NameCensus.

UK surname

Hever

A surname potentially derived from the English village Hever or the German word "hever" meaning a raised enclosed area.

In the 1881 census there were 52 people recorded with the Hever surname, ranking it #26,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 173, ranked #21,561, up from #26,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet, Lewisham and Bromley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hever is 173 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 232.7%.

1881 census count

52

Ranked #26,281

Modern count

173

2016, ranked #21,561

Peak year

2010

173 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hever had 52 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016, ranked #21,561.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 81 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hever surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hever surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hever 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 14 #30,790
1861 historical 37 #29,339
1881 historical 52 #26,281
1891 historical 70 #28,073
1901 historical 44 #29,276
1911 historical 81 #24,719
1997 modern 148 #21,295
1998 modern 163 #20,582
1999 modern 160 #20,943
2000 modern 164 #20,584
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 154 #21,531
2003 modern 153 #21,406
2004 modern 159 #21,007
2005 modern 155 #21,318
2006 modern 157 #21,322
2007 modern 161 #21,201
2008 modern 159 #21,598
2009 modern 162 #21,791
2010 modern 173 #21,327
2011 modern 165 #21,829
2012 modern 162 #22,078
2013 modern 167 #21,984
2014 modern 173 #21,639
2015 modern 173 #21,542
2016 modern 173 #21,561

Geography

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Where Hevers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet, Lewisham, Bromley, Calderdale and Kirklees. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 021 Barnet
2 Lewisham 014 Lewisham
3 Bromley 023 Bromley
4 Calderdale 019 Calderdale
5 Kirklees 055 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hever

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hever

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Hever surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hever household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hever 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

Hever 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hever

The surname Hever is thought to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the village of Hever in Kent, which was recorded as "Huifre" in the Domesday Book of 1086.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 13th century, with a reference to Henry de Hever in the Pipe Rolls of Kent in 1230. The name is believed to have evolved from the Old English word "hæfre" or "hæfer," meaning "goat" or "kid," suggesting that the village may have been associated with goat farming or breeding.

During the medieval period, the Hever family played a significant role in the history of Kent. In the 14th century, Sir Thomas Hever served as the Sheriff of Kent and was a prominent figure in the region. His son, Sir Walter Hever, was a loyal supporter of King Henry VIII and was granted the manor of Hever Castle in 1505.

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I, was born at Hever Castle in 1501. Her family, the Boleyns, had close ties to the Hever family, and the castle remained in their possession until Anne's execution in 1536.

Another notable figure with the surname Hever was Sir Richard Hever, who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1497. He was a wealthy merchant and played a crucial role in the city's governance during the late 15th century.

In the 17th century, the surname Hever was also found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One prominent individual was Sir Walter Hever, born in 1612, who served as a Member of Parliament for Grimsby in the 1640s and played a role in the English Civil War.

Throughout its history, the surname Hever has been subject to various spellings, including Heaver, Hefer, and Hever, reflecting the regional variations and evolution of language over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hever families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hever 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. Kent leads with 20 Hevers recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.56x.

County Total Index
Kent 20 11.56x
Surrey 12 4.86x
Cheshire 8 7.15x
Lanarkshire 4 2.44x
Sussex 4 4.68x
Middlesex 2 0.39x
Derbyshire 1 1.26x
Lancashire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newington in Surrey leads with 8 Hevers recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.71x.

Place Total Index
Newington 8 42.71x
Eltham 6 594.06x
Eynsford 6 2000.00x
Great Budworth 5 2500.00x
Camberwell 4 12.35x
Ashton On Mersey 3 517.24x
Barony 3 7.23x
Chislehurst 3 322.58x
East Grinstead 2 165.29x
Lewisham 2 21.67x
Sevenoaks 2 142.86x
Worth 2 322.58x
Bexley 1 65.36x
Denton 1 75.19x
Fernilee 1 555.56x
Glasgow 1 3.43x
St Faith Under St Pauls 1 2500.00x
St Pancras London 1 2.45x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
George 2
Giles 2
Henry 2
James 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Chas. 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Geo.A. 1
Herbert 1
Marmaduke 1
Michael 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1

FAQ

Hever surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hever surname in 1881?

In 1881, 52 people were recorded with the Hever surname. That placed it at #26,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hever surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016. That gives Hever a modern rank of #21,561.

What does the Hever surname mean?

A surname potentially derived from the English village Hever or the German word "hever" meaning a raised enclosed area.

What does the Hever map show?

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