NameCensus.

UK surname

Heaven

An English surname derived from a location surname or a nickname for someone of especially virtuous character.

In the 1881 census there were 651 people recorded with the Heaven surname, ranking it #5,488 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,008, ranked #5,770, down from #5,488 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Charfield and Minchinhampton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swansea, Stroud and Cotswold.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heaven is 1,039 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.8%.

1881 census count

651

Ranked #5,488

Modern count

1,008

2016, ranked #5,770

Peak year

1998

1,039 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heaven had 651 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,488 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,008 in 2016, ranked #5,770.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 969 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Heaven surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heaven surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Heaven 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 531 #4,730
1861 historical 426 #6,032
1881 historical 651 #5,488
1891 historical 685 #5,716
1901 historical 799 #5,654
1911 historical 969 #4,667
1997 modern 967 #5,640
1998 modern 1,039 #5,490
1999 modern 1,019 #5,625
2000 modern 1,029 #5,561
2001 modern 982 #5,657
2002 modern 986 #5,765
2003 modern 958 #5,799
2004 modern 945 #5,863
2005 modern 940 #5,827
2006 modern 976 #5,662
2007 modern 989 #5,657
2008 modern 1,000 #5,655
2009 modern 1,014 #5,700
2010 modern 1,025 #5,761
2011 modern 1,029 #5,691
2012 modern 991 #5,777
2013 modern 1,000 #5,822
2014 modern 1,038 #5,684
2015 modern 1,035 #5,652
2016 modern 1,008 #5,770

Geography

Back to top

Where Heavens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Charfield, Minchinhampton, Horsley and Cheltenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swansea, Stroud and Cotswold. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Charfield Gloucestershire
3 Minchinhampton Gloucestershire
4 Horsley Gloucestershire
5 Cheltenham Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swansea 019 Swansea
2 Stroud 004 Stroud
3 Stroud 015 Stroud
4 Cotswold 008 Cotswold
5 Stroud 010 Stroud

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Heaven

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Heaven

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Heaven is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Heaven 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

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

Meaning and origin of Heaven

The surname Heaven is an English name with origins dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "heofon" or "heofen," referring to the place above the earth. This name likely originated as a descriptive surname given to someone who lived near a high place or on a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Heaven surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Heauene, which is considered an early variation of the Heaven surname.

During the medieval period, the surname Heaven was predominantly found in the counties of Staffordshire and Derbyshire in central England. Some of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname include John de Heuene, who was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Staffordshire in 1273, and Walter de Hevene, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire in 1327.

In the 14th century, the surname Heaven appeared in various place names, such as Heaven Farm in Staffordshire and Heaven Wood in Derbyshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, suggesting that the Heaven family had established landholdings in those areas.

One notable individual with the Heaven surname was Sir Richard Heaven, a 16th-century English politician and landowner. He was born in Staffordshire in 1521 and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Stafford from 1558 to 1559.

Another prominent figure was William Heaven, a 17th-century English clergyman and author. He was born in Hertfordshire in 1647 and served as the rector of Brightwell, Oxfordshire. Heaven published several religious works, including "The Visible Church" in 1682.

In the 18th century, John Heaven, an English navigator and explorer, gained recognition for his voyages to the South Pacific. He was born in Bristol in 1734 and served as a captain in the British Royal Navy, leading expeditions to explore and chart various islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Another individual of note was Sarah Heaven, a 19th-century English author and poet. She was born in Derbyshire in 1812 and published several collections of poetry, including "Poems on Various Subjects" in 1837 and "The Village Muse" in 1845.

Finally, one of the most recent notable figures with the Heaven surname was Sir Walter Heaven, a 20th-century British civil servant and diplomat. He was born in Staffordshire in 1898 and served as the British Ambassador to Turkey from 1944 to 1948.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Heaven families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heaven 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. Gloucestershire leads with 313 Heavens recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.17x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 313 25.17x
Middlesex 60 0.95x
Warwickshire 34 2.13x
Somerset 33 3.23x
Staffordshire 31 1.45x
Herefordshire 18 6.92x
Worcestershire 17 2.05x
Lancashire 16 0.21x
Wiltshire 16 2.85x
Essex 12 0.96x
Glamorgan 11 1.00x
Yorkshire 11 0.18x
Oxfordshire 10 2.55x
Sussex 10 0.94x
Brecknockshire 9 7.10x
Monmouthshire 9 1.96x
Surrey 9 0.29x
Devon 6 0.45x
Hampshire 5 0.38x
Montgomeryshire 4 2.75x
Cheshire 3 0.21x
Derbyshire 3 0.30x
Lincolnshire 3 0.30x
Kent 2 0.09x
Suffolk 2 0.26x
Cornwall 1 0.14x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.59x
Hertfordshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheltenham in Gloucestershire leads with 29 Heavens recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.23x.

