NameCensus.

UK surname

Heydon

An English habitational surname from a place called Heydon, meaning "hay valley".

In the 1881 census there were 325 people recorded with the Heydon surname, ranking it #9,194 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 546, ranked #9,334, down from #9,194 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin, London parishes and Shipton-under-Wychwood. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, Caerphilly and Warwick.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heydon is 607 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.0%.

1881 census count

325

Ranked #9,194

Modern count

546

2016, ranked #9,334

Peak year

2002

607 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heydon had 325 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,194 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 546 in 2016, ranked #9,334.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 468 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Heydon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heydon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heydon 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 316 #7,323
1861 historical 325 #7,835
1881 historical 325 #9,194
1891 historical 331 #10,277
1901 historical 368 #10,057
1911 historical 468 #8,247
1997 modern 551 #8,644
1998 modern 577 #8,597
1999 modern 575 #8,686
2000 modern 583 #8,571
2001 modern 582 #8,461
2002 modern 607 #8,387
2003 modern 585 #8,479
2004 modern 579 #8,550
2005 modern 558 #8,701
2006 modern 560 #8,706
2007 modern 569 #8,681
2008 modern 571 #8,720
2009 modern 582 #8,784
2010 modern 587 #8,936
2011 modern 573 #8,984
2012 modern 557 #9,082
2013 modern 564 #9,139
2014 modern 569 #9,132
2015 modern 557 #9,206
2016 modern 546 #9,334

Geography

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Where Heydons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin, London parishes, Shipton-under-Wychwood, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Norton, Hook. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, Caerphilly, Warwick and Thanet. 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 Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin Devon
2 London parishes London 3
3 Shipton-under-Wychwood Oxfordshire
4 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
5 Norton, Hook Oxfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 015 Rotherham
2 Caerphilly 008 Caerphilly
3 Warwick 006 Warwick
4 Caerphilly 019 Caerphilly
5 Thanet 012 Thanet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heydon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heydon

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Heydon, 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 Heydon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Heydon 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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Heydon is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Heydon is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Heydon falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Heydon 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 Heydon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Heydon

The surname HEYDON is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "heg" meaning "hay" and "dun" meaning "hill" or "down". It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, likely referring to a location or geographical feature, such as a haystack on a hill or a village situated on a hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname HEYDON can be traced back to the 13th century. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, which lists a person named William de Heydon. The use of the "de" prefix indicates that the name was initially a descriptive one, referring to a place of origin or residence.

In the 14th century, the name HEYDON appears in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Suffolk in 1327, where a Robert de Heydon is mentioned. This suggests that the name was prevalent in East Anglia, particularly in the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk.

The HEYDON surname is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. John Heydon (1629-1667) was an English occultist and author of the influential work "The Hieroglyphic Monad". Sir Christopher Heydon (1633-1679) was an English judge and Member of Parliament, known for his involvement in the Popish Plot affair.

Another notable figure was Sir John Heydon (1588-1653), an English politician who served as Lieutenant of the Tower of London during the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and was eventually pardoned by Oliver Cromwell after the Parliamentarian victory.

In the 18th century, Benjamin Heydon (1670-1737) was an English clergyman and author, notable for his work "A View of the Present State of the Hebrew Text of the Old Testament".

The HEYDON surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Heydon in Norfolk, Heydon on the Hill in Northamptonshire, and Heydon near Royston in Hertfordshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname and may have influenced its development and spread.

While the surname HEYDON is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history dating back to the medieval period and has been associated with notable individuals, locations, and historical events throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Heydon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heydon 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. Oxfordshire leads with 85 Heydons recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.28x.

County Total Index
Oxfordshire 85 43.28x
Warwickshire 50 6.23x
Middlesex 32 1.01x
Lancashire 30 0.80x
Worcestershire 23 5.54x
Devon 15 2.27x
Kent 10 0.92x
Northamptonshire 9 3.01x
Staffordshire 8 0.75x
Surrey 8 0.52x
Norfolk 7 1.43x
Buckinghamshire 6 3.12x
Yorkshire 6 0.19x
Gloucestershire 5 0.80x
Nottinghamshire 5 1.17x
Cambridgeshire 4 1.99x
Cornwall 4 1.11x
Derbyshire 4 0.80x
Hampshire 3 0.46x
Somerset 3 0.59x
Glamorgan 2 0.36x
Leicestershire 2 0.57x
Berkshire 1 0.42x
Herefordshire 1 0.77x
Hertfordshire 1 0.46x
Royal Navy 1 2.64x
Wiltshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hethe in Oxfordshire leads with 35 Heydons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8536.59x.

