NameCensus.

UK surname

Herald

An occupational surname referring to a royal or official messenger or proclaimer.

In the 1881 census there were 252 people recorded with the Herald surname, ranking it #11,012 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 249, ranked #16,847, down from #11,012 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bebbington, Forfar and Arbroath and St. Vigeans. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Mearns South and Benholm and Arbroath Cliffburn.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Herald is 256 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.2%.

1881 census count

252

Ranked #11,012

Modern count

249

2016, ranked #16,847

Peak year

1861

256 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Herald had 252 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,012 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016, ranked #16,847.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 256 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Herald surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Herald surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Herald 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 209 #10,066
1861 historical 256 #9,667
1881 historical 252 #11,012
1891 historical 238 #13,202
1901 historical 244 #13,329
1911 historical 96 #23,193
1997 modern 200 #17,618
1998 modern 211 #17,532
1999 modern 228 #16,790
2000 modern 221 #17,089
2001 modern 212 #17,324
2002 modern 205 #18,009
2003 modern 205 #17,851
2004 modern 189 #18,855
2005 modern 202 #18,016
2006 modern 214 #17,507
2007 modern 217 #17,520
2008 modern 226 #17,238
2009 modern 240 #16,896
2010 modern 241 #17,186
2011 modern 228 #17,673
2012 modern 227 #17,630
2013 modern 234 #17,556
2014 modern 234 #17,662
2015 modern 242 #17,191
2016 modern 249 #16,847

Geography

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Where Heralds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bebbington, Forfar, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Mearns South and Benholm, Arbroath Cliffburn and Penilee. 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 Bebbington Cheshire
2 Forfar Forfar
3 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 005 Allerdale
2 Mearns South and Benholm Aberdeenshire
3 Allerdale 004 Allerdale
4 Arbroath Cliffburn Angus
5 Penilee Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Herald

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Herald

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Herald, 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 Herald surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Herald 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Herald is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Herald 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

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

Meaning and origin of Herald

The surname Herald has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "heran," which means "to hear," and is believed to be an occupational surname originally given to town criers or messengers who would announce important news and proclamations.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Herald can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273, where a person named William le Heraud is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Heraud," reflects the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.

During the medieval period, the role of a herald was crucial in the court system and in battles. Heralds were responsible for carrying messages, recording events, and organizing tournaments and ceremonies. As such, the name Herald became associated with individuals who held these positions, and it gradually evolved into a hereditary surname.

In the 14th century, the name Herald was recorded in various historical documents, including the Calendarium Genealogicum and the Feet of Fines, which were records of land transactions. One notable bearer of the name was John Herald, a merchant from London who lived in the mid-1300s.

The Herald family later spread to different parts of England, and variations of the name emerged, such as Herald, Herrald, and Herault. One prominent figure bearing this surname was William Herald (c. 1530-1621), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Teddington in Middlesex.

Other notable individuals with the surname Herald include James Herald (1655-1719), an English author and translator, and William Herald (1779-1855), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

Throughout its history, the surname Herald has been linked to various professions and occupations, including messengers, town criers, heralds in royal courts, and even clergymen, reflecting the diverse roles and responsibilities associated with this name over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Herald families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Herald 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. Angus leads with 108 Heralds recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.43x.

County Total Index
Angus 108 47.43x
Cumberland 24 11.34x
Cheshire 18 3.32x
Durham 18 2.46x
Middlesex 17 0.69x
Lancashire 16 0.55x
Midlothian 9 2.73x
Kincardineshire 6 20.05x
Perthshire 5 4.53x
Renfrewshire 5 2.62x
Aberdeenshire 4 1.76x
Lanarkshire 4 0.50x
Lincolnshire 4 1.02x
Derbyshire 2 0.52x
Norfolk 2 0.53x
Surrey 2 0.17x
Wiltshire 2 0.92x
Ayrshire 1 0.54x
Berkshire 1 0.54x
Glamorgan 1 0.23x
Northumberland 1 0.27x
Stirlingshire 1 1.10x
Sussex 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Forfar in Angus leads with 30 Heralds recorded in 1881 and an index of 243.31x.

Place Total Index
Forfar 30 243.31x
Arbroath 27 357.62x
Cleator 14 158.91x
St Vigeans 13 105.78x
Tranmere 12 60.18x
Dundee 11 12.94x
Heworth 10 69.40x
Kirriemuir 10 177.94x
Accrington 8 30.17x
Tanfield 8 91.95x
Workington 8 66.01x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 4.53x
Godley 6 512.82x
Kirkdale 6 12.23x
Liff Benvie 5 14.46x
Limehouse London 5 18.53x
Little Dunkeld 5 267.38x
Marykirk 5 406.50x
St Marylebone London 5 3.81x
Brechin 4 44.69x
Hackney London 4 2.90x
Govan 3 1.53x
Lumphanan 3 312.50x
Market Rasen 3 136.36x
Port Glasgow 3 32.57x
Carmyllie 2 206.19x
Cortachy Clova 2 4000.00x
East Greenock 2 11.12x
Edinburgh Greenside 2 45.98x
Kensington London 2 1.46x
Litchurch 2 12.91x
Newington 2 2.20x
Swindon 2 11.86x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 2.35x
Airlie 1 136.99x
Arlecdon 1 17.76x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 1.57x
Barry 1 36.63x
Barton St Mary St Peter 1 136.99x
Glasgow 1 0.71x
Hampstead London 1 2.61x
Helhoughton 1 357.14x
Inveresk 1 11.21x
Inverkeillor 1 70.92x
Kingston By Sea 1 151.52x
Laurencekirk 1 57.80x
Logie Pert 1 119.05x
Maybole 1 17.86x
Millom 1 15.41x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 4.58x
Newton 1 4.45x
Reading St Mary 1 6.77x
Snettisham 1 95.24x
Stirling 1 8.75x
Ystradyfodwg 1 2.66x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Herald surname: questions and answers

How common was the Herald surname in 1881?

In 1881, 252 people were recorded with the Herald surname. That placed it at #11,012 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Herald surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016. That gives Herald a modern rank of #16,847.

What does the Herald surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a royal or official messenger or proclaimer.

What does the Herald map show?

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