NameCensus.

UK surname

Heming

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "meadow of the heathland dwellers."

In the 1881 census there were 355 people recorded with the Heming surname, ranking it #8,679 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 193, ranked #20,039, down from #8,679 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Littleton, North and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bristol, Cotswold and Wychavon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heming is 560 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 45.6%.

1881 census count

355

Ranked #8,679

Modern count

193

2016, ranked #20,039

Peak year

1891

560 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heming had 355 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,679 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016, ranked #20,039.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 560 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Heming surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heming surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heming 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 445 #5,532
1861 historical 552 #4,768
1881 historical 355 #8,679
1891 historical 560 #6,775
1901 historical 333 #10,843
1911 historical 425 #8,877
1997 modern 216 #16,802
1998 modern 215 #17,306
1999 modern 218 #17,258
2000 modern 200 #18,209
2001 modern 200 #17,948
2002 modern 207 #17,911
2003 modern 208 #17,685
2004 modern 202 #18,110
2005 modern 204 #17,893
2006 modern 199 #18,357
2007 modern 199 #18,542
2008 modern 198 #18,753
2009 modern 201 #18,965
2010 modern 202 #19,322
2011 modern 209 #18,730
2012 modern 201 #19,147
2013 modern 204 #19,276
2014 modern 196 #19,961
2015 modern 193 #20,056
2016 modern 193 #20,039

Geography

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Where Hemings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Littleton, North, Manchester, Oldswinford and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bristol, Cotswold, Wychavon, Cheshire East and North Devon. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Littleton, North Worcestershire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Oldswinford Worcestershire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bristol 011 Bristol, City of
2 Cotswold 003 Cotswold
3 Wychavon 011 Wychavon
4 Cheshire East 034 Cheshire East
5 North Devon 006 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heming

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heming

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Heming is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Heming is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Heming

The surname HEMING is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hæming" or "hæm" meaning "home" or "homestead." It likely originated as a locational surname, given to someone who lived near a homestead or a small settlement.

The earliest recorded instances of the name HEMING can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was found in various spellings such as "Haming" and "Haeming," indicating its existence in the 11th century.

During the medieval period, the HEMING surname was prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire, where many individuals bearing this name resided. One notable early bearer of the name was William Heming, a tax collector from Nottinghamshire, who lived in the 13th century.

In the 16th century, the HEMING surname appeared in the parish records of several English villages, such as Heming in Gloucestershire and Hemingby in Lincolnshire. These place names likely originated from the same root as the surname, further solidifying its connection to the concept of a homestead or settlement.

Among the notable individuals with the surname HEMING throughout history are Sir John Heming (1536-1598), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of Elizabeth I; William Heming (1705-1770), a renowned English miniature painter; and Edward Heming (1588-1637), an actor and member of the King's Men theatrical company, who worked alongside William Shakespeare.

Other notable figures include Thomas Heming (1718-1799), an English architect who designed several churches and country houses, and John Heming (1766-1822), an English engraver and portrait painter.

The HEMING surname has persisted through the centuries, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, all united by their shared linguistic heritage rooted in the concept of a homestead or settlement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Heming families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heming 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. Worcestershire leads with 59 Hemings recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.16x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 59 13.16x
Gloucestershire 47 6.98x
Warwickshire 39 4.50x
Middlesex 31 0.90x
Kent 19 1.62x
Somerset 18 3.26x
Yorkshire 15 0.44x
Essex 14 2.07x
Staffordshire 14 1.21x
Surrey 14 0.84x
Oxfordshire 12 5.66x
Lancashire 11 0.27x
Sussex 11 1.90x
Herefordshire 9 6.39x
Hampshire 8 1.14x
Monmouthshire 6 2.42x
Cheshire 5 0.66x
Midlothian 4 0.87x
Denbighshire 3 2.31x
Devon 3 0.42x
Lanarkshire 3 0.27x
Durham 2 0.20x
Angus 1 0.31x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.48x
Dorset 1 0.44x
Glamorgan 1 0.17x
Royal Navy 1 2.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. North Middle in Worcestershire leads with 24 Hemings recorded in 1881 and an index of 7272.73x.

