NameCensus.

UK surname

Herriot

An English surname derived from a Norman French place name meaning "of Harevill".

In the 1881 census there were 340 people recorded with the Herriot surname, ranking it #8,934 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 459, ranked #10,668, down from #8,934 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Haddington, Inveresk and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tweeddale East Area, Newtongrange and Dalkeith.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Herriot is 460 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.0%.

1881 census count

340

Ranked #8,934

Modern count

459

2016, ranked #10,668

Peak year

2009

460 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Herriot had 340 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,934 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 459 in 2016, ranked #10,668.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 431 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Herriot surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Herriot surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Herriot 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 300 #7,650
1861 historical 237 #10,359
1881 historical 340 #8,934
1891 historical 372 #9,386
1901 historical 431 #8,982
1911 historical 84 #24,442
1997 modern 419 #10,625
1998 modern 430 #10,772
1999 modern 434 #10,784
2000 modern 440 #10,629
2001 modern 410 #11,016
2002 modern 429 #10,858
2003 modern 409 #11,088
2004 modern 414 #11,005
2005 modern 417 #10,833
2006 modern 435 #10,525
2007 modern 433 #10,662
2008 modern 438 #10,668
2009 modern 460 #10,481
2010 modern 457 #10,770
2011 modern 432 #11,132
2012 modern 416 #11,372
2013 modern 432 #11,210
2014 modern 450 #10,902
2015 modern 453 #10,769
2016 modern 459 #10,668

Geography

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Where Herriots are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Haddington, Inveresk, Govan Combination, Borthwick and Ormiston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tweeddale East Area, Newtongrange, Dalkeith, Parkhead and Sighthill and Eskbank. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Haddington Haddington
2 Inveresk Edinburgh
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Borthwick Edinburgh
5 Ormiston Haddington

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tweeddale East Area Scottish Borders
2 Newtongrange Midlothian
3 Dalkeith Midlothian
4 Parkhead and Sighthill City of Edinburgh
5 Eskbank Midlothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Herriot

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Herriot

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Herriot is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Herriot 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

Herriot falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Herriot

The surname Herriot originated in Yorkshire, England, and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "heriçon," meaning "hedgehog," which was likely used as a nickname for someone with spiky hair or a prickly personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John Herycyon is listed. This spelling suggests that the name was originally pronounced differently from its modern form.

In the 16th century, the Herriot surname is found in the records of the town of Knaresborough, Yorkshire, where a family of that name owned land and property. The name is also mentioned in the parish records of nearby villages, such as Ripley and Hampsthwaite.

A notable bearer of the name was James Herriot, the pen name of James Alfred Wight (1916-1995), a British veterinary surgeon and writer best known for his semi-autobiographical books about his experiences as a country vet in Yorkshire. His first book, "If Only They Could Talk," was published in 1970 and became a bestseller.

Another individual with this surname was John Herriot (1760-1824), a Scottish naturalist and writer who is regarded as one of the founders of modern geology. He was born in East Lothian and authored several works on the geology of Scotland.

In the late 16th century, a family named Herriot held the manor of Sandbeck in Yorkshire, and their descendants later took the surname of Lumley-Savile. One member of this family, Sir John Lumley-Savile (1687-1766), was a prominent politician and served as a Member of Parliament for Yorkshire.

The name Herriot also has connections to the village of Spofforth, near Wetherby in Yorkshire, where a family of that name owned land and property in the 17th century. A notable member of this family was William Herriot (1617-1692), who served as the vicar of Spofforth for over 50 years.

While the surname Herriot is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its origins in medieval Yorkshire, where it was likely derived from a nickname for someone with a prickly or hedgehog-like appearance or personality.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Herriot families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Herriot 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. Midlothian leads with 94 Herriots recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.28x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 94 21.28x
Lanarkshire 78 7.31x
East Lothian 53 121.36x
Middlesex 24 0.73x
Berwickshire 18 45.08x
Lancashire 17 0.43x
Sussex 12 2.16x
Yorkshire 9 0.28x
Northumberland 7 1.43x
Fife 6 3.07x
Roxburghshire 5 8.37x
Selkirkshire 5 16.76x
Kent 3 0.27x
Buteshire 2 10.01x
Stirlingshire 2 1.64x
Argyllshire 1 1.09x
Hertfordshire 1 0.44x
Surrey 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 27 Herriots recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.26x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 27 14.26x
Barony 22 8.15x
Inveresk 21 175.59x
Borthwick 20 1015.23x
Govan 19 7.20x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 17 9.57x
Gladsmuir 16 820.51x
Tranent 13 220.34x
Haddington 12 186.05x
Penicuik 9 150.00x
St George In East London 9 29.02x
Carnwath 8 121.40x
Lasswade 8 79.21x
Byker 7 28.87x
Ormiston 7 603.45x
South Leith 7 14.08x
Whitsome 7 1111.11x
Duddingston 6 67.64x
Hove 6 24.60x
Kirkcaldy 6 61.98x
Ratcliffe London 6 32.95x
Tonge With Haulgh 6 78.74x
Galashiels 5 45.33x
Penistone 5 196.08x
Bridlington 4 53.48x
Garston 4 34.63x
Mordington 4 975.61x
Salford 4 3.48x
Dirleton 3 175.44x
Dunse 3 79.16x
Greenwich 3 5.72x
Hammersmith London 3 3.69x
Hawick 3 22.44x
Lewes St Michael 3 272.73x
Aberlady 2 176.99x
Ayton 2 86.21x
Chelsea London 2 2.01x
Falkirk 2 7.02x
Islington London 2 0.63x
Jedburgh 2 34.19x
Keymer 2 50.89x
New Monkland 2 6.35x
Rothesay 2 20.68x
Abbots Langley 1 29.59x
Campbeltown 1 9.03x
Cockpen 1 19.38x
Cramond 1 29.85x
Dalkeith 1 11.48x
Dalton In Furness 1 6.62x
Ealing 1 3.39x
Edinburgh New 1 29.15x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 10.91x
Edrom 1 58.48x
Everton 1 0.80x
Fala Soutra 1 285.71x
Gordon 1 106.38x
Heaton Norris 1 4.49x
Lewes St John Southover 1 26.81x
Lingfield 1 31.95x
St Pancras London 1 0.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 10
George 4
Henry 3
Thomas 3
William 3
Herbert 2
John 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Charles 1
David 1
Evered 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Richard 1
Steven 1
W.Jame. 1

FAQ

Herriot surname: questions and answers

How common was the Herriot surname in 1881?

In 1881, 340 people were recorded with the Herriot surname. That placed it at #8,934 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Herriot surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 459 in 2016. That gives Herriot a modern rank of #10,668.

What does the Herriot surname mean?

An English surname derived from a Norman French place name meaning "of Harevill".

What does the Herriot map show?

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