5 Thurrock 002 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hearl

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hearl

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Hearl surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Hearl household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Hearl is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hearl is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hearl 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 Hearl is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hearl

The surname HEARL is of English origin, emerging in the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "heorl," meaning a free man or landowner. This suggests the name may have been used to identify someone who held a position of respect or authority within their community.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various counties across southern England, including Wiltshire, Somerset, and Dorset. One notable early bearer of the name was William Hearl, a landowner in the village of Mere, Wiltshire, documented in the Hundred Rolls of 1273.

During the 14th century, the surname appears in several historical records, such as the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where it is spelled "Herle" and "Hurle." This variation in spelling was common in the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized orthography.

In the 16th century, the name is found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, with the baptism of John Hearl in 1573. Additionally, the Heartsfield Estate in Buckinghamshire was owned by a family bearing the Hearl surname during this period.

Notable individuals with the surname Hearl include:

1. Robert Hearl (c. 1590 - 1657), an English clergyman and author, known for his work "The Mistery of Iniquity Unveiled."

2. Thomas Hearl (1678 - 1732), a British merchant and landowner in the West Indies, who established a successful sugar plantation in Barbados.

3. Elizabeth Hearl (1732 - 1804), an English diarist and writer, whose personal journals provide insights into the daily life of the Georgian era.

4. William Hearl (1802 - 1873), a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a renowned artist, known for his military-themed paintings.

5. Margaret Hearl (1855 - 1923), a pioneering educator and women's rights activist, who advocated for equal educational opportunities for girls in Victorian England.

While the Hearl surname is relatively uncommon today, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, reflecting the social status and landholdings of its early bearers in various parts of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hearl families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hearl 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. Surrey leads with 13 Hearls recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.46x.

County Total Index
Surrey 13 3.46x
Cornwall 11 12.61x
Hertfordshire 10 18.83x
Gloucestershire 9 5.96x
Hampshire 8 5.07x
Middlesex 8 1.04x
Devon 7 4.37x
Renfrewshire 3 5.03x
Wiltshire 3 4.40x
Essex 2 1.32x
Kent 2 0.76x
Durham 1 0.44x
Worcestershire 1 0.99x
Yorkshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bristol Temple in Gloucestershire leads with 9 Hearls recorded in 1881 and an index of 909.09x.

Place Total Index
Bristol Temple 9 909.09x
Droxford 8 1333.33x
St Agnes 8 655.74x
Camberwell 7 14.22x
Kimpton 7 2800.00x
Plympton St Mary 5 537.63x
Putney 5 142.45x
Edmonton 4 64.41x
Castle Combe 3 2307.69x
Veryan 3 882.35x
West Greenock 3 27.99x
Canterbury St Gregory 2 571.43x
St Pancras London 2 3.23x
Barking 1 22.47x
Bromley London 1 5.90x
Codicote 1 312.50x
Devonport 1 54.35x
Hitchin 1 41.67x
Kings Norton 1 11.09x
Lambeth 1 1.49x
Middlesbrough 1 10.06x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 8.10x
Southwick 1 46.08x
St Marylebone London 1 2.43x
Watford 1 24.27x
West Ham 1 2.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Caroline 4
Eliza 4
Mary 4
Alice 2
Charlotte 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Adeline 1
Ann 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Minnie 1
Rhoda 1
Rosa 1
Rosina 1
Violet 1
Walbury 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
Thomas 5
George 3
John 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Edward 1
Frank 1
Henry 1
Persy 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Rowland 1
Sidney 1

FAQ

Hearl surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hearl surname in 1881?

In 1881, 79 people were recorded with the Hearl surname. That placed it at #22,357 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hearl surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Hearl a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Hearl surname mean?

From a contracted form of "herald", referring to a messenger or crier.

What does the Hearl map show?

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