NameCensus.

UK surname

Wadeley

In the 1881 census there were 35 people recorded with the Wadeley surname, ranking it #28,715 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #28,715 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Monmouthshire and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wadeley is 122 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 197.1%.

1881 census count

35

Ranked #28,715

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

1999

122 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wadeley had 35 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,715 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 95 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Wadeley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wadeley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wadeley 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 36 #26,838
1861 historical 68 #25,196
1881 historical 35 #28,715
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 81 #25,130
1911 historical 95 #23,294
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 118 #25,041
1999 modern 122 #24,745
2000 modern 115 #25,591
2001 modern 111 #25,767
2002 modern 114 #25,886
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 109 #26,583
2006 modern 106 #27,332
2007 modern 113 #26,641
2008 modern 106 #28,016
2009 modern 105 #28,815
2010 modern 99 #30,397
2011 modern 99 #30,218
2012 modern 106 #29,187
2013 modern 106 #29,740
2014 modern 106 #30,030
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Wadeleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, Wakefield, County Durham and Birmingham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 008 Herefordshire, County of
2 Monmouthshire 004 Monmouthshire
3 Wakefield 009 Wakefield
4 County Durham 022 County Durham
5 Birmingham 054 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wadeley

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wadeley

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Wadeley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Wadeley 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Wadeley 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

Wadeley is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wadeley falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wadeley 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 Wadeley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Wadeley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wadeley 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. Staffordshire leads with 19 Wadeleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.50x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 19 16.50x
Worcestershire 6 13.47x
Warwickshire 5 5.81x
Shropshire 4 13.57x
Derbyshire 1 1.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kingswinford in Staffordshire leads with 12 Wadeleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 287.08x.

Place Total Index
Kingswinford 12 287.08x
Cannock 7 348.26x
Aston 5 21.10x
Kidderminster Borough 3 114.94x
Bridgnorth St Mary 2 689.66x
Cleobury Mortimer 2 1052.63x
Worcester St Peter 2 238.10x
Bransford 1 3333.33x
Hasland 1 185.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Ann 2
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Jane 1
Lizzetta 1
Noadey 1
Sarah 1
Selina 1
Violetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Benjamin 3
Ernest 2
Geo.Henry 2
James 2
William 2
David 1
Frederick 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Wadeley households.

FAQ

Wadeley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wadeley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 35 people were recorded with the Wadeley surname. That placed it at #28,715 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wadeley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Wadeley a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Wadeley map show?

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