NameCensus.

UK surname

Heseltine

From a place called Hazeldene, composed of the old English elements hæsel (hazel) and denu (valley).

In the 1881 census there were 655 people recorded with the Heseltine surname, ranking it #5,471 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,238, ranked #4,818, up from #5,471 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Pontefract, Bradford and Aysgarth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Richmondshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heseltine is 1,253 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 89.0%.

1881 census count

655

Ranked #5,471

Modern count

1,238

2016, ranked #4,818

Peak year

1999

1,253 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heseltine had 655 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,471 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,238 in 2016, ranked #4,818.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 972 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Heseltine surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heseltine surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heseltine 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 380 #6,284
1861 historical 345 #7,398
1881 historical 655 #5,471
1891 historical 776 #5,171
1901 historical 972 #4,861
1911 historical 935 #4,803
1997 modern 1,198 #4,717
1998 modern 1,250 #4,722
1999 modern 1,253 #4,745
2000 modern 1,212 #4,858
2001 modern 1,196 #4,808
2002 modern 1,219 #4,841
2003 modern 1,191 #4,838
2004 modern 1,190 #4,846
2005 modern 1,172 #4,856
2006 modern 1,151 #4,931
2007 modern 1,148 #4,991
2008 modern 1,157 #4,982
2009 modern 1,220 #4,870
2010 modern 1,251 #4,869
2011 modern 1,232 #4,874
2012 modern 1,238 #4,788
2013 modern 1,245 #4,835
2014 modern 1,247 #4,850
2015 modern 1,245 #4,824
2016 modern 1,238 #4,818

Geography

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Where Heseltines are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Pontefract, Bradford, Aysgarth, Middlesborough and Whalley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Richmondshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, Shropshire, 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 Pontefract Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Aysgarth Yorkshire, North Riding
4 Middlesborough Durham
5 Whalley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Richmondshire 005 Richmondshire
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 001 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Shropshire 031 Shropshire
4 Wakefield 015 Wakefield
5 County Durham 057 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heseltine

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heseltine

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Heseltine is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Heseltine is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Heseltine falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Heseltine is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Heseltine

The surname Heseltine has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from a place called Heseltine or Hazeltine, both of which are believed to be variations of the Old English words "hæsel" meaning hazel and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Heseltine can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Haselinton". This entry refers to a place in Yorkshire, suggesting that the name originated in this region of northern England.

Over the centuries, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Hazeltine, Haseltine, Hesseltine, and Heseltyne, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Heseltine was John Heseltine, who was born in Lancashire, England, in the late 15th century. He was a landowner and is mentioned in several historical records from the period.

Another notable figure was Sir Robert Heseltine (1718-1803), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Leeds, Yorkshire. He made significant contributions to the city's development and was a generous benefactor to various charitable causes.

In the 19th century, Michael Heseltine (1866-1937) was a prominent businessman and industrialist from Nottinghamshire. He played a crucial role in the development of the coal mining industry in the region.

The name Heseltine is also associated with several place names in England, such as Heseltine Grange in Yorkshire and Heseltine Hill in Lancashire.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Heseltine is Michael Heseltine (born 1933), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for over 35 years and held various cabinet positions, including Deputy Prime Minister under John Major.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Sir William Heseltine (1909-1992), a British businessman and philanthropist, and Michael Heseltine (1936-2018), a British actor best known for his roles in television series such as Emmerdale Farm and The Professionals.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Heseltine families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heseltine 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 442 Heseltines recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.98x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 442 6.98x
Lancashire 57 0.75x
Durham 47 2.47x
Middlesex 23 0.36x
Staffordshire 17 0.79x
Lincolnshire 16 1.57x
Midlothian 9 1.05x
Derbyshire 8 0.80x
Essex 8 0.63x
Hampshire 6 0.46x
Kent 6 0.28x
Cheshire 4 0.28x
Surrey 3 0.10x
Berkshire 2 0.42x
Northumberland 2 0.21x
Norfolk 1 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 1.31x
Sussex 1 0.09x
Worcestershire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Thoralby in Yorkshire leads with 25 Heseltines recorded in 1881 and an index of 5319.15x.

