NameCensus.

UK surname

Honeyman

An English surname derived from an occupation involving honey or beekeeping.

In the 1881 census there were 979 people recorded with the Honeyman surname, ranking it #3,972 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,341, ranked #4,497, down from #3,972 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Alloa, Cupar and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pendle, Hambleton and Middlesbrough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Honeyman is 1,416 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.0%.

1881 census count

979

Ranked #3,972

Modern count

1,341

2016, ranked #4,497

Peak year

2010

1,416 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Honeyman had 979 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,972 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,341 in 2016, ranked #4,497.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,194 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Honeyman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Honeyman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Honeyman 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 702 #3,715
1861 historical 743 #3,670
1881 historical 979 #3,972
1891 historical 1,063 #3,946
1901 historical 1,194 #4,120
1911 historical 455 #8,428
1997 modern 1,347 #4,270
1998 modern 1,375 #4,334
1999 modern 1,364 #4,409
2000 modern 1,395 #4,293
2001 modern 1,350 #4,330
2002 modern 1,385 #4,330
2003 modern 1,354 #4,339
2004 modern 1,337 #4,391
2005 modern 1,346 #4,319
2006 modern 1,359 #4,295
2007 modern 1,378 #4,281
2008 modern 1,346 #4,387
2009 modern 1,369 #4,402
2010 modern 1,416 #4,366
2011 modern 1,385 #4,398
2012 modern 1,362 #4,399
2013 modern 1,371 #4,445
2014 modern 1,375 #4,455
2015 modern 1,351 #4,479
2016 modern 1,341 #4,497

Geography

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Where Honeymans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Alloa, Cupar, London parishes, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pendle, Hambleton, Middlesbrough, Alloa South and East and Cupar East. 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 Alloa Clackmannan
2 Cupar Fife
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pendle 002 Pendle
2 Hambleton 002 Hambleton
3 Middlesbrough 004 Middlesbrough
4 Alloa South and East Clackmannanshire
5 Cupar East Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Honeyman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Honeyman

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

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Honeyman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Honeyman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Honeyman 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

Honeyman 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

Honeyman 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 Honeyman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Honeyman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Honeyman

The surname "Honeyman" is of English origin, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "huni" meaning "honey" and "mann" meaning "man". This occupational surname was initially given to those who gathered or sold honey, indicating their profession.

In Medieval times, beekeeping and honey production were significant industries, and those involved in this trade were often referred to by surnames reflecting their occupation. The earliest recorded instance of the surname "Honeyman" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a person named William Honeyman was documented.

The name's prevalence can be traced to various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. It was also found in records from the nearby areas of Suffolk and Essex. Variations in spelling, such as "Honeyman," "Honyman," and "Huniman," were common during the Middle Ages due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Honeyman, a 14th-century landowner from Yorkshire, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records from 1346. Another historical figure was Robert Honeyman, a merchant from Norfolk who was documented in the Port Books of 1567, indicating his involvement in international trade.

In the 16th century, the surname appeared in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a family by the name of Honeyman resided. During the same period, a place called "Honeyman's Field" was referenced in the manorial records of Thetford, Norfolk, suggesting a connection to a landowner with this surname.

Among the notable individuals with the surname "Honeyman" throughout history are:

1. William Honeyman (1720-1793), a Scottish minister and educator who served as the Rector of the High School of Edinburgh. 2. John Honeyman (1729-1805), an American soldier and politician who fought in the Revolutionary War and later served as a member of the Connecticut General Assembly. 3. Robert Honeyman (1763-1816), a Scottish minister and author, best known for his work "The Resurrection of Christ Defended" published in 1811. 4. William Honeyman (1796-1874), a Scottish architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the United Presbyterian Church and the Western Club. 5. David Honeyman (1825-1905), a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Honeyman Hardware Company in Portland, Oregon.

While the surname "Honeyman" has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and the establishment of new communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Honeyman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Honeyman 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. Fife leads with 299 Honeymans recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.89x.

County Total Index
Fife 299 52.89x
Midlothian 93 7.27x
Lanarkshire 88 2.85x
Yorkshire 78 0.82x
Angus 60 6.78x
Clackmannanshire 51 64.66x
Perthshire 40 9.33x
Middlesex 39 0.41x
Stirlingshire 35 9.94x
Durham 33 1.16x
Renfrewshire 28 3.78x
Surrey 28 0.60x
Hampshire 16 0.82x
Northumberland 16 1.13x
Inverness-shire 11 3.86x
Kent 8 0.25x
Roxburghshire 8 4.62x
Kinross-shire 7 29.00x
Lancashire 7 0.06x
Dorset 6 0.96x
Morayshire 5 3.37x
Ayrshire 4 0.56x
Cheshire 4 0.19x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.23x
Argyllshire 2 0.75x
Devon 2 0.10x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.17x
Buteshire 1 1.73x
Cumberland 1 0.12x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.39x
East Lothian 1 0.79x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.33x
Selkirkshire 1 1.16x
Somerset 1 0.07x
West Lothian 1 0.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cupar in Fife leads with 61 Honeymans recorded in 1881 and an index of 248.07x.

