NameCensus.

UK surname

Henn

Derived from a shortened form of German names beginning with "Hen-," such as Hendrik or Henning.

In the 1881 census there were 261 people recorded with the Henn surname, ranking it #10,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 382, ranked #12,292, down from #10,752 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mitcham, London parishes and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Birmingham, South Northamptonshire and Sandwell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Henn is 474 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.4%.

1881 census count

261

Ranked #10,752

Modern count

382

2016, ranked #12,292

Peak year

1911

474 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Henn had 261 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,752 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 382 in 2016, ranked #12,292.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 474 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Henn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Henn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Henn 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 215 #9,860
1861 historical 317 #8,031
1881 historical 261 #10,752
1891 historical 404 #8,802
1901 historical 440 #8,843
1911 historical 474 #8,162
1997 modern 365 #11,804
1998 modern 372 #12,008
1999 modern 384 #11,800
2000 modern 394 #11,520
2001 modern 393 #11,366
2002 modern 401 #11,429
2003 modern 384 #11,589
2004 modern 384 #11,625
2005 modern 368 #11,926
2006 modern 374 #11,822
2007 modern 378 #11,877
2008 modern 396 #11,581
2009 modern 402 #11,682
2010 modern 417 #11,606
2011 modern 426 #11,267
2012 modern 386 #12,037
2013 modern 391 #12,123
2014 modern 391 #12,214
2015 modern 393 #12,059
2016 modern 382 #12,292

Geography

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Where Henns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mitcham, London parishes and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Birmingham, South Northamptonshire, Sandwell, Salford and Bridgend. 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 Mitcham Surrey
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Birmingham 032 Birmingham
2 South Northamptonshire 007 South Northamptonshire
3 Sandwell 004 Sandwell
4 Salford 021 Salford
5 Bridgend 003 Bridgend

Forenames

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First names often paired with Henn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Henn

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

Challenged Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Henn is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Henn 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

Henn falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Henn 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 Henn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Henn

The surname Henn has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged as a locational name during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "henne," meaning a hen or rooster. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a place where poultry was raised or traded.

Historically, the Henn surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, where a certain "Henricus Henne" is mentioned in an entry dated 1292.

In the 14th century, the surname Henn began to appear in various municipal records and tax rolls across German towns and villages. For instance, a "Cunradus Henne" is listed in the Urkundenbuch der Stadt Hildesheim, a compilation of documents from the city of Hildesheim, dated 1348.

As the name spread throughout Germany, regional variations in spelling emerged, such as Henn, Henne, Henn, and Henn. These variations often reflected local dialects and pronunciation differences.

Notable individuals bearing the Henn surname include:

1. Johann Henn (1550-1623), a German astronomer and mathematician from Nuremberg. 2. Johann Henn (1625-1692), a German composer and organist active in the Baroque era. 3. Friedrich Henn (1766-1838), a German jurist and politician who served as the Mayor of Leipzig from 1819 to 1838. 4. Wilhelm Henn (1835-1920), a German painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and genre scenes. 5. Viktor Henn (1876-1942), a German sculptor and medallist who worked in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles.

While the Henn surname originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond through migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Henn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Henn 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 60 Henns recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.38x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 60 9.38x
Staffordshire 38 4.44x
Middlesex 35 1.38x
Shropshire 26 11.87x
Surrey 25 2.02x
Lancashire 15 0.50x
Worcestershire 12 3.62x
Kent 11 1.27x
Essex 10 2.00x
Suffolk 10 3.24x
Norfolk 4 1.03x
Brecknockshire 3 5.91x
Lanarkshire 3 0.37x
Northamptonshire 3 1.26x
Yorkshire 3 0.12x
Durham 1 0.13x
Oxfordshire 1 0.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 46 Henns recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.58x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 46 21.58x
West Bromwich 23 46.93x
Mitcham 17 217.67x
Wellington 14 113.73x
Barking 10 68.26x
Greenwich 9 22.29x
Ashton Under Lyne 8 12.16x
Fulham London 8 21.75x
Ludford 8 2000.00x
Dudley 7 17.39x
Gorleston 7 89.17x
Islington London 7 2.85x
Aston 5 2.84x
Castle Church 5 97.09x
Cheetham 5 22.27x
Hammersmith London 5 8.00x
Kings Norton 5 16.84x
Leamington 5 117.92x
Ratcliffe London 5 35.69x
Willenhall 5 31.19x
Great Yarmouth 4 12.38x
Tipton 4 15.26x
Cambuslang 3 36.28x
Hay 3 159.57x
Lilleshall 3 89.55x
Lowestoft 3 20.56x
St Pancras London 3 1.47x
Sulgrave 3 750.00x
Clapham 2 6.31x
Edgbaston 2 10.09x
Flixton 2 129.87x
Harbury 2 192.31x
Hoyland Nether 2 32.47x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 3.92x
Whitstable 2 47.17x
Camberwell 1 0.62x
Carshalton 1 21.14x
Christ Church Newgate 1 84.75x
Epsom 1 16.61x
Handsworth 1 4.74x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 3.06x
Kimberworth 1 7.17x
Neithrop 1 19.01x
Newport 1 37.88x
Norwood 1 17.24x
St Gilesin Fields London 1 46.51x
St Luke London 1 2.46x
St Martin In Fields 1 6.59x
St Paul Covent Garden 1 39.37x
Sutton 1 11.19x
Whitechapel London 1 4.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Sarah 10
Eliza 9
Elizabeth 5
Emma 5
Hannah 5
Harriet 5
Alice 4
Catherine 4
Amelia 3
Ann 3
Annie 3
Edith 3
Jane 3
Martha 3
Clara 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Lydia 2
Sophia 2
Adela 1
Agnes 1
Angelina 1
Baby 1
Bick 1
Caroline 1
Christia 1
E. 1
Elizth.M. 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Julia 1
Katherine 1
L. 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Nellie 1
Pheobe 1
Phoebe 1
Ruth 1
Susana 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Henn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Henn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 261 people were recorded with the Henn surname. That placed it at #10,752 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Henn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 382 in 2016. That gives Henn a modern rank of #12,292.

What does the Henn surname mean?

Derived from a shortened form of German names beginning with "Hen-," such as Hendrik or Henning.

What does the Henn map show?

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