Place Total Index
Thoralby 25 5319.15x
Bowling 22 35.08x
Pontefract 21 153.96x
Bainbridge 16 1073.83x
Pickering 16 200.75x
Sculcoates 16 15.94x
Newbiggen 15 6521.74x
Rillington 15 781.25x
Wolsingham 14 80.83x
Tanshelf 13 256.92x
Frodingham 12 329.67x
Bradford 11 7.18x
Burton Cum Walden 11 1134.02x
Hinderwell 10 185.19x
Manningham 10 12.82x
Sowerby In Halifax 10 48.31x
Trawden 10 210.97x
Batley 9 14.96x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 9 2.61x
Lofthouse 9 95.24x
South Cave 9 428.57x
Wednesbury 9 16.70x
Whitby 9 42.17x
Almondbury 8 26.13x
Holy Trinity 8 5.25x
Hulme 8 5.05x
Middlesbrough 8 9.70x
Normanby In 8 47.25x
Ardwick 7 10.24x
Conistone Cum Kilnsey 7 1794.87x
Horton In Bradford 7 7.08x
Islington London 7 1.13x
Ockbrook 7 164.71x
Oldham 7 2.86x
Oswaldkirk 7 1627.91x
Barrow In Furness 6 5.82x
Buckden 6 923.08x
Darrington 6 521.74x
Gateshead 6 4.22x
Hawes 6 144.93x
Kirkby Malzeard 6 431.65x
Little Ayton 6 3333.33x
Lynesack Softley 6 116.73x
West Ness 6 4285.71x
Bishopdale 5 2631.58x
Hackney London 5 1.40x
Hedleyhope 5 151.98x
Huddersfield 5 5.42x
Leeds 5 1.40x
Thornton Rust 5 1612.90x
Tong 5 40.88x
Warblington 5 96.34x
Barwick In Elmet 4 82.47x
Birdsall 4 571.43x
Castleford 4 17.35x
Greenwich 4 3.93x
Heptonstall 4 45.05x
Kensington London 4 1.13x
Muker 4 218.58x
Richmond 4 40.44x
Sheffield 4 1.98x
Shotton 4 85.11x
Stanghow 4 156.25x
West Bromwich 4 3.24x
Arncliffe 3 937.50x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 1.81x
Aysgarth 3 370.37x
Broughton In Salford 3 4.33x
Carperby Cum Thoresby 3 454.55x
Chelmsford 3 13.86x
Chelsea London 3 1.56x
Crook Billy Row 3 12.33x
Manchester 3 0.88x
Northowram 3 6.76x
Otley 3 19.52x
Pontefract Park 3 2142.86x
Skelton In Guisbrough 3 17.51x
Wanstead 3 13.58x
Wolverhampton 3 1.81x
Dukinfield 2 3.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 44
Elizabeth 34
Margaret 26
Ann 20
Sarah 20
Jane 14
Annie 13
Hannah 13
Alice 9
Eliza 9
Ellen 8
Ada 7
Emma 6
Charlotte 5
Fanny 5
Florence 5
Harriet 5
Frances 4
Grace 4
Anne 3
Catherine 3
Emily 3
Isabella 3
Agnes 2
Amy 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Elenor 2
Jessie 2
Josephine 2
Judith 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Ruth 2
Amelia 1
Beatrice 1
Betty 1
Blanch 1
Dorothea 1
Drusilla 1
Eleanor 1
Eleza 1
Elisth. 1
Elizabth 1
Hellen 1
Henrietta 1
Hilda 1
Infant 1
Isabel 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 43
William 43
Thomas 24
James 22
George 16
Robert 15
Francis 12
Charles 10
Joseph 6
Richard 6
Arthur 5
Benjamin 5
Henry 5
Matthew 5
Herbert 4
Jeffrey 4
Leonard 4
Walter 4
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Harry 3
Mathew 3
Wm. 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Aurthur 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Jeffery 2
Jno. 2
Ralph 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Conard 1
Cuthbert 1
Earnest 1
Edwd.Mark 1
Edwin 1
Eleazar 1
Evelyn 1
Frances 1
Frankland 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Infant 1
Jacob 1
Jeremiah 1
Jonathan 1
Wm.L. 1

FAQ

Heseltine surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heseltine surname in 1881?

In 1881, 655 people were recorded with the Heseltine surname. That placed it at #5,471 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heseltine surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,238 in 2016. That gives Heseltine a modern rank of #4,818.

What does the Heseltine surname mean?

From a place called Hazeldene, composed of the old English elements hæsel (hazel) and denu (valley).

What does the Heseltine map show?

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