NameCensus.

UK surname

Heslop

An English locational surname derived from places in Yorkshire called Heslop.

In the 1881 census there were 2,563 people recorded with the Heslop surname, ranking it #1,745 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,595, ranked #1,890, down from #1,745 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Allendale and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Stockton-on-Tees and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heslop is 3,768 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.3%.

1881 census count

2,563

Ranked #1,745

Modern count

3,595

2016, ranked #1,890

Peak year

2010

3,768 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heslop had 2,563 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,745 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,595 in 2016, ranked #1,890.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,458 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Heslop surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heslop surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heslop 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 1,806 #1,595
1861 historical 1,869 #1,548
1881 historical 2,563 #1,745
1891 historical 2,853 #1,665
1901 historical 3,360 #1,656
1911 historical 3,458 #1,515
1997 modern 3,585 #1,806
1998 modern 3,636 #1,856
1999 modern 3,701 #1,839
2000 modern 3,656 #1,853
2001 modern 3,612 #1,825
2002 modern 3,712 #1,823
2003 modern 3,546 #1,862
2004 modern 3,557 #1,856
2005 modern 3,471 #1,875
2006 modern 3,466 #1,878
2007 modern 3,493 #1,886
2008 modern 3,545 #1,869
2009 modern 3,674 #1,849
2010 modern 3,768 #1,846
2011 modern 3,702 #1,857
2012 modern 3,599 #1,869
2013 modern 3,694 #1,853
2014 modern 3,707 #1,862
2015 modern 3,654 #1,869
2016 modern 3,595 #1,890

Geography

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Where Heslops are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Allendale, Gateshead, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Stockton-on-Tees, Northumberland and South Tyneside. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Allendale Northumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 046 County Durham
2 Stockton-on-Tees 009 Stockton-on-Tees
3 County Durham 064 County Durham
4 Northumberland 040 Northumberland
5 South Tyneside 004 South Tyneside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heslop

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heslop

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Heslop surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Heslop 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 house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Heslop 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

Heslop is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Heslop

The surname Heslop is of English origin, deriving from a place name in Northumberland, England. It is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "hæsl" meaning "hazel" and "hop" meaning "valley," suggesting the name originated from someone who lived in the "hazel valley."

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest known record of this surname appears as "Heselop," referring to a settlement in the North Riding of Yorkshire. This indicates that the name has been in use since at least the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Heslop surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a certain William de Heselop is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the 12th century.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Heslop surname. One example is Sir Robert Heslop (1570-1631), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Northumberland in the early 17th century.

Another prominent figure was William Heslop (1809-1872), a British trade unionist and one of the founders of the Miners' Association, which later became the National Union of Mineworkers.

In the literary world, Richard Heslop (1915-1998) was an English poet and academic who served as the Poet Laureate of Newcastle upon Tyne from 1982 to 1989.

The name Heslop has also been associated with places like Heslop Farm in Northumberland and Heslop Castle, an ancient fortified manor house in the same county.

During the 19th century, variations of the surname emerged, such as Haslop, Heslope, and Hessloppe, reflecting regional dialects and spelling variations over time.

While the Heslop surname is predominantly found in England, particularly in the northern counties, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration, with notable bearers of the name found in countries like Canada, Australia, and the United States.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Heslop families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heslop 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. Durham leads with 1,000 Heslops recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.42x.

County Total Index
Durham 1,000 13.42x
Northumberland 555 14.89x
Yorkshire 347 1.40x
Cumberland 168 7.79x
Lancashire 146 0.49x
Middlesex 92 0.37x
Westmorland 53 9.63x
Aberdeenshire 24 1.03x
Surrey 23 0.19x
Lanarkshire 17 0.21x
Gloucestershire 15 0.31x
Midlothian 13 0.39x
Pembrokeshire 11 1.38x
Essex 10 0.20x
Warwickshire 9 0.14x
Cheshire 8 0.14x
Berwickshire 7 2.31x
Kent 7 0.08x
Staffordshire 7 0.08x
Isle of Man 6 1.29x
Sussex 6 0.14x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.15x
Stirlingshire 5 0.54x
Devon 4 0.08x
Hampshire 4 0.08x
Suffolk 4 0.13x
Lincolnshire 3 0.07x
Ayrshire 2 0.11x
Cornwall 2 0.07x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.36x
Morayshire 2 0.51x
Berkshire 1 0.05x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.48x
Denbighshire 1 0.11x
Fife 1 0.07x
Glamorgan 1 0.02x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Leicestershire 1 0.04x
Norfolk 1 0.03x
Northamptonshire 1 0.04x
Somerset 1 0.02x
Worcestershire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishopwearmouth in Durham leads with 60 Heslops recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.38x.

