NameCensus.

UK surname

Walding

An English habitational surname derived from a place named Walding in Sussex.

In the 1881 census there were 241 people recorded with the Walding surname, ranking it #11,374 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 361, ranked #12,841, down from #11,374 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Rugby and Derbyshire Dales.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Walding is 393 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.8%.

1881 census count

241

Ranked #11,374

Modern count

361

2016, ranked #12,841

Peak year

1998

393 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Walding had 241 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,374 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 361 in 2016, ranked #12,841.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 386 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Walding surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Walding surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Walding 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 180 #11,300
1861 historical 254 #9,741
1881 historical 241 #11,374
1891 historical 351 #9,809
1901 historical 356 #10,305
1911 historical 386 #9,535
1997 modern 374 #11,574
1998 modern 393 #11,495
1999 modern 391 #11,640
2000 modern 376 #11,928
2001 modern 377 #11,723
2002 modern 386 #11,740
2003 modern 379 #11,714
2004 modern 379 #11,740
2005 modern 352 #12,315
2006 modern 355 #12,316
2007 modern 354 #12,489
2008 modern 351 #12,661
2009 modern 357 #12,766
2010 modern 372 #12,651
2011 modern 381 #12,300
2012 modern 363 #12,592
2013 modern 375 #12,497
2014 modern 377 #12,535
2015 modern 379 #12,385
2016 modern 361 #12,841

Geography

Back to top

Where Waldings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Haselbeech and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Rugby and Derbyshire Dales. 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 London parishes London 3
2 East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H Gloucestershire
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Haselbeech Northamptonshire
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
2 Forest of Dean 003 Forest of Dean
3 Forest of Dean 001 Forest of Dean
4 Rugby 007 Rugby
5 Derbyshire Dales 008 Derbyshire Dales

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Walding

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Walding

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

Walding is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Walding

The surname WALDING is believed to have originated in England in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "weald" and "ing", meaning a person from a wooded area or forest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1194, where a William Walding is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, referring to a John Walding.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to places with similar names, such as Walding Street in Suffolk and Walding Field in Berkshire, suggesting that the name may have originated as a place name before becoming a surname.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Walding was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Dorset, where several families with this surname were recorded in local records and tax rolls.

One notable figure with the surname Walding was John Walding, a lawyer and member of parliament for Lyme Regis in 1553. Another was William Walding, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, a family of Waldings settled in the village of Litton Cheney in Dorset, where they became prominent landowners and farmers. One member of this family, Richard Walding (1640-1712), served as the parish clerk and left behind several records documenting the history of the village.

Another notable Walding was Sir Robert Walding (1689-1756), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War. He was knighted for his service in 1748.

In the 19th century, the Walding family produced several notable figures, including John Walding (1818-1889), a prominent architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the county of Cornwall.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Walding families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Walding 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. Northamptonshire leads with 85 Waldings recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.44x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 85 38.44x
Middlesex 37 1.57x
Surrey 30 2.62x
Gloucestershire 25 5.42x
Buckinghamshire 19 13.37x
Warwickshire 17 2.87x
Hampshire 7 1.45x
Yorkshire 6 0.26x
Glamorgan 3 0.73x
Norfolk 3 0.83x
Oxfordshire 3 2.07x
Cambridgeshire 2 1.34x
Lincolnshire 2 0.53x
Berkshire 1 0.57x
Kent 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westbury On Severn East in Gloucestershire leads with 20 Waldings recorded in 1881 and an index of 191.94x.

Place Total Index
Westbury On Severn East 20 191.94x
Denham 16 1584.16x
Northampton Priory St 15 113.04x
Northampton St Giles 15 178.15x
Penge 14 93.21x
Maidwell 12 5000.00x
Northampton St Sepulchre 10 88.89x
Rugby 10 124.69x
Hazelbeech 9 7500.00x
Ashford 8 430.11x
Daventry 7 223.64x
Newington 7 8.06x
Weeke 7 479.45x
Wellingborough 7 62.95x
Hillingdon 6 80.11x
Wortley In Bramley 6 32.52x
Camberwell 5 3.33x
St Luke London 5 13.26x
Acton 4 29.03x
Aston 4 2.45x
Irchester 4 291.97x
Weedon Beck 4 253.16x
Chalfont St Peter 3 256.41x
Oxford St Thomas 3 44.31x
Ystradyfodwg 3 8.35x
Burnham Westgate 2 256.41x
Flaxley 2 194.17x
Islington London 2 0.88x
Kensington London 2 1.53x
Paddington London 2 2.31x
Southwark Christchurch 2 18.15x
St Marylebone London 2 1.59x
Stamford St George 2 118.34x
Westminster St James 2 8.27x
Wisbech St Peter 2 26.77x
Beckenham 1 9.53x
Birmingham 1 0.51x
Croydon 1 1.57x
Feltham 1 42.55x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 1 11.85x
Helpstone 1 175.44x
Hillmorton 1 94.34x
Marton 1 333.33x
Northampton All Sts 1 13.33x
Putney 1 9.34x
Reading St Lawrence 1 26.53x
Shipdham 1 81.30x
St Clement Danes 1 26.25x
St Pancras London 1 0.53x
Staines 1 26.88x
Tetbury 1 38.31x
Westbury On Severn 1 54.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 13
James 11
Thomas 10
Joseph 9
George 8
Charles 7
Alfred 6
Henry 6
Robert 5
Edward 3
Arthur 2
Cornelius 2
Edwin 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Benjamin 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Ebeneza 1
Elias 1
Elija 1
Elijah 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Lovell 1
Martin 1
Moses 1
O.B. 1
Phillip 1
Sanders 1
Thos.E. 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Walding surname: questions and answers

How common was the Walding surname in 1881?

In 1881, 241 people were recorded with the Walding surname. That placed it at #11,374 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Walding surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 361 in 2016. That gives Walding a modern rank of #12,841.

What does the Walding surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place named Walding in Sussex.

What does the Walding map show?

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