NameCensus.

UK surname

Helps

An occupational surname referring to a helper or assistant.

In the 1881 census there were 575 people recorded with the Helps surname, ranking it #6,056 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 762, ranked #7,197, down from #6,056 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Philip and Jacob. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Halton, Charnwood and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Helps is 859 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.5%.

1881 census count

575

Ranked #6,056

Modern count

762

2016, ranked #7,197

Peak year

1999

859 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Helps had 575 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,056 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 762 in 2016, ranked #7,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 832 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Helps surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Helps surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Helps 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 433 #5,664
1861 historical 420 #6,114
1881 historical 575 #6,056
1891 historical 632 #6,123
1901 historical 699 #6,295
1911 historical 832 #5,305
1997 modern 813 #6,449
1998 modern 857 #6,397
1999 modern 859 #6,430
2000 modern 829 #6,586
2001 modern 820 #6,519
2002 modern 842 #6,510
2003 modern 812 #6,575
2004 modern 783 #6,791
2005 modern 780 #6,737
2006 modern 783 #6,743
2007 modern 771 #6,899
2008 modern 770 #6,956
2009 modern 779 #7,031
2010 modern 789 #7,107
2011 modern 802 #6,935
2012 modern 791 #6,906
2013 modern 786 #7,071
2014 modern 781 #7,135
2015 modern 778 #7,096
2016 modern 762 #7,197

Geography

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Where Helps' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Philip and Jacob, Lambeth and Lyncombe and Widcombe. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Halton, Charnwood, Bath and North East Somerset and Burnley. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Lyncombe and Widcombe Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Halton 005 Halton
2 Charnwood 022 Charnwood
3 Halton 007 Halton
4 Bath and North East Somerset 010 Bath and North East Somerset
5 Burnley 002 Burnley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Helps

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Helps

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

Helps is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Helps

The surname Helps is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as an occupational surname, derived from the Old English word "help," which referred to someone who provided assistance or support.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Helps can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273. This historical record mentions a certain William le Helpe, indicating that the name was already in use during that time.

The Helps surname is also closely associated with the county of Gloucestershire in England. In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Helpes" in the Subsidy Rolls of the county, suggesting a strong connection to this region.

Throughout history, various spellings of the name have been documented, including Helps, Helpes, Helpis, and Helpys. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling practices during the Middle Ages.

One notable historical figure bearing the Helps surname was Richard Helps, a 16th-century English landowner and farmer from Gloucestershire. He was born around 1530 and is mentioned in various records related to land transactions and parish records.

Another prominent individual was Sir Arthur Helps, a 19th-century English writer and historian. Born in 1813, he served as the Clerk of the Privy Council and published several influential works, including "The Spanish Conquest in America" and "The Life of Pizarro."

In the 17th century, there are records of the Helps family residing in the village of Painswick, Gloucestershire. One member, John Helps, was born in 1637 and served as a churchwarden in the local parish church.

The Helps surname also has connections to the city of Bristol, where it is believed to have originated from the nearby village of Helps Gwent, which was named after an early settler or landholder with the surname.

Historically, the name Helps has been found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. This suggests that the surname may have originated in the West Country region before spreading to other areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Helps families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Helps 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 128 Helps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.10x.