Place Total Index
Cheltenham 29 30.23x
Standish 20 1851.85x
Kings Norton 16 21.55x
Charfield 14 1147.54x
Horsley 14 254.08x
Birmingham 13 2.44x
Portishead 13 171.28x
Stroud 13 53.72x
Aston 12 2.73x
Leonard Stanley 12 736.20x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 11 9.40x
Wotton Under Edge 11 150.07x
Elmore 10 1298.70x
West Bromwich 10 8.16x
Weston Under Penyard 10 549.45x
Clifton 9 14.32x
Hastings Holy Trinity 9 114.21x
Lower Ystradgynlais 9 115.09x
Minchinhampton 9 90.82x
Romford 9 45.48x
Wickwar 9 450.00x
Almondsbury 8 168.42x
Berkeley 8 115.61x
Boxwell With Leighterton 8 1454.55x
Edgbaston 8 16.14x
Henbury 8 131.80x
Newnham 8 250.78x
Shoreditch London 8 2.91x
Trevethin 8 18.48x
Tytherington 8 824.74x
Bedminster 7 7.30x
Darlaston 7 23.66x
Hessle In Sculcoates 7 126.13x
Horley 7 1029.41x
Leckhampton 7 91.38x
Mile End Old Town London 7 5.19x
Bristol St James St Paul 6 14.47x
Corsham 6 73.35x
Hawkesbury 6 141.84x
Iron Acton 6 239.04x
Rodborough 6 99.83x
Rusholme 6 29.90x
Wednesbury 6 11.22x
Westminster St John 6 7.77x
Canon Pyon 5 328.95x
Cardiff St John 5 13.87x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 5 21.98x
Horfield 5 39.97x
Keynsham 5 68.21x
Kingswood 5 247.52x
Netheravon 5 396.83x
Tetbury 5 70.92x
Uttoxeter 5 45.62x
Winterbourne 5 72.78x
Bristol St Paul In 4 12.07x
Bristol St Stephen 4 123.84x
Gloucester St Mary Lode 4 137.46x
Hornsey 4 4.99x
Lambeth 4 0.72x
Llantrisant 4 14.37x
Lundy Island 4 1025.64x
Moss Side 4 10.10x
Portsea 4 1.57x
Rockhampton 4 833.33x
Shipton Moyne 4 434.78x
St Pancras London 4 0.78x
Uxbridge 4 55.25x
West Derby 4 1.82x
Westbury On Trym 4 9.49x
Wraxall 4 205.13x
Avening 3 68.34x
Bloxham 3 78.13x
Chelsea London 3 1.57x
Kingstanley 3 65.36x
Llangyniew 3 283.02x
Mordiford 3 241.94x
Poulshot 3 405.41x
Rotherhithe 3 3.83x
St Marylebone London 3 0.89x
Wormhill 3 144.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 44
Elizabeth 21
Sarah 19
Eliza 16
Jane 12
Annie 10
Emily 10
Ann 9
Ellen 9
Emma 9
Edith 7
Hannah 7
Alice 6
Caroline 6
Agnes 5
Florence 5
Harriet 5
Harriett 5
Kate 5
Louisa 5
Amelia 4
Anne 4
Charlotte 4
Fanny 4
Isabella 4
Margaret 4
Maria 4
Ada 3
Julia 3
Lilian 3
Lilly 3
Mabel 3
Rose 3
Flora 2
Gertrude 2
Henrietta 2
Hester 2
Lillian 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Maud 2
Millicent 2
Minne 2
Minnie 2
Rebecca 2
Rosa 2
Sophia 2
Catharine 1
Elizth 1
Elizth.S. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 35
George 26
John 25
Henry 20
James 18
Charles 17
Alfred 15
Thomas 13
Edward 9
Robert 9
Joseph 8
Walter 8
Samuel 7
Albert 6
Arthur 5
Daniel 4
Francis 4
Frank 4
Fredrick 4
Herbert 4
Frederick 3
Wm. 3
Cecil 2
Chas. 2
Clement 2
David 2
Earnest 2
Ernest 2
Fredk. 2
Harry 2
Lewis 2
Ralph 2
Sidney 2
Victor 2
Camgyde 1
Edwd.Jno. 1
Eustin 1
Fred 1
Gilbert 1
Giles 1
Graham 1
Hudson 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Job 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
Levison 1
Lindsay 1
Mathew 1

FAQ

Heaven surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heaven surname in 1881?

In 1881, 651 people were recorded with the Heaven surname. That placed it at #5,488 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heaven surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,008 in 2016. That gives Heaven a modern rank of #5,770.

What does the Heaven surname mean?

An English surname derived from a location surname or a nickname for someone of especially virtuous character.

What does the Heaven map show?

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