NameCensus.

UK surname

Heels

In the 1881 census there were 78 people recorded with the Heels surname, ranking it #22,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 208, ranked #19,062, up from #22,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Claybrooke, Halton and Missenden, Great. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham and York.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heels is 229 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 166.7%.

1881 census count

78

Ranked #22,500

Modern count

208

2016, ranked #19,062

Peak year

1999

229 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heels had 78 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 208 in 2016, ranked #19,062.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 135 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Heels surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heels surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heels 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 47 #28,023
1881 historical 78 #22,500
1891 historical 87 #25,802
1901 historical 83 #24,900
1911 historical 135 #19,058
1997 modern 212 #16,996
1998 modern 218 #17,159
1999 modern 229 #16,744
2000 modern 226 #16,840
2001 modern 215 #17,159
2002 modern 224 #17,042
2003 modern 209 #17,620
2004 modern 203 #18,061
2005 modern 196 #18,404
2006 modern 196 #18,512
2007 modern 213 #17,744
2008 modern 211 #17,997
2009 modern 226 #17,587
2010 modern 226 #17,942
2011 modern 221 #18,039
2012 modern 213 #18,422
2013 modern 213 #18,743
2014 modern 211 #19,002
2015 modern 210 #18,958
2016 modern 208 #19,062

Geography

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Where Heels' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Claybrooke, Halton, Missenden, Great, St John Hampstead and Dunstable. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham and York. 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 Claybrooke Leicestershire
2 Halton Buckinghamshire
3 Missenden, Great Buckinghamshire
4 St John Hampstead London (North Districts)
5 Dunstable Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 058 County Durham
2 County Durham 063 County Durham
3 York 016 York
4 County Durham 062 County Durham
5 York 014 York

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heels

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heels

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Heels is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Heels is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Heels falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Heels families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heels 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. Middlesex leads with 22 Heels' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.89x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 22 2.89x
Buckinghamshire 18 39.14x
Bedfordshire 15 38.08x
Leicestershire 6 7.11x
Berkshire 4 7.01x
Derbyshire 3 2.52x
Essex 2 1.33x
Warwickshire 2 1.04x
Worcestershire 2 2.01x
Durham 1 0.44x
Gloucestershire 1 0.67x
Lancashire 1 0.11x
Staffordshire 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eaton Bray in Bedfordshire leads with 14 Heels' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3500.00x.

Place Total Index
Eaton Bray 14 3500.00x
Edlesborough 10 2380.95x
Paddington London 9 32.18x
Halton 8 16000.00x
St Pancras London 7 11.43x
Blewbury 4 2000.00x
Hampstead London 4 33.76x
Little Claybrooke 4 2666.67x
Bengeworth 2 588.24x
Bulkington 2 487.80x
Newbold Dunston 2 176.99x
Walthamstow 2 37.04x
Aylestone 1 149.25x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 13.95x
Ealing 1 14.71x
Houghton Regis 1 158.73x
Leicester St Mary 1 14.68x
Litchurch 1 20.88x
Sedgefield 1 123.46x
St George Hanover Square 1 7.46x
West Dean 1 41.32x
Wolstanton 1 12.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Annie 3
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Hannah 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Dinah 1
E. 1
Emily 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Kittey 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Naiomi 1
Naomi 1
Priscilla 1
Rachel 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Heels surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heels surname in 1881?

In 1881, 78 people were recorded with the Heels surname. That placed it at #22,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heels surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 208 in 2016. That gives Heels a modern rank of #19,062.

What does the Heels map show?

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