NameCensus.

UK surname

Height

Of English origin, referring to someone tall or from a place with a height.

In the 1881 census there were 90 people recorded with the Height surname, ranking it #20,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 200, ranked #19,591, up from #20,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Leamington Priors and Elm. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Northamptonshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Warwick.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Height is 380 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 122.2%.

1881 census count

90

Ranked #20,965

Modern count

200

2016, ranked #19,591

Peak year

1861

380 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Height had 90 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 200 in 2016, ranked #19,591.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 380 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Height surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Height surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Height 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 380 #6,726
1881 historical 90 #20,965
1891 historical 178 #16,264
1901 historical 143 #18,570
1911 historical 253 #12,776
1997 modern 190 #18,199
1998 modern 194 #18,451
1999 modern 198 #18,343
2000 modern 194 #18,554
2001 modern 192 #18,388
2002 modern 202 #18,189
2003 modern 196 #18,358
2004 modern 192 #18,678
2005 modern 188 #18,866
2006 modern 189 #18,961
2007 modern 190 #19,088
2008 modern 191 #19,195
2009 modern 191 #19,592
2010 modern 198 #19,577
2011 modern 199 #19,346
2012 modern 200 #19,207
2013 modern 202 #19,389
2014 modern 206 #19,318
2015 modern 207 #19,155
2016 modern 200 #19,591

Geography

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Where Heights are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Leamington Priors, Elm, Walsoken and Cammeringham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Northamptonshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Warwick and Derby. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Leamington Priors Warwickshire
3 Elm Cambridgeshire
4 Walsoken Cambridgeshire
5 Cammeringham Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Northamptonshire 003 East Northamptonshire
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Warwick 013 Warwick
4 Derby 009 Derby
5 Warwick 007 Warwick

Forenames

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First names often paired with Height

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Height

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Height surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Height household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Height is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Height is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Height

The surname HEIGHT is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word "hehþ," which meant "high" or "tall." It is thought to have initially been a descriptive name given to someone who was notably tall or lived in an elevated area.

The earliest known record of the surname HEIGHT appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like document from 1273, which lists a man named William Hehthe. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname HEIGHT is found in various spellings, such as Heyght and Hight, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that era. For instance, the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 mention a John Heyght.

One notable early bearer of the surname was Sir John Height, a knight who fought alongside Edward, the Black Prince, at the Battle of Crecy in 1346 during the Hundred Years' War. He was renowned for his bravery and skill on the battlefield.

During the 16th century, the surname HEIGHT appears to have been concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire, as evidenced by parish records and other historical documents from that time.

In the 17th century, the surname HEIGHT is associated with several notable individuals, including Thomas Height, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London, who was born in 1612 and died in 1688.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Reverend Robert Height, a respected clergyman and scholar who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, from 1674 until his death in 1711.

In the 18th century, the surname HEIGHT continued to be found in various parts of England, with some bearers achieving notable positions. For example, Sir William Height was a renowned architect who designed several prominent buildings in London, including St. Paul's Cathedral, which was completed in 1711.

As the centuries progressed, the surname HEIGHT spread to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to various parts of the world, carried by migrants and settlers from the British Isles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Height families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Height 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. Warwickshire leads with 22 Heights recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.94x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 22 9.94x
Northamptonshire 21 25.43x
Cambridgeshire 11 19.78x
Middlesex 8 0.91x
Kent 6 2.00x
Surrey 5 1.17x
Lincolnshire 4 2.85x
Yorkshire 3 0.34x
Lancashire 2 0.19x
Midlothian 2 1.70x
Ayrshire 1 1.52x
Derbyshire 1 0.73x
Hampshire 1 0.56x
Norfolk 1 0.74x
Rutland 1 15.50x
Shropshire 1 1.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leamington Priors in Warwickshire leads with 16 Heights recorded in 1881 and an index of 293.58x.

Place Total Index
Leamington Priors 16 293.58x
Elm 7 1296.30x
Sudborough 7 7777.78x
Leamington 5 340.14x
Twywell 5 3333.33x
Battersea 4 12.38x
Islington London 4 4.70x
Benefield 3 2142.86x
Benwick 3 1250.00x
Irthlingborough 3 370.37x
Minster In Sheppey 3 60.48x
Brigstock 2 645.16x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 4.23x
Greenwich 2 14.31x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 35.71x
Liverpool 2 3.16x
Aldershot 1 16.58x
Barrowden 1 555.56x
Bradden 1 2500.00x
Brampton 1 52.08x
Hendon 1 31.65x
Holbeach 1 64.10x
Horton In Bradford 1 7.36x
Kenilworth 1 80.00x
Laughton In Gainsborough 1 1111.11x
Llanyblodwell 1 357.14x
Newington 1 3.08x
Outwell 1 384.62x
Paddington London 1 3.10x
Potter Hanworth 1 769.23x
Riccarton 1 101.01x
Rochester St Margaret 1 31.65x
St Mark Lincoln 1 333.33x
St Marythe Great 1 555.56x
St Pancras London 1 1.42x
Westminster St James 1 11.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 6
Ann 3
Mary 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Edith 2
Elizabeth 2
Jane 2
Lucy 2
Ada 1
Anna 1
Anny 1
Drucilla 1
Elizbh. 1
Emma 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Margaritt 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Rachel 1
Rowena 1
Susan 1
Zelpah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
Thomas 6
Frederick 5
John 4
Samuel 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Hugh 2
James 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Harry 1
Leugon 1
Sidney 1
Singin 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Height surname: questions and answers

How common was the Height surname in 1881?

In 1881, 90 people were recorded with the Height surname. That placed it at #20,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Height surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 200 in 2016. That gives Height a modern rank of #19,591.

What does the Height surname mean?

Of English origin, referring to someone tall or from a place with a height.

What does the Height map show?

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