NameCensus.

UK surname

Henning

Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements "hagan," meaning hedge or enclosure, and "harja," meaning army.

In the 1881 census there were 434 people recorded with the Henning surname, ranking it #7,512 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 832, ranked #6,692, up from #7,512 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Balornock, Ashford and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Henning is 859 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 91.7%.

1881 census count

434

Ranked #7,512

Modern count

832

2016, ranked #6,692

Peak year

2013

859 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Henning had 434 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,512 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 832 in 2016, ranked #6,692.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 745 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Henning surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Henning surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Henning 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 392 #6,129
1861 historical 470 #5,522
1881 historical 434 #7,512
1891 historical 745 #5,342
1901 historical 660 #6,565
1911 historical 724 #5,910
1997 modern 795 #6,567
1998 modern 813 #6,673
1999 modern 804 #6,759
2000 modern 800 #6,778
2001 modern 793 #6,686
2002 modern 816 #6,660
2003 modern 779 #6,805
2004 modern 774 #6,856
2005 modern 765 #6,847
2006 modern 764 #6,882
2007 modern 805 #6,648
2008 modern 810 #6,676
2009 modern 837 #6,646
2010 modern 858 #6,642
2011 modern 851 #6,611
2012 modern 833 #6,639
2013 modern 859 #6,577
2014 modern 854 #6,633
2015 modern 832 #6,710
2016 modern 832 #6,692

Geography

Back to top

Where Hennings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Manchester 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 Balornock, Ashford, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Cheshire West and Chester and Cornwall. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Balornock Glasgow City
2 Ashford 008 Ashford
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 008 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 Cheshire West and Chester 005 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Cornwall 022 Cornwall

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Henning

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Henning

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Henning surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Henning household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Henning is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Henning is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Henning

The surname Henning is of German origin, originating in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German personal name Hanning, which is a combination of the elements "han" meaning "rooster" and "ing" meaning "descendant of". The name was likely initially given as a nickname to someone with rooster-like qualities or perhaps someone who kept roosters.

The earliest known records of the Henning surname date back to the 12th century, appearing in medieval German documents and charters. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Codex Traditionum Lunaelacensium, a 12th-century cartulary from the monastery of Lüneburg, which mentions a "Henningus de Bremis" in 1163.

The name is also found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which includes references to individuals with the surname Henning in the 13th and 14th centuries.

In the 14th century, the Henning family was well-established in the city of Lübeck, a prominent member of the Hanseatic League. Historical records from this period mention several notable individuals with the surname, such as Henning von Hesler (c. 1310-1388), a prominent merchant and member of the city council.

Another notable figure was Henning Arnswaldt (c. 1425-1491), a German military leader and commander of the Teutonic Order, who played a significant role in the Polish-Teutonic War in the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Henning family gained prominence in the region of Saxony. One of the most notable members was Hieronymus Henning (c. 1522-1586), a German theologian and Protestant reformer who served as a court preacher to the Elector of Saxony.

The surname Henning also has a long history in Denmark, where it is believed to have been introduced by German immigrants in the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded Danish individuals with this surname was Henning Henningsen (c. 1570-1630), a wealthy merchant and shipowner from the city of Copenhagen.