Place Total Index
North Middle 24 7272.73x
Bedminster 11 21.18x
Birmingham 11 3.81x
Great Shurdington 9 3600.00x
Greenwich 9 16.47x
Charlton Kings 8 171.67x
Oxford St Giles 8 79.05x
West Bromwich 8 12.06x
Alcester 7 244.76x
Islington London 7 2.10x
Longdon 7 1129.03x
Marston Sicca 7 1627.91x
Woolwich 7 16.17x
Bristol St James St Paul 6 26.73x
Cotherston 6 800.00x
Edgbaston 6 22.35x
Redditch 6 66.01x
Stoke Bliss 6 3157.89x
Tottenham 6 10.97x
Walcot 6 20.38x
Walthamstow 6 24.60x
Webheath 6 750.00x
Bermondsey 5 4.89x
Birkenhead 5 8.28x
Cheltenham 5 9.62x
Merton 5 170.65x
Monken Hadley 5 364.96x
Wick Abson 5 485.44x
Abergavenny 4 43.01x
Alveston 4 350.88x
Aston 4 1.68x
Banbury 4 94.12x
Cradley 4 98.77x
Edinburgh St Marys 4 44.74x
Haselor 4 1000.00x
New Shoreham 4 115.27x
Romford 4 37.35x
Alvechurch 3 157.07x
Avenbury 3 625.00x
Bristol St Paul In 3 16.72x
Chelmsford 3 25.80x
Hove 3 11.81x
Hunslet 3 5.66x
Middlesbrough 3 6.77x
Milverton 3 118.11x
Southampton All Sts 3 24.83x
Stourbridge 3 26.00x
Wrexham Regis 3 31.15x
Barony 2 0.71x
Harborne 2 5.39x
Hillingdon 2 18.26x
Hulme 2 2.35x
Kensington London 2 1.05x
Liverpool 2 0.81x
Manchester 2 1.09x
Millbrook 2 11.29x
Newport 2 16.89x
Northwood 2 19.96x
Salford 2 1.67x
South Bersted 2 40.65x
St Katherine Creechurch 2 338.98x
St Michael Queenhithe 2 909.09x
Stoodleigh 2 384.62x
Wimbledon 2 10.65x
Bathwick 1 16.34x
Battersea 1 0.79x
Brightside Bierlow 1 1.50x
Bristol St James In 1 10.10x
Claines 1 8.12x
Evesham St Lawrence 1 42.02x
Glasgow 1 0.51x
Heeley 1 9.67x
High Coniscliffe 1 238.10x
Kinver 1 29.94x
Newington 1 0.79x
Princes Risborough 1 35.97x
Rochester St Margaret 1 8.10x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.65x
Stow On The Wold 1 66.67x
Worcester St Andrew 1 65.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 24
Elizabeth 13
Sarah 13
Alice 8
Emily 8
Ellen 7
Jane 7
Annie 6
Amy 5
Emma 5
Martha 4
Ada 3
Clara 3
Florence 3
Hannah 3
Jessie 3
Kate 3
Ann 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Minnie 2
Rosa 2
Susan 2
Anna 1
Cath. 1
Christina 1
E.M. 1
E.M.F. 1
Eliza 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Elsie 1
Helen 1
Helina 1
Henrietta 1
J.S. 1
Keizah 1
L. 1
Laura 1
Louise 1
Lousia 1
Margarett 1
Thersa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 26
George 11
Henry 10
Thomas 10
John 9
Charles 7
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Edward 5
Frederick 5
Joseph 5
Richard 5
Robert 5
Walter 5
Albert 4
James 4
Samuel 4
Geo. 2
Jonathon 2
Oliver 2
Archibald 1
Benj 1
Benjamin 1
Clarence 1
Edwin 1
Elizabeth 1
Emald 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredk.L. 1
Geo.Ths. 1
Harold 1
Horace 1
Howard 1
Hubert 1
Infant 1
Jno. 1
Lewis 1
Martin 1
Michael 1
Percy 1
Ralph 1
Rhuben 1
Ruben 1
Saml. 1
Sidny 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Heming surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heming surname in 1881?

In 1881, 355 people were recorded with the Heming surname. That placed it at #8,679 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heming surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016. That gives Heming a modern rank of #20,039.

What does the Heming surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "meadow of the heathland dwellers."

What does the Heming map show?

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