NameCensus.

UK surname

Walkling

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "the clearing of the Welshmen".

In the 1881 census there were 242 people recorded with the Walkling surname, ranking it #11,333 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 279, ranked #15,534, down from #11,333 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Farningham, Lewisham and Shoreham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sevenoaks, Enfield and Maidstone.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Walkling is 317 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.3%.

1881 census count

242

Ranked #11,333

Modern count

279

2016, ranked #15,534

Peak year

1911

317 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Walkling had 242 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,333 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 279 in 2016, ranked #15,534.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 317 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Walkling surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Walkling surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Walkling 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 125 #14,700
1861 historical 101 #20,955
1881 historical 242 #11,333
1891 historical 291 #11,388
1901 historical 311 #11,363
1911 historical 317 #11,011
1997 modern 246 #15,445
1998 modern 274 #14,759
1999 modern 267 #15,097
2000 modern 270 #14,943
2001 modern 294 #13,896
2002 modern 303 #13,909
2003 modern 287 #14,219
2004 modern 280 #14,530
2005 modern 278 #14,511
2006 modern 265 #15,126
2007 modern 270 #15,080
2008 modern 274 #15,063
2009 modern 282 #15,059
2010 modern 291 #15,050
2011 modern 275 #15,517
2012 modern 273 #15,546
2013 modern 287 #15,224
2014 modern 288 #15,285
2015 modern 275 #15,707
2016 modern 279 #15,534

Geography

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Where Walklings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Farningham, Lewisham, Shoreham, Swanscombe and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sevenoaks, Enfield, Maidstone and Tonbridge and Malling. 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 Farningham Kent
2 Lewisham London (South Districts)
3 Shoreham Kent
4 Swanscombe Kent
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sevenoaks 010 Sevenoaks
2 Enfield 033 Enfield
3 Maidstone 015 Maidstone
4 Tonbridge and Malling 002 Tonbridge and Malling
5 Enfield 010 Enfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Walkling

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Walkling

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

Walkling is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Walkling 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 Walkling is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Walkling

The surname WALKLING is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'wealhcyning', which means 'Welsh king'. It is believed to have originated in the 10th or 11th century, during the period when the Anglo-Saxons and the Welsh were engaged in frequent conflicts along the border regions between England and Wales.

The name WALKLING is thought to have been initially used as a descriptive nickname or byname for an individual who possessed some authority or influence over the Welsh people, or perhaps for someone who had distinguished themselves in battles against the Welsh. It may have also been used to refer to someone who lived near the Welsh border or had some connection to Wales.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name WALKLING can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Walchelinus'. This entry refers to a landowner in Staffordshire, suggesting that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name WALKLING appears in various forms, such as 'Walchelin', 'Walklin', and 'Walkling', in records from counties like Worcestershire, Shropshire, and Herefordshire, which were all located near the Welsh border.

Notable individuals with the surname WALKLING include:

1. John Walkling (c. 1540-1616), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Andover during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. Thomas Walkling (1629-1695), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Polstead, Suffolk.

3. William Walkling (1768-1834), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Naval General Service Medal.

4. Robert Walkling (1809-1891), an English cricketer who played for Hampshire and was considered one of the best wicket-keepers of his era.

5. James Walkling (1850-1927), a New Zealand politician and member of the House of Representatives, representing the electorate of Dunedin North.

The name WALKLING has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Walkling Street in Derbyshire, which may have derived its name from an individual with the surname WALKLING who resided in or owned land in that area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Walkling families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Walkling 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. Kent leads with 145 Walklings recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.00x.

County Total Index
Kent 145 18.00x
Surrey 25 2.17x
Hertfordshire 23 14.14x
Middlesex 13 0.55x
Hampshire 12 2.48x
Oxfordshire 8 5.49x
Sussex 6 1.51x
Essex 3 0.64x
Berkshire 2 1.13x
Buckinghamshire 2 1.40x
Devon 2 0.41x
Gloucestershire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shoreham in Kent leads with 19 Walklings recorded in 1881 and an index of 1652.17x.

Place Total Index
Shoreham 19 1652.17x
Lewisham 16 37.25x
Swanscombe 15 414.36x
Sevenoaks 14 214.40x
Hollingbourn 13 1397.85x
Cheshunt 12 210.90x
Millbrook 11 90.24x
Otford 11 982.14x
Farningham 9 1250.00x
Horton Kirby 9 720.00x
Thornham 9 1730.77x
Lambeth 8 3.89x
Rotherfield Greys 8 519.48x
Beddington 7 157.30x
Chevening 7 795.45x
Hertingfordbury 7 1060.61x
Sutton At Hone 6 359.28x
Hove 5 28.64x
St Anne Soho London 5 37.09x
Bromley London 4 7.70x
Charlton Next Woolwich 4 47.62x
Coulsdon 4 191.39x
Dartford 4 48.54x
Deptford St Paul 4 6.44x
Essendon 4 816.33x
Newington 3 3.44x
West Ham 3 2.92x
Culmstock 2 285.71x
Maidstone 2 8.34x
Medmenham 2 740.74x
Newbury 2 35.21x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 4.21x
St George Hanover 2 6.49x
Bromley 1 8.14x
Greenwich 1 2.66x
Hendon 1 11.78x
Hurstpierpoint 1 45.25x
Kemsing 1 277.78x
Portsea 1 1.05x
Richmond 1 6.20x
Stanton 1 454.55x
Whitechapel London 1 4.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 15
George 11
John 11
Henry 9
James 8
Alfred 6
Charles 5
Edward 5
Richard 5
Thomas 5
Frederick 4
Albert 3
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Walter 2
Amose 1
Andrew 1
Archie 1
Aubus 1
Edmund 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Herbert 1
Jane 1
Lewis 1
Noah 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Thos.Oliver 1

FAQ

Walkling surname: questions and answers

How common was the Walkling surname in 1881?

In 1881, 242 people were recorded with the Walkling surname. That placed it at #11,333 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Walkling surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 279 in 2016. That gives Walkling a modern rank of #15,534.

What does the Walkling surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "the clearing of the Welshmen".

What does the Walkling map show?

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