Another notable Danish Henning was Henning Frederik von Staffeldt (1767-1808), a poet and writer who was a prominent figure in the Danish Romantic movement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Henning families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Henning 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. Middlesex leads with 74 Hennings recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.74x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 74 1.74x
Hampshire 65 7.44x
Dorset 55 19.66x
Surrey 49 2.36x
Essex 19 2.26x
Lancashire 19 0.38x
Kent 18 1.24x
Lanarkshire 17 1.23x
Durham 16 1.26x
Sussex 16 2.23x
Yorkshire 16 0.38x
Gloucestershire 12 1.44x
Somerset 12 1.75x
Devon 9 1.01x
Buckinghamshire 7 2.72x
Warwickshire 7 0.65x
Cheshire 6 0.64x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 6.48x
Angus 3 0.76x
Berkshire 2 0.63x
Dumfriesshire 2 2.12x
Denbighshire 1 0.62x
Glamorgan 1 0.13x
Midlothian 1 0.18x
Northamptonshire 1 0.25x
Northumberland 1 0.16x
Shropshire 1 0.27x
Staffordshire 1 0.07x
Suffolk 1 0.19x
Worcestershire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 13 Hennings recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.31x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 13 5.31x
Southampton St Mary 13 23.66x
St Pancras London 13 3.79x
Portsea 12 7.01x
Bermondsey 10 7.88x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 12.44x
Wisborough Green 10 414.94x
Bothenhampton 9 1153.85x
Cheltenham 9 13.95x
Christchurch 9 47.49x
Croydon 9 7.81x
Garmondsway Moor 9 3913.04x
Kinson 9 164.53x
St George In East London 9 22.44x
Westminster St Margaret 9 43.77x
Camberwell 8 2.94x
Lee 8 37.88x
Mile End New Town London 7 83.14x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 8.16x
Wath On Dearne 7 83.04x
Wimborne St Giles 7 1060.61x
Ardwick 6 13.15x
Carisbrooke 6 49.46x
Copford 6 618.56x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 6 55.45x
Steeple Claydon 6 480.00x
Stoke Trister 6 983.61x
Chipping Ongar 5 344.83x
Helmington Row 5 84.60x
Horton 5 735.29x
New Alresford 5 221.24x
St George Hanover Square 5 6.66x
St Gregory By St Pauls 5 467.29x
Walcot 5 13.68x
West Ham 5 2.69x
Westminster St John 5 9.63x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 4 176.21x
Edmondsham 4 1176.47x
Holdenhurst 4 17.45x
Southampton All Sts 4 26.68x
Warwick St Mary 4 42.87x
Weymouth 4 75.47x
Aston Somerville 3 1875.00x
Barony 3 0.86x
Bere Regis 3 160.43x
Dundee 3 2.03x
Irongray 3 260.87x
Islington London 3 0.73x
Lambeth 3 0.81x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 4.39x
Reigate Foreign 3 13.34x
Shoreditch London 3 1.62x
South Stoneham 3 15.83x
Speldhurst 3 40.49x
Stoke Newington London 3 9.04x
Westminster St James 3 6.85x
Bow London 2 3.69x
Brighton 2 1.38x
Clerkenwell London 2 1.99x
Cranborne 2 59.17x
Dartford 2 13.45x
Devonport 2 19.61x
Dumfries 2 21.53x
East Ham 2 12.80x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 2.33x
Exeter St Thomas The 2 22.10x
Fareham 2 19.05x
Farnham 2 12.38x
Hackney London 2 0.84x
Kingston On Thames 2 4.01x
Middlesbrough 2 3.64x
Sherborne 2 24.27x
Stoke Damerel 2 3.22x
Bothwell 1 2.67x
Bury St Edmunds St James 1 7.21x
Greenwich 1 1.47x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 1.40x
Norton Canes 1 19.08x
Thornton In Fylde 1 9.03x
Wonersh 1 38.61x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Henning 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
Jane 12
Elizabeth 11
Eliza 9
Annie 8
Ellen 7
Alice 6
Ann 5
Charlotte 5
Hannah 5
Caroline 4
Frances 4
Martha 4
Susan 4
Emily 3
Florence 3
Harriet 3
Kate 3
Margaret 3
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Harriett 2
Isabella 2
Julia 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Sophia 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Annette 1
Aqusta 1
Beatrice 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth 1
Elizth. 1
Elliza 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eveline 1
Evelyn 1
Gertrude 1
Henrietta 1
Janett 1
Jessie 1
Johanna 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Henning surname: questions and answers

How common was the Henning surname in 1881?

In 1881, 434 people were recorded with the Henning surname. That placed it at #7,512 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Henning surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 832 in 2016. That gives Henning a modern rank of #6,692.

What does the Henning surname mean?

Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements "hagan," meaning hedge or enclosure, and "harja," meaning army.

What does the Henning map show?

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