NameCensus.

UK surname

Wadey

In the 1881 census there were 466 people recorded with the Wadey surname, ranking it #7,133 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 994, ranked #5,829, up from #7,133 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Billinghurst, East and West, Hurstpierpoint and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chichester, Arun and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wadey is 1,039 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 113.3%.

1881 census count

466

Ranked #7,133

Modern count

994

2016, ranked #5,829

Peak year

2002

1,039 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wadey had 466 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,133 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 994 in 2016, ranked #5,829.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 704 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Wadey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wadey surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Wadey 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 271 #8,257
1861 historical 289 #8,711
1881 historical 466 #7,133
1891 historical 522 #7,170
1901 historical 618 #6,904
1911 historical 704 #6,060
1997 modern 982 #5,587
1998 modern 1,012 #5,625
1999 modern 1,019 #5,625
2000 modern 1,010 #5,641
2001 modern 984 #5,647
2002 modern 1,039 #5,517
2003 modern 973 #5,718
2004 modern 963 #5,780
2005 modern 922 #5,913
2006 modern 935 #5,868
2007 modern 927 #5,951
2008 modern 945 #5,907
2009 modern 995 #5,787
2010 modern 1,020 #5,788
2011 modern 1,004 #5,803
2012 modern 974 #5,862
2013 modern 998 #5,835
2014 modern 1,000 #5,857
2015 modern 975 #5,930
2016 modern 994 #5,829

Geography

Back to top

Where Wadeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Billinghurst, East and West, Hurstpierpoint, London parishes, Petworth and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chichester, Arun 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 Billinghurst, East and West Sussex
2 Hurstpierpoint Sussex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Petworth Sussex
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chichester 005 Chichester
2 Arun 011 Arun
3 Arun 003 Arun
4 Arun 009 Arun
5 Cornwall 002 Cornwall

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Wadey

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Wadey

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Wadey is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wadey is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wadey falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wadey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Wadey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wadey 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. Sussex leads with 285 Wadeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.27x.

County Total Index
Sussex 285 37.27x
Surrey 110 4.98x
Middlesex 34 0.75x
Northumberland 8 1.19x
Warwickshire 7 0.61x
Somerset 5 0.68x
Kent 4 0.26x
Hampshire 3 0.32x
Devon 2 0.21x
Durham 2 0.15x
Dorset 1 0.34x
Glamorgan 1 0.13x
Hertfordshire 1 0.32x
Royal Navy 1 1.85x
Yorkshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Billingshurst in Sussex leads with 47 Wadeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1880.00x.

Place Total Index
Billingshurst 47 1880.00x
Brighton 39 25.28x
Kirdford 26 977.44x
Lambeth 20 5.06x
Lower Beeding 16 788.18x
Newington 16 9.55x
Southwick 14 346.53x
Portslade 13 277.78x
Slinfold 12 1000.00x
Chiddingfold 11 531.40x
Keymer 10 185.19x
Petworth 10 218.82x
Camberwell 9 3.11x
Dunsfold 8 666.67x
Horley 8 216.22x
Hove 8 23.84x
Limehouse London 8 16.06x
North Chapel 8 650.41x
Storrington 8 380.95x
Streatham 8 23.77x
Wallsend 8 37.38x
Croydon 7 5.71x
Hartshill 7 823.53x
West Chiltington 7 707.07x
Henfield 6 204.08x
Lancing 6 285.71x
Lewes St Michael 6 394.74x
Reigate Borough 6 117.65x
Bedminster 5 7.29x
Clerkenwell London 5 4.67x
Hackney London 5 1.97x
Pulborough 5 177.94x
Stoke 5 47.94x
Ardingly 4 164.61x
Beddington 4 46.78x
Broadwater 4 22.81x
Cowfold 4 246.91x
Lewes St Ann 4 153.85x
Hammersmith London 3 2.68x
Horsham 3 20.19x
Hurstpierpoint 3 70.42x
Islington London 3 0.68x
Kensington London 3 1.19x
St George Hanover 3 5.07x
Walberton 3 315.79x
Buriton 2 111.73x
Clayton 2 69.44x
Coombes 2 1818.18x
Darlington 2 3.84x
Hornsey 2 3.49x
Kingston Near Lewes 2 1052.63x
Lewes All Sts 2 65.57x
Paddington London 2 1.20x
Patcham 2 145.99x
Plymstock 2 40.49x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 2.19x
Ashford 1 6.64x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 6.20x
Cheam 1 42.37x
Codicote 1 53.76x
Eastbourne 1 2.84x
Godalming 1 7.19x
Greenwich 1 1.38x
Huddersfield 1 1.53x
Leatherhead 1 18.05x
Leominster 1 40.65x
Lewes St John Southover 1 19.46x
Lewisham 1 1.21x
Midhurst 1 39.84x
Mitcham 1 7.16x
North Stoke 1 625.00x
Portland 1 6.25x
Rhydgwern 1 256.41x
Royal Navy 1 2.16x
Sheet 1 99.01x
Steyning 1 38.61x
Wandsworth 1 2.29x
Warnham 1 60.61x
Washington 1 76.34x
Wimbledon 1 4.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Sarah 21
Alice 16
Jane 13
Elizabeth 12
Charlotte 11
Emily 11
Ann 9
Ellen 9
Eliza 8
Emma 8
Annie 7
Ada 6
Harriet 6
Caroline 5
Fanny 5
Florence 5
Harriett 4
Margaret 4
Martha 4
Clara 3
Edith 3
Minnie 3
Susan 3
Agnes 2
Esther 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Mercy 2
Bessie 1
Catherine 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.Ann 1
Eva 1
Gertrude 1
Isabella 1
Jenny 1
Lavina 1
Leah 1
Lucey 1
Magerat 1
Margt. 1
Maud 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 30
George 17
James 17
Thomas 12
Henry 11
Alfred 9
Charles 8
John 8
Walter 8
Albert 7
Edward 7
Frederick 7
Arthur 6
Harry 6
Luke 4
Edmund 3
Frank 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
David 2
Edwin 2
Fredk. 2
Isaac 2
Jabez 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
Eli 1
Elias 1
Elihu 1
Ephraim 1
Ernest 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Jesse 1
Job 1
Leonard 1
Luther 1
Martin 1
Mary 1
Mathew 1
Maurice 1
Middleton 1
Moses 1
Owen 1
Richard 1

FAQ

Wadey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wadey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 466 people were recorded with the Wadey surname. That placed it at #7,133 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wadey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 994 in 2016. That gives Wadey a modern rank of #5,829.

What does the Wadey map show?

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