NameCensus.

UK surname

Hellard

An English habitational surname derived from a location name of uncertain origin.

In the 1881 census there were 179 people recorded with the Hellard surname, ranking it #13,787 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 229, ranked #17,878, down from #13,787 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Ealing, Chiswick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, Eastleigh and Merthyr Tydfil.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hellard is 301 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.9%.

1881 census count

179

Ranked #13,787

Modern count

229

2016, ranked #17,878

Peak year

1911

301 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hellard had 179 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,787 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016, ranked #17,878.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 301 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hellard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hellard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hellard 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 140 #13,593
1861 historical 152 #15,126
1881 historical 179 #13,787
1891 historical 209 #14,459
1901 historical 218 #14,332
1911 historical 301 #11,422
1997 modern 220 #16,607
1998 modern 239 #16,179
1999 modern 238 #16,308
2000 modern 236 #16,380
2001 modern 230 #16,415
2002 modern 238 #16,378
2003 modern 221 #16,987
2004 modern 217 #17,276
2005 modern 216 #17,283
2006 modern 216 #17,397
2007 modern 215 #17,633
2008 modern 220 #17,544
2009 modern 220 #17,911
2010 modern 238 #17,323
2011 modern 227 #17,733
2012 modern 230 #17,479
2013 modern 237 #17,423
2014 modern 250 #16,905
2015 modern 231 #17,733
2016 modern 229 #17,878

Geography

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Where Hellards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Ealing, Chiswick, Gluvias and Dorchester Holy Trinity, Fordington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, Eastleigh, Merthyr Tydfil and Harlow. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Ealing, Chiswick Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
4 Gluvias Cornwall
5 Dorchester Holy Trinity, Fordington Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 006 Mendip
2 Mendip 008 Mendip
3 Eastleigh 007 Eastleigh
4 Merthyr Tydfil 008 Merthyr Tydfil
5 Harlow 004 Harlow

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hellard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hellard

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

Hellard 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hellard

The surname Hellard is believed to have originated in England and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "helle" meaning "hell" and "geard" meaning "yard" or "enclosure." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a particularly bleak or gloomy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hellgard." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England and serves as a valuable record of surnames from that era.

During the 13th century, the surname appears in various manorial records and tax rolls, often spelled as "Helliard" or "Heliard." These early spellings demonstrate the evolution of the name over time and its adaptation to the changing pronunciation and spelling conventions of the English language.

In the 14th century, the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record compiled in 1279, which lists a Robert Helliard as a landowner in the village of Watlington.

One notable figure bearing the surname Hellard was Sir Thomas Hellard, a prominent English lawyer and judge who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries (1558-1633). He served as a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas and was known for his expertise in property law.

Another individual of historical significance was John Hellard (1629-1679), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Archdeacon of Barnstaple in Devon. He published several works on religious topics during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, Captain William Hellard (1737-1820) gained recognition as a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

The name Hellard has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Hellard's Cross in Somerset, which may have derived its name from a local family with the surname.

Throughout its history, the surname Hellard has maintained a presence in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Oxfordshire, where it has been documented in parish records and other historical documents.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hellard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hellard 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. Somerset leads with 71 Hellards recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.57x.

County Total Index
Somerset 71 24.57x
Middlesex 25 1.39x
Wiltshire 15 9.45x
Dorset 10 8.49x
Cornwall 8 3.94x
Hampshire 8 2.17x
Berkshire 7 5.20x
Devon 7 1.87x
Kent 7 1.14x
Brecknockshire 5 13.93x
Surrey 5 0.57x
Channel Islands 4 7.52x
Gloucestershire 4 1.14x
Lanarkshire 4 0.69x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.92x
Derbyshire 1 0.36x
Lancashire 1 0.05x
Royal Navy 1 4.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bridgewater in Somerset leads with 33 Hellards recorded in 1881 and an index of 420.92x.

Place Total Index
Bridgewater 33 420.92x
Bradford On Avon 10 196.85x
Ealing 9 56.11x
Bromley London 7 17.73x
Bishops Lydeard 6 810.81x
St Gluvias Penryn 6 368.10x
Brecknock St John 5 165.02x
Fivehead 5 1923.08x
Lambourn 5 373.13x
Longfleet 5 367.65x
Ramsbury 5 347.22x
Bath St James 4 132.89x
Bedminster 4 14.73x
Fordington 4 157.48x
Glasgow 4 3.88x
Portsea 4 5.55x
Portsmouth 4 47.23x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 11.07x
St Helier 4 23.09x
Woolwich 4 17.68x
Hampton London 3 101.69x
Stogumber 3 394.74x
Stonehouse East 3 157.89x
Awre 2 277.78x
Bath St Peter St Paul 2 156.25x
Clerkenwell London 2 4.72x
Eltham 2 55.71x
North Curry 2 204.08x
Shalbourn 2 392.16x
Taunton St James 2 47.51x
Taunton St Mary 2 37.74x
Yeovil 2 34.07x
Budock 1 65.36x
Chudleigh 1 84.03x
Clifton 1 5.62x
Derby St Werburgh 1 6.16x
Devonport 1 23.31x
Dodington 1 1666.67x
Durleigh 1 769.23x
Hammersmith London 1 2.26x
Lambeth 1 0.64x
Lewisham 1 3.06x
Liverpool 1 0.77x
Melcombe Regis 1 20.49x
Minehead 1 91.74x
Olney 1 66.67x
Pitminster 1 117.65x
Royal Navy 1 5.47x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.16x
St Gluvias 1 87.72x
St Pancras London 1 0.69x
Stapleton 1 14.97x
Stoke Damerel 1 3.82x
Tiverton 1 15.53x
Twerton 1 33.56x
Walcot 1 6.50x
Willesden 1 5.91x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Hellard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hellard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 179 people were recorded with the Hellard surname. That placed it at #13,787 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hellard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016. That gives Hellard a modern rank of #17,878.

What does the Hellard surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a location name of uncertain origin.

What does the Hellard map show?

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