Place Total Index
Hethe 35 8536.59x
Farnborough 21 5121.95x
Bootle Cum Linacre 15 50.05x
Hook Norton 14 1044.78x
Stoke Lyne 11 1833.33x
Mile End Old Town London 9 13.30x
Folkestone 8 38.00x
Hampstead London 8 16.16x
Mixbury 8 2666.67x
Northampton St Giles 7 61.46x
Stretton On Dunsmore 7 958.90x
Walsall Borough 7 84.03x
Worcester St Peter 7 89.06x
Cottisford 6 2307.69x
Warwick St Mary 6 86.21x
Bloxham 5 259.07x
Kidderminster Foreign 5 85.18x
Lambeth 5 1.80x
Mansfield 5 33.72x
Pendleton In Salford 5 11.12x
Solihull 5 86.81x
Bassingbourn 4 135.14x
Birmingham 4 1.50x
Headingley Cum Burley 4 19.72x
Lakenham 4 57.55x
Openshaw 4 22.64x
Ribbesford 4 115.61x
Rousham 4 2352.94x
St Pancras London 4 1.56x
Clent 3 275.23x
Islington London 3 0.97x
Ludgershall 3 652.17x
North Petherton 3 72.64x
Paddington London 3 2.57x
Stoke Damerel 3 6.48x
Alverstoke 2 8.48x
Bere Ferrers 2 183.49x
Bitton Oldland 2 31.35x
Bromley London 2 2.86x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.66x
Coventry Holy Trinity 2 8.35x
Dartmouth Townstall 2 74.07x
Derby St Alkmund 2 13.40x
Kempsey 2 126.58x
Leicester St Margaret 2 2.33x
Liskeard 2 33.22x
Morton Pinkney 2 416.67x
Neithrop 2 30.30x
Newton 2 6.88x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 3.92x
Potter Heigham 2 444.44x
Ratley 2 454.55x
Spondon 2 104.17x
St Budeaux 2 97.09x
Swansea Town 2 4.41x
Twyford 2 327.87x
West Derby 2 1.81x
Ashtead 1 99.01x
Aston 1 0.45x
Camberwell 1 0.49x
Cheltenham 1 2.08x
Chevening 1 84.75x
Clapham 1 2.52x
Coventry St Michael 1 3.88x
Dartmouth St Petrox 1 105.26x
Huntwick Cum Nostell 1 158.73x
Kings Norton 1 2.69x
Langley Burrell 1 85.47x
Lathbury 1 769.23x
Liverpool 1 0.44x
Manningham 1 2.58x
Parkham 1 114.94x
Plymouth Charles The 1 3.43x
Royal Navy 1 3.09x
Speldhurst 1 18.12x
St Cleer 1 32.05x
Tidenham 1 104.17x
Westminster St James 1 3.06x
Weston 1 94.34x
Wolborough 1 11.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Ann 13
Elizabeth 13
Alice 11
Eliza 11
Sarah 11
Jane 7
Ellen 6
Hannah 6
Edith 5
Martha 4
Ada 3
Annie 3
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Emily 3
Amy 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Henrietta 2
Hester 2
Agness 1
Anne 1
Belinder 1
Boughton 1
Catherine 1
Charity 1
Emma 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Jessie 1
June 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
L. 1
Laura 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Marie 1
Nelly 1
Prissila 1
Rosa 1
Rosalie 1
Selina 1
Sybil 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 22
George 19
John 19
Thomas 10
Joseph 9
Charles 7
James 7
Alfred 5
Edward 5
Richard 5
Henry 4
Walter 4
Frank 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Patrick 2
Andrew 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Dennis 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Jeol 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
Oliver 1
Reuben 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Tom 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.T. 1

FAQ

Heydon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heydon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 325 people were recorded with the Heydon surname. That placed it at #9,194 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heydon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 546 in 2016. That gives Heydon a modern rank of #9,334.

What does the Heydon surname mean?

An English habitational surname from a place called Heydon, meaning "hay valley".

What does the Heydon map show?

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