NameCensus.

UK surname

Hearson

In the 1881 census there were 134 people recorded with the Hearson surname, ranking it #16,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 273, ranked #15,800, up from #16,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Skegby, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Gedling.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hearson is 306 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 103.7%.

1881 census count

134

Ranked #16,602

Modern count

273

2016, ranked #15,800

Peak year

1998

306 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hearson had 134 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 273 in 2016, ranked #15,800.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 268 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Hearson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hearson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hearson 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 133 #14,106
1861 historical 268 #9,274
1881 historical 134 #16,602
1891 historical 254 #12,598
1901 historical 220 #14,245
1911 historical 223 #13,951
1997 modern 269 #14,543
1998 modern 306 #13,720
1999 modern 299 #14,000
2000 modern 306 #13,742
2001 modern 288 #14,103
2002 modern 296 #14,110
2003 modern 285 #14,295
2004 modern 265 #15,110
2005 modern 253 #15,514
2006 modern 252 #15,642
2007 modern 250 #15,901
2008 modern 263 #15,505
2009 modern 271 #15,511
2010 modern 283 #15,363
2011 modern 289 #14,974
2012 modern 293 #14,742
2013 modern 291 #15,067
2014 modern 292 #15,129
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 273 #15,800

Geography

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Where Hearsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Skegby, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sheffield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Gedling, Staffordshire Moorlands and Corby. 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 Skegby Nottinghamshire
2 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sheffield 039 Sheffield
2 Newcastle-under-Lyme 003 Newcastle-under-Lyme
3 Gedling 006 Gedling
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 004 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Corby 005 Corby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hearson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hearson

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Hearson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Hearson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hearson is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hearson is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hearson 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 Hearson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Hearson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hearson 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 55 Hearsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.99x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 55 30.99x
Surrey 19 2.96x
Middlesex 17 1.29x
Yorkshire 16 1.23x
Devon 11 4.01x
Cheshire 5 1.72x
Kent 5 1.11x
Lincolnshire 2 0.95x
Cornwall 1 0.67x
Hampshire 1 0.37x
Royal Navy 1 6.37x
Suffolk 1 0.62x
Wiltshire 1 0.86x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Arnold in Nottinghamshire leads with 25 Hearsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 965.25x.

Place Total Index
Arnold 25 965.25x
Nottingham St Mary 15 32.68x
Lambeth 9 7.84x
Southwell 7 542.64x
Barnstaple 6 139.53x
Poplar London 6 24.14x
Camberwell 5 5.95x
Holy Trinity 5 15.93x
Basford 4 48.90x
Greenwich 4 19.08x
Odd Rode 4 277.78x
St Pancras London 4 3.77x
Leeds 3 4.07x
Sandal Magna 3 155.44x
Sculcoates 3 14.50x
Snenton 3 43.04x
St Marylebone London 3 4.27x
Streatham 3 30.71x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 2 42.19x
Bishops Tawton 2 235.29x
Chelsea London 2 5.04x
Fulbeck 2 689.66x
Carlton 1 49.51x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 21.32x
Clapham 1 6.08x
Devonport 1 31.75x
Gulval 1 104.17x
Higher Bebington 1 53.76x
Ilfracombe 1 35.46x
Islington London 1 0.78x
Kingston On Thames 1 6.49x
Melton 1 158.73x
Pilton 1 111.11x
Portsmouth 1 16.10x
Royal Navy 1 7.46x
Salisbury St Edmund 1 53.48x
Willesden 1 8.06x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 9
Charles 6
George 5
Thomas 5
Henry 4
Edward 2
Richard 2
Thos. 2
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Coburn 1
Elijah 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thosmas 1
Wallace 1

FAQ

Hearson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hearson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 134 people were recorded with the Hearson surname. That placed it at #16,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hearson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 273 in 2016. That gives Hearson a modern rank of #15,800.

What does the Hearson map show?

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