NameCensus.

UK surname

Herrington

Derived from a place name meaning "herring town" in Old English, referring to a settlement known for herring fishing.

In the 1881 census there were 1,135 people recorded with the Herrington surname, ranking it #3,526 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,593, ranked #3,899, down from #3,526 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bowerchalk, Stanstead Mountfitchet and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Harrogate and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Herrington is 1,714 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.4%.

1881 census count

1,135

Ranked #3,526

Modern count

1,593

2016, ranked #3,899

Peak year

1999

1,714 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Herrington had 1,135 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,526 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,593 in 2016, ranked #3,899.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,632 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Herrington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Herrington surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Herrington 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 720 #3,636
1861 historical 712 #3,811
1881 historical 1,135 #3,526
1891 historical 1,160 #3,681
1901 historical 1,442 #3,525
1911 historical 1,632 #2,981
1997 modern 1,688 #3,533
1998 modern 1,698 #3,633
1999 modern 1,714 #3,638
2000 modern 1,651 #3,738
2001 modern 1,635 #3,700
2002 modern 1,685 #3,671
2003 modern 1,623 #3,718
2004 modern 1,625 #3,720
2005 modern 1,585 #3,753
2006 modern 1,584 #3,762
2007 modern 1,599 #3,773
2008 modern 1,607 #3,777
2009 modern 1,635 #3,811
2010 modern 1,696 #3,769
2011 modern 1,671 #3,772
2012 modern 1,606 #3,835
2013 modern 1,624 #3,865
2014 modern 1,651 #3,828
2015 modern 1,618 #3,864
2016 modern 1,593 #3,899

Geography

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Where Herringtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bowerchalk, Stanstead Mountfitchet, London parishes and Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Harrogate, Wakefield and County Durham. 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 Bowerchalk Wiltshire
2 Stanstead Mountfitchet Hertfordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 011 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Harrogate 009 Harrogate
3 Harrogate 013 Harrogate
4 Wakefield 024 Wakefield
5 County Durham 059 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Herrington

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Herrington

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Herrington is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Herrington 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

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

Meaning and origin of Herrington

The surname Herrington has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hering" and "tun," meaning "the town of the herring fishermen" or "the settlement of the herring fishers." This suggests that the name may have originated in coastal areas where herring fishing was a prominent industry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Herrington can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from 1195, which mention a person named William de Heringtun. This indicates that the name was well-established in the northern counties of England by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Heringtone and Heringtoun, reflecting the evolving spellings of the time. One notable example is Robert de Herington, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1256.

The Domesday Book, the comprehensive record of landowners and holdings compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the surname Herrington. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as Herinton (Hertingfordbury, Hertfordshire) and Herintone (Harrington, Northamptonshire), which may have been the origins of the name.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Herrington surname continued to be prevalent in northern England, particularly in Northumberland and Durham. One notable figure from this period was John Herrington, a merchant and alderman of Newcastle upon Tyne, who lived in the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Herrington family was well-established in various parts of England. One notable member was Robert Herrington (c. 1550-1620), a Catholic priest who ministered in Yorkshire and was imprisoned for his faith during the reign of Elizabeth I.

Other notable individuals with the surname Herrington include Sir William Herrington (1627-1693), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne, and James Herrington (1784-1876), an English-born American farmer and pioneer who settled in Ohio.

As the centuries progressed, the Herrington surname spread beyond its northern English roots, with various branches of the family establishing themselves in other parts of the country and eventually emigrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Herrington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Herrington 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. Yorkshire leads with 170 Herringtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.56x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 170 1.56x
Sussex 117 6.31x
Middlesex 104 0.95x
Surrey 99 1.85x
Essex 82 3.78x
Somerset 72 4.07x
Wiltshire 66 6.79x
Suffolk 55 4.11x
Staffordshire 46 1.24x
Derbyshire 44 2.56x
Hampshire 40 1.78x
Lancashire 37 0.28x
Durham 34 1.04x
Dorset 28 3.88x
Kent 28 0.75x
Berkshire 27 3.27x
Cambridgeshire 14 2.01x
Herefordshire 11 2.44x
Cumberland 10 1.06x
Denbighshire 8 1.93x
Lanarkshire 5 0.14x
Northumberland 4 0.24x
Westmorland 4 1.66x
Cheshire 3 0.12x
Devon 3 0.13x
Gloucestershire 3 0.14x
Shropshire 3 0.32x
Glamorgan 2 0.10x
Worcestershire 2 0.14x
Bedfordshire 1 0.18x
Cornwall 1 0.08x
Hertfordshire 1 0.13x
Isle of Man 1 0.49x
Leicestershire 1 0.08x
Warwickshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kirdford in Sussex leads with 25 Herringtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 388.20x.

