NameCensus.

UK surname

Horn

An English occupational surname for one who played or made musical horns or one who lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature.

In the 1881 census there were 6,828 people recorded with the Horn surname, ranking it #621 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,652, ranked #1,188, down from #621 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Winchester, West Devon and Eden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Horn is 7,266 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 17.2%.

1881 census count

6,828

Ranked #621

Modern count

5,652

2016, ranked #1,188

Peak year

1901

7,266 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Horn had 6,828 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #621 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,652 in 2016, ranked #1,188.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,266 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Horn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Horn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Horn 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 6,394 #431
1861 historical 5,550 #496
1881 historical 6,828 #621
1891 historical 6,732 #679
1901 historical 7,266 #753
1911 historical 6,249 #826
1997 modern 5,715 #1,143
1998 modern 5,927 #1,145
1999 modern 5,919 #1,146
2000 modern 5,849 #1,156
2001 modern 5,734 #1,154
2002 modern 5,843 #1,158
2003 modern 5,678 #1,159
2004 modern 5,673 #1,158
2005 modern 5,483 #1,176
2006 modern 5,476 #1,185
2007 modern 5,478 #1,191
2008 modern 5,522 #1,189
2009 modern 5,658 #1,196
2010 modern 5,805 #1,183
2011 modern 5,703 #1,188
2012 modern 5,594 #1,190
2013 modern 5,728 #1,181
2014 modern 5,778 #1,177
2015 modern 5,697 #1,185
2016 modern 5,652 #1,188

Geography

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Where Horns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Glasgow and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Winchester, West Devon, Eden, Kirklees and Torridge. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Bishop Wearmouth Durham
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Winchester 011 Winchester
2 West Devon 004 West Devon
3 Eden 006 Eden
4 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
5 Torridge 008 Torridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Horn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Horn

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Horn 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

Horn is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Horn falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Horn

The surname Horn has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "horn," which referred to the material made from the horns of animals. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked with or traded in horn-based products.

The earliest recorded instances of the Horn surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Horne, Horn, and Hornd, indicating regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Horn surname was Walter de Horne, who lived in the 12th century and served as a knight and landowner in Somerset, England. Another notable figure was John Horn, a 14th-century English merchant and alderman of London, who played a significant role in the city's trade and governance.

In the 15th century, the Horn surname was associated with several prominent families in various parts of England. For instance, the Horns of Somersetshire were a well-established gentry family, while the Horns of Lancashire held lands and estates in the northern regions of the country.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Horn surname continued to spread across England, with several individuals achieving notable positions and accomplishments. One such figure was Henry Horn (1563-1627), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of Winchester and was renowned for his theological writings.

Another individual of note was Robert Horn (1620-1670), an English merchant and adventurer who traveled extensively in Africa and is credited with introducing the guinea fowl to Britain.

As the Horn surname evolved, it also gave rise to various place names and locations derived from it. For example, the village of Hornby in Lancashire and the town of Horncastle in Lincolnshire are believed to have originated from the Horn surname and its association with local landowners or settlers.

