NameCensus.

UK surname

Hervey

Derived from a French place name meaning "farmstead or village where oats are grown."

In the 1881 census there were 385 people recorded with the Hervey surname, ranking it #8,179 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 166, ranked #22,140, down from #8,179 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Edinburgh and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, South Gloucestershire and Westminster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hervey is 686 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 56.9%.

1881 census count

385

Ranked #8,179

Modern count

166

2016, ranked #22,140

Peak year

1851

686 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hervey had 385 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,179 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 166 in 2016, ranked #22,140.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 686 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Hervey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hervey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hervey 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 686 #3,793
1861 historical 440 #5,862
1881 historical 385 #8,179
1891 historical 266 #12,169
1901 historical 305 #11,525
1911 historical 184 #15,742
1997 modern 151 #21,034
1998 modern 146 #22,031
1999 modern 144 #22,405
2000 modern 135 #23,250
2001 modern 127 #23,781
2002 modern 128 #24,150
2003 modern 123 #24,497
2004 modern 126 #24,335
2005 modern 133 #23,502
2006 modern 132 #23,834
2007 modern 128 #24,632
2008 modern 129 #24,790
2009 modern 133 #24,817
2010 modern 135 #25,127
2011 modern 140 #24,395
2012 modern 148 #23,457
2013 modern 153 #23,314
2014 modern 159 #22,930
2015 modern 162 #22,509
2016 modern 166 #22,140

Geography

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Where Herveys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Edinburgh, Manchester, Brighton and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, South Gloucestershire, Westminster and Wandsworth. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Brighton Sussex
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 010 Wigan
2 South Gloucestershire 001 South Gloucestershire
3 Westminster 022 Westminster
4 South Gloucestershire 002 South Gloucestershire
5 Wandsworth 017 Wandsworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hervey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hervey

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Hervey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Hervey 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Hervey 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

Hervey 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hervey

The surname HERVEY originates from Normandy, France, and is thought to have derived from the Old French name Hervi, which itself is believed to have stemmed from the Germanic name Hariwig, meaning "army battle" or "warrior army". It is likely that the name was introduced to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest recorded references to the HERVEY surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hervius" and "Herveus". This indicates that the name had already become established in England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, variations of the spelling included "Hervey", "Hervie", and "Hervy". These spellings were often used interchangeably, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

The HERVEY surname is closely associated with several notable individuals throughout history. These include John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol (1665-1751), a prominent English statesman and politician, and his son, Augustus John Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol (1724-1779), who was also a politician and served as Lord Privy Seal.

Another renowned figure was Thomas Hervey, born in 1698, who was an English naval officer and explorer. He is particularly noted for his exploration of the west coast of North America in the mid-18th century.

The HERVEY surname has also been linked to several place names in England, such as Hervey Hill in Norfolk and Hervey's Croft in Essex, both of which likely derived their names from early bearers of the surname.

Other notable individuals with the HERVEY surname include Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol (1730-1803), a British nobleman and politician, and Frederick Hervey, 8th Marquess of Bristol (1769-1859), a member of the British House of Lords.

Throughout its history, the HERVEY surname has maintained a strong presence in England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, where many early bearers of the name were concentrated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hervey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hervey 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. Middlesex leads with 79 Herveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.10x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 79 2.10x
Suffolk 30 6.56x
Norfolk 28 4.85x
Warwickshire 27 2.85x
Surrey 25 1.37x
Ayrshire 22 7.83x
Kent 17 1.33x
Midlothian 13 2.58x
Somerset 13 2.15x
Lancashire 12 0.27x
Kirkcudbrightshire 10 18.40x
Renfrewshire 10 3.44x
Sussex 10 1.58x
Hampshire 9 1.17x
Lanarkshire 9 0.74x
Selkirkshire 9 26.49x
Cheshire 8 0.97x
Staffordshire 8 0.63x
Lincolnshire 5 0.83x
Essex 4 0.54x
Glamorgan 4 0.61x
Northumberland 4 0.72x
Yorkshire 4 0.11x
Devon 3 0.38x
Leicestershire 3 0.72x
Northamptonshire 3 0.85x
Orkney 3 7.26x
Derbyshire 2 0.34x
Durham 2 0.18x
Gloucestershire 2 0.27x
Shropshire 2 0.62x
Cornwall 1 0.24x
Dorset 1 0.41x
Royal Navy 1 2.23x
Wiltshire 1 0.30x
Worcestershire 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 13 Herveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.98x.

