NameCensus.

UK surname

Herod

A biblical surname referring to the ruler of Judea who ordered the Massacre of the Innocents.

In the 1881 census there were 297 people recorded with the Herod surname, ranking it #9,792 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 362, ranked #12,810, down from #9,792 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Bulwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Great Yarmouth and Tameside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Herod is 459 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.9%.

1881 census count

297

Ranked #9,792

Modern count

362

2016, ranked #12,810

Peak year

1911

459 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Herod had 297 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,792 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016, ranked #12,810.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 459 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Herod surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Herod surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Herod 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 219 #9,712
1861 historical 161 #14,392
1881 historical 297 #9,792
1891 historical 369 #9,447
1901 historical 411 #9,300
1911 historical 459 #8,364
1997 modern 397 #11,068
1998 modern 425 #10,859
1999 modern 427 #10,919
2000 modern 388 #11,664
2001 modern 372 #11,855
2002 modern 375 #12,018
2003 modern 370 #11,919
2004 modern 371 #11,914
2005 modern 360 #12,112
2006 modern 354 #12,339
2007 modern 348 #12,637
2008 modern 343 #12,899
2009 modern 358 #12,736
2010 modern 372 #12,651
2011 modern 351 #13,059
2012 modern 340 #13,245
2013 modern 364 #12,790
2014 modern 377 #12,535
2015 modern 372 #12,544
2016 modern 362 #12,810

Geography

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Where Herods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Bulwell and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Great Yarmouth and Tameside. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Bulwell Nottinghamshire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Stockport Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Great Yarmouth 003 Great Yarmouth
2 Tameside 013 Tameside
3 Tameside 008 Tameside
4 Tameside 006 Tameside
5 Tameside 018 Tameside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Herod

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Herod

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Herod surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Herod household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Herod 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

Herod is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Herod

The surname Herod traces its origins to the ancient Hebrew name Hêrôdês, which was derived from the Greek Hêrôdês. This name was borne by several rulers of Judea during the period of Roman occupation, the most famous being Herod the Great, who ruled from 37 to 4 BC. The name is believed to be of Idumean or Edomite origin, referring to the Semitic people who inhabited parts of southern Judea and the Negev desert region.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Herod can be found in medieval English records, where it appeared as a variant spelling of the given name. One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Robert Herod, who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Herod was primarily concentrated in England, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. It is likely that some bearers of the name adopted it as a reference to their ancestral lineage or as a tribute to the biblical figure of Herod the Great.

In the 14th century, John Herod was recorded as a landowner in the village of Chalgrove, Oxfordshire, in 1327. Another early bearer of the name was William Herod, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1380.

The Herod surname has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Sir Ralph Herod (c. 1450-1527), an English Member of Parliament and landowner from Wiltshire. Another was Sir William Herod (c. 1530-1588), a prominent lawyer and member of the Inner Temple in London.

In the 17th century, the Herod family became established in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name in America was John Herod, who settled in Virginia in 1635. Another notable figure was Thomas Herod (1648-1721), a Quaker preacher and writer who lived in Pennsylvania.

Other notable individuals with the surname Herod include Toby Herod (1811-1883), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire, and Benjamin Herod (1829-1899), a prominent Australian politician and member of the Legislative Council of South Australia.

Overall, the surname Herod has a rich and diverse history, originating from ancient Judea and later becoming established in various parts of England and the British Isles, before spreading to other regions through migration and colonization.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Herod families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Herod 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 70 Herods recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.99x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 70 17.99x
Lancashire 40 1.17x
Cheshire 37 5.81x
Middlesex 31 1.07x
Derbyshire 23 5.09x
Norfolk 18 4.05x
Suffolk 12 3.41x
Leicestershire 11 3.44x
Somerset 10 2.15x
Surrey 10 0.71x
Durham 7 0.81x
Pembrokeshire 6 6.54x
Yorkshire 6 0.21x
Devon 5 0.83x
Essex 3 0.53x
Kent 2 0.20x
Bedfordshire 1 0.67x
Cumberland 1 0.40x
Glamorgan 1 0.20x
Gloucestershire 1 0.18x
Lincolnshire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 30 Herods recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.80x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 30 29.80x
Ashton Under Lyne 27 36.06x
Dukinfield 27 91.68x
Bulwell 12 141.84x
Croydon 10 12.81x
Hyde 10 53.16x
Great Yarmouth 9 24.48x
Selston 8 183.91x
Chelsea London 7 8.05x
Paddington London 7 6.59x
Barrow Upon Soar 6 227.27x
Shardlow 6 697.67x
Shoreditch London 6 4.79x
St Dogmells 6 245.90x
Wessington 6 983.61x
Bishopwearmouth 5 6.78x
Cheetham 5 19.57x
Egmanton 5 2173.91x
Lound 5 1428.57x
Shackerstone 5 1785.71x
Sheffield 5 5.49x
St Andrew Holborn London 5 40.00x
Aylsham 4 151.52x
Bury 4 10.22x
Gorton 4 12.42x
Huntsham 4 2105.26x
Litchurch 4 21.99x
Pawlett 4 769.23x
Somerleyton 4 677.97x
Thorpe Next Norwich 4 84.93x
Alfreton 3 21.85x
Basford 3 16.72x
Bridgewater 3 23.77x
Southwold 3 144.23x
Mansfield 2 14.85x
Poplar London 2 3.67x
Puriton 2 266.67x
Sandiacre 2 124.22x
Southwick 2 24.60x
Beccles 1 17.67x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.80x
Bonsall 1 74.63x
Cardiff St Mary 1 3.61x
Coberley 1 312.50x
Coleby 1 232.56x
Corringham 1 232.56x
Duffield 1 28.09x
Frindsbury 1 26.95x
Gorleston 1 11.20x
Greenwich 1 2.18x
Hethersgill 1 169.49x
Huddersfield 1 2.40x
Kensington London 1 0.62x
Lound 1 232.56x
Northill 1 71.43x
Nottingham St Nicholas 1 18.87x
Oxton 1 196.08x
Prittlewell 1 12.66x
Snenton 1 6.54x
St Gilesin Fields London 1 40.98x
St Marylebone London 1 0.65x
Stawley 1 666.67x
Stoke Damerel 1 2.38x
Sutton In Ashfield 1 11.83x
Tattingstone 1 185.19x
Warsop Soulkholme 1 312.50x
Wells Next Sea 1 38.61x
West Ham 1 0.79x
Weston 1 384.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 22
Joseph 20
William 16
George 11
James 10
Henry 7
Thomas 7
Samuel 6
Charles 4
Albert 3
Daniel 3
Wm. 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
David 2
Ernest 2
Everett 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Robert 2
Abel 1
Albt. 1
Bernard 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Enoch 1
Ernt. 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
Jno.Saml. 1
Jonas 1
Steven 1
Thos. 1
W.H. 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Herod surname: questions and answers

How common was the Herod surname in 1881?

In 1881, 297 people were recorded with the Herod surname. That placed it at #9,792 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Herod surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016. That gives Herod a modern rank of #12,810.

What does the Herod surname mean?

A biblical surname referring to the ruler of Judea who ordered the Massacre of the Innocents.

What does the Herod map show?

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