Place Total Index
Cupar 61 248.07x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 54 10.49x
Alloa 46 120.26x
Govan 39 5.11x
Dundee 33 9.99x
Hutton Rudby 28 989.40x
St Andrews 26 101.09x
Collessie 24 368.66x
Dunblane 22 214.43x
Abbotshall 19 89.96x
Dunfermline 19 21.86x
Kirkcaldy 19 67.76x
Kennoway 18 350.19x
Markinch 16 83.38x
Old Monkland 16 13.05x
Pittenweem 15 215.21x
Barony 14 1.79x
Bermondsey 13 4.57x
Glasgow 13 2.37x
St Giles In Fields London 12 25.61x
Burntisland 11 69.58x
Middlesbrough 11 8.93x
South Leith 11 7.64x
Inverness 10 13.94x
Kettle 10 147.28x
Larbert 10 47.48x
Ormesby 10 39.32x
West Greenock 10 7.53x
Bishopwearmouth 9 3.69x
Coupar Angus 9 107.53x
Islington London 9 0.97x
Auchtermuchty 8 105.40x
Darlington 8 7.29x
Forgan 8 73.87x
Stirling 8 18.01x
Eastwood 7 15.36x
Kinross 7 84.54x
Liff Benvie 7 5.21x
Marton In Middlesbrough 7 202.31x
Montrose 7 13.05x
Wemyss 7 29.26x
Binsted 6 80.43x
Camberwell 6 0.98x
Castleford 6 17.41x
Crayford 6 42.16x
Denny 6 32.03x
Elswick 6 5.29x
Ferry Port On Craig 6 64.52x
Kensington London 6 1.13x
Newcastle On Tyne St 6 8.15x
Paisley Middle Church 6 13.92x
Southwark St John 6 20.54x
Yarm 6 123.46x
Abernethy 5 89.29x
Airth 5 111.61x
Beath 5 27.98x
Duffus 5 38.23x
Dysart 5 13.13x
Edinburgh High Church 5 62.27x
Falkirk 5 6.06x
Monzievaird Strowan 5 218.34x
Portland 5 14.84x
Toxteth Park 5 1.30x
Altrincham 4 10.86x
Cambusnethan 4 5.83x
Edinburgh St Georges 4 15.07x
Falkland 4 44.99x
Largs 4 23.75x
Melrose 4 26.74x
Perth East Church 4 9.90x
Tillicoultry 4 22.81x
Aislaby 3 731.71x
Allerton Bywater 3 58.59x
Edinburgh Greenside 3 17.75x
Edinburgh New North 3 26.95x
Inverkip 3 17.20x
Kilconquhar 3 44.58x
Kinghorn 3 25.00x
Portsmouth 3 6.66x
Preston In Tynemouth 3 53.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Jane 9
Sarah 9
Elizabeth 6
Emma 5
Annie 4
Eliza 4
Hannah 4
Isabella 4
Catherine 3
Ellen 3
Kate 3
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Henrietta 2
Margaret 2
Martha 2
Rebecca 2
Al. 1
Alice 1
Amy 1
Annee 1
Betsy 1
Catharine 1
Cecilia 1
Christine 1
Eleanor 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
H.J. 1
H.S. 1
Harriot 1
Hilda 1
Isable 1
Isobel 1
J.C. 1
Janet 1
Jessie 1
Law... 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Mildred 1
Mina 1
Rose 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 22
George 18
William 15
Thomas 8
James 7
Joseph 5
Henry 4
Charles 3
Edward 3
Geo. 2
Jas. 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Heseltine 1
Jno. 1
Norman 1
Percy 1
R.W. 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Shadrach 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
T.H. 1
Tom 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Honeyman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Honeyman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 979 people were recorded with the Honeyman surname. That placed it at #3,972 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Honeyman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,341 in 2016. That gives Honeyman a modern rank of #4,497.

What does the Honeyman surname mean?

An English surname derived from an occupation involving honey or beekeeping.

What does the Honeyman map show?

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