NameCensus.

UK surname

Hersey

Derived from a place name meaning "deer enclosure" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near such an enclosure.

In the 1881 census there were 472 people recorded with the Hersey surname, ranking it #7,076 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 591, ranked #8,825, down from #7,076 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Beddington, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rugby, South Somerset and Reigate and Banstead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hersey is 635 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.2%.

1881 census count

472

Ranked #7,076

Modern count

591

2016, ranked #8,825

Peak year

1911

635 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hersey had 472 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,076 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 591 in 2016, ranked #8,825.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 635 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Hersey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hersey surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hersey 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 333 #7,015
1861 historical 358 #7,132
1881 historical 472 #7,076
1891 historical 481 #7,664
1901 historical 580 #7,253
1911 historical 635 #6,547
1997 modern 619 #7,977
1998 modern 611 #8,288
1999 modern 614 #8,314
2000 modern 599 #8,435
2001 modern 591 #8,377
2002 modern 619 #8,262
2003 modern 579 #8,530
2004 modern 590 #8,453
2005 modern 574 #8,536
2006 modern 565 #8,657
2007 modern 576 #8,619
2008 modern 575 #8,685
2009 modern 579 #8,814
2010 modern 580 #8,999
2011 modern 587 #8,837
2012 modern 583 #8,784
2013 modern 598 #8,775
2014 modern 606 #8,743
2015 modern 605 #8,678
2016 modern 591 #8,825

Geography

Back to top

Where Herseys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Beddington, London parishes, St Pancras and Horsham, Sullington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rugby, South Somerset, Reigate and Banstead, Northumberland and Mid Sussex. 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 Beddington Surrey
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Horsham, Sullington Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rugby 010 Rugby
2 South Somerset 004 South Somerset
3 Reigate and Banstead 010 Reigate and Banstead
4 Northumberland 019 Northumberland
5 Mid Sussex 009 Mid Sussex

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hersey

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hersey

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Hersey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Hersey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hersey 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

Hersey is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hersey falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hersey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hersey

The surname Hersey originated from the Old Norse personal name Hirsi, which comes from the word "hirs" meaning a stag or male deer. The name was introduced to Britain by the Norse settlers who arrived from Scandinavia during the 8th to 11th centuries.

This surname is thought to have first appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a record of landholders compiled by order of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book recorded a few individuals with variations of the name, such as Hirsig and Hirsi.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname Hersey was William Hersey, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1195. The name was also found in various other medieval records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a Richard Hersey in Oxfordshire.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name was often spelled as Hyrsy, Hirsy, or Hersy. It was also associated with several place names, such as Hersey in Derbyshire, which was originally recorded as Hirsig in the Domesday Book.

Notable individuals with the surname Hersey include:

1. Sir Robert Hersey (c. 1390 - c. 1460), an English knight and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire in 1436.

2. John Hersey (1914 - 1993), an American writer and journalist best known for his book "Hiroshima," which described the aftermath of the atomic bomb dropped on the city in 1945.

3. Edmund Hersey (1591 - 1670), an early settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of the founders of Hingham, Massachusetts.

4. Milton Hersey (1868 - 1954), an American businessman who founded the Hershey Chocolate Company in 1894, which later became known as The Hershey Company.

5. John Hersey (1779 - 1855), an American politician who served as the 8th Governor of Maine from 1837 to 1841.

The surname Hersey has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Hercy, Hursee, and Hursey, but it has retained its connection to its Old Norse roots and the image of the male deer or stag.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hersey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hersey 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. Surrey leads with 166 Herseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.46x.

County Total Index
Surrey 166 7.46x
Middlesex 134 2.94x
Sussex 91 11.82x
Kent 29 1.86x
Yorkshire 20 0.44x
Lancashire 5 0.09x
Northamptonshire 4 0.93x
Oxfordshire 3 1.06x
Suffolk 3 0.54x
Essex 2 0.22x
Hampshire 2 0.21x
Worcestershire 2 0.34x
Devon 1 0.11x
Glamorgan 1 0.13x
Gloucestershire 1 0.11x
Hertfordshire 1 0.32x
Northumberland 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 1.84x
Wiltshire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Croydon in Surrey leads with 28 Herseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.68x.

