NameCensus.

UK surname

Henney

A derivative of the English locational surname referring to someone from Henney, England.

In the 1881 census there were 416 people recorded with the Henney surname, ranking it #7,749 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 558, ranked #9,187, down from #7,749 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, London parishes and Grendon with Whittington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Warwickshire, North West Leicestershire and Stafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Henney is 585 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.1%.

1881 census count

416

Ranked #7,749

Modern count

558

2016, ranked #9,187

Peak year

1999

585 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Henney had 416 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,749 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 558 in 2016, ranked #9,187.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 462 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Henney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Henney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Henney 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 316 #7,323
1861 historical 426 #6,032
1881 historical 416 #7,749
1891 historical 462 #7,917
1901 historical 434 #8,940
1911 historical 462 #8,329
1997 modern 513 #9,138
1998 modern 572 #8,663
1999 modern 585 #8,587
2000 modern 557 #8,860
2001 modern 543 #8,892
2002 modern 546 #9,029
2003 modern 534 #9,035
2004 modern 550 #8,865
2005 modern 545 #8,842
2006 modern 555 #8,752
2007 modern 550 #8,905
2008 modern 554 #8,911
2009 modern 576 #8,851
2010 modern 582 #8,978
2011 modern 572 #8,992
2012 modern 562 #9,037
2013 modern 568 #9,080
2014 modern 575 #9,068
2015 modern 570 #9,054
2016 modern 558 #9,187

Geography

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Where Henneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, London parishes, Grendon with Whittington, Nuneaton and Cannock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Warwickshire, North West Leicestershire, Stafford and Hambleton. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Grendon with Whittington Warwickshire
4 Nuneaton Warwickshire
5 Cannock Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Warwickshire 003 North Warwickshire
2 North West Leicestershire 007 North West Leicestershire
3 Stafford 005 Stafford
4 North Warwickshire 002 North Warwickshire
5 Hambleton 008 Hambleton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Henney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Henney

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Henney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Henney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Henney 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

Henney 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

Henney falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Henney

The surname HENNEY is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from the place name "Henney" or "Henny", which refers to several small villages and parishes located in various counties across England, including Berkshire, Somerset, and Suffolk.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname HENNEY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Hening" or "de Henei". This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest and may have originally referred to someone who hailed from one of the aforementioned villages or parishes.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname HENNEY began to appear more frequently in various historical records and documents, often with variations in spelling such as "Henny", "Henye", and "Hennye". These variations likely reflect regional dialects and the evolving nature of English orthography during that time period.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname HENNEY was John Henney (c. 1380-1460), a wealthy English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He served as Sheriff of London in 1432 and was a significant benefactor to various religious institutions, including the Priory of St. Mary Overy (now Southwark Cathedral).

Another prominent individual with the HENNEY surname was Robert Henney (1592-1677), an English Puritan minister and member of the Westminster Assembly. He was a staunch advocate for religious reform and played a crucial role in the drafting of the Westminster Confession of Faith, a foundational document of Presbyterian doctrine.

In the 18th century, William Henney (1718-1788) was a notable English architect and surveyor. He worked extensively in London and is best known for his design of the iconic Adelphi Buildings, a terrace of grand Georgian townhouses overlooking the River Thames.

Moving into the 19th century, Thomas Henney (1837-1905) was a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early refrigeration systems. He is credited with designing and patenting several innovative cooling devices, paving the way for modern refrigeration technology.

Finally, Sir William Henney (1866-1944) was a prominent British businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Canterbury from 1922 to 1931. He was also a successful industrialist and played a key role in the growth and expansion of the British steel industry during the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Henney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Henney 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. Staffordshire leads with 52 Henneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.79x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 52 3.79x
Lancashire 44 0.91x
Cumberland 43 12.28x
Renfrewshire 42 13.32x
Lanarkshire 40 3.04x
Middlesex 32 0.79x
Warwickshire 29 2.83x
Ayrshire 23 7.56x
Worcestershire 23 4.33x
Cheshire 15 1.67x
Leicestershire 15 3.33x
Gloucestershire 9 1.13x
Midlothian 9 1.65x
Monmouthshire 8 2.72x
Essex 6 0.75x
Kent 6 0.43x
Derbyshire 5 0.79x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 6.79x
Sussex 3 0.44x
Clackmannanshire 2 5.95x
Surrey 2 0.10x
Angus 1 0.27x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.91x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Isle of Man 1 1.32x
Yorkshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dalmellington in Ayrshire leads with 19 Henneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 212.29x.

