NameCensus.

UK surname

Waddell

An English and Scottish toponymic surname derived from places named Waddell, likely meaning "wolf valley" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 2,653 people recorded with the Waddell surname, ranking it #1,673 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,746, ranked #1,813, down from #1,673 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Bothwell and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Upper Nithsdale, Allanton - Newmains Rural and Falkirk - Town Centre and Callendar Park.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Waddell is 3,775 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.2%.

1881 census count

2,653

Ranked #1,673

Modern count

3,746

2016, ranked #1,813

Peak year

2014

3,775 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Waddell had 2,653 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,673 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,746 in 2016, ranked #1,813.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,385 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Waddell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Waddell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Waddell 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 1,519 #1,888
1861 historical 1,795 #1,613
1881 historical 2,653 #1,673
1891 historical 2,990 #1,573
1901 historical 3,385 #1,646
1911 historical 825 #5,349
1997 modern 3,475 #1,864
1998 modern 3,638 #1,854
1999 modern 3,649 #1,863
2000 modern 3,667 #1,842
2001 modern 3,561 #1,855
2002 modern 3,653 #1,854
2003 modern 3,557 #1,857
2004 modern 3,560 #1,855
2005 modern 3,584 #1,822
2006 modern 3,563 #1,835
2007 modern 3,615 #1,822
2008 modern 3,655 #1,814
2009 modern 3,685 #1,843
2010 modern 3,748 #1,857
2011 modern 3,696 #1,860
2012 modern 3,666 #1,837
2013 modern 3,702 #1,852
2014 modern 3,775 #1,829
2015 modern 3,744 #1,820
2016 modern 3,746 #1,813

Geography

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Where Waddells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Bothwell, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Upper Nithsdale, Allanton - Newmains Rural, Falkirk - Town Centre and Callendar Park, Duns and Markinch and Star. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Bothwell Lanark
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Upper Nithsdale Dumfries and Galloway
2 Allanton - Newmains Rural North Lanarkshire
3 Falkirk - Town Centre and Callendar Park Falkirk
4 Duns Scottish Borders
5 Markinch and Star Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Waddell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Waddell

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Waddell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Waddell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Waddell 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

Waddell 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

Waddell 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 Waddell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Waddell

The surname Waddell is believed to have originated in Scotland, deriving from the Old English word "wadel," which means "woad," a blue dye plant. It is thought to have been an occupational surname given to those involved in the cultivation or processing of woad.

The name can be traced back to the 12th century in Scotland, with early recordings such as Radulfus Waddel in the Bain's Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland in 1189. The name appears in various spellings, including Wadel, Waddell, and Waddill.

In the 13th century, the name Waddell is mentioned in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of instruments of homage and fealty to Edward I of England, which includes the names of many Scottish noblemen and landowners. This suggests that the Waddells held a prominent position in Scottish society at the time.

The Waddell surname is also associated with several place names, such as Waddell in Renfrewshire, Scotland, and Waddell Glen in Ayrshire, Scotland. These locations may have been named after individuals with the surname or served as the ancestral homes of Waddell families.

Notable individuals with the surname Waddell include:

1. James Iredell Waddell (1824-1886), an American naval officer who served in the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. 2. Peter Hately Waddell (1817-1891), an Irish-born Australian artist and writer known for his landscape paintings and writings about colonial life in Australia. 3. William Henry Waddell (1826-1894), an Irish-born American poet and journalist who served as a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War. 4. Alfred Moore Waddell (1834-1912), an American politician and lawyer who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina. 5. Robert Austin Waddell (1854-1923), an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Louisville Colonels and Philadelphia Phillies in the late 19th century.

While the surname Waddell has Scottish origins, it has spread to various parts of the world due to migration and is now found in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Waddell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Waddell 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. Lanarkshire leads with 1,116 Waddells recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.31x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,116 13.31x
Stirlingshire 196 20.50x
Midlothian 163 4.69x
Renfrewshire 130 6.47x
Kent 88 0.99x
Middlesex 88 0.34x
Lancashire 87 0.28x
Northumberland 76 1.97x
Angus 74 3.08x
Berwickshire 72 22.93x
Fife 71 4.63x
Dunbartonshire 59 8.47x
Durham 47 0.61x
Perthshire 45 3.87x
West Lothian 45 11.52x
Ayrshire 42 2.16x
Roxburghshire 40 8.52x
Cheshire 21 0.37x
Surrey 18 0.14x
Cumberland 17 0.76x
Selkirkshire 13 5.54x
Clackmannanshire 12 5.60x
Argyllshire 10 1.39x
Dumfriesshire 10 1.75x
Warwickshire 10 0.15x
Buckinghamshire 9 0.57x
Sussex 9 0.21x
Flintshire 8 1.15x
Hampshire 8 0.15x
Isle of Man 8 1.66x
Kinross-shire 8 12.21x
Glamorgan 6 0.13x
Westmorland 6 1.05x
Yorkshire 6 0.02x
Gloucestershire 4 0.08x
Inverness-shire 4 0.52x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.67x
Nairnshire 4 5.05x
Royal Navy 4 1.29x
Devon 3 0.06x
East Lothian 3 0.87x
Essex 3 0.06x
Staffordshire 3 0.03x
Berkshire 1 0.05x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Kincardineshire 1 0.32x
Monmouthshire 1 0.05x
Peeblesshire 1 0.82x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.12x
Shropshire 1 0.04x
Suffolk 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 199 Waddells recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.38x.

