NameCensus.

UK surname

Herbert

Derived from the Old French personal name Herbert, which is comprised of the Germanic elements hari, meaning "army," and berht, meaning "bright."

In the 1881 census there were 11,159 people recorded with the Herbert surname, ranking it #385 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 14,466, ranked #435, down from #385 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Rossendale and Hinckley and Bosworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Herbert is 15,173 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.6%.

1881 census count

11,159

Ranked #385

Modern count

14,466

2016, ranked #435

Peak year

1998

15,173 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Herbert had 11,159 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #385 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 14,466 in 2016, ranked #435.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 14,722 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Herbert surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Herbert surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Herbert 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 7,020 #397
1861 historical 7,761 #358
1881 historical 11,159 #385
1891 historical 12,391 #359
1901 historical 13,764 #381
1911 historical 14,722 #335
1997 modern 14,535 #417
1998 modern 15,173 #417
1999 modern 15,143 #417
2000 modern 14,996 #420
2001 modern 14,640 #420
2002 modern 15,017 #418
2003 modern 14,521 #422
2004 modern 14,382 #425
2005 modern 14,045 #430
2006 modern 13,950 #433
2007 modern 14,065 #433
2008 modern 14,145 #434
2009 modern 14,405 #439
2010 modern 14,706 #438
2011 modern 14,550 #436
2012 modern 14,352 #434
2013 modern 14,736 #429
2014 modern 14,768 #435
2015 modern 14,584 #434
2016 modern 14,466 #435

Geography

Back to top

Where Herberts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Rossendale, Hinckley and Bosworth, Bristol and Caerphilly. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 003 Shropshire
2 Rossendale 003 Rossendale
3 Hinckley and Bosworth 007 Hinckley and Bosworth
4 Bristol 045 Bristol, City of
5 Caerphilly 012 Caerphilly

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Herbert

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Herbert

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Herbert 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

Herbert is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Herbert falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Herbert

The surname Herbert originated in Germany and France, developing from the medieval given name Heribert or Heriberto. It is derived from the Germanic elements 'heri' meaning army and 'beraht' meaning bright or illustrious, signifying a 'bright warrior'. The name first emerged in the 8th century and was initially popular among the Frankish nobility.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Herbert surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript survey conducted in 1086 on the orders of William the Conqueror. It lists several landowners and tenants with variations of the name, such as Herbertus, Herebertus, and Hereberd, primarily concentrated in Normandy and surrounding regions.

In the 12th century, the name appeared in various charters and records across Europe. Notable individuals from this period include Herbert de Losinga (c. 1050–1119), the first Bishop of Norwich, and Herbert of Vermandois (c. 1057–1131), a crusader and Count of Vermandois.

The Herbert surname continued to gain prominence in the following centuries. Sir William Herbert (c. 1506–1570) was a prominent Welsh soldier and courtier during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI. George Herbert (1593–1633), an English poet and orator, is renowned for his religious poetry and is considered a metaphysical poet.

