NameCensus.

UK surname

Waghorn

A surname derived from the Old English words "wægen" (wagon) and "horn" (horn), possibly referring to a wagon driver or maker.

In the 1881 census there were 1,171 people recorded with the Waghorn surname, ranking it #3,443 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,310, ranked #4,580, down from #3,443 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and Brenchley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tonbridge and Malling, Sevenoaks and Gravesham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Waghorn is 1,562 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.9%.

1881 census count

1,171

Ranked #3,443

Modern count

1,310

2016, ranked #4,580

Peak year

1911

1,562 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Waghorn had 1,171 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,443 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,310 in 2016, ranked #4,580.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,562 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Waghorn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Waghorn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Waghorn 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 707 #3,695
1861 historical 600 #4,419
1881 historical 1,171 #3,443
1891 historical 1,063 #3,946
1901 historical 1,533 #3,359
1911 historical 1,562 #3,104
1997 modern 1,396 #4,147
1998 modern 1,427 #4,211
1999 modern 1,449 #4,195
2000 modern 1,413 #4,254
2001 modern 1,398 #4,224
2002 modern 1,430 #4,219
2003 modern 1,376 #4,280
2004 modern 1,346 #4,366
2005 modern 1,318 #4,392
2006 modern 1,290 #4,475
2007 modern 1,309 #4,456
2008 modern 1,317 #4,464
2009 modern 1,353 #4,448
2010 modern 1,385 #4,444
2011 modern 1,360 #4,463
2012 modern 1,318 #4,511
2013 modern 1,349 #4,499
2014 modern 1,337 #4,558
2015 modern 1,330 #4,540
2016 modern 1,310 #4,580

Geography

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Where Waghorns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes, Brenchley, Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tonbridge and Malling, Sevenoaks, Gravesham and Maidstone. 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 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Brenchley Kent
4 Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead Kent
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tonbridge and Malling 003 Tonbridge and Malling
2 Tonbridge and Malling 006 Tonbridge and Malling
3 Sevenoaks 015 Sevenoaks
4 Gravesham 002 Gravesham
5 Maidstone 014 Maidstone

Forenames

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First names often paired with Waghorn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Waghorn

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Waghorn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Waghorn 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Waghorn 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

Waghorn 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

Waghorn 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 Waghorn 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 Waghorn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Waghorn

The surname WAGHORN is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place called Waghorn in the county of Hampshire. This place name itself is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "wæg" meaning "wall" or "ridge," and "horn" referring to a spur or projection of land.

The earliest recorded instances of the WAGHORN surname can be found in Hampshire county records dating back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was John de Waghorn, mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Hampshire in 1285. The Feet of Fines were legal documents used to record the transfer of land ownership.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Waghorne, Waughorne, and Wawghorne, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling conventions of the time. In the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for Hampshire, the name is recorded as Waghorne.

In the 15th century, the WAGHORN surname began to spread beyond Hampshire to other parts of England. One notable individual from this period was John Waghorn, a merchant from London, who was mentioned in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from the Paston family in Norfolk, dated around 1472.

One of the earliest known WAGHORN emigrants to the American colonies was Thomas Waghorn, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. He is recorded in the "Cavaliers and Pioneers" list of early settlers in Virginia.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure bearing the WAGHORN surname was Samuel Waghorn (1730-1805), an English poet and schoolmaster from Somerset. His published works include "The Recluse," a collection of poems released in 1766.

Another notable WAGHORN was Thomas Waghorn (1800-1850), a British naval officer and explorer who established a successful overland route between England and India, known as the Overland Route. He played a significant role in improving communication and trade links between Britain and its colonies in the East.

During the 19th century, the WAGHORN surname gained further recognition with individuals like Reverend Henry Waghorn (1768-1846), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on religious subjects, and Sir Thomas Waghorn (1824-1889), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London and other parts of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Waghorn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Waghorn 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. Kent leads with 637 Waghorns recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.36x.

