NameCensus.

UK surname

Heighes

A variant spelling of an English locational surname derived from a place called Hay or Haye.

In the 1881 census there were 41 people recorded with the Heighes surname, ranking it #27,870 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 148, ranked #23,958, up from #27,870 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Woking. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Hampshire, Medway and Eastleigh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heighes is 224 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 261.0%.

1881 census count

41

Ranked #27,870

Modern count

148

2016, ranked #23,958

Peak year

1891

224 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heighes had 41 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,870 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016, ranked #23,958.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 224 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Heighes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heighes surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heighes 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 68 #21,302
1861 historical 148 #15,452
1881 historical 41 #27,870
1891 historical 224 #13,760
1901 historical 113 #21,296
1911 historical 125 #19,932
1997 modern 180 #18,812
1998 modern 184 #19,037
1999 modern 183 #19,248
2000 modern 187 #18,990
2001 modern 184 #18,907
2002 modern 180 #19,533
2003 modern 173 #19,834
2004 modern 176 #19,731
2005 modern 171 #19,985
2006 modern 171 #20,131
2007 modern 171 #20,387
2008 modern 156 #21,862
2009 modern 158 #22,168
2010 modern 158 #22,692
2011 modern 159 #22,382
2012 modern 154 #22,870
2013 modern 153 #23,314
2014 modern 152 #23,631
2015 modern 153 #23,413
2016 modern 148 #23,958

Geography

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Where Heighes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Woking, Ealing, Chiswick and Molesey, East. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Hampshire, Medway, Eastleigh and Tendring. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 1
3 Woking Surrey
4 Ealing, Chiswick Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 Molesey, East Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Hampshire 012 East Hampshire
2 Medway 028 Medway
3 East Hampshire 011 East Hampshire
4 Eastleigh 005 Eastleigh
5 Tendring 006 Tendring

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heighes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heighes

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Heighes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Heighes household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Heighes 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

Heighes 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

Heighes falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Heighes is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Heighes

The surname HEIGHES is an English habitational name derived from one of the various places called Heighs or Heys in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Cheshire. It originated in the Middle English era, around the 13th or 14th century. The Old English root of the name is "hege," meaning "hedge," suggesting that the original bearers may have lived near a hedge or enclosed area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a John del Heghe is mentioned. This spelling variation, "del Heghe," indicates the name's association with a specific place or location.

In the 16th century, the Heighe family was prominently established in the parish of Rochdale, Lancashire. Records from this time show several members of the family, including Robert Heighe (born around 1520) and James Heighe (born around 1550).

The Domesday Book, a valuable historical record from 1086, does not directly mention the surname HEIGHES or its variants. However, it does list several place names that may have contributed to the development of the surname over time.

Notable individuals with the surname HEIGHES throughout history include:

1. John Heighe (c. 1550-1615), an English clergyman and author from Rochdale, Lancashire. 2. Thomas Heighe (c. 1580-1647), an English lawyer and member of the House of Commons, representing Wigan in the Parliament of 1628. 3. William Heighe (c. 1620-1690), an English landowner and prominent citizen of Rochdale, who served as a Justice of the Peace. 4. Elizabeth Heighes (c. 1670-1735), an English Quaker minister and writer from Lancashire. 5. Samuel Heighes (c. 1700-1770), an English merchant and philanthropist from Yorkshire, who funded the construction of several schools and churches in the region.

The surname HEIGHES has evolved over time, with various spelling variations emerging, such as Heigh, Heys, Highe, and Heighs. These variations often reflect local dialects and regional pronunciations of the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Heighes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heighes 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. Hampshire leads with 34 Heighes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.50x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 34 40.50x
Surrey 5 2.51x
Middlesex 2 0.49x
Royal Navy 1 20.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Selborne in Hampshire leads with 19 Heighes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 11176.47x.

Place Total Index
Selborne 19 11176.47x
Binsted 9 2812.50x
Empshott 6 30000.00x
Walton On Thames 4 434.78x
Chelsea London 2 16.21x
Chiddingfold 1 526.32x
Royal Navy 1 23.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 4
Kate 2
Mary 2
Annie 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Eve 1
Hariet 1
Jane 1
Laura 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Heighes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heighes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 41 people were recorded with the Heighes surname. That placed it at #27,870 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heighes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016. That gives Heighes a modern rank of #23,958.

What does the Heighes surname mean?

A variant spelling of an English locational surname derived from a place called Hay or Haye.

What does the Heighes map show?

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