Other notable Herberts include Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury (1583–1648), an English diplomat, philosopher, and historian, and Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (1534–1601), a prominent courtier during the reign of Elizabeth I. The surname also has a strong association with the Herbert family of Pembrokeshire, Wales, who played a significant role in the region's history.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Herbert name was well-established among the British aristocracy and gentry. Examples include Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke (1656–1733), a prominent politician and Lord High Admiral, and Henry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke (1734–1794), a nobleman and art collector.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Herbert families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Herbert 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 1,880 Herberts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.72x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,880 1.72x
Gloucestershire 859 4.01x
Surrey 834 1.57x
Yorkshire 573 0.53x
Lancashire 570 0.44x
Leicestershire 531 4.39x
Warwickshire 474 1.72x
Kent 378 1.02x
Glamorgan 371 1.95x
Berkshire 331 4.04x
Essex 292 1.36x
Monmouthshire 289 3.66x
Durham 233 0.72x
Worcestershire 229 1.61x
Oxfordshire 222 3.29x
Buckinghamshire 216 3.27x
Staffordshire 216 0.59x
Hampshire 200 0.89x
Brecknockshire 173 7.93x
Suffolk 164 1.23x
Cardiganshire 160 6.01x
Sussex 158 0.86x
Lanarkshire 145 0.41x
Northamptonshire 145 1.41x
Herefordshire 113 2.53x
Cheshire 106 0.44x
Devon 105 0.46x
Bedfordshire 102 1.80x
Somerset 102 0.58x
Cumberland 96 1.02x
Derbyshire 83 0.49x
Wiltshire 77 0.80x
Shropshire 75 0.80x
Carmarthenshire 68 1.48x
Nottinghamshire 68 0.46x
Midlothian 64 0.44x
Pembrokeshire 61 1.76x
Hertfordshire 47 0.62x
Lincolnshire 47 0.27x
Huntingdonshire 37 1.71x
Northumberland 30 0.18x
Norfolk 26 0.15x
Roxburghshire 22 1.11x
Caernarfonshire 18 0.41x
Montgomeryshire 18 0.72x
Channel Islands 15 0.46x
Cornwall 15 0.12x
Angus 13 0.13x
Renfrewshire 13 0.15x
Ayrshire 12 0.15x
Dorset 11 0.15x
Royal Navy 10 0.77x
Selkirkshire 10 1.01x
Anglesey 9 0.47x
Dumfriesshire 8 0.33x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.10x
Merionethshire 7 0.35x
Buteshire 6 0.91x
Radnorshire 6 0.68x
Westmorland 6 0.25x
Denbighshire 5 0.12x
Ross-shire 4 0.13x
East Lothian 3 0.21x
Fife 3 0.05x
Flintshire 3 0.10x
Sutherland 3 0.36x
Inverness-shire 2 0.06x
Morayshire 2 0.12x
Stirlingshire 2 0.05x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.01x
Banffshire 1 0.04x
Berwickshire 1 0.08x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.03x
Isle of Man 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 212 Herberts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.41x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 212 2.41x
Islington London 169 1.60x
Lambeth 152 1.60x
Kensington London 131 2.16x
Cheltenham 126 7.63x
Birmingham 120 1.31x
Camberwell 118 1.69x
Leicester St Margaret 114 3.86x
Barwell 105 164.06x
Aston 100 1.32x
Bethnal Green London 93 1.96x
St Marylebone London 91 1.56x
Mile End Old Town London 75 3.23x
Hackney London 72 1.18x
Newington 72 1.79x
Hanslope 71 119.75x
Shoreditch London 69 1.46x
West Ham 68 1.43x
Croydon 64 2.17x
St George Hanover Square 64 3.33x
Ystradyfodwg 63 3.78x
Paddington London 56 1.40x
Countesthorpe 53 128.39x
Merthyr Tydfil 53 2.90x
Govan 50 0.57x
Brighton 49 1.32x
Bromley London 49 2.04x
Bow London 48 3.45x
Hampstead London 48 2.82x
Liverpool 48 0.61x
Bedwellty 47 3.37x
Chelsea London 47 1.43x
Cirencester 47 16.22x
Deptford St Paul 46 1.60x
Llantwit Lower 46 27.54x
Southwark St George Martyr 45 2.05x
Hammersmith London 43 1.60x
West Derby 43 1.13x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 42 0.71x
Leicester St Mary 41 4.19x
Stroud 41 9.84x
Clapham 40 2.93x
Bedminster 37 2.24x
Streatham 37 4.57x
Tottenham 37 2.13x
Westbury On Severn East 37 7.65x
Barony 36 0.40x
Bishopwearmouth 36 1.29x
Reading St Giles 36 4.48x
Bermondsey 35 1.08x
Kings Norton 35 2.74x
Birkenhead 34 1.77x
Llanelly 34 13.02x
Manchester 34 0.58x
Everton 33 0.80x
Hadleigh 33 25.59x
Trevethin 33 4.43x
Aberystruth 32 4.60x
Banbury 32 23.71x
Gorton 32 2.63x
Hillingdon 32 9.20x
Ashton Under Lyne 31 1.10x
Belgrave 31 11.35x
Hove 31 3.84x
Llanarth 31 41.39x
Ampney Crucis 30 148.44x
Isleworth 30 6.18x
Nottingham St Mary 29 0.76x
Toxteth Park 29 0.66x
Brecknock St John 28 15.21x
Kingstanley 28 35.40x
Llanwonno 28 4.10x
Enfield 27 3.77x
Harborne 27 2.29x
St Luke London 27 1.54x
Charlton Kings 26 17.56x
Elvet 26 11.09x
Clerkenwell London 25 0.97x
Warkworth 25 27.06x
Wolverhampton 25 0.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 681
Elizabeth 409
Sarah 356
Jane 213
Ann 210
Emma 188
Eliza 185
Annie 168
Emily 146
Ellen 145
Alice 144
Margaret 114
Martha 107
Hannah 92
Louisa 80
Florence 76
Maria 73
Harriet 71
Kate 69
Caroline 67
Edith 67
Charlotte 63
Catherine 59
Ada 57
Anne 54
Frances 51
Clara 50
Fanny 47
Rose 44
Susan 42
Lucy 41
Agnes 36
Amelia 36
Isabella 34
Harriett 31
Julia 31
Amy 28
Esther 28
Minnie 26
Sophia 25
Rachel 24
Gertrude 23
Matilda 21
Helen 20
Lydia 20
Rebecca 20
Ruth 20
Beatrice 19
Eleanor 18
Maud 17

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 725
John 523
Thomas 378
George 362
James 273
Henry 262
Charles 239
Edward 137
Joseph 136
Alfred 132
Arthur 116
Frederick 109
Richard 99
David 92
Robert 89
Walter 81
Albert 72
Harry 72
Samuel 60
Ernest 51
Frank 47
Sidney 39
Wm. 37
Edwin 36
Francis 34
Herbert 29
Sydney 27
Isaac 26
Thos. 22
Daniel 21
Fred 21
Percy 21
Chas. 19
Evan 17
Geo. 17
Benjamin 16
Andrew 15
Peter 15
Fredk. 14
Jacob 14
Job 12
Philip 12
Jesse 11
Stephen 11
Josiah 10
Michael 10
Tom 10
Christopher 9
Edmund 9
Patrick 9

FAQ

Herbert surname: questions and answers

How common was the Herbert surname in 1881?

In 1881, 11,159 people were recorded with the Herbert surname. That placed it at #385 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Herbert surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 14,466 in 2016. That gives Herbert a modern rank of #435.

What does the Herbert surname mean?

Derived from the Old French personal name Herbert, which is comprised of the Germanic elements hari, meaning "army," and berht, meaning "bright."

What does the Herbert map show?

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