County Total Index
Kent 637 16.36x
Middlesex 148 1.30x
Surrey 147 2.64x
Sussex 108 5.61x
Gloucestershire 14 0.63x
Yorkshire 13 0.11x
Northamptonshire 12 1.12x
Huntingdonshire 11 4.85x
Lancashire 8 0.06x
Renfrewshire 8 0.90x
Shropshire 8 0.81x
Devon 7 0.29x
Hampshire 7 0.30x
Hertfordshire 7 0.89x
Staffordshire 7 0.18x
Warwickshire 7 0.24x
Essex 6 0.27x
Lincolnshire 5 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.29x
Midlothian 2 0.13x
Bedfordshire 1 0.17x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.14x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x
Leicestershire 1 0.08x
Royal Navy 1 0.74x
Wiltshire 1 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. Tonbridge in Kent leads with 73 Waghorns recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.98x.

Place Total Index
Tonbridge 73 51.98x
Greenwich 32 17.61x
Lewisham 30 14.45x
Chatham 29 27.07x
Islington London 28 2.53x
Brenchley 27 193.69x
Croydon 26 8.42x
Maidstone 25 21.55x
Dartford 22 55.25x
East Peckham 22 271.94x
Wrotham 22 170.54x
Swanscombe 20 114.35x
Ticehurst 18 152.80x
Lambeth 16 1.61x
Wilmington 16 294.66x
Cranbrook 15 90.96x
Newington 15 3.56x
Hawkhurst 14 115.70x
St Pancras London 14 1.52x
Cheltenham 13 7.53x
Frant 13 95.38x
Clapham 12 8.41x
Plumstead 12 9.25x
Bethnal Green London 11 2.22x
Gillingham 11 13.70x
Loose 11 192.31x
Milton In Gravesend 11 18.84x
Camberwell 10 1.37x
Capel 10 456.62x
Folkestone 10 13.24x
St Anne Soho London 10 15.34x
Wychling 10 1754.39x
Yalding 10 101.73x
Battersea 9 2.14x
Deptford St Paul 9 3.00x
Frindsbury 9 61.35x
Hailsham 9 77.25x
Ightham 9 183.67x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 3.92x
Ashford 8 21.10x
Brighton 8 2.06x
Cathcart 8 16.72x
Cliffe 8 91.01x
Goudhurst 8 74.21x
Heathfield 8 102.56x
Rochester St Margaret 8 19.48x
Sevenoaks 8 25.34x
St Clement Danes 8 43.29x
St Martin In Fields 8 11.71x
Woodstone 8 223.46x
Woolwich 8 5.56x
Bermondsey 7 2.06x
Birmingham 7 0.73x
Farnham 7 16.19x
Halifax 7 4.22x
Hunton 7 205.28x
Newick 7 165.48x
St George Bloomsbury 7 10.69x
St Marylebone London 7 1.15x
Sutton At Hone 7 86.63x
Wadhurst 7 55.42x
West Malling 7 79.82x
Addington 6 582.52x
Beddington 6 27.89x
Harrow 6 34.40x
Leybourne 6 555.56x
Oxted 6 89.55x
Southwark Christchurch 6 11.22x
Stone In Dartford 6 60.06x
West Bromwich 6 2.72x
Willesborough 6 57.31x
Aldershot 5 6.38x
Canterbury St Mildred 5 54.11x
Edmonton 5 5.44x
Kensington London 5 0.79x
Lewes St Michael 5 130.89x
Linton 5 146.63x
Madeley 5 13.83x
South Mimms 5 31.95x
Wateringbury 5 98.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 78
John 45
George 44
Charles 40
Thomas 36
James 35
Henry 33
Alfred 18
Edward 17
Albert 15
Arthur 15
Walter 12
Edwin 11
Frederick 11
Joseph 11
Richard 10
Robert 10
Ernest 9
Samuel 8
Harry 7
Frank 6
Herbert 5
Horace 5
Daniel 4
David 4
Fred 4
Percy 4
Chas. 3
Edgar 3
Wm. 3
Amos 2
Edmond 2
Geo. 2
Jesse 2
Johnathan 2
Jonathan 2
Louis 2
Older 2
Stephen 2
Sydney 2
Alfd. 1
Bowman 1
Christopher 1
Elijah 1
Endy 1
Frances 1
Frederic 1
Hugh 1
Jethro 1
Jno. 1

FAQ

Waghorn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Waghorn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,171 people were recorded with the Waghorn surname. That placed it at #3,443 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Waghorn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,310 in 2016. That gives Waghorn a modern rank of #4,580.

What does the Waghorn surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English words "wægen" (wagon) and "horn" (horn), possibly referring to a wagon driver or maker.

What does the Waghorn map show?

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