Place Total Index
Dalmellington 19 212.29x
Barony 18 5.41x
Birmingham 11 3.22x
Cannock 11 45.91x
Nuneaton 11 92.59x
Wolstanton 11 26.38x
Kilbarchan 10 104.38x
Crosscanonby 9 77.72x
Dalserf 9 68.55x
St Cuthbert W O Harraby 8 1702.13x
Swannington 8 479.04x
Upper Machen 8 396.04x
Burntwood Edial 7 79.82x
Govan 7 2.15x
Parton 7 338.16x
Renfrew 7 67.24x
Winchcomb 7 176.77x
Baddesley Ensor 6 458.02x
Broughton In Salford 6 13.60x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 2.74x
Islington London 6 1.52x
Little Neston 6 416.67x
Liverpool 6 2.05x
Shoreditch London 6 3.40x
Toxteth Park 6 3.67x
Walsall Foreign 6 8.46x
West Ham 6 3.38x
Workington 6 29.93x
Barrow In Furness 5 7.62x
Birkenhead 5 6.99x
Brigham 5 303.03x
Cathcart 5 29.31x
Glasgow 5 2.14x
Longdon 5 263.16x
Neilston 5 31.61x
Oldbury 5 19.13x
Plumstead 5 10.81x
St George Hanover Square 5 6.98x
Stoke Newington London 5 15.78x
Wigan 5 7.41x
Aspull 4 35.24x
Bethnal Green London 4 2.26x
Elvaston 4 512.82x
Glenfield 4 459.77x
Gorton 4 8.82x
Kirkcudbright 4 82.14x
Largs 4 55.79x
Macclesfield 4 10.02x
Worcester St Martin 4 55.79x
Blaby 3 164.84x
Broadwas 3 681.82x
Edinburgh New North 3 63.29x
Erskine 3 131.00x
Mathon 3 192.31x
Newcastle Under Lyme 3 12.35x
Paisley High Church 3 11.95x
St Cuthbert W O 3 17.57x
St Pancras London 3 0.92x
Trentham 3 25.68x
Wednesbury 3 8.74x
West Greenock 3 5.30x
Whitehaven 3 16.07x
Alloa 2 12.28x
Bransford 2 555.56x
Castleton 2 4.15x
Clapham 2 3.93x
East Greenock 2 6.72x
Paisley Middle Church 2 10.90x
Powick 2 54.35x
Anglezarke 1 714.29x
Bitton Oldland 1 12.25x
Cockermouth 1 13.57x
Elmley Lovett 1 208.33x
Hampstead London 1 1.58x
Mearns 1 18.12x
Middle Greenock 1 11.63x
Oldham 1 0.64x
Southcoates 1 4.47x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 0.69x
Withington 1 6.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Sarah 16
Ann 11
Elizabeth 9
Eliza 8
Ellen 6
Harriet 5
Matilda 5
Alice 4
Emma 4
Jane 4
Margaret 4
Annie 3
Caroline 3
Catherine 3
Hannah 3
Louisa 3
Emily 2
Isabella 2
Lizzie 2
Martha 2
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Augusta 1
Bridget 1
Clara 1
Dinah 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Henrietta 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Margaretta 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Marther 1
Rosehannah 1
Selina 1
Silvia 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 26
George 19
James 14
Thomas 12
William 12
Joseph 10
Charles 7
Patrick 5
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Bernard 2
Harry 2
Josiah 2
Philip 2
Richard 2
Scot 2
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Henry 1
Jeremiah 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Lester 1
Michael 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Silas 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Will. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Henney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Henney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 416 people were recorded with the Henney surname. That placed it at #7,749 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Henney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 558 in 2016. That gives Henney a modern rank of #9,187.

What does the Henney surname mean?

A derivative of the English locational surname referring to someone from Henney, England.

What does the Henney map show?

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