NameCensus.

UK surname

Heathcote

Derived from Old English words meaning "heather" and "cottage," suggesting a dwelling near heather.

In the 1881 census there were 2,423 people recorded with the Heathcote surname, ranking it #1,835 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,346, ranked #2,031, down from #1,835 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Sheffield and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include High Peak, Derbyshire Dales and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heathcote is 3,584 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.1%.

1881 census count

2,423

Ranked #1,835

Modern count

3,346

2016, ranked #2,031

Peak year

2002

3,584 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heathcote had 2,423 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,835 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,346 in 2016, ranked #2,031.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,502 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Heathcote surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heathcote surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heathcote 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 1,353 #2,123
1861 historical 1,378 #2,077
1881 historical 2,423 #1,835
1891 historical 2,739 #1,722
1901 historical 3,218 #1,743
1911 historical 3,502 #1,492
1997 modern 3,402 #1,904
1998 modern 3,558 #1,895
1999 modern 3,544 #1,918
2000 modern 3,557 #1,904
2001 modern 3,512 #1,881
2002 modern 3,584 #1,892
2003 modern 3,529 #1,874
2004 modern 3,481 #1,901
2005 modern 3,386 #1,922
2006 modern 3,318 #1,969
2007 modern 3,311 #2,002
2008 modern 3,310 #2,021
2009 modern 3,417 #2,001
2010 modern 3,482 #2,004
2011 modern 3,471 #1,977
2012 modern 3,334 #2,020
2013 modern 3,412 #2,008
2014 modern 3,407 #2,028
2015 modern 3,382 #2,021
2016 modern 3,346 #2,031

Geography

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Where Heathcotes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Sheffield, Manchester and Dean. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to High Peak, Derbyshire Dales and Cheshire East. 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 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
2 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Dean Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 High Peak 012 High Peak
2 Derbyshire Dales 008 Derbyshire Dales
3 Cheshire East 013 Cheshire East
4 High Peak 013 High Peak
5 High Peak 011 High Peak

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heathcote

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heathcote

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Heathcote is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Heathcote 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

Heathcote falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Heathcote 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 Heathcote, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Heathcote

The surname Heathcote is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "hæth" meaning a heathland or shrubby wasteland, and "cot" meaning a cottage or dwelling. It is a locational name given to individuals who resided near or at a cottage on a heath.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Hetcota" and refers to a location in Derbyshire. This suggests the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms such as "Heckhcote" and "Hethcote" in various county records across England, indicating its widespread use and local variations in spelling.

Notable early bearers of the name include Sir Gilbert Heathcote (1551-1633), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1633. Another prominent figure was Samuel Heathcote (1672-1758), a British lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament.

During the 17th century, the Heathcote family established themselves as landowners in Rutland, with Sir Gilbert Heathcote (1652-1733) acquiring the Normanton estate and serving as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies.

In the 18th century, Ralph Heathcote (1721-1795) was a prominent English clergyman and author, best known for his work "The Irenarch, or Justice of the Peace's Manual."

The 19th century saw the birth of Sir William Heathcote (1801-1881), a British diplomat and Member of Parliament, who served as the Governor of the British North Borneo Company.

Throughout its history, the Heathcote surname has been associated with various locations in England, including villages and hamlets bearing the name, such as Heathcote in Leicestershire and Heathcote near Warwick.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Heathcote families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heathcote 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 522 Heathcotes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.87x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 522 1.87x
Derbyshire 393 10.64x
Yorkshire 336 1.44x
Cheshire 220 4.23x
Staffordshire 207 2.60x
Nottinghamshire 118 3.71x
Leicestershire 111 4.24x
Middlesex 87 0.37x
Hampshire 75 1.55x
Warwickshire 41 0.69x
Surrey 38 0.33x
Essex 28 0.60x
Worcestershire 27 0.88x
Lincolnshire 23 0.61x
Sussex 18 0.45x
Hertfordshire 17 1.05x
Wiltshire 17 0.82x
Durham 15 0.21x
Midlothian 14 0.44x
Devon 13 0.26x
Flintshire 10 1.58x
Kent 10 0.12x
Gloucestershire 9 0.19x
Somerset 9 0.24x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.56x
Cumberland 8 0.39x
Huntingdonshire 8 1.71x
Northumberland 5 0.14x
Suffolk 5 0.17x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.27x
Lanarkshire 4 0.05x
Berkshire 3 0.17x
Glamorgan 3 0.07x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.09x
Argyllshire 2 0.30x
Dorset 2 0.13x
Northamptonshire 2 0.09x
Shropshire 2 0.10x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.10x
Royal Navy 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Farnworth in Lancashire leads with 101 Heathcotes recorded in 1881 and an index of 60.23x.

