NameCensus.

UK surname

Walder

A German surname derived from the word "Wald" meaning "forest" or "woods".

In the 1881 census there were 705 people recorded with the Walder surname, ranking it #5,155 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 984, ranked #5,874, down from #5,155 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bolney, London parishes and Lindfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Dorset, Swale and Isles of Scilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Walder is 1,104 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.6%.

1881 census count

705

Ranked #5,155

Modern count

984

2016, ranked #5,874

Peak year

1911

1,104 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Walder had 705 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,155 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 984 in 2016, ranked #5,874.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,104 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Walder surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Walder surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Walder 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 508 #4,924
1861 historical 632 #4,239
1881 historical 705 #5,155
1891 historical 1,008 #4,122
1901 historical 1,054 #4,560
1911 historical 1,104 #4,211
1997 modern 1,012 #5,443
1998 modern 1,050 #5,440
1999 modern 1,053 #5,470
2000 modern 1,038 #5,512
2001 modern 1,009 #5,544
2002 modern 1,035 #5,538
2003 modern 1,015 #5,525
2004 modern 1,004 #5,580
2005 modern 961 #5,729
2006 modern 953 #5,781
2007 modern 967 #5,766
2008 modern 975 #5,759
2009 modern 989 #5,814
2010 modern 1,028 #5,747
2011 modern 1,001 #5,818
2012 modern 979 #5,840
2013 modern 985 #5,896
2014 modern 984 #5,937
2015 modern 988 #5,866
2016 modern 984 #5,874

Geography

Back to top

Where Walders are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bolney, London parishes, Lindfield, Horsham, Sullington and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Dorset, Swale, Isles of Scilly and Gosport. 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 Bolney Sussex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lindfield Sussex
4 Horsham, Sullington Sussex
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Dorset 004 West Dorset
2 Swale 004 Swale
3 Swale 002 Swale
4 Isles of Scilly 001 Isles of Scilly
5 Gosport 002 Gosport

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Walder

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Walder

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Walder 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

Walder 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

Walder falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Walder

The surname Walder is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English words 'wald' meaning power and 'here' meaning army. It is believed to have originated in the 7th century in the region of Wessex, England.

The name Walder is thought to have first appeared in historical records in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Walderus is mentioned.

In the 12th century, the Walder surname began to spread throughout various parts of England, with variations in spelling such as Waldor, Waldere, and Waldere emerging. During this time, the name was associated with nobility and military service.

A notable figure bearing the Walder surname was Sir John Walder, a 14th-century knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was born in 1320 and died in 1395.

The Walder name also has connections to several place names in England, including Waldershire, a former village in Oxfordshire, and Walderston, a hamlet in Northamptonshire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the Walder surname who had settled in those areas.

In the 16th century, a prominent Walder was William Walder, a merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He was born in 1530 and died in 1598.

Another notable individual with the Walder surname was Thomas Walder, a 17th-century English theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious subjects. He was born in 1615 and died in 1683.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Walder surname continued to be found throughout England, with some families emigrating to other parts of the British Empire, including North America and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Walder families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Walder 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 342 Walders recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.45x.