Place Total Index
Bishopwearmouth 60 9.38x
Westoe 59 13.96x
Hunwick Helmington 48 268.16x
Darlington 45 15.64x
Allendale 44 127.31x
Heworth 39 26.56x
Wallsend 38 32.15x
Elswick 37 12.44x
Stockton On Tees 36 10.02x
Hetton Le Hole 35 37.06x
Leeds 35 2.50x
Gateshead 33 5.91x
Stranton 33 13.15x
St Giles 29 62.34x
Hartleyburn 28 620.84x
Farlam 27 198.97x
Whitworth 26 47.65x
Stanwix 24 137.46x
Haydon 23 112.86x
Benfieldside 21 42.85x
Evenwood Barony 21 82.87x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 21 6.51x
Peterhead 20 16.30x
Pittington 20 95.42x
Westgate 20 8.66x
Crook Billy Row 19 19.91x
Wall 19 557.18x
Billingham 18 140.30x
Salford 18 2.06x
West Auckland 18 66.06x
Marwood 17 1005.92x
Tudhoe 17 26.07x
Newton Cap 16 138.29x
Prudhoe 16 61.70x
Alnwick 15 23.41x
Haltwhistle 15 82.96x
St Marylebone London 15 1.12x
Whitehaven 15 13.05x
Auckland St Andrew 14 71.14x
Bishop Auckland 14 14.00x
Chirton 14 16.60x
Islington London 14 0.58x
Jesmond 14 26.70x
Kendal 14 13.89x
Tanfield 14 15.80x
Tynemouth 14 7.01x
Bedlington 13 10.45x
Coundon Grange 13 79.51x
Framwellgate 13 29.45x
Manchester 13 0.97x
Middlesbrough 13 4.02x
Newbiggin In Morpeth 13 109.06x
Newcastle On Tyne St 13 6.73x
Starforth 13 294.12x
Westbury On Trym 13 7.81x
Blackburn 12 1.52x
Cotherston 12 218.58x
Melkridge 12 458.02x
Shildon 12 20.04x
Skelton In Guisbrough 12 17.87x
Witton Le Wear 12 56.76x
Barnard Castle 11 29.86x
Holmside 11 59.88x
Melbecks 11 110.00x
Ovington 11 240.70x
Richmond 11 28.37x
Warden 11 144.55x
Anick 10 763.36x
Brampton 10 33.82x
Brandon Byshottles 10 10.71x
Hulme 10 1.61x
Longbenton 10 6.33x
Shipton In Great 10 271.00x
Stella 10 156.49x
Urpeth 10 68.87x
Waldridge 10 80.13x
York St Mary 10 9.73x
Byker 9 4.88x
Govan 9 0.45x
North Bedburn 9 43.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 206
Elizabeth 112
Jane 104
Margaret 90
Sarah 80
Ann 77
Isabella 47
Hannah 46
Annie 37
Alice 20
Ellen 20
Frances 19
Emily 16
Emma 16
Anne 13
Catherine 13
Margt. 13
Martha 11
Barbara 10
Edith 10
Dorothy 9
Agnes 8
Eleanor 8
Esther 8
Charlotte 7
Harriet 7
Kate 7
Margret 7
Clara 6
Eliza 6
Elizth. 6
Fanny 6
Maria 6
Rachel 6
Ada 5
Florence 5
Gertrude 5
Ruth 5
Anna 4
Caroline 4
Helen 4
Isabel 4
Maggie 4
Susanna 4
Eliz. 3
Isabell 3
Laura 3
Marian 3
Phillis 3
Rebecca 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 197
William 159
Thomas 154
George 84
Robert 80
James 79
Joseph 55
Edward 25
Richard 25
Christopher 23
Henry 22
Matthew 21
Charles 19
Alfred 14
Wm. 14
Alexander 9
Isaac 9
Arthur 8
Philip 8
Thos. 8
Frank 7
Ralph 7
Andrew 6
Frederick 6
Walter 6
Anthony 5
Robt. 5
Albert 4
Cuthbert 4
David 4
Foster 4
Peter 4
Edwin 3
Fred 3
Geo. 3
Jno. 3
Joshua 3
Leonard 3
Mark 3
Marmaduke 3
Mathew 3
Simpson 3
Edmund 2
Gerald 2
Michael 2
Moses 2
Nathan 2
Nicholas 2
Pattison 2
Richd. 2

FAQ

Heslop surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heslop surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,563 people were recorded with the Heslop surname. That placed it at #1,745 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heslop surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,595 in 2016. That gives Heslop a modern rank of #1,890.

What does the Heslop surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from places in Yorkshire called Heslop.

What does the Heslop map show?

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