UK surname
A place name referring to someone from a location with the word "wall" or "wall(s)" associated with it.
In the 1881 census there were 82 people recorded with the Walace surname, ranking it #21,957 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13, ranked #37,278, down from #21,957 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Kirkintilloch, Horley and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Walace is 228 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 84.1%.
1881 census count
82
Ranked #21,957
Modern count
13
2016, ranked #37,278
Peak year
1851
228 bearers
Map years
2
1851 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Walace surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Walace surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 228 | #9,418 |
| 1861 | historical | 172 | #13,619 |
| 1881 | historical | 82 | #21,957 |
| 1891 | historical | 90 | #25,399 |
| 1901 | historical | 41 | #29,602 |
| 1911 | historical | 27 | #30,437 |
| 1997 | modern | 13 | #36,672 |
| 1998 | modern | 9 | #37,189 |
| 1999 | modern | 9 | #37,217 |
| 2000 | modern | 2 | #38,472 |
| 2001 | modern | 2 | #38,335 |
| 2002 | modern | 8 | #37,206 |
| 2003 | modern | 8 | #37,248 |
| 2004 | modern | 6 | #37,655 |
| 2005 | modern | 5 | #37,885 |
| 2006 | modern | 5 | #37,956 |
| 2007 | modern | 4 | #38,169 |
| 2008 | modern | 6 | #37,883 |
| 2009 | modern | 7 | #37,816 |
| 2010 | modern | 6 | #38,024 |
| 2011 | modern | 7 | #37,865 |
| 2012 | modern | 8 | #37,740 |
| 2013 | modern | 10 | #37,539 |
| 2014 | modern | 10 | #37,567 |
| 2015 | modern | 9 | #37,684 |
| 2016 | modern | 13 | #37,278 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Kirkintilloch, Horley, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirkintilloch | Dunbarton |
| 2 | Horley | Oxfordshire |
| 3 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| 4 | Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry | Forfar |
| 5 | Glasgow | Lanark |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Walace surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Walace, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Walace surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Walace household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Walace is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Walace is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Walace, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname WALACE is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "walu" meaning "valley" and "aec" meaning "oak." It is believed to have originated in the 12th century as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a valley of oak trees.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname WALACE can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where a person named William Walace was mentioned. Another early record is in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1212, which mentions a Roger Walace.
The surname WALACE is also closely associated with the Wallaces of Elderslie, a prominent Scottish family from Renfrewshire. Sir William Wallace (c. 1270-1305), the renowned Scottish knight and leader of the Wars of Scottish Independence against England, was a member of this family.
In England, the surname WALACE can be traced back to various places, such as Walworth in Surrey and Walcot in Lincolnshire. It is believed that some WALACE families may have taken their name from these locations.
Notable individuals with the surname WALACE throughout history include:
1. Sir William Wallace (c. 1270-1305), the Scottish knight and leader of the Wars of Scottish Independence. 2. Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), the British naturalist, explorer, and co-discoverer of the theory of evolution by natural selection with Charles Darwin. 3. Lew Wallace (1827-1905), the American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, and author of the novel "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ." 4. Mike Wallace (1918-2012), the American journalist, game show host, and co-creator of the CBS news program "60 Minutes." 5. David Foster Wallace (1962-2008), the American novelist, short story writer, and essayist, known for his novel "Infinite Jest."
