NameCensus.

UK surname

Honess

In the 1881 census there were 214 people recorded with the Honess surname, ranking it #12,284 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 245, ranked #17,049, down from #12,284 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Marden and Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Swale and Warwick.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Honess is 311 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.5%.

1881 census count

214

Ranked #12,284

Modern count

245

2016, ranked #17,049

Peak year

1911

311 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Honess had 214 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,284 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 245 in 2016, ranked #17,049.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 311 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Honess surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Honess surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Honess 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 96 #17,594
1861 historical 136 #16,556
1881 historical 214 #12,284
1891 historical 197 #15,101
1901 historical 291 #11,893
1911 historical 311 #11,150
1997 modern 259 #14,912
1998 modern 268 #14,978
1999 modern 283 #14,501
2000 modern 288 #14,312
2001 modern 284 #14,221
2002 modern 277 #14,764
2003 modern 273 #14,715
2004 modern 285 #14,344
2005 modern 272 #14,742
2006 modern 261 #15,289
2007 modern 255 #15,687
2008 modern 260 #15,648
2009 modern 267 #15,661
2010 modern 275 #15,673
2011 modern 259 #16,237
2012 modern 239 #17,027
2013 modern 249 #16,825
2014 modern 253 #16,774
2015 modern 245 #17,040
2016 modern 245 #17,049

Geography

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Where Honess' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Marden, Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead and Smarden. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Swale, Warwick, Sefton and Havant. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Marden Kent
4 Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead Kent
5 Smarden Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 058 Cornwall
2 Swale 001 Swale
3 Warwick 002 Warwick
4 Sefton 022 Sefton
5 Havant 008 Havant

Forenames

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First names often paired with Honess

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Honess

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Honess surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Honess household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Honess 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

Honess 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

Honess falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Honess families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Honess 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 146 Honess' recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.50x.

County Total Index
Kent 146 20.50x
Middlesex 24 1.15x
Surrey 20 1.97x
Sussex 15 4.26x
Hertfordshire 4 2.78x
Dorset 2 1.46x
Berkshire 1 0.64x
Essex 1 0.24x
Yorkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Marden in Kent leads with 18 Honess' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1077.84x.

Place Total Index
Marden 18 1077.84x
Cranbrook 13 430.46x
Tonbridge 13 50.60x
Yalding 12 666.67x
Camberwell 10 7.50x
Orpington 10 458.72x
Chelsea London 8 12.72x
Ightham 8 888.89x
Broadwater 7 86.74x
Burwash 7 429.45x
Kensington London 7 6.03x
Sevenoaks 7 121.32x
Bobbing 6 1764.71x
Frittenden 6 909.09x
Poplar London 6 15.23x
Rotherhithe 6 23.26x
Shoreham 6 594.06x
Deptford St Paul 5 9.10x
Smarden 5 617.28x
Stalisfield 5 2083.33x
Cuxton 4 1428.57x
Erith 4 56.98x
Goudhurst 4 203.05x
Luddenham 4 2352.94x
Totteridge 4 888.89x
Minster In Sheppey 3 25.42x
Newington 3 3.89x
Bexley 2 31.75x
Morden 2 344.83x
Willesborough 2 104.71x
Ashford 1 14.41x
Biddenden 1 103.09x
Brabourne 1 188.68x
Bradford 1 2.00x
Bromley 1 9.22x
Foots Cray 1 73.53x
Greenwich 1 3.01x
Hackney London 1 0.85x
Islington London 1 0.49x
Maidstone 1 4.71x
New Windsor 1 18.98x
St Pauls Cray 1 181.82x
Sutton Valence 1 123.46x
Uckfield 1 65.36x
West Ham 1 1.10x
Westminster St James 1 4.66x
Wimbledon 1 8.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 15
Charles 14
Edward 10
Henry 8
Thomas 8
James 5
John 5
Arthur 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Frederick 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Horace 2
Joseph 2
Richard 2
Stephen 2
Alfd. 1
Aubrey 1
Bertie 1
David 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
George 1
Herbert 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Percy 1
Thos. 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Honess surname: questions and answers

How common was the Honess surname in 1881?

In 1881, 214 people were recorded with the Honess surname. That placed it at #12,284 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Honess surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 245 in 2016. That gives Honess a modern rank of #17,049.

What does the Honess map show?

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