Throughout history, the Horn surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including artists, writers, politicians, and military figures. Some notable examples include Camilo José Horn (1818-1896), a Chilean writer and diplomat, and Charles Edward Horn (1786-1849), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Horn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Horn 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. Yorkshire leads with 793 Horns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.21x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 793 1.21x
Devon 462 3.34x
Middlesex 441 0.66x
Lanarkshire 406 1.89x
Durham 362 1.83x
Kent 324 1.43x
Hampshire 267 1.96x
Lancashire 267 0.34x
Bedfordshire 257 7.48x
Surrey 226 0.70x
Aberdeenshire 210 3.42x
Buckinghamshire 204 5.08x
Northamptonshire 198 3.17x
Suffolk 161 1.99x
Fife 152 3.87x
Westmorland 136 9.32x
Hertfordshire 128 2.80x
Sussex 128 1.14x
Oxfordshire 121 2.95x
Lincolnshire 115 1.08x
Essex 109 0.83x
Norfolk 109 1.07x
Northumberland 85 0.86x
Stirlingshire 83 3.39x
Staffordshire 79 0.35x
Midlothian 76 0.85x
Warwickshire 70 0.42x
Berkshire 58 1.16x
Renfrewshire 56 1.09x
Dunbartonshire 51 2.86x
Cumberland 50 0.87x
East Lothian 47 5.35x
Banffshire 46 3.34x
Perthshire 41 1.38x
Somerset 37 0.35x
Cheshire 34 0.23x
Leicestershire 33 0.45x
Worcestershire 32 0.37x
Dorset 27 0.62x
Kinross-shire 26 15.49x
Gloucestershire 25 0.19x
Cornwall 24 0.32x
Angus 23 0.37x
Wiltshire 20 0.34x
Clackmannanshire 19 3.47x
Cambridgeshire 17 0.40x
Orkney 16 2.19x
Glamorgan 15 0.13x
West Lothian 15 1.50x
Nottinghamshire 14 0.16x
Morayshire 13 1.26x
Royal Navy 11 1.39x
Ayrshire 10 0.20x
Caernarfonshire 10 0.37x
Channel Islands 10 0.51x
Derbyshire 8 0.08x
Shropshire 8 0.14x
Sutherland 7 1.37x
Berwickshire 6 0.75x
Rutland 6 1.23x
Pembrokeshire 5 0.24x
Caithness 4 0.44x
Inverness-shire 4 0.20x
Herefordshire 2 0.07x
Kincardineshire 2 0.25x
Argyllshire 1 0.05x
Merionethshire 1 0.08x
Nairnshire 1 0.49x
Ross-shire 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. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 132 Horns recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.95x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 132 4.95x
Glasgow 111 2.91x
Govan 94 1.77x
Barony 93 1.71x
Ivinghoe 89 283.80x
Leighton Buzzard 87 58.84x
Bishopwearmouth 63 3.72x
Calverley Cum Farsley 57 30.52x
Dunfermline 51 8.44x
West Ham 51 1.76x
Lambeth 48 0.83x
Darlington 45 5.90x
Hackney London 44 1.18x
Plymouth Charles The 44 7.23x
Margate St John Baptist 43 10.37x
Tranent 43 36.20x
Appleby St Lawrence 42 126.43x
Islington London 38 0.59x
Preston 38 1.80x
Luton 35 5.88x
Denby 34 95.80x
St Pancras London 34 0.64x
Camberwell 33 0.78x
Withycombe Rawleigh 33 45.84x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 32 0.89x
Idle 32 10.49x
Leeds 32 0.86x
Dunstable 31 29.35x
Gateshead 31 2.10x
Oxford St Giles 31 15.85x
Rhynie 31 121.05x
Tring 31 25.38x
Plymouth St Andrew 30 2.82x
Blundeston 29 178.79x
Fyvie 29 28.91x
Castle Bolton 28 729.17x
Cumberworth 28 83.61x
Olney 27 48.66x
Asby 26 230.70x
Littleham 26 25.73x
Wellingborough 26 8.28x
Edlesborough 25 68.38x
Pudsey 24 6.83x
Southampton St Mary 24 2.81x
Great Grimsby 23 3.41x
Forgue 22 39.84x
Kensington London 22 0.60x
Middleton In Teesdale 22 42.20x
Salford 22 0.95x
Sidmouth 22 27.81x
St Marylebone London 22 0.62x
Batley 21 3.36x
Battersea 21 0.86x
Chelsea London 21 1.05x
Great Yarmouth 21 2.48x
Kirkintilloch 21 8.67x
Shoreditch London 21 0.73x
Appleby St Michael 20 60.99x
Bramley In Bramley 20 7.94x
Forest Frith 20 115.94x
Newcastle On Tyne St 20 3.91x
Stranton 20 3.01x
Auchtermuchty 19 35.99x
Islip 19 146.49x
Lakenheath 19 44.50x
New Monkland 19 2.99x
Poplar London 19 1.52x
West Witton 19 167.25x
Irthlingborough 18 29.40x
Largo 18 35.27x
Minster In Thanet 18 38.18x
Poddington 18 145.87x
Tottenham 18 1.70x
Whitchurch 18 41.70x
Andover 17 13.23x
Clanfield 17 149.91x
Croydon 17 0.95x
Plymstock 17 23.50x
Preston Under Soar 17 206.56x
Weston Turville 17 90.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 353
Elizabeth 221
Sarah 205
Ann 120
Jane 98
Alice 86
Ellen 83
Eliza 75
Emma 75
Annie 74
Hannah 68
Emily 62
Margaret 59
Charlotte 45
Harriet 41
Martha 40
Fanny 37
Louisa 36
Maria 35
Edith 32
Agnes 30
Ada 28
Caroline 28
Anne 26
Catherine 26
Kate 26
Susan 26
Rebecca 22
Isabella 21
Clara 19
Florence 19
Lucy 19
Matilda 17
Julia 15
Ethel 14
Harriett 14
Rose 14
Frances 13
Jessie 12
Amelia 11
Amy 11
Betsy 11
Esther 11
Sophia 10
Dorothy 9
Grace 9
Lizzie 9
Lydia 9
Ruth 9
Rachel 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 365
John 320
Thomas 189
George 178
James 172
Henry 120
Charles 110
Joseph 89
Robert 74
Alfred 57
Frederick 57
Arthur 51
Richard 51
Walter 47
Samuel 43
Edward 41
Harry 34
Albert 33
Francis 28
Frank 27
Herbert 26
Ernest 22
David 19
Edwin 16
Matthew 15
Christopher 14
Fred 14
Jonathan 13
Wm. 13
Ralph 11
Benjamin 10
Isaac 10
Daniel 9
Jesse 8
Peter 8
Tom 8
Fredrick 7
Alexander 6
Chas. 6
Eli 6
Geo. 6
Job 6
Lewis 6
Michael 6
Thos. 6
Willie 6
Andrew 5
Levi 5
Patrick 5
Phillip 5

FAQ

Horn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Horn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,828 people were recorded with the Horn surname. That placed it at #621 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Horn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,652 in 2016. That gives Horn a modern rank of #1,188.

What does the Horn surname mean?

An English occupational surname for one who played or made musical horns or one who lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature.

What does the Horn map show?

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