NameCensus.

UK surname

Walke

An English surname derived from "walker", referring to someone who walked regularly as part of their occupation.

In the 1881 census there were 179 people recorded with the Walke surname, ranking it #13,787 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 206, ranked #19,183, down from #13,787 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston, Cornwood and Holbeton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, South Hams and Plymouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Walke is 336 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.1%.

1881 census count

179

Ranked #13,787

Modern count

206

2016, ranked #19,183

Peak year

1891

336 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Walke had 179 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,787 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016, ranked #19,183.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 336 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Walke surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Walke surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Walke 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 296 #8,532
1881 historical 179 #13,787
1891 historical 336 #10,158
1901 historical 233 #13,740
1911 historical 278 #12,038
1997 modern 284 #14,006
1998 modern 288 #14,249
1999 modern 264 #15,223
2000 modern 251 #15,692
2001 modern 216 #17,103
2002 modern 208 #17,848
2003 modern 190 #18,683
2004 modern 192 #18,678
2005 modern 183 #19,194
2006 modern 191 #18,825
2007 modern 193 #18,923
2008 modern 182 #19,800
2009 modern 193 #19,463
2010 modern 201 #19,387
2011 modern 199 #19,346
2012 modern 201 #19,147
2013 modern 206 #19,153
2014 modern 214 #18,825
2015 modern 208 #19,085
2016 modern 206 #19,183

Geography

Back to top

Where Walkes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston, Cornwood, Holbeton, Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) and Wembury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, South Hams, Plymouth and Winchester. 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 Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston Devon
2 Cornwood Devon
3 Holbeton Devon
4 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon
5 Wembury Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 028 Cornwall
2 South Hams 002 South Hams
3 Plymouth 015 Plymouth
4 South Hams 005 South Hams
5 Winchester 001 Winchester

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Walke

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Walke

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Walke is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Walke is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Walke falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Walke

The surname WALKE has its origins in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words 'walc' or 'wealc', meaning 'a stranger' or 'foreigner'. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines records from Norfolk in 1198, where it appears as 'le Walke'.

In the 13th century, the name was also recorded in various other regions of England, including Essex, Cambridgeshire, and Lincolnshire. It is believed that the name may have initially been given as a nickname to someone who had a distinctive way of walking or perhaps to someone who was a wanderer or traveler.

The WALKE surname is not listed in the Domesday Book, which was a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. However, the name is mentioned in several other medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, where it appears as 'Walche'.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the WALKE surname was John le Walke, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1284. Another notable individual was Robert Walke, a merchant from Bristol, who was recorded in the city's Guild Rolls in 1392.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the WALKE surname began to spread to other parts of England, including London and the surrounding areas. One notable figure from this period was William Walke, a mercer (textile merchant) from London, who was born in 1562.

In the 18th century, the WALKE surname also gained a presence in other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. One notable Scotsman with this surname was James Walke, a minister from Aberdeenshire, who lived from 1670 to 1742.

Another significant bearer of the WALKE surname was Sir Patrick Walke, an Irish baronet and Member of Parliament, who was born in 1717 and died in 1789. He represented the constituency of Roscommon in the Irish House of Commons.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Walke families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Walke 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. Devon leads with 114 Walkes recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.02x.

County Total Index
Devon 114 31.02x
Brecknockshire 11 31.16x
Cornwall 8 4.00x
Derbyshire 7 2.53x
Lancashire 7 0.33x
Middlesex 7 0.40x
Wiltshire 7 4.48x
Kent 4 0.66x
Yorkshire 4 0.23x
Northumberland 3 1.14x
Durham 2 0.38x
Royal Navy 2 9.51x
Bedfordshire 1 1.09x
Cheshire 1 0.26x
Norfolk 1 0.37x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.42x
Staffordshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Damerel in Devon leads with 19 Walkes recorded in 1881 and an index of 73.87x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Damerel 19 73.87x
Holbeton 18 2686.57x
Ermington 15 1119.40x
Cornworthy 13 5200.00x
Plymouth Charles The 12 74.12x
Llanhamlach 8 4705.88x
Downton 7 343.14x
Lawhitton 7 2692.31x
Matlock 7 188.68x
Plymstock 7 364.58x
Cornwood 6 857.14x
St Pancras London 5 3.52x
Ugborough 5 561.80x
Aveton Gifford 4 754.72x
Darcy Lever 4 330.58x
Gillingham 4 32.21x
Cathedine 3 2727.27x
Haughton 3 98.04x
Tynemouth 3 21.32x
Compton Gifford 2 173.91x
Dawdon 2 30.96x
Devonport 2 47.39x
Ecclesfield 2 15.59x
Morleigh 2 3333.33x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 7.06x
Royal Navy 2 11.12x
Wolborough 2 43.01x
Bedford St Peter 1 42.19x
Buckland Monachorum 1 128.21x
Chelsea London 1 1.88x
Great Yarmouth 1 4.45x
Heeley 1 18.80x
Leftwich 1 57.80x
Meavy 1 588.24x
Middlesbrough 1 4.39x
Newton Ferrers 1 232.56x
Norton Canes 1 46.08x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.62x
Poplar London 1 3.00x
Ringmore 1 666.67x
Saltash 1 64.52x
Wembury 1 303.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 13
Thomas 11
John 8
James 7
Richard 6
Charles 5
George 4
Henry 4
Philip 4
Albert 3
Andrew 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Joseph 2
Nicolo 2
Abraham 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Haly 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Noah 1
Percy 1
Richd. 1
Samuel 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Walke surname: questions and answers

How common was the Walke surname in 1881?

In 1881, 179 people were recorded with the Walke surname. That placed it at #13,787 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Walke surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016. That gives Walke a modern rank of #19,183.

What does the Walke surname mean?

An English surname derived from "walker", referring to someone who walked regularly as part of their occupation.

What does the Walke map show?

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