NameCensus.

UK surname

Heckford

In the 1881 census there were 158 people recorded with the Heckford surname, ranking it #14,989 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 252, ranked #16,699, down from #14,989 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Poole St James, London parishes and Corfe Mullen. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Purbeck, East Dorset and North Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heckford is 296 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.5%.

1881 census count

158

Ranked #14,989

Modern count

252

2016, ranked #16,699

Peak year

1901

296 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heckford had 158 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,989 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 252 in 2016, ranked #16,699.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 296 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Heckford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heckford surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Heckford 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 163 #12,156
1861 historical 183 #12,903
1881 historical 158 #14,989
1891 historical 243 #13,011
1901 historical 296 #11,749
1911 historical 281 #11,953
1997 modern 248 #15,363
1998 modern 256 #15,436
1999 modern 264 #15,223
2000 modern 251 #15,692
2001 modern 248 #15,606
2002 modern 264 #15,236
2003 modern 260 #15,216
2004 modern 269 #14,955
2005 modern 249 #15,679
2006 modern 249 #15,784
2007 modern 249 #15,943
2008 modern 249 #16,111
2009 modern 252 #16,323
2010 modern 253 #16,652
2011 modern 258 #16,284
2012 modern 257 #16,212
2013 modern 254 #16,603
2014 modern 254 #16,726
2015 modern 254 #16,608
2016 modern 252 #16,699

Geography

Back to top

Where Heckfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Poole St James, London parishes, Corfe Mullen, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a and Lytchett Minster. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Purbeck, East Dorset, North Dorset and Nottingham. 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 Poole St James Dorset
2 London parishes London 3
3 Corfe Mullen Dorset
4 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
5 Lytchett Minster Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Purbeck 003 Purbeck
2 East Dorset 012 East Dorset
3 Purbeck 002 Purbeck
4 North Dorset 001 North Dorset
5 Nottingham 040 Nottingham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Heckford

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Heckford

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Heckford is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Heckford is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Heckford falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Heckford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heckford 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. Dorset leads with 32 Heckfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.64x.

County Total Index
Dorset 32 31.64x
Middlesex 25 1.62x
Suffolk 18 9.59x
Essex 17 5.59x
Norfolk 15 6.33x
Yorkshire 14 0.92x
Warwickshire 11 2.83x
Hampshire 9 2.85x
Kent 4 0.76x
Worcestershire 4 1.99x
Lancashire 3 0.16x
Surrey 3 0.40x
Bedfordshire 1 1.25x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.02x
Durham 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lytchett Minster in Dorset leads with 20 Heckfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 4444.44x.

Place Total Index
Lytchett Minster 20 4444.44x
Monks Kirby 7 813.95x
Norwich St Stephen 7 322.58x
Armley 6 89.02x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 6 42.16x
Canford Magna 6 1034.48x
East Bergholt 6 952.38x
Colchester St Giles 5 166.11x
Ipswich St Peter 5 197.63x
Withersfield 5 1666.67x
Heigham 4 31.45x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 4 56.26x
Limehouse London 4 23.64x
Ryde 4 58.91x
Solihull 4 143.37x
St Pancras London 4 3.22x
Stourbridge 4 77.22x
West Ham 4 5.96x
Colchester St Leonard 3 306.12x
Hamworthy 3 857.14x
Islington London 3 2.01x
Paddington London 3 5.29x
Poole St James 3 78.95x
Poplar London 3 10.32x
Southampton St Mary 3 15.11x
Westminster St James 3 18.94x
Chatham 2 13.83x
Colchester St Mary At 2 185.19x
Leyton Low 2 32.36x
Melling 2 476.19x
Newington 2 3.51x
St Giles In Fields London 2 26.46x
Uxbridge 2 113.64x
Adlingfleet 1 1000.00x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.49x
Christchurch 1 14.60x
Crowle 1 66.67x
Gamlingay 1 98.04x
Hockliffe 1 588.24x
Holdenhurst 1 12.08x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 15.70x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 1 57.47x
Lewisham 1 3.57x
Manningtree 1 204.08x
Minster In Sheppey 1 11.48x
Southwark St Olave 1 84.75x
Sunderland 1 12.35x
Withington 1 16.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 9
George 8
Henry 6
John 6
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Harry 3
Samuel 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Frank 2
James 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Cecil 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Clarence 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Jerimah 1
Joseph 1
Mark 1
Martin 1
Matthew 1
Nathaniel 1
Robert 1
Robt.G. 1
Robt.Geo. 1
Sidney 1
Theophilus 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Heckford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heckford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 158 people were recorded with the Heckford surname. That placed it at #14,989 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heckford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 252 in 2016. That gives Heckford a modern rank of #16,699.

What does the Heckford map show?

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