NameCensus.

UK surname

Heathman

A surname suggesting an association with heathland or moorland.

In the 1881 census there were 167 people recorded with the Heathman surname, ranking it #14,443 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 140, ranked #24,865, down from #14,443 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fryern Barnet, London parishes and Winkleigh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Somerset, Havering and Torbay.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heathman is 207 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 16.2%.

1881 census count

167

Ranked #14,443

Modern count

140

2016, ranked #24,865

Peak year

1911

207 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heathman had 167 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,443 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016, ranked #24,865.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 207 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Heathman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heathman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heathman 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 138 #13,745
1861 historical 140 #16,169
1881 historical 167 #14,443
1891 historical 175 #16,467
1901 historical 195 #15,380
1911 historical 207 #14,635
1997 modern 152 #20,948
1998 modern 149 #21,755
1999 modern 150 #21,826
2000 modern 149 #21,874
2001 modern 148 #21,664
2002 modern 150 #21,913
2003 modern 142 #22,460
2004 modern 140 #22,793
2005 modern 144 #22,367
2006 modern 134 #23,590
2007 modern 135 #23,824
2008 modern 141 #23,383
2009 modern 145 #23,473
2010 modern 141 #24,460
2011 modern 138 #24,615
2012 modern 136 #24,830
2013 modern 138 #25,020
2014 modern 138 #25,218
2015 modern 137 #25,226
2016 modern 140 #24,865

Geography

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Where Heathmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fryern Barnet, London parishes, Winkleigh, Sampford Courtney and Sherborne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Somerset, Havering, Torbay, Teignbridge and Waltham Forest. 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 Fryern Barnet Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 Winkleigh Devon
4 Sampford Courtney Devon
5 Sherborne Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Somerset 021 South Somerset
2 Havering 001 Havering
3 Torbay 001 Torbay
4 Teignbridge 018 Teignbridge
5 Waltham Forest 002 Waltham Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heathman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heathman

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Heathman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Heathman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Heathman 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

Heathman is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Heathman falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Heathman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

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

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Heathman

The surname Heathman is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "haeth" meaning "heather" and "mann" meaning "man." This suggests that the name originated as an occupational surname, possibly referring to someone who lived or worked in an area abundant with heather plants.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 12th century, appearing in various historical documents such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1194, where a person named William Heytheman is mentioned. The surname also appears in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a census-like record from the late 13th century, listing individuals with the names Heytheman and Hetheman in various counties across England.

In the 14th century, the surname is found in the Feet of Fines for Essex, a record of land transactions, where a John Hetheman is mentioned. The spelling variations during this period include Heytheman, Hetheman, and Hethman, reflecting the evolving nature of surnames and the lack of standardized spelling at the time.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Heathman was Robert Heathman, a member of the English landed gentry who lived in the late 15th century. He was recorded as holding estates in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Another early bearer of the name was Thomas Heathman, a merchant from London who was mentioned in various trade records from the mid-16th century.

In the 17th century, the surname appears in parish records across various counties in England, such as the baptism of John Heathman in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham, in 1623. The name also appears in the Hearth Tax Returns of the late 17th century, which recorded households and their tax liabilities, listing individuals like William Heathman in Worcestershire.

Moving into the 18th century, the name is found in various legal documents and records, such as the marriage of Joseph Heathman and Elizabeth Fry in 1715, recorded in the parish registers of St. George's Church, Hanover Square, London. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir James Heathman, a prominent landowner and magistrate from Yorkshire, who lived from 1742 to 1817.

While the surname Heathman is not among the most common in England, it has a rich historical lineage spanning several centuries, originating from the Old English words for "heather" and "man," and appearing in various records and documents across different regions of the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Heathman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heathman 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. Devon leads with 77 Heathmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.71x.

County Total Index
Devon 77 22.71x
Middlesex 42 2.58x
Dorset 24 22.45x
Hampshire 6 1.80x
Cornwall 5 2.71x
Kent 4 0.72x
Somerset 3 1.14x
Surrey 3 0.38x
Suffolk 2 1.01x
Glamorgan 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sourton in Devon leads with 20 Heathmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6896.55x.

Place Total Index
Sourton 20 6896.55x
Sherborne 16 507.94x
Shoreditch London 12 16.99x
Bradford Abbas 8 2857.14x
Ugborough 8 975.61x
Hammersmith London 7 17.44x
Bethnal Green London 6 8.48x
Ilsington 6 1016.95x
Aldershot 5 44.72x
Bridestow 5 1388.89x
Friern Barnet 5 139.28x
Inwardleigh 5 1724.14x
Crediton 4 124.61x
Duloe 4 740.74x
Exbourne 4 1904.76x
Sampford Courtenay 4 784.31x
Spreyton 4 1904.76x
Bromley London 3 8.37x
Lidford 3 197.37x
Stoke Newington London 3 23.64x
Bishopsteignton 2 312.50x
Cheriton 2 88.11x
Deptford St Paul 2 4.67x
Ermington 2 162.60x
Ideford 2 1250.00x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 2 108.70x
Milborne Port 2 190.48x
St Martin In Fields 2 20.51x
St Pancras London 2 1.53x
Tavistock 2 51.81x
Wandsworth 2 12.76x
Bedminster 1 4.06x
Chertsey 1 19.49x
Exeter Allhallows On The 1 178.57x
Hampstead London 1 3.94x
Harberton 1 129.87x
Highweek 1 82.64x
Islington London 1 0.63x
Morval 1 263.16x
Paignton 1 38.76x
Plymouth Charles The 1 6.69x
Portsmouth 1 13.00x
Stoke 1 72.99x
Swansea Town 1 4.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 8
Ellen 4
Rosa 4
Sarah 3
Susan 3
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Ann 2
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Maria 2
Rebecca 2
A.J. 1
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Agness 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Blanch 1
Catherine 1
Charity 1
E.I.J. 1
E.S.A. 1
Fanny 1
Francis 1
George 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Janette 1
Jessie 1
Lillie 1
Lottie 1
Louise 1
Majory 1
Maude 1
Priscilla 1
Sahra 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 22
John 15
Thomas 13
James 5
George 4
Alfred 3
Harry 3
Henry 3
Richard 3
Charles 2
Frederick 2
Philip 2
Absalom 1
Arthur 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
H.John 1
Joseph 1
Mathew 1
Osbert 1
R.W. 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Heathman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heathman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 167 people were recorded with the Heathman surname. That placed it at #14,443 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heathman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016. That gives Heathman a modern rank of #24,865.

What does the Heathman surname mean?

A surname suggesting an association with heathland or moorland.

What does the Heathman map show?

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