NameCensus.

UK surname

Waldon

A habitational surname derived from various Old English place names meaning "valley hill" or "valley down."

In the 1881 census there were 325 people recorded with the Waldon surname, ranking it #9,194 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 237, ranked #17,418, down from #9,194 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, London parishes and Middlesborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torridge, Redcar and Cleveland and Swindon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Waldon is 415 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 27.1%.

1881 census count

325

Ranked #9,194

Modern count

237

2016, ranked #17,418

Peak year

1861

415 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Waldon had 325 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,194 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 237 in 2016, ranked #17,418.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 415 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Waldon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Waldon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Waldon 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 206 #10,183
1861 historical 415 #6,187
1881 historical 325 #9,194
1891 historical 381 #9,213
1901 historical 303 #11,569
1911 historical 325 #10,783
1997 modern 251 #15,236
1998 modern 245 #15,903
1999 modern 240 #16,226
2000 modern 249 #15,787
2001 modern 241 #15,870
2002 modern 249 #15,855
2003 modern 238 #16,144
2004 modern 223 #16,965
2005 modern 217 #17,217
2006 modern 211 #17,662
2007 modern 224 #17,193
2008 modern 225 #17,282
2009 modern 229 #17,431
2010 modern 246 #16,975
2011 modern 253 #16,493
2012 modern 240 #16,979
2013 modern 243 #17,114
2014 modern 249 #16,954
2015 modern 247 #16,941
2016 modern 237 #17,418

Geography

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Where Waldons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, London parishes, Middlesborough, St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford and Ilfracombe. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torridge, Redcar and Cleveland, Swindon and Middlesbrough. 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 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
2 London parishes London 3
3 Middlesborough Durham
4 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)
5 Ilfracombe Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torridge 004 Torridge
2 Redcar and Cleveland 011 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Swindon 007 Swindon
4 Redcar and Cleveland 022 Redcar and Cleveland
5 Middlesbrough 018 Middlesbrough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Waldon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Waldon

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Waldon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Waldon 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

Waldon falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Waldon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Waldon

The surname Waldon has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place called Waldon or Walden, which was likely a small village or hamlet in one of the English counties. The name may be a combination of the Old English words "weald," meaning a wooded area or forest, and "dun," meaning a hill or down.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Waldon can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Walden in the county of Essex.

In the 13th century, records show a person named Thomas de Waldon, who lived in Hertfordshire. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place called Walden or Waldon in that county, possibly the town now known as Saffron Walden.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which list a certain John Waldon as a taxpayer. This indicates that the name was present in different regions of England during the medieval period.

One notable bearer of the Waldon surname was William Waldon (c. 1370-1416), a clergyman and academic who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1405 to 1416.

In the 16th century, a prominent individual with this surname was Thomas Waldon (c. 1530-1590), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Dover.

During the 17th century, a notable figure was Sir Clement Waldon (1616-1669), an English lawyer and judge who served as the Solicitor General for England and Wales from 1660 to 1663.

In the 18th century, John Waldon (1720-1789) was a successful merchant and landowner in the county of Gloucestershire, known for his philanthropic contributions to the local community.

Another individual of note was Mary Waldon (1788-1856), a British author and poet who published several works of poetry and fiction during the early 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Waldon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Waldon 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. Middlesex leads with 73 Waldons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.30x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 73 2.30x
Devon 39 5.89x
Kent 23 2.12x
Yorkshire 19 0.60x
Worcestershire 17 4.09x
Surrey 14 0.90x
Durham 13 1.37x
Norfolk 13 2.66x
Somerset 12 2.34x
Warwickshire 12 1.50x
Essex 10 1.59x
Lancashire 10 0.27x
Northamptonshire 8 2.67x
Glamorgan 7 1.26x
Northumberland 7 1.48x
Gloucestershire 6 0.96x
Oxfordshire 5 2.55x
Staffordshire 5 0.47x
Berkshire 4 1.68x
Leicestershire 4 1.13x
Lincolnshire 4 0.79x
Channel Islands 2 2.12x
Cheshire 2 0.28x
Denbighshire 2 1.67x
Dorset 2 0.96x
Monmouthshire 2 0.87x
Sussex 2 0.37x
Angus 1 0.34x
Bedfordshire 1 0.61x
Cornwall 1 0.28x
Cumberland 1 0.37x
Derbyshire 1 0.20x
Hampshire 1 0.15x
Hertfordshire 1 0.46x
Midlothian 1 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bideford in Devon leads with 23 Waldons recorded in 1881 and an index of 324.40x.