Place Total Index
Barony 199 9.38x
Glasgow 195 13.10x
Govan 151 7.28x
New Monkland 143 57.69x
Old Monkland 130 39.07x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 89 6.37x
Falkirk 66 29.48x
Bothwell 48 21.11x
Cambusnethan 42 22.55x
Larbert 37 64.72x
Carluke 34 44.65x
Shotts 32 31.89x
Hamilton 31 13.25x
Dundee 30 3.35x
Paisley High Church 26 16.25x
Lesmahagow 25 28.19x
Bishopwearmouth 24 3.62x
Cathcart 22 20.24x
Polmont 21 59.47x
Liff Benvie 19 5.21x
Muiravonside 19 78.22x
West Greenock 19 5.27x
Kinghorn 17 52.18x
Bathgate 16 18.87x
Kirkintilloch 16 16.90x
Shettleston 16 21.31x
Forfar 15 11.53x
Lauder 15 86.46x
Ulgham 15 234.01x
Whitsome 15 301.20x
Folkestone 14 8.16x
Islington London 14 0.56x
Toxteth Park 14 1.34x
Burntisland 13 30.30x
Carnwath 13 25.07x
Cumbernauld 13 34.05x
Dalziel 13 14.41x
Jedburgh 13 28.24x
Kirkdale 12 2.32x
South Leith 12 3.07x
Beith 11 19.00x
Chatham 11 4.52x
Galashiels 11 12.68x
Rutherglen 11 8.94x
Yetholm 11 118.66x
Abbey 10 3.26x
Bilsington 10 294.99x
Bonhill 10 8.94x
Mile End Old Town 10 2.44x
New Kilpatrick 10 15.09x
Dalserf 9 10.76x
Eastwood 9 7.27x
Erskine 9 61.64x
Gargunnock 9 144.93x
Hutton 9 104.65x
Kensington London 9 0.62x
Muthill 9 59.25x
Stow 9 50.39x
Whitburn 9 15.95x
Ayton 8 43.93x
Boness 8 14.86x
Borthwick 8 51.55x
Campsie 8 15.24x
Chorley 8 4.63x
Dalkeith 8 11.67x
Denny 8 15.73x
Elswick 8 2.60x
Kilsyth 8 13.12x
Lezayre 8 37.04x
Linlithgow 8 15.97x
Lydd 8 42.24x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 8 3.47x
Otterburn 8 270.27x
Sanguhar 8 104.99x
Dundonald 7 9.78x
Lambeth 7 0.31x
Maryhill 7 4.26x
Orwell 7 38.74x
Row 7 7.77x
Shenley Church End 7 429.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 44
John 36
James 23
Thomas 22
George 19
Robert 17
David 9
Harry 8
Henry 8
Andrew 7
Alexander 6
Alfred 4
Wm. 4
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Edward 3
Peter 3
Chas. 2
Christopher 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Gilbert 2
Jas. 2
Joseph 2
Matthew 2
Philip 2
Richard 2
Sidney 2
Walter 2
Archibald 1
Blackney 1
Cornelius 1
Cranston 1
Earnest 1
Edwin 1
Ephraim 1
Frank 1
Gavin 1
Horace 1
Josias 1
Malcolm 1
Mathew 1
Percy 1
Ralph 1
Robt. 1
Thos. 1
Wiliam 1
Willie 1
Wm.F. 1

FAQ

Waddell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Waddell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,653 people were recorded with the Waddell surname. That placed it at #1,673 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Waddell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,746 in 2016. That gives Waddell a modern rank of #1,813.

What does the Waddell surname mean?

An English and Scottish toponymic surname derived from places named Waddell, likely meaning "wolf valley" in Old English.

What does the Waddell map show?

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