NameCensus.

UK surname

Honeywood

A surname derived from a place name referring to a honey-producing woodland area.

In the 1881 census there were 185 people recorded with the Honeywood surname, ranking it #13,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 303, ranked #14,637, down from #13,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Foxearth, Hartest and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, Chelmsford and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Honeywood is 350 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 63.8%.

1881 census count

185

Ranked #13,506

Modern count

303

2016, ranked #14,637

Peak year

2002

350 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Honeywood had 185 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 303 in 2016, ranked #14,637.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 261 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Honeywood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Honeywood surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Honeywood 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 105 #16,618
1861 historical 147 #15,539
1881 historical 185 #13,506
1891 historical 225 #13,714
1901 historical 234 #13,705
1911 historical 261 #12,526
1997 modern 328 #12,758
1998 modern 329 #13,070
1999 modern 329 #13,147
2000 modern 336 #12,921
2001 modern 329 #12,921
2002 modern 350 #12,620
2003 modern 333 #12,875
2004 modern 329 #13,027
2005 modern 323 #13,133
2006 modern 318 #13,348
2007 modern 320 #13,442
2008 modern 320 #13,550
2009 modern 324 #13,689
2010 modern 335 #13,645
2011 modern 330 #13,664
2012 modern 337 #13,345
2013 modern 336 #13,574
2014 modern 318 #14,246
2015 modern 306 #14,536
2016 modern 303 #14,637

Geography

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Where Honeywoods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Foxearth, Hartest, London parishes, Beccles and Ilketshall St Lawrence, Bungay St Mary, Bungay Holy Trinity. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, Chelmsford and Mid Suffolk. 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 Foxearth Suffolk
2 Hartest Suffolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 Beccles Suffolk
5 Ilketshall St Lawrence, Bungay St Mary, Bungay Holy Trinity Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 013 Waveney
2 Waveney 012 Waveney
3 Chelmsford 001 Chelmsford
4 Waveney 010 Waveney
5 Mid Suffolk 004 Mid Suffolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Honeywood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Honeywood

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Honeywood 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

Honeywood is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Honeywood

The surname Honeywood is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words 'huning' meaning honey and 'wudu' meaning wood, likely referring to a wooded area or forest known for its abundance of honey or beekeeping activities.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Honeywood can be traced back to the 13th century in various historical records and documents. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1274, which references a person named Roger de Hunyngwod.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in several tax rolls and land records in various counties across England, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John Honeywood is listed.

In the 15th century, the name Honeywood was found in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondences between members of the influential Paston family in Norfolk. A letter dated 1472 mentions a certain Robert Honeywood, who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Honeywood was Sir Thomas Honeywood (c. 1500 - 1579), a wealthy landowner and member of the English gentry from Kent. He served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1571.

Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Honeywood (1566 - 1635), a lawyer and politician who represented Kent in the English House of Commons. He was also a member of the Virginia Company, involved in the early colonization efforts in America.

In the 17th century, the name Honeywood gained further recognition with Michael Honeywood (1597 - 1681), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Dean of Lincoln and was a renowned scholar and author of his time.

The 18th century saw the rise of Sir John Honeywood (1712 - 1781), a British naval officer and politician who served as the Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador from 1776 to 1778.

In the 19th century, the name gained literary significance with the character of Miss Honeywood in Oliver Goldsmith's play "She Stoops to Conquer," first performed in 1773.

While the surname Honeywood is not as common today as it once was, it continues to be a part of English heritage, with its origins firmly rooted in the medieval era and a rich history spanning several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Honeywood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Honeywood 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. Suffolk leads with 89 Honeywoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.49x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 89 40.49x
Surrey 21 2.39x
Warwickshire 21 4.61x
Lancashire 17 0.79x
Essex 7 1.97x
Middlesex 7 0.39x
Sussex 7 2.30x
Leicestershire 5 2.50x
Kent 3 0.49x
Bedfordshire 2 2.14x
Hampshire 2 0.54x
Hertfordshire 1 0.80x
Norfolk 1 0.36x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.74x
Staffordshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bungay Holy Trinity in Suffolk leads with 52 Honeywoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 4601.77x.

Place Total Index
Bungay Holy Trinity 52 4601.77x
Manchester 13 13.50x
Newington 12 18.00x
Stanton 12 2307.69x
Aston 10 7.98x
Birmingham 10 6.59x
Bungay St Mary 7 642.20x
Long Melford 7 343.14x
Brighton 6 9.78x
Leicester St Leonard 5 264.55x
Wickham St Paul 5 2272.73x
Withersfield 5 1388.89x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 11.02x
Wickhambrook 3 361.45x
Chartham 2 130.72x
Chelsea London 2 3.68x
Glemsford 2 129.87x
Kensington London 2 1.99x
Lambeth 2 1.27x
Luton 2 12.36x
St George Hanover Square 2 6.29x
Stretford 2 16.98x
Aldershot 1 8.07x
Beccles 1 28.25x
Belchamp St Paul 1 227.27x
Camberwell 1 0.87x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.94x
Edgbaston 1 7.09x
Epsom 1 23.36x
Friern Barnet 1 25.19x
Gorton 1 4.97x
Holme Hale 1 400.00x
Lewes St Ann 1 96.15x
Markshall 1 3333.33x
Otterbourne 1 188.68x
Pembroke St Michael 1 120.48x
Redbourn 1 73.53x
Richmond 1 8.12x
Wolverhampton 1 2.13x
Wye 1 105.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Sarah 5
Clara 4
Elizabeth 4
Emma 4
Jane 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Hannah 3
Louisa 3
Ada 2
Anna 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Lizzie 2
Mahala 2
Matilda 2
Blanch 1
Caroline 1
Constance 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
F. 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
H. 1
Harriett 1
Hephzibah 1
Honor 1
Ida 1
Infant 1
Jannie 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Leah 1
M.Anna 1
Mabel 1
Martha 1
Naomi 1
Polly 1
Prudence 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Honeywood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Honeywood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 185 people were recorded with the Honeywood surname. That placed it at #13,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Honeywood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 303 in 2016. That gives Honeywood a modern rank of #14,637.

What does the Honeywood surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name referring to a honey-producing woodland area.

What does the Honeywood map show?

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