The surname WALACE has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout history, such as Wallace's Knowe in Ayrshire, Scotland, where Sir William Wallace is said to have rallied his troops, and Wallace's Cave in the Bennachie hills of Aberdeenshire, where he is believed to have hidden from the English.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Walace surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Durham leads with 18 Walaces recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.61x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Durham | 18 | 8.61x |
| Lanarkshire | 6 | 2.64x |
| Orkney | 6 | 77.62x |
| Angus | 5 | 7.69x |
| Aberdeenshire | 4 | 6.15x |
| Kent | 3 | 1.25x |
| Middlesex | 3 | 0.43x |
| Northumberland | 3 | 2.87x |
| Surrey | 3 | 0.88x |
| Warwickshire | 3 | 1.69x |
| Essex | 2 | 1.44x |
| Fife | 2 | 4.81x |
| Nairnshire | 2 | 93.46x |
| Yorkshire | 2 | 0.29x |
| Ayrshire | 1 | 1.90x |
| Denbighshire | 1 | 3.77x |
| Devon | 1 | 0.68x |
| Herefordshire | 1 | 3.47x |
| Lancashire | 1 | 0.12x |
| Midlothian | 1 | 1.06x |
| Nottinghamshire | 1 | 1.06x |
| Peeblesshire | 1 | 30.30x |
| Renfrewshire | 1 | 1.84x |
| Worcestershire | 1 | 1.09x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hedworth Monkton Jarrow in Durham leads with 9 Walaces recorded in 1881 and an index of 99.45x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hedworth Monkton Jarrow | 9 | 99.45x |
| Gateshead | 6 | 38.36x |
| Stronsay Eday | 6 | 1176.47x |
| Coventry St Michael | 3 | 52.72x |
| Dundee | 3 | 12.35x |
| Leochel Cushnie | 3 | 1034.48x |
| Newington | 3 | 11.57x |
| Barony | 2 | 3.48x |
| Glasgow | 2 | 4.96x |
| Nairn | 2 | 153.85x |
| North Cray | 2 | 1333.33x |
| Sedgefield | 2 | 270.27x |
| Auchtermuchty | 1 | 178.57x |
| Barry | 1 | 128.21x |
| Beith | 1 | 63.69x |
| Belhelvie | 1 | 227.27x |
| Birkdale | 1 | 47.39x |
| Bishopwearmouth | 1 | 5.58x |
| Bromley | 1 | 27.40x |
| Craig | 1 | 158.73x |
| Crail | 1 | 238.10x |
| Croft | 1 | 769.23x |
| Dalziel | 1 | 40.98x |
| Denbigh | 1 | 94.34x |
| Dudley | 1 | 8.97x |
| Edinburgh St Georges | 1 | 51.28x |
| Fownhope | 1 | 400.00x |
| Govan | 1 | 1.78x |
| Hammersmith London | 1 | 5.78x |
| High Callerton | 1 | 5000.00x |
| Islington London | 1 | 1.47x |
| Kilmalcolm | 1 | 153.85x |
| Newcastle On Tyne St | 1 | 18.45x |
| Nottingham St Mary | 1 | 4.09x |
| Plymouth Charles The | 1 | 15.53x |
| Rowley | 1 | 666.67x |
| Tynemouth | 1 | 17.86x |
| West Ham | 1 | 3.27x |
| West Linton | 1 | 370.37x |
| Westminster St James | 1 | 13.85x |
| Woodford | 1 | 63.69x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Walace surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Walace surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Walace households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 5 |
| Ag Lab | 1 |
| Boot Shop Woman | 1 |
| Coach Lace Trimmer | 1 |
| Cook (Dom) | 1 |
| Cooper | 1 |
| Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Farm Serv (Indoor) | 1 |
| Farm Servant (Indoor) | 1 |
| Foundry Labourer (Iron) | 1 |
| Gen Serv | 1 |
| Gen Servt | 1 |
| General Servt (Domestic) | 1 |
| Groom (Dom) | 1 |
| Joiner | 1 |
| Lab | 1 |
| Labourer | 1 |
| Labourer General | 1 |
| Laundress | 1 |
| Nurse | 1 |
| Plumber | 1 |
| Sample Boy In Works (Iron) | 1 |
| Schoolmistress | 1 |
| Serv | 1 |
| Shop Assistant (Dyer Undef) | 1 |
| Street Pavier | 1 |
| Teacher | 1 |
| Warehouseman | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 82 people were recorded with the Walace surname. That placed it at #21,957 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 13 in 2016. That gives Walace a modern rank of #37,278.
A place name referring to someone from a location with the word "wall" or "wall(s)" associated with it.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Walace bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.