NameCensus.

UK surname

Heyden

A surname of Germanic origin meaning "someone from the heath or heathen lands".

In the 1881 census there were 170 people recorded with the Heyden surname, ranking it #14,265 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #14,265 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Brimpsfield, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, and Redruth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tewkesbury, Westminster and Tendring.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heyden is 170 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 38.8%.

1881 census count

170

Ranked #14,265

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

1881

170 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heyden had 170 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,265 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 170 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Heyden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heyden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heyden 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 99 #17,294
1861 historical 123 #17,914
1881 historical 170 #14,265
1891 historical 131 #20,073
1901 historical 126 #19,970
1911 historical 133 #19,214
1997 modern 104 #26,351
1998 modern 109 #26,273
1999 modern 108 #26,602
2000 modern 108 #26,549
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 99 #28,082
2003 modern 94 #28,686
2004 modern 96 #28,605
2005 modern 98 #28,325
2006 modern 97 #28,793
2007 modern 102 #28,351
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 106 #28,666
2010 modern 103 #29,780
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 106 #29,187
2013 modern 102 #30,415
2014 modern 104 #30,365
2015 modern 104 #30,269
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Heydens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Brimpsfield, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Redruth, Liverpool and Hatherley, Down. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tewkesbury, Westminster, Tendring, Stroud and Swale. 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 Brimpsfield Gloucestershire
2 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
3 Redruth Cornwall
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Hatherley, Down Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tewkesbury 007 Tewkesbury
2 Westminster 020 Westminster
3 Tendring 010 Tendring
4 Stroud 008 Stroud
5 Swale 005 Swale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heyden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heyden

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Heyden is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Heyden is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Heyden

The surname Heyden originates from Germany and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "heid" or "heide," meaning a heath or shrubland, and likely referred to someone who lived in or near a heathland or uncultivated area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval German records and documents. For example, the name Heyden appears in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a collection of charters and deeds from the former Duchy of Westphalia, dated around 1200.

In the 14th century, there are references to a noble family called von Heyden in the region of Rhineland. This family owned lands and properties in the area, and their name was often associated with specific locations, such as Heyden bei Daun or Heyden bei Prüm.

One notable figure from this family was Johann von Heyden, a 15th-century German knight and military commander who fought in the Hussite Wars. He was born around 1420 and died in 1492.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sebald Heyden, a 16th-century German painter and printmaker who was active in Nuremberg. He was born around 1499 and is known for his intricate woodcut illustrations.

In the 17th century, a Dutch scholar and philosopher named Abraham Heyden (1597-1655) gained recognition for his works on logic and metaphysics. He was born in Leiden and served as a professor at the University of Leiden.

Moving to the 18th century, Jan van der Heyden (1637-1712) was a famous Dutch Golden Age painter renowned for his exquisite cityscape paintings and meticulous attention to detail. He was born in Gorinchem and spent most of his life in Amsterdam.

The Heyden surname also has variants and spelling variations, such as Heiden, Heyden, and Hayden, which can be found in various regions of Germany and the Low Countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Heyden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heyden 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. Gloucestershire leads with 46 Heydens recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.98x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 46 13.98x
Cornwall 24 12.64x
Lancashire 24 1.21x
Yorkshire 14 0.84x
Middlesex 11 0.66x
Devon 10 2.86x
Worcestershire 10 4.56x
Carmarthenshire 7 9.90x
Warwickshire 7 1.65x
Berkshire 3 2.38x
Hampshire 3 0.87x
Lincolnshire 3 1.12x
Surrey 3 0.37x
Channel Islands 2 4.02x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.94x
Cumberland 1 0.69x
Hertfordshire 1 0.86x
Norfolk 1 0.39x
Oxfordshire 1 0.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Redruth in Cornwall leads with 22 Heydens recorded in 1881 and an index of 409.68x.

Place Total Index
Redruth 22 409.68x
Miserdine 10 4000.00x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 8 132.89x
Manningham 8 39.06x
Aston 7 6.01x
Carmarthen St Ishmael 7 933.33x
Liverpool 7 5.79x
Toxteth Park 7 10.38x
Down Hatherley 6 5454.55x
Hulme 6 14.44x
Kings Norton 6 30.53x
Bisley 5 167.79x
Middlesbrough 5 23.09x
Painswick 5 214.59x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 18.59x
Tottenham 5 18.71x
Stoke Damerel 4 16.37x
Cheltenham 3 11.82x
Gloucester St Owen 3 833.33x
Lambeth 3 2.05x
Leckhampton 3 147.78x
Louth 3 48.78x
Manchester 3 3.35x
Powick 3 197.37x
Gloucester St Mary Grace 2 2000.00x
Liskeard 2 62.89x
St Helier 2 12.36x
Thatcham 2 103.09x
Aldershot 1 8.68x
Ashbury 1 256.41x
Barley 1 277.78x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 3.16x
Cirencester 1 22.47x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.53x
Compton Gifford 1 91.74x
Ealing 1 6.67x
Eshton 1 2500.00x
Farnborough 1 27.70x
Hampstead London 1 3.83x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 12.92x
Oxford St Aldate 1 91.74x
Papworth St Agnes 1 1111.11x
Penrith 1 18.73x
Portsea 1 1.48x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 13.77x
St Clement Danes London 1 28.82x
St Pancras London 1 0.74x
Worcester St Martin 1 33.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 6
Ann 4
Ellen 4
Sarah 4
Clara 3
Emma 3
Alice 2
Bertha 2
Bridget 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Eliza 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Julia 2
Maria 2
Annie 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Grace 1
H.E. 1
Jessie 1
Johanna 1
Lilia 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Marie 1
Matilda 1
Milsha 1
Minne 1
Minnie 1
Noarin 1
Pras 1
Rebecca 1
Rosannah 1
Roseana 1
Selina 1
Sophie 1
Sophy 1
Zanisa 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Heyden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heyden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 170 people were recorded with the Heyden surname. That placed it at #14,265 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heyden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Heyden a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Heyden surname mean?

A surname of Germanic origin meaning "someone from the heath or heathen lands".

What does the Heyden map show?

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