NameCensus.

UK surname

Horney

A surname derived from the German word for "horn," potentially indicating an ancestor's occupation or location.

In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Horney surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 158, ranked #22,904, down from #19,877 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Dunham, Little and Walsall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Walsall, Horsham and South Bucks.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Horney is 210 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.6%.

1881 census count

99

Ranked #19,877

Modern count

158

2016, ranked #22,904

Peak year

1999

210 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Horney had 99 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,877 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 158 in 2016, ranked #22,904.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 196 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Horney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Horney surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Horney 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 70 #21,020
1861 historical 196 #12,223
1881 historical 99 #19,877
1891 historical 139 #19,311
1901 historical 163 #17,205
1911 historical 192 #15,342
1997 modern 199 #17,668
1998 modern 200 #18,114
1999 modern 210 #17,712
2000 modern 188 #18,916
2001 modern 176 #19,415
2002 modern 180 #19,533
2003 modern 176 #19,623
2004 modern 180 #19,424
2005 modern 176 #19,667
2006 modern 170 #20,214
2007 modern 178 #19,887
2008 modern 176 #20,224
2009 modern 179 #20,418
2010 modern 175 #21,186
2011 modern 175 #21,035
2012 modern 169 #21,437
2013 modern 160 #22,621
2014 modern 160 #22,824
2015 modern 157 #22,997
2016 modern 158 #22,904

Geography

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Where Horneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Dunham, Little, Walsall, Middlesborough and Ditchling. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Walsall, Horsham and South Bucks. 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 3
2 Dunham, Little Norfolk
3 Walsall Staffordshire
4 Middlesborough Durham
5 Ditchling Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Walsall 021 Walsall
2 Horsham 009 Horsham
3 Walsall 018 Walsall
4 Walsall 012 Walsall
5 South Bucks 008 South Bucks

Forenames

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First names often paired with Horney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Horney

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

Horney is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Horney

The surname Horney is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the late medieval period or early modern era. It is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "horn," meaning a horn or corner, which may have referred to a geographical feature near where the family lived or worked.

The earliest known record of the Horney name dates back to the 15th century, when it appeared in various town records and church registers in regions such as Bavaria and Saxony. Some of the earliest spellings included Horney, Hornay, and Horneye.

In the 16th century, the Horney name can be found in the tax records of several German towns, indicating that families bearing this surname had established themselves in various parts of the country. One notable individual from this time period was Hans Horney, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the late 1500s.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Horney surname continued to be present in various parts of Germany. Some families may have also migrated to neighboring regions, such as Alsace and the Netherlands. In 1712, a man named Johann Horney was recorded as a resident of the city of Frankfurt, where he worked as a baker.

In the 19th century, the Horney name began to spread more widely as families emigrated from Germany to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable individual from this era was the German philosopher and psychoanalyst Karen Horney, born in 1885 in Blankenese, near Hamburg. She was a pioneering figure in the field of psychoanalysis and is renowned for her theories on neurotic personalities and interpersonal relationships.

Other notable individuals with the Horney surname include Wilhelm Horney, a German artist and painter who lived in the late 19th century, and Johann Horney, a German-American farmer and businessman who settled in Pennsylvania in the mid-1800s.

While the Horney name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with families bearing this surname found in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, among others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Horney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Horney 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. Surrey leads with 31 Horneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.59x.

County Total Index
Surrey 31 6.59x
Norfolk 21 14.15x
Cumberland 8 9.62x
Lanarkshire 7 2.24x
Middlesex 6 0.62x
Nottinghamshire 6 4.61x
Sussex 6 3.69x
Gloucestershire 3 1.58x
Hertfordshire 3 4.51x
Cheshire 2 0.94x
Durham 2 0.70x
Hampshire 2 1.01x
Kent 1 0.30x
Yorkshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Little Dunham in Norfolk leads with 19 Horneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 19000.00x.

Place Total Index
Little Dunham 19 19000.00x
Rotherhithe 8 67.06x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 41.17x
Bermondsey 7 24.36x
St Cuthbert W O 7 172.84x
Croydon 6 22.98x
Ditchling 6 1363.64x
Greasley 6 204.08x
Govan 4 5.18x
Dalziel 3 89.29x
Little Dean 3 1111.11x
St Albans St Peter 3 133.33x
St George In East London 3 33.04x
Dukinfield 2 20.30x
Kensington London 2 3.73x
Westoe 2 12.29x
Bexley 1 34.36x
Camberwell 1 1.62x
East Dereham 1 53.19x
Lambeth 1 1.19x
Portsea 1 2.58x
Rickergate 1 56.82x
Scarning 1 454.55x
Sheffield 1 3.28x
St Faith Winchester 1 108.70x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 9
George 6
James 6
John 6
Robert 4
Charles 3
Henry 3
David 2
Frederick 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Arthur 1
Cornelius 1
Edward 1
Elizabeth 1
Fredk. 1
Jesse 1
Robt 1

FAQ

Horney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Horney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Horney surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Horney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 158 in 2016. That gives Horney a modern rank of #22,904.

What does the Horney surname mean?

A surname derived from the German word for "horn," potentially indicating an ancestor's occupation or location.

What does the Horney map show?

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