NameCensus.

UK surname

Herrod

Derived from a place name meaning "heather-covered road" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 274 people recorded with the Herrod surname, ranking it #10,362 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 310, ranked #14,406, down from #10,362 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Farndon, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Sutton-in-Ashfield, Fulwood. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, East Devon and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Herrod is 350 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.1%.

1881 census count

274

Ranked #10,362

Modern count

310

2016, ranked #14,406

Peak year

1901

350 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Herrod had 274 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,362 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 310 in 2016, ranked #14,406.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 350 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Herrod surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Herrod surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Herrod 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 213 #9,934
1861 historical 199 #12,062
1881 historical 274 #10,362
1891 historical 294 #11,288
1901 historical 350 #10,439
1911 historical 339 #10,510
1997 modern 306 #13,353
1998 modern 323 #13,211
1999 modern 318 #13,444
2000 modern 312 #13,561
2001 modern 304 #13,619
2002 modern 306 #13,835
2003 modern 302 #13,752
2004 modern 306 #13,720
2005 modern 309 #13,552
2006 modern 302 #13,863
2007 modern 292 #14,313
2008 modern 290 #14,466
2009 modern 294 #14,628
2010 modern 307 #14,485
2011 modern 313 #14,200
2012 modern 309 #14,236
2013 modern 313 #14,299
2014 modern 313 #14,406
2015 modern 307 #14,504
2016 modern 310 #14,406

Geography

Back to top

Where Herrods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Farndon, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Fulwood, Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton and St Werburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, East Devon, Barnsley, Campbeltown and Derby. 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 Farndon Nottinghamshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Sutton-in-Ashfield, Fulwood Nottinghamshire
4 Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton Nottinghamshire
5 St Werburgh Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 011 Waveney
2 East Devon 005 East Devon
3 Barnsley 006 Barnsley
4 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute
5 Derby 004 Derby

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Herrod

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Herrod

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Herrod surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Herrod household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Herrod 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

Herrod 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

Herrod falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Herrod is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Herrod, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Herrod

The surname Herrod is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old English words "here" meaning army and "rod" meaning a clearing or meadow. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near an army encampment or clearing.

The earliest known record of the Herrod name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. An entry lists a Richard Herrod as holding lands in Oxfordshire. This suggests the name was already well-established by the late 11th century.

Over the centuries, various spellings emerged including Herrod, Herrode, Herroid, and Herod. Some of these variant spellings were used interchangeably by families in different regions. The name was particularly prevalent in the Midlands of England during the Middle Ages.

One notable bearer of the Herrod name was John Herrod (c.1580-1654), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Stratford-upon-Avon and baptized the famous playwright William Shakespeare's son. Another early example is Thomas Herrod (1614-1678), an English Puritan clergyman and supporter of Oliver Cromwell.

In the 18th century, Matthew Herrod (1731-1807) was a wealthy English industrialist and manufacturer of brass goods in Birmingham. His success contributed to the family's prominence in the West Midlands region.

Moving into the 19th century, Edith Herrod (1853-1935) was an English painter and artist known for her landscape works depicting rural scenes. She exhibited frequently at the Royal Academy in London.

Finally, one of the most famous bearers was Sir Edmund Perry Herrod (1892-1982), a highly decorated British Army officer who served with distinction in both World War I and World War II. He was awarded the Military Cross and the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery and leadership.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Herrod families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Herrod 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 141 Herrods recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.00x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 141 39.00x
Derbyshire 43 10.24x
Lancashire 26 0.82x
Yorkshire 24 0.90x
Staffordshire 12 1.33x
Leicestershire 9 3.03x
Somerset 5 1.16x
Suffolk 3 0.92x
Cheshire 2 0.34x
Devon 2 0.36x
Hampshire 2 0.36x
Middlesex 2 0.07x
Gloucestershire 1 0.19x
Hertfordshire 1 0.54x
Norfolk 1 0.24x
Warwickshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hucknall Under in Nottinghamshire leads with 37 Herrods recorded in 1881 and an index of 1989.25x.

Place Total Index
Hucknall Under 37 1989.25x
Nottingham St Mary 21 22.46x
Farndon 19 2968.75x
Ashton Under Lyne 12 17.25x
Alfreton 10 78.37x
Sutton On Trent 10 1123.60x
Snenton 9 63.34x
Shardlow 8 1000.00x
South Normanton 8 271.19x
Derby St Werburgh 7 28.87x
Doncaster 7 36.05x
Eakring 7 1750.00x
Fazeley 7 424.24x
Sheffield 7 8.27x
Heap 6 35.55x
Matlock 6 106.38x
Audley 5 55.80x
Barrow Upon Soar 5 203.25x
Blidworth Haywood 4 1025.64x
East Stoke 4 2105.26x
Everton 4 3.94x
Rufford 4 1333.33x
Skilgate 4 2000.00x
Brightside Bierlow 3 5.75x
Carlton Upon Trent 3 1666.67x
Lowestoft 3 19.44x
Mansfield 3 23.98x
Newark Upon Trent 3 23.08x
Sutton In Ashfield 3 38.22x
Blidworth 2 425.53x
Cromford 2 202.02x
East Bridgford 2 243.90x
Gorton 2 6.68x
Handsworth 2 28.45x
Newstead 2 224.72x
Portsea 2 1.86x
Quorndon 2 119.76x
Sheepshed 2 49.02x
Shirland 2 63.69x
Thorne 2 60.61x
West Retford 2 266.67x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 1 10.36x
Aston 1 0.54x
Balderton 1 101.01x
Barrow In Furness 1 2.31x
Bathley 1 625.00x
Dukinfield 1 3.66x
East Ayton 1 270.27x
East Barnet 1 27.25x
Edwinstowe 1 116.28x
Mansfield Woodhouse 1 41.49x
Newton Abbot St Mary 1 21.37x
Norwich St Stephen 1 26.39x
Paddington London 1 1.01x
Plympton Maurice 1 94.34x
Salford 1 1.07x
Shepley 1 68.03x
St Pancras London 1 0.46x
Stogumber 1 87.72x
Thorpe 1 1250.00x
Todenham 1 344.83x
Tranmere 1 4.60x
Wellow 1 294.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Elizabeth 18
Emma 7
Sarah 7
Martha 6
Edith 5
Ada 4
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Gertrude 4
Amelia 3
Ann 3
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Emily 3
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Lilly 2
Rachel 2
Amy 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Clara 1
Elizth. 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Gilian 1
Grareleanor 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Horatia 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Linda 1
Lissie 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Phebe 1
Phobe 1
Rachael 1
Rebecca 1
Rosamond 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
John 16
George 14
Thomas 12
Joseph 8
Samuel 7
James 4
Albert 3
Charles 3
Francis 3
Henry 3
Edmund 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Mathew 2
Richard 2
Sampson 2
Allan 1
Amos 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Frederick 1
Joel 1
Jonathan 1
Leonard 1
Luke 1
Maurice 1
Nathl. 1
Reubin 1
Ricard 1
Ruben 1
Smith 1
Stephen 1
Timothy 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Herrod surname: questions and answers

How common was the Herrod surname in 1881?

In 1881, 274 people were recorded with the Herrod surname. That placed it at #10,362 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Herrod surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 310 in 2016. That gives Herrod a modern rank of #14,406.

What does the Herrod surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "heather-covered road" in Old English.

What does the Herrod map show?

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