UK surname
A variant of the surname Wall deriving from Middle English "walle," meaning a wall or rampart.
In the 1881 census there were 11 people recorded with the Walle surname, ranking it #32,081 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 30, ranked #35,997, down from #32,081 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Walthamstow, Low Leyton and Hampton-in-Arden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Walle is 116 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 172.7%.
1881 census count
11
Ranked #32,081
Modern count
30
2016, ranked #35,997
Peak year
1861
116 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Walle surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Walle surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 27 | #28,467 |
| 1861 | historical | 116 | #18,751 |
| 1881 | historical | 11 | #32,081 |
| 1891 | historical | 74 | #27,538 |
| 1901 | historical | 31 | #30,616 |
| 1911 | historical | 22 | #31,030 |
| 1997 | modern | 22 | #35,584 |
| 1998 | modern | 24 | #35,488 |
| 1999 | modern | 19 | #36,041 |
| 2000 | modern | 30 | #34,885 |
| 2001 | modern | 25 | #35,248 |
| 2002 | modern | 23 | #35,606 |
| 2003 | modern | 21 | #35,825 |
| 2004 | modern | 22 | #35,878 |
| 2005 | modern | 22 | #35,993 |
| 2006 | modern | 20 | #36,254 |
| 2007 | modern | 22 | #36,213 |
| 2008 | modern | 24 | #36,148 |
| 2009 | modern | 27 | #36,045 |
| 2010 | modern | 32 | #35,848 |
| 2011 | modern | 28 | #36,071 |
| 2012 | modern | 25 | #36,227 |
| 2013 | modern | 24 | #36,344 |
| 2014 | modern | 25 | #36,314 |
| 2015 | modern | 28 | #36,106 |
| 2016 | modern | 30 | #35,997 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Walthamstow, Low Leyton, Hampton-in-Arden, St Werburgh and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 2 | Walthamstow, Low Leyton | Essex |
| 3 | Hampton-in-Arden | Warwickshire |
| 4 | St Werburgh | Derbyshire |
| 5 | St Marylebone | London (North Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Walle surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Walle, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Walle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Walle household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Walle is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Walle is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Walle, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname WALLE is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Lower Saxony. It is derived from the Old German word "wal," which means "foreign" or "strange." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who came from a different region or had an unusual appearance or demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the WALLE surname can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of documents from the Archdiocese of Bremen dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in several entries, indicating that it was already in use by that time.
In the 14th century, a man named Johannes WALLE was mentioned in the records of the city of Lübeck, a prominent trading center in the Hanseatic League. This suggests that the WALLE family may have been involved in commerce or trade during that era.
During the 16th century, the WALLE surname was also found in the records of the city of Hamburg, another important port city in northern Germany. One notable figure from this period was Hinrich WALLE, a merchant and ship owner who lived from 1525 to 1598.
In the 17th century, the WALLE surname spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and England. A Dutch painter named Adriaen van de WALLE, who lived from 1672 to 1742, was known for his landscape and genre paintings.
Another notable figure with the WALLE surname was Johann Gottfried WALLE, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1744 to 1806. He was a prominent figure in the Enlightenment movement and wrote several influential works on ethics and religion.
In the 19th century, the WALLE surname can be found in records from various parts of Germany, as well as in countries like the United States and Canada, where many German immigrants had settled. One notable figure from this era was Carl WALLE, a German-American businessman and industrialist who lived from 1818 to 1898 and founded the C. Walle & Co. manufacturing company.
As the surname WALLE spread across different regions and countries, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as WAHL, WALL, and WALLIS. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its German heritage.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Walle surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 4 Walles recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.73x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 4 | 3.73x |
| Yorkshire | 3 | 2.82x |
| Devon | 1 | 4.48x |
| Lancashire | 1 | 0.79x |
| Renfrewshire | 1 | 12.03x |
| Surrey | 1 | 1.91x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hook in Yorkshire leads with 3 Walles recorded in 1881 and an index of 1304.35x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | 3 | 1304.35x |
| Heston | 1 | 277.78x |
| Lambeth | 1 | 10.70x |
| Paddington London | 1 | 25.38x |
| Port Glasgow | 1 | 250.00x |
| Salford | 1 | 26.74x |
| St Martin In Fields | 1 | 156.25x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 11.59x |
| Stoke Damerel | 1 | 64.10x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Walle surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Walle surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Walle households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| ((Infant)) | 1 |
| Barmaid | 1 |
| Carpenter | 1 |
| Labourer | 1 |
| Labourer Wife | 1 |
| Lodging House Keeper | 1 |
| Scholar | 1 |
| Sicknurse (Nun) | 1 |
| Soldier (E Coy) | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 11 people were recorded with the