NameCensus.

UK surname

Wacey

In the 1881 census there were 93 people recorded with the Wacey surname, ranking it #20,593 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 98, ranked #31,470, down from #20,593 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bircham, Great and East Dereham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Great Yarmouth, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Mendip.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wacey is 143 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.4%.

1881 census count

93

Ranked #20,593

Modern count

98

2016, ranked #31,470

Peak year

1911

143 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2006

Key insights

  • Wacey had 93 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,593 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016, ranked #31,470.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 143 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wacey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wacey surname density by area, 2006 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wacey 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 68 #25,196
1881 historical 93 #20,593
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 118 #20,721
1911 historical 143 #18,401
1997 modern 125 #23,567
1998 modern 126 #24,094
1999 modern 124 #24,508
2000 modern 118 #25,197
2001 modern 115 #25,222
2002 modern 116 #25,632
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 110 #26,451
2005 modern 106 #27,044
2006 modern 103 #27,785
2007 modern 106 #27,722
2008 modern 106 #28,016
2009 modern 100 #29,597
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 103 #29,733
2013 modern 106 #29,740
2014 modern 107 #29,827
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 98 #31,470

Geography

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Where Waceys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bircham, Great, East Dereham, Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Great Yarmouth, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Mendip, Stockport and Colchester. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bircham, Great Norfolk
3 East Dereham Norfolk
4 Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing Kent
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Great Yarmouth 001 Great Yarmouth
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 002 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Mendip 001 Mendip
4 Stockport 028 Stockport
5 Colchester 021 Colchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wacey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wacey

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Wacey is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wacey is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wacey falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wacey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Wacey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wacey 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. Norfolk leads with 65 Waceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.61x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 65 46.61x
Kent 8 2.58x
Yorkshire 8 0.89x
Middlesex 7 0.77x
Suffolk 4 3.62x
Northamptonshire 1 1.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. East Dereham in Norfolk leads with 18 Waceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1022.73x.

Place Total Index
East Dereham 18 1022.73x
Great Yarmouth 18 155.84x
Gillingham 8 125.39x
Sheffield 8 27.95x
Bircham Tofts 7 17500.00x
Caistor Next Yarmouth 5 1020.41x
Great Bircham 5 3571.43x
Kirkley 4 434.78x
Ormesby St Margaret W 4 1142.86x
Salhouse 3 1500.00x
St Pancras London 3 4.11x
Edmonton 2 27.36x
Flitcham Cum Appleton 2 1333.33x
Snettisham 2 512.82x
Dersingham 1 322.58x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 23.04x
Norton Folgate London 1 333.33x
St George Martyr 1 65.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 6
Mary 5
Jane 4
Elizabeth 3
Maria 3
Annie 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Sophia 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Augusta 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Edith 1
Elisa 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Elvina 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Happy 1
Kate 1
Keziah 1
Lilly 1
Lydia 1
Phebe 1
Rebecca 1
Susanna 1
Thurza 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Wacey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wacey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 93 people were recorded with the Wacey surname. That placed it at #20,593 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wacey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016. That gives Wacey a modern rank of #31,470.

What does the Wacey map show?

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