Place Total Index
Farnworth 101 60.23x
Sheffield 58 7.79x
Ecclesall Bierlow 50 10.52x
Manchester 47 3.73x
Rotherham 46 34.91x
Leicester St Margaret 44 6.90x
Nottingham St Mary 35 4.26x
Dronfield 31 65.51x
Macclesfield 28 12.10x
Nether Hallam 28 8.85x
Yoxall 28 266.67x
Winster 27 400.00x
Biddulph 25 55.65x
Elton 25 599.52x
Sutton In Ashfield 25 36.24x
Middle Hulton 24 144.75x
Ardwick 23 9.11x
Chesterfield 23 16.61x
Gorton 23 8.74x
Leicester St Mary 22 10.41x
Salford 20 2.43x
Stoke Upon Trent 20 2.37x
Wombwell 20 29.35x
Hartington Upper 19 107.83x
Little Hulton 19 41.00x
Oldham 19 2.10x
Sandbach 19 42.78x
Pendlebury 17 28.77x
Bolehall Glascote 16 63.49x
Marple 16 44.77x
Upperswinford 16 61.40x
Ashford 15 274.73x
Battersea 15 1.73x
Hartington Middle 15 555.56x
Heaton Norris 15 9.42x
Stockport 15 5.60x
Sutton In Macclesfield 15 27.76x
Brightside Bierlow 14 3.05x
Saddleworth 14 7.77x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 13 5.97x
Countesthorpe 13 145.74x
Derby St Werburgh 13 6.10x
Hulland Ward 13 414.01x
Kirkby In Ashfield 13 38.22x
Lambeth 13 0.63x
Heage 12 61.41x
Birmingham 11 0.55x
Cheetham 11 5.27x
Cheshunt 11 19.36x
Hursley 11 98.13x
Ilkeston 11 10.62x
Kimberworth 11 8.48x
Lavington 11 839.69x
Liverpool 11 0.65x
Preston 11 1.47x
Prestwich 11 15.75x
Romiley 11 74.88x
St George Hanover Square 11 2.65x
St Marylebone London 11 0.87x
Calton 10 512.82x
Ecclesfield 10 5.84x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 0.79x
Everton 10 1.12x
Hollinsclough 10 354.61x
Kingswinford 10 3.46x
Pott Shrigley 10 321.54x
St Mary Extra 10 25.70x
Wigan 10 2.56x
Alverstoke 9 5.14x
Aston 9 0.55x
Bowdon 9 43.56x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 2.02x
Handsworth 9 4.59x
Hucknall Under 9 54.88x
Hyde 9 5.86x
Radford 9 5.57x
St Pancras London 9 0.47x
Holywell Whelstone 8 4210.53x
Kensington London 8 0.61x
Toxteth Park 8 0.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 150
William 132
George 73
Joseph 71
Thomas 68
James 66
Samuel 56
Henry 47
Edward 31
Charles 30
Robert 27
Alfred 22
Arthur 22
Albert 21
Walter 20
Herbert 17
Frederick 16
Harry 16
Richard 16
Ernest 13
Francis 12
Ralph 12
Rowland 12
Frank 9
Edwin 7
Fredrick 7
Saml. 7
Thos. 7
Wm. 7
Geo. 6
Godfrey 6
Matthew 5
Stephen 5
David 4
Gilbert 4
Jno. 4
Robt. 4
Anthony 3
Benjamin 3
Daniel 3
Edmund 3
Fred 3
Moses 3
Orlando 3
Percy 3
Peter 3
Sydney 3
Tom 3
Ar. 2
Chas. 2

FAQ

Heathcote surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heathcote surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,423 people were recorded with the Heathcote surname. That placed it at #1,835 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heathcote surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,346 in 2016. That gives Heathcote a modern rank of #2,031.

What does the Heathcote surname mean?

Derived from Old English words meaning "heather" and "cottage," suggesting a dwelling near heather.

What does the Heathcote map show?

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