County Total Index
Somerset 128 14.10x
Gloucestershire 104 9.40x
Wiltshire 82 16.44x
Surrey 80 2.91x
Middlesex 55 0.98x
Lancashire 23 0.34x
Leicestershire 18 2.88x
Derbyshire 17 1.93x
Essex 14 1.26x
Warwickshire 14 0.98x
Glamorgan 8 0.81x
Lanarkshire 8 0.44x
Monmouthshire 7 1.72x
Staffordshire 5 0.26x
Hampshire 3 0.26x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.59x
Northamptonshire 2 0.38x
Sussex 2 0.21x
Berkshire 1 0.24x
Brecknockshire 1 0.89x
Devon 1 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.13x
Royal Navy 1 1.49x
Worcestershire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 35 Helps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.12x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 35 7.12x
Corsham 19 260.99x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 17 16.33x
Weston 16 229.23x
Bristol St James St Paul 14 37.97x
Castle Cary 14 354.43x
Rowde 14 608.70x
Stapleton 14 66.73x
Bradford On Avon 13 81.45x
Camberwell 13 3.61x
Westbury On Trym 12 32.03x
Box 11 258.82x
Winterbourne 11 180.03x
Bedminster 10 11.73x
Leicester St Margaret 10 6.56x
Melksham 10 115.47x
Hammersmith London 9 6.48x
Monckton Combe 9 310.34x
Richmond 9 23.38x
Walcot 9 18.62x
Belgrave 8 56.70x
Clapham 8 11.35x
Englishcombe 8 792.08x
Salford 8 4.07x
Bath St James 7 73.92x
East Pennard 7 593.22x
Edgeworth 7 194.99x
Horfield 7 62.89x
Pilsley 7 240.55x
St George Hanover Square 7 7.05x
Birmingham 6 1.27x
Gloucester St Michael 6 237.15x
Limehouse London 6 9.69x
Monmouth 6 55.50x
Poplar London 6 5.64x
Rutherglen 6 22.43x
Aston 5 1.28x
Bermondsey 5 2.98x
Buckland Dinham 5 568.18x
Lyncombe Widcombe 5 21.04x
Rowley Regis 5 9.43x
St George In East London 5 9.43x
West Ham 5 2.03x
Bathwick 4 39.84x
Cheltenham 4 4.69x
Chippenham 4 38.24x
Colchester St Mary At 4 101.52x
East Ham 4 19.37x
Haydock 4 34.69x
Litchurch 4 11.26x
Llandaff 4 12.25x
Twerton 4 42.74x
West Cranmore 4 727.27x
Beckington 3 167.60x
Bristol St Paul In 3 10.18x
Camerton 3 113.64x
Clifton 3 5.37x
Clowne 3 85.47x
Cromhall Cromhall Lygon 3 508.47x
Dunkerton 3 152.28x
Foleshill 3 20.05x
Hilperton 3 188.68x
Mile End Old Town London 3 2.50x
Wandsworth 3 5.53x
Westminster St Margaret 3 11.03x
Aighton Bailey 2 62.11x
Battersea 2 0.96x
Bristol Temple 2 27.47x
Calne 2 19.47x
Chalfont St Peter 2 71.17x
Clerkenwell London 2 1.50x
Ditcheat 2 128.21x
Freshford 2 256.41x
Gloucester Barton St 2 30.86x
Hayfield 2 36.90x
Lanark 2 13.63x
Paddington London 2 0.96x
West Pennard 2 136.99x
Westbury 2 17.18x
Weston Super Mare 2 8.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 32
James 23
John 20
Thomas 19
Charles 18
Henry 18
George 14
Albert 10
Joseph 10
Arthur 9
Frederick 8
Walter 7
Edward 6
Frank 6
Richard 6
Alfred 5
Harry 4
Herbert 4
Samuel 4
Stephen 3
Wm. 3
Chas. 2
Edmund 2
Edwin 2
Robert 2
Tom 2
Benjamin 1
Bertram 1
Conner 1
Daniel 1
Dennis 1
Douglas 1
Ernest 1
Ethelbert 1
F. 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
Horatio 1
Jeremiah 1
Jesse 1
Jos. 1
Kemberley 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Monague 1
Obediah 1
Percy 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Uriah 1

FAQ

Helps surname: questions and answers

How common was the Helps surname in 1881?

In 1881, 575 people were recorded with the Helps surname. That placed it at #6,056 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Helps surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 762 in 2016. That gives Helps a modern rank of #7,197.

What does the Helps surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a helper or assistant.

What does the Helps map show?

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