Place Total Index
Croydon 28 22.68x
St Luke London 19 25.95x
Brighton 16 10.30x
Lambeth 16 4.02x
Carshalton 15 176.26x
Petworth 15 326.09x
Horsham 12 80.27x
Nutfield 12 714.29x
St Pancras London 12 3.27x
Hackney London 11 4.30x
St George In East London 10 23.29x
Twickenham 10 51.10x
Ash Normandy 9 298.01x
Woolwich 9 15.64x
Brightside Bierlow 8 9.02x
Kensington London 8 3.15x
Putney 8 38.44x
Beddington 7 81.40x
Haslemere 7 400.00x
Merton 7 179.95x
Reigate Foreign 7 29.06x
Send Ripley 7 241.38x
Southwick 7 171.99x
Camberwell 6 2.06x
Charlton 6 57.97x
Godstone 6 150.75x
Hampstead London 6 8.44x
St George Hanover Square 6 7.46x
Bermondsey 5 3.68x
Broadwater 5 28.31x
Bury 5 617.28x
Chiswick 5 20.04x
Crofton 5 446.43x
Islington London 5 1.13x
Lewisham 5 6.02x
Paddington London 5 2.98x
St Gilesin Fields London 5 129.53x
Westminster St James 5 10.65x
Acton 4 14.95x
Eastbourne 4 11.29x
Fulham London 4 6.04x
Godalming 4 28.57x
Midhurst 4 158.73x
Pendleton In Salford 4 6.20x
Subdeanery 4 68.49x
Tonbridge 4 7.12x
Watford 4 555.56x
Wonersh 4 143.88x
Debenham 3 162.16x
Ealing 3 7.35x
Edmonton 3 8.16x
Hastings St Mary 3 15.66x
Leatherhead 3 53.86x
Nether Hallam 3 4.90x
Oxford St Giles 3 22.30x
Willesden 3 6.97x
Bethnal Green London 2 1.01x
Bexley 2 14.52x
Boxgrove 2 178.57x
Bradford 2 1.83x
Clerkenwell London 2 1.86x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.66x
Dorking 2 13.39x
Hatfield Broad Oak 2 65.79x
Kidderminster Borough 2 5.73x
Lodsworth 2 186.92x
Lurgashall 2 175.44x
Mitcham 2 14.22x
Slinfold 2 165.29x
Stoke 2 19.05x
Stoke Newington London 2 5.62x
West Lavington 2 833.33x
Worplesdon 2 74.63x
Aldbourn 1 42.55x
Cardiff St Mary 1 2.28x
Funtington 1 57.80x
Hove 1 2.96x
Merrow 1 107.53x
Watford 1 4.10x
Worth 1 17.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Elizabeth 19
Sarah 15
Ellen 13
Louisa 10
Alice 8
Jane 8
Annie 7
Ann 6
Eliza 6
Emily 5
Esther 5
Florence 5
Harriet 5
Ada 4
Amelia 4
Hannah 4
Harriett 4
Kate 4
Maria 4
Rebecca 4
Charlotte 3
Emma 3
Fanny 3
Martha 3
Rose 3
Susan 3
Amy 2
Clara 2
Eleanor 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Marian 2
Matilda 2
Minnie 2
Rhoda 2
Rosa 2
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Charity 1
Evangeline 1
Fanney 1
Letty 1
Lily 1
Lizie 1
Lizzie 1
Louise 1
Lousia 1
Lydia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 28
William 24
James 22
Charles 17
Henry 14
Thomas 14
John 13
Arthur 10
Alfred 9
Harry 6
Robert 4
Samuel 4
Walter 4
Albert 3
Edward 3
Sidney 3
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Richard 2
Willie 2
Bertram 1
Charley 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Earnest 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwd. 1
Fred. 1
Frederick 1
Geo.H. 1
Horace 1
Hugh 1
Israel 1
Jabez 1
Jno.Glade 1
Kate 1
Mathew 1
Michael 1
Nates 1
Richd. 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Timothy 1
Wyndham 1

FAQ

Hersey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hersey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 472 people were recorded with the Hersey surname. That placed it at #7,076 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hersey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 591 in 2016. That gives Hersey a modern rank of #8,825.

What does the Hersey surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "deer enclosure" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near such an enclosure.

What does the Hersey map show?

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