County Total Index
Sussex 342 29.45x
Surrey 138 4.11x
Middlesex 64 0.93x
Kent 54 2.30x
Yorkshire 47 0.69x
Lancashire 17 0.21x
Hampshire 14 0.99x
Essex 10 0.74x
Durham 5 0.24x
Lanarkshire 5 0.22x
Warwickshire 4 0.23x
Gloucestershire 2 0.15x
Cheshire 1 0.07x
Cumberland 1 0.17x
Norfolk 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 1.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 48 Walders recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.49x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 48 20.49x
Cuckfield 28 238.70x
Horsham 26 115.25x
Lindfield 22 448.07x
Bolney 21 1111.11x
Camberwell 21 4.77x
Leeds 21 5.45x
Woolwich 21 24.19x
Fulham London 19 19.02x
Croydon 16 8.59x
Dewsbury 13 18.57x
Lambeth 13 2.16x
Chailey 10 277.78x
Chatham 10 15.47x
Cowfold 10 406.50x
Folkestone 10 21.94x
Hurstpierpoint 10 154.80x
Reigate Foreign 10 27.53x
St Martin In Fields 10 24.25x
Alverstoke 9 17.62x
Barking 9 22.62x
Kingston On Thames 9 11.16x
Terwick 9 2045.45x
Battersea 8 3.16x
Billingshurst 8 210.53x
Lingfield 8 122.32x
Twineham 8 1159.42x
Wandsworth 8 12.07x
Angmering 7 301.72x
Harting 7 231.79x
Penge 7 15.91x
Preston 7 3.20x
Rogate 7 300.43x
Rustington 7 823.53x
Barnham 6 1395.35x
Cranleigh 6 122.20x
Eastergate 6 1578.95x
Egham 6 29.13x
Heap 6 13.84x
Horsted Keynes 6 221.40x
Isfield 6 566.04x
Long Ditton 6 109.49x
Mile End Old Town 6 5.52x
Oving 6 153.06x
Preston 6 29.59x
Slaugham 6 160.00x
Warnham 6 239.04x
Barcombe 5 179.21x
Cockerton 5 76.10x
Felpham 5 375.94x
Hove 5 9.81x
Rusper 5 393.70x
Tottenham 5 4.56x
Birmingham 4 0.69x
Crowhurst 4 404.04x
Islington London 4 0.60x
Midhurst 4 104.99x
St George Hanover 4 4.45x
Broadwater 3 11.27x
Cobham 3 54.45x
Deptford St Paul 3 1.66x
Gate Fulford 3 18.82x
Keymer 3 36.59x
Kirdford 3 74.44x
Maryhill 3 6.88x
Singleton 3 229.01x
South Ambersham 3 1034.48x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 2.16x
Teddington London 3 19.23x
Witley 3 127.12x
York St Andrew 3 454.55x
Abinger 2 71.68x
Chiswick 2 5.31x
Clerkenwell London 2 1.23x
Milton In Gravesend 2 5.68x
Paddington London 2 0.79x
Portsmouth 2 6.15x
Smarden 2 74.35x
Stoke 2 12.63x
Wivelsfield 2 44.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 46
Elizabeth 20
Sarah 19
Alice 15
Jane 13
Ann 12
Fanny 12
Emily 10
Ellen 9
Caroline 8
Emma 8
Florence 8
Kate 8
Martha 8
Charlotte 7
Eliza 7
Annie 6
Harriett 6
Margaret 6
Agnes 4
Esther 4
Harriet 4
Louisa 4
Maria 4
Rhoda 4
Rose 4
Ada 3
Anne 3
Catherine 3
Hannah 3
Isabella 3
Matilda 3
Amy 2
Betsey 2
Clara 2
Eunice 2
Lily 2
Louise 2
Maude 2
Mercy 2
Susan 2
Anna 1
B.Ann 1
Christiana 1
Dora 1
E. 1
Eleanor 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Winiford 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 45
James 35
George 31
John 30
Thomas 25
Henry 12
Albert 11
Charles 11
Alfred 10
Walter 10
Edward 9
Frederick 8
Frank 7
Michael 6
Warden 6
David 5
Ernest 5
Robert 5
Samuel 5
Benjamin 4
Edwin 4
Joseph 4
Peter 4
Fredrick 3
Herbert 3
Patrick 3
Philip 3
Richard 3
Sidney 3
Arthur 2
Ino 2
Jesse 2
Arnold 1
Cald 1
Caleb 1
Charley 1
Clement 1
Eliel 1
Felix 1
G.C. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Heinrich 1
Jas.Thos. 1
Jeremiah 1
Jno.M. 1
Lewis 1
Martin 1
Obadiah 1
Wm.Uridge 1

FAQ

Walder surname: questions and answers

How common was the Walder surname in 1881?

In 1881, 705 people were recorded with the Walder surname. That placed it at #5,155 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Walder surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 984 in 2016. That gives Walder a modern rank of #5,874.

What does the Walder surname mean?

A German surname derived from the word "Wald" meaning "forest" or "woods".

What does the Walder map show?

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