NameCensus.

UK surname

Waddy

A surname derived from a Middle English word meaning "woad," a plant used for dyeing.

In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Waddy surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 159, ranked #22,798, down from #19,877 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes and Cheltenham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull, North East Lincolnshire and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Waddy is 165 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.6%.

1881 census count

99

Ranked #19,877

Modern count

159

2016, ranked #22,798

Peak year

2014

165 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Waddy had 99 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,877 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016, ranked #22,798.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 142 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Waddy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Waddy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Waddy 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 95 #17,707
1861 historical 98 #21,388
1881 historical 99 #19,877
1891 historical 123 #20,939
1901 historical 135 #19,203
1911 historical 142 #18,487
1997 modern 134 #22,608
1998 modern 135 #23,118
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 146 #22,170
2001 modern 136 #22,855
2002 modern 145 #22,392
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 154 #21,432
2005 modern 145 #22,253
2006 modern 154 #21,576
2007 modern 153 #21,912
2008 modern 157 #21,766
2009 modern 154 #22,536
2010 modern 157 #22,800
2011 modern 163 #21,983
2012 modern 162 #22,078
2013 modern 160 #22,621
2014 modern 165 #22,356
2015 modern 164 #22,325
2016 modern 159 #22,798

Geography

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Where Waddys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes, Cheltenham, St Mary Islington and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull, North East Lincolnshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and Cornwall. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Cheltenham Gloucestershire
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 023 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 North East Lincolnshire 002 North East Lincolnshire
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 017 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Cornwall 003 Cornwall
5 Kingston upon Hull 019 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Waddy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Waddy

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Waddy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Waddy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Waddy is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Waddy is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Waddy 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 Waddy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Waddy

The surname Waddy is an English habitational name derived from the small village of Waddesdon in Buckinghamshire, England. The name Waddesdon itself is believed to have originated from the Old English words "wad" meaning "woad" and "dun" meaning "hill" or "down", referring to a hill where the woad plant was grown for dyeing textiles.

Records show that the surname Waddy first appeared in the late 12th century, with one of the earliest mentions being Adam de Wadesdone, recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1198. The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1230 as Waddesdun.

In the 13th century, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form of Waddy, as evidenced by a record of John Waddy in the Assize Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1279. During this period, the surname was primarily concentrated in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, and Oxfordshire, where the village of Waddesdon and its surrounding areas were located.

One notable early bearer of the surname was Sir John Waddy, who was born in Buckinghamshire around 1430 and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Wycombe in 1472 and 1478. Another early figure was Thomas Waddy, a yeoman farmer born in Oxfordshire in 1541, who was recorded in the Muster Rolls of the county in 1583.

In the 17th century, the Waddy family spread to other parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in London, Yorkshire, and Lancashire. One prominent member was Reverend Thomas Waddy, born in Yorkshire in 1668, who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Beverley from 1703 until his death in 1737.

Other notable individuals with the surname Waddy include William Waddy (1766-1834), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and Sir John Waddy (1817-1892), a British lawyer and judge who served as a Baron of the Exchequer from 1875 to 1892.

While the surname Waddy originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, as a result of migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Waddy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Waddy 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 19 Waddys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.99x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 19 1.99x
Middlesex 17 1.76x
Surrey 8 1.70x
Glamorgan 7 4.16x
Gloucestershire 7 3.70x
Kent 7 2.12x
Essex 6 3.15x
Devon 5 2.49x
Lancashire 5 0.44x
Cheshire 3 1.41x
Sussex 3 1.84x
Warwickshire 3 1.23x
Cambridgeshire 2 3.27x
Durham 2 0.70x
Somerset 2 1.29x
Lincolnshire 1 0.65x
Norfolk 1 0.67x
Worcestershire 1 0.79x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 10 Waddys recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.46x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 10 43.46x
Islington London 7 7.48x
Llandaff 7 125.22x
Camberwell 6 9.73x
Barking 4 71.68x
Charlton Next Woolwich 4 116.28x
Plymouth Charles The 4 45.20x
Barton Upon Irwell 3 34.80x
Birkenhead 3 17.66x
Cheltenham 3 20.53x
Edgbaston 3 39.74x
Armley 2 47.39x
Bishopwearmouth 2 8.11x
Charlcombe 2 952.38x
Hempstead 2 869.57x
Hornsey 2 16.38x
Kensington London 2 3.73x
Leeds 2 3.70x
Littlehampton 2 153.85x
Newington 2 76.05x
Ratcliffe London 2 37.52x
St Lawrence 2 88.50x
St Marythe Less 2 540.54x
St Pancras London 2 2.57x
West Ham 2 4.75x
Billingford In Mitford 1 1000.00x
Bowling 1 10.55x
Broadwater 1 26.81x
Cliffe 1 135.14x
Clifton In York 1 50.00x
Fulham London 1 7.14x
Gloucester St John Baptist 1 81.97x
Gloucester St Michael 1 232.56x
Kings Norton 1 8.84x
Lambeth 1 1.19x
Liverpool 1 1.44x
Richmond 1 15.17x
Sheffield 1 3.28x
St Marylebone London 1 1.94x
St Swithin Lincoln 1 41.15x
Stoke Damerel 1 7.11x
Warrington 1 7.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 4
Ellen 4
Mary 4
Fanny 3
Margaret 3
Sarah 3
Adeline 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Henrietta 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth.M. 1
Emma 1
Evas 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Melinda 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Samuel 4
Frederick 3
Henry 3
William 3
Benjamin 2
Isaiah 2
Richard 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
C.W.F.W. 1
Cable 1
Charles 1
Cuthbert 1
Donald 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
George 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Infant 1
James 1
Sidney 1
Thomas 1
V.J.L. 1
W. 1
Walter 1
Zaccheus 1

FAQ

Waddy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Waddy surname in 1881?

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

How common is the Waddy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016. That gives Waddy a modern rank of #22,798.

What does the Waddy surname mean?

A surname derived from a Middle English word meaning "woad," a plant used for dyeing.

What does the Waddy map show?

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