NameCensus.

UK surname

Wackett

Of English origin meaning watchful or vigilant.

In the 1881 census there were 304 people recorded with the Wackett surname, ranking it #9,637 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 309, ranked #14,442, down from #9,637 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Hertford St Andrew within and without. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Epping Forest, Bromley and York.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wackett is 510 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.6%.

1881 census count

304

Ranked #9,637

Modern count

309

2016, ranked #14,442

Peak year

1911

510 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wackett had 304 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,637 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 309 in 2016, ranked #14,442.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 510 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Wackett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wackett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wackett 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 196 #10,573
1861 historical 167 #13,956
1881 historical 304 #9,637
1891 historical 406 #8,765
1901 historical 467 #8,471
1911 historical 510 #7,718
1997 modern 362 #11,866
1998 modern 372 #12,008
1999 modern 375 #12,004
2000 modern 363 #12,237
2001 modern 349 #12,392
2002 modern 355 #12,471
2003 modern 332 #12,914
2004 modern 326 #13,122
2005 modern 312 #13,462
2006 modern 317 #13,376
2007 modern 321 #13,403
2008 modern 313 #13,746
2009 modern 315 #13,960
2010 modern 318 #14,136
2011 modern 315 #14,131
2012 modern 310 #14,210
2013 modern 316 #14,223
2014 modern 313 #14,406
2015 modern 311 #14,369
2016 modern 309 #14,442

Geography

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Where Wacketts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch, Hertford St Andrew within and without and Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Epping Forest, Bromley, York and Brent. 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 1
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Hertford St Andrew within and without Hertfordshire
5 Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Epping Forest 007 Epping Forest
2 Bromley 007 Bromley
3 York 011 York
4 Epping Forest 009 Epping Forest
5 Brent 015 Brent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wackett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wackett

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Wackett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Wackett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Wackett is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Wackett 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

Wackett falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wackett is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Wackett

The surname WACKETT is of English origin, originating in the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'wacian', meaning 'to watch' or 'to guard', suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name were likely watchmen or sentries.

The name WACKETT is first recorded in the parish records of Warwickshire, England, in the year 1597, with the spelling 'Waket'. This early spelling variation likely reflects the regional accent and pronunciation of the time.

In the late 17th century, the name WACKETT appeared in the Hearth Tax Rolls of Oxfordshire, indicating the presence of families bearing this surname in that region. The Hearth Tax was a tax levied on households based on the number of hearths or fireplaces they had, providing valuable historical records of surnames and their geographic distribution.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname WACKETT was John Wackett, born in 1635 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He was a farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to live in the same area for several generations.

In the 18th century, the WACKETT name appeared in various records, including parish registers and court documents. One notable example is Samuel Wackett (1723-1798), a prominent merchant from Bristol, who was involved in the city's thriving maritime trade.

During the 19th century, the WACKETT surname gained some prominence with the birth of William Wackett (1842-1912), a renowned architect from Gloucestershire. He designed several notable buildings in the region, including the Tewkesbury Town Hall and the Cheltenham Public Library.

Another individual of note was Emily Wackett (1871-1946), a pioneering educator and suffragist from Oxfordshire. She campaigned tirelessly for women's rights and played a significant role in the establishment of several educational institutions for girls in her local community.

As the centuries progressed, the WACKETT surname spread across different regions of England, with various spellings emerging, such as Wakkett, Wacket, and Wackitt. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained unchanged, rooted in its Old English etymology.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wackett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wackett 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. Middlesex leads with 145 Wacketts recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.87x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 145 4.87x
Hertfordshire 43 20.97x
Essex 34 5.79x
Kent 32 3.15x
Surrey 26 1.79x
Lincolnshire 14 2.94x
Devon 8 1.29x
Yorkshire 3 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. Shoreditch London in Middlesex leads with 25 Wacketts recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.38x.

Place Total Index
Shoreditch London 25 19.38x
Camberwell 18 9.47x
Enfield 16 81.97x
Hatfield 15 360.58x
Bethnal Green London 13 10.06x
Dagenham 13 371.43x
Deptford St Paul 13 16.60x
Acton 11 63.07x
Hertford St Andrew 11 434.78x
Little Berkhampstead 11 2558.14x
Tottenham 11 23.22x
Finchley 10 87.64x
Ramsgate 10 60.35x
Clerkenwell London 9 12.82x
Hackney London 9 5.40x
St Luke London 9 18.86x
St Pancras London 9 3.76x
Great Grimsby 7 23.19x
Waltham Holy Cross 7 127.50x
Barking 6 34.92x
Islington London 6 2.08x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 12.58x
Edmonton 5 20.86x
Greenwich 5 10.56x
Leyton Low 5 41.88x
Nettleton 4 816.33x
Dorking 3 30.83x
North Somercotes 3 240.00x
Chiswick 2 12.30x
Featherstone 2 60.42x
Godstone 2 76.92x
Hertford St John 2 65.36x
Lambeth 2 0.77x
Lewisham 2 3.69x
Paddington London 2 1.83x
St Albans St Peter 2 28.90x
St Marylebone London 2 1.26x
Westminster St James 2 6.54x
Battersea 1 0.91x
Beverley St Mary 1 23.20x
Bishop Stortford 1 14.60x
Chelsea London 1 1.12x
Chipping Barnet 1 128.21x
Dawlish 1 21.65x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 10.18x
Mile End New Town 1 24.63x
Plumstead 1 2.96x
Stoke Newington London 1 4.32x
Walthamstow 1 4.73x
Watford 1 6.29x
Wembworthy 1 227.27x
West Ham 1 0.77x
White Roothing 1 232.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Alice 9
Ann 9
Elizabeth 9
Emily 9
Jane 9
Sarah 9
Eliza 8
Eleanor 4
Maria 4
Agnes 3
Anne 3
Annie 3
Caroline 3
Harriet 3
Martha 3
Clara 2
Edith 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Jessie 2
Louisa 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Dorcas 1
Dorothy 1
Eidith 1
Ellenor 1
Fannie 1
Flora 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Jenny 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lavinia 1
Lillian 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Matilda 1
Melene 1
Minnie 1
Olevia 1
Rachael 1
Rachiel 1
Thomasina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 29
John 15
George 12
Charles 11
Thomas 10
Samuel 6
Alfred 5
Frederick 5
Henry 5
James 5
Robert 4
Walter 4
Albert 3
Stephen 3
Arthur 2
Edmund 2
Ernest 2
Geo. 2
Jonathan 2
Wm. 2
Abraham 1
Alpha 1
Arther 1
Benjamin 1
Douglas 1
Edgar 1
Eli 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Godfrey 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Job 1
Jos. 1
Joseph 1
Philip 1
Reginald 1
Reuben 1
Robt. 1

FAQ

Wackett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wackett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 304 people were recorded with the Wackett surname. That placed it at #9,637 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wackett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 309 in 2016. That gives Wackett a modern rank of #14,442.

What does the Wackett surname mean?

Of English origin meaning watchful or vigilant.

What does the Wackett map show?

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