Place Total Index
Kirdford 25 388.20x
Bishopwearmouth 21 7.48x
Kilmington 20 1104.97x
Shoreditch London 20 4.20x
Downton 15 117.92x
Hartwith Cum Winsley 14 350.88x
Luttons Ambo 14 616.74x
Petworth 14 126.47x
Babington 13 1780.82x
Baslow With Bubnell 13 410.09x
Bilston 13 18.08x
Pentridge 13 1477.27x
Stansted Mountfitchet 13 237.23x
Burntwood Edial 12 50.63x
Chiddingfold 12 239.04x
Dronfield 12 54.40x
Godalming 12 35.59x
Bower Chalk 11 696.20x
Farnham 11 26.41x
Methley 11 71.71x
Newington 11 2.71x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 10 26.84x
Brighton 10 2.67x
Clapham 10 7.28x
Ferrensby 10 2325.58x
Flempton 10 1492.54x
Nunney 10 261.10x
Paddington London 10 2.47x
Stourton 10 478.47x
Ugley 10 657.89x
Woodgreen 10 909.09x
Birling 9 270.27x
Brightside Bierlow 9 4.21x
Bury St Edmunds St James 9 25.16x
Glemsford 9 95.74x
Kingswinford 9 6.68x
Reading St Lawrence 9 50.99x
Soham 9 60.04x
Ulverston 9 23.68x
Westbury 9 39.67x
Woodsetts 9 967.74x
Bramford 8 159.05x
Caldewgate 8 15.43x
Dorking 8 22.24x
Midsomer Norton 8 47.99x
Northbourne 8 224.09x
Rainham 8 169.49x
Southwold 8 100.88x
Wrexham Regis 8 25.94x
Boxgrove 7 260.22x
Brampton 7 29.09x
Ilkeston 7 14.50x
Leeds 7 1.14x
Scriven Cum Tentergate 7 173.27x
Slindon 7 366.49x
St Anne Soho London 7 11.15x
Steeple 7 353.54x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 1.78x
Thaxted 7 97.22x
Tottenham 7 4.00x
Aldershot 6 7.95x
Ashington 6 625.00x
Bow London 6 4.29x
Bruton 6 86.21x
Chiselborough 6 441.18x
East Garston 6 344.83x
Enfield 6 8.32x
Harthill Cum Woodall 6 143.88x
Hunslet 6 3.53x
Ingatestone 6 172.41x
Knaresborough 6 35.07x
Medlar With Wesham 6 153.45x
Motcombe 6 112.99x
Pulborough 6 88.24x
Tangmere 6 857.14x
West Ayton 6 348.84x
Wetwang 6 255.32x
Ackton 5 187.27x
West Ham 5 1.04x
Wilton 5 72.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 62
John 50
George 45
James 36
Thomas 34
Joseph 31
Charles 28
Henry 28
Alfred 18
Walter 17
Edward 15
Samuel 15
Frederick 12
Arthur 9
Richard 9
Frank 8
Sidney 8
Robert 7
Ernest 6
Albert 5
Herbert 5
Fred 4
Harry 4
Tom 4
Wm. 4
Barnard 3
Benjamin 3
Hugh 3
Willm. 3
Abraham 2
Ambrose 2
Andrew 2
Archibald 2
Barnaby 2
David 2
E. 2
Edmund 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Fredrick 2
Hubert 2
Jacob 2
Jeremiah 2
Nathaniel 2
Saml. 2
Thos. 2
Benjiman 1
Bernard 1
Eugine 1
Felix 1

FAQ

Herrington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Herrington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,135 people were recorded with the Herrington surname. That placed it at #3,526 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Herrington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,593 in 2016. That gives Herrington a modern rank of #3,899.

What does the Herrington surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "herring town" in Old English, referring to a settlement known for herring fishing.

What does the Herrington map show?

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