NameCensus.

UK surname

Herbertson

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Herbert, meaning "bright army".

In the 1881 census there were 247 people recorded with the Herbertson surname, ranking it #11,173 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 387, ranked #12,170, down from #11,173 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bothwell, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kilbirnie North, Kilbirnie South and Longbar and Basildon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Herbertson is 398 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.7%.

1881 census count

247

Ranked #11,173

Modern count

387

2016, ranked #12,170

Peak year

2010

398 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Herbertson had 247 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,173 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 387 in 2016, ranked #12,170.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 358 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Herbertson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Herbertson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Herbertson 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 142 #13,428
1861 historical 169 #13,823
1881 historical 247 #11,173
1891 historical 278 #11,746
1901 historical 358 #10,269
1911 historical 125 #19,932
1997 modern 382 #11,377
1998 modern 390 #11,563
1999 modern 382 #11,843
2000 modern 382 #11,792
2001 modern 390 #11,420
2002 modern 390 #11,646
2003 modern 362 #12,114
2004 modern 370 #11,936
2005 modern 369 #11,901
2006 modern 363 #12,123
2007 modern 370 #12,073
2008 modern 373 #12,104
2009 modern 378 #12,248
2010 modern 398 #12,039
2011 modern 389 #12,106
2012 modern 386 #12,037
2013 modern 379 #12,399
2014 modern 391 #12,214
2015 modern 388 #12,188
2016 modern 387 #12,170

Geography

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Where Herbertsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bothwell, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Galashiels. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kilbirnie North, Kilbirnie South and Longbar, Basildon, Mauchline and Manchester. 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 Bothwell Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Galashiels Selkirk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kilbirnie North North Ayrshire
2 Kilbirnie South and Longbar North Ayrshire
3 Basildon 011 Basildon
4 Mauchline East Ayrshire
5 Manchester 051 Manchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Herbertson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Herbertson

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Herbertson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Herbertson 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

Herbertson falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Herbertson

The surname HERBERTSON is of English origin, derived from the personal name Herbert coupled with the patronymic suffix "-son" meaning "son of." The name Herbert is derived from the Germanic elements "heri" meaning army and "beraht" meaning bright or illustrious. The name is believed to have originated in the 11th century during the Norman conquest of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HERBERTSON surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners and tenants in England during the reign of King Edward I. The name was primarily concentrated in the northern counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Westmorland.

In the 14th century, the HERBERTSON surname is found in various historical documents, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379 and the Chancery Rolls of 1397. These records suggest that the name had become well-established in the region by this time.

The earliest known bearer of the HERBERTSON surname was William HERBERTSON, who was recorded in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines in 1365. Another early example is John HERBERTSON, mentioned in the Lancashire Wills and Inventories of 1548.

Historically, the HERBERTSON surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Sir John HERBERTSON (1561-1617), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Ripon in 1593 and 1604. Another prominent bearer of the name was Robert HERBERTSON (1680-1756), a Scottish minister and author who published several religious works.

Other notable individuals with the HERBERTSON surname include:

1. Andrew HERBERTSON (1865-1915), a Scottish geographer and academic who authored several books on physical geography and served as the president of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.

2. William HERBERTSON (1820-1892), a Scottish civil engineer who worked on various railway projects in the United Kingdom and India.

3. Margaret HERBERTSON (1889-1984), a British artist and illustrator known for her intricate wood engravings and contributions to children's literature.

4. James HERBERTSON (1776-1836), a Scottish merchant and philanthropist who founded the Herbertson Orphan Hospital in Glasgow.

5. Thomas HERBERTSON (1794-1859), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Yorkshire, including the West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum.

The HERBERTSON surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Herbertson Manor in Lancashire and Herbertson Hill in Yorkshire, further reflecting its deep historical roots in these regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Herbertson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Herbertson 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. Lanarkshire leads with 89 Herbertsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.42x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 89 11.42x
Northumberland 55 15.34x
Ayrshire 20 11.09x
Renfrewshire 12 6.43x
Selkirkshire 12 55.05x
Cumberland 11 5.30x
Kirkcudbrightshire 10 28.67x
Durham 6 0.84x
Lancashire 6 0.21x
Surrey 6 0.51x
Midlothian 5 1.55x
Argyllshire 4 5.96x
Berwickshire 4 13.71x
Roxburghshire 4 9.17x
Dumfriesshire 1 1.88x
Middlesex 1 0.04x
Warwickshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 39 Herbertsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.24x.

Place Total Index
Govan 39 20.24x
Barony 33 16.74x
Elswick 17 59.42x
Galashiels 12 148.88x
Bothwell 9 42.59x
Renfrew 9 145.87x
Kilmarnock 8 37.28x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 8 37.37x
Coxlodge 7 256.41x
Dundonald 7 105.26x
Kirkandrews On Esk 6 857.14x
Newington 6 6.74x
Bamburgh 5 1724.14x
Framwellgate 5 117.65x
Mason 5 609.76x
Westgate 5 22.52x
Dunoon Kilmun 4 76.48x
Earlston 4 273.97x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 3.08x
Glasgow 4 2.89x
Troqueer 4 87.34x
Auckinleck 3 53.76x
Blantyre 3 36.99x
Cathcart 3 29.70x
Kirkpatrick Durham 3 275.23x
Liverpool 3 1.73x
Nichol Forest 3 576.92x
Seaton Delaval 3 95.24x
Ellington 2 1052.63x
Jedburgh 2 46.73x
Kilbirnie 2 46.19x
Melrose 2 53.05x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 10.76x
Stapleton 2 645.16x
Toxteth Park 2 2.07x
Chelsea London 1 1.38x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 37.45x
Everton 1 1.10x
Kelton 1 34.84x
Lochmaben 1 42.92x
Lochrutton 1 196.08x
New Monkland 1 4.34x
Newabbey 1 133.33x
Stella 1 163.93x
Stratford On Avon 1 29.67x
Tweedmouth 1 22.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Margaret 5
Elizabeth 3
Jane 3
Ann 2
Isabella 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Barbara 1
Cather 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Florry 1
Helen 1
Jamima 1
Janet 1
Joanna 1
Robert 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
George 7
Robert 6
Andrew 5
David 4
William 4
James 3
Thomas 3
Henry 2
Fredrick 1
Jas. 1
Mark 1
Thos.C. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Herbertson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Herbertson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 247 people were recorded with the Herbertson surname. That placed it at #11,173 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Herbertson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 387 in 2016. That gives Herbertson a modern rank of #12,170.

What does the Herbertson surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Herbert, meaning "bright army".

What does the Herbertson map show?

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