Place Total Index
Aston 13 4.98x
Girvan 13 184.40x
Witton In Blofield 13 7647.06x
Horham 12 2727.27x
Chelsea London 11 9.72x
Minnigaff 10 490.20x
Neilston 10 68.45x
Hackney London 9 4.27x
Selkirk 9 94.04x
Kirkmichael 8 312.50x
St George Hanover Square 8 12.09x
Ealing 7 20.86x
Paddington London 7 5.07x
Bedminster 6 10.56x
Brighton 6 4.70x
Coventry Holy Trinity 6 21.22x
Hatherton 6 1090.91x
Ickworth 6 5000.00x
Lambeth 6 1.83x
Wandsworth 6 16.60x
Birmingham 5 1.58x
Camberwell 5 2.08x
Clapham 5 10.65x
Deptford St Nicholas 5 49.16x
Glasgow 5 2.32x
Holdenhurst 5 24.76x
Kensington London 5 2.39x
North Walsham 5 120.19x
Norwich St James 5 110.38x
South Leith 5 8.83x
St Marylebone London 5 2.49x
Cardiff St Mary 4 11.10x
Chatton 4 233.92x
Chorley In Macclesfield 4 158.10x
Clerkenwell London 4 4.51x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 1.98x
Frostenden 4 800.00x
Islington London 4 1.10x
Old Sleaford 4 588.24x
Shoreditch London 4 2.46x
Barony 3 0.98x
Coppull 3 126.58x
Dalkeith 3 30.21x
Firth Stenness 3 169.49x
Folkestone 3 12.07x
Hornsey 3 6.32x
Little Bolton 3 5.24x
Salford 3 2.29x
St George In East London 3 8.49x
St Pancras London 3 0.99x
Thaxted 3 121.95x
Tonbridge 3 6.49x
Wells St Andrew 3 555.56x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 2 5.77x
Beckbury 2 476.19x
Bollington In 2 27.10x
Bradford 2 2.22x
Broadwater 2 13.77x
Chatham 2 5.67x
Compton Dando 2 476.19x
Doveridge 2 224.72x
Erith 2 15.85x
Finedon 2 64.72x
Hammersmith London 2 2.16x
Hunstanton 2 102.56x
Leamington 2 31.85x
Newton Abbot St Mary 2 30.49x
Portsea 2 1.33x
Rowley Regis 2 5.66x
Shotley 2 246.91x
Titchfield 2 34.48x
Woolverstone 2 645.16x
Birstall 1 158.73x
Dawlish 1 17.15x
Great Malvern 1 9.78x
Kingston On Thames 1 2.27x
Monkton Prestwick 1 36.50x
Olveston 1 48.31x
St Martin In Fields 1 4.45x
Wootton Bassett 1 34.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 8
Annie 7
Sarah 6
Eliza 5
Caroline 4
Emily 4
Ethel 4
Florence 4
Louisa 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Anne 3
Augusta 3
Elizth. 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Kate 3
Clara 2
Edith 2
Esther 2
Eva 2
Hannah 2
Isabel 2
Jane 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Rebecca 2
Susan 2
Agusta 1
Alma 1
C.J. 1
Catherine 1
Cathrine 1
Celia 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanora 1
Elissa 1
F.E. 1
Gwendelin 1
Janet 1
Jeanette 1
Kathrine 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lilie 1
Lily 1
Linda 1
Thomas 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
William 14
James 11
Charles 9
George 9
Alfred 7
Thomas 7
Joseph 6
Arthur 5
Robert 5
Henry 4
Edward 3
Herbert 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Benjamin 2
Bernard 2
Cecil 2
Chas. 2
Francis 2
Fredk. 2
Reginald 2
Richard 2
Cardew 1
David 1
Dellew 1
Douglas 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Franklin 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk.W.F. 1
Fredk.W.R. 1
Geo. 1
Gerald 1
Haggas 1
Hercules 1
Hugh 1
Jaims 1
Laurence 1
Mamers 1
Mathew 1
Nathaniel 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Samuel 1
Simeon 1
T. 1
Wm.Edward 1

FAQ

Hervey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hervey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 385 people were recorded with the Hervey surname. That placed it at #8,179 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hervey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 166 in 2016. That gives Hervey a modern rank of #22,140.

What does the Hervey surname mean?

Derived from a French place name meaning "farmstead or village where oats are grown."

What does the Hervey map show?

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