Place Total Index
Bideford 23 324.40x
St Pancras London 18 7.03x
Deptford St Paul 17 20.32x
Barnstaple 9 86.62x
Hammersmith London 9 11.49x
Hackney London 8 4.49x
Lambeth 8 2.89x
St Andrew Holborn 8 74.21x
Weston 8 203.05x
Worcester St Peter 8 101.78x
Fincham 7 813.95x
Marsden In Almondbury 7 243.90x
Wallsend 7 46.67x
Fulham London 6 13.01x
Rochford 6 327.87x
Birmingham 5 1.87x
Bishops Tawton 5 242.72x
Bletchington 5 757.58x
Leeds 5 2.81x
Plumstead 5 13.82x
Swansea Town 5 11.02x
Toxteth Park 5 3.91x
Barford 4 512.82x
Belgrave 4 50.25x
Claxton 4 6666.67x
Clifton 4 12.69x
Dudley 4 7.92x
Great Malvern 4 46.19x
Hurst 4 128.21x
Mile End Old Town 4 7.97x
Shoreditch London 4 2.90x
Stoke Newington London 4 16.15x
Esh 3 43.60x
Eston 3 43.73x
Hulme 3 3.81x
Moulton 3 180.72x
New Sleaford 3 92.02x
Stranton 3 9.42x
Tettenhall 3 45.73x
Walgrave 3 454.55x
Barwick 2 392.16x
Birkenhead 2 3.57x
Camberwell 2 0.98x
Christchurch 2 28.13x
Hartlepool 2 14.87x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 2 13.62x
Llanvedw 2 606.06x
Ringstead 2 400.00x
Sculcoates 2 4.00x
St Marylebone London 2 1.18x
Stansty 2 151.52x
West Ham 2 1.44x
Batley 1 3.34x
Bridgewater 1 7.19x
Brighton 1 0.92x
Chailey 1 60.24x
Chaldon Herring 1 277.78x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 8.84x
Chelsea London 1 1.04x
Dunstable 1 19.76x
East Haddon 1 121.95x
Exeter St Thomas The 1 14.81x
Falmouth 1 7.85x
Farnham 1 8.30x
Hatton 1 94.34x
Honiton 1 27.32x
Ilkeston 1 7.16x
Ingoldmells 1 384.62x
Islington London 1 0.32x
Kensington London 1 0.57x
Liff Benvie 1 2.24x
Penge 1 4.92x
Portsmouth 1 6.66x
Prittlewell 1 11.49x
St Anne 1 59.52x
St Bartholomew Great 1 34.60x
St Peter Port 1 5.74x
Tottenham 1 1.97x
Willesden 1 3.34x
Workington 1 6.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 25
John 21
James 11
George 9
Henry 8
Thomas 8
Walter 7
Joseph 6
Alfred 5
Charles 4
Edward 4
Samuel 4
Albert 2
Arthur 2
David 2
Patrick 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Wallis 2
Agness 1
Alexander 1
Benjamin 1
Carlo 1
Christopher 1
Clary 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.Chas.Lefore 1
Henery 1
Hy. 1
Isaac 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Phillip 1
Reuben 1
Ruben 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Will. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Waldon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Waldon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 325 people were recorded with the Waldon surname. That placed it at #9,194 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Waldon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 237 in 2016. That gives Waldon a modern rank of #17,418.

What does the Waldon surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from various Old English place names meaning "valley hill" or "valley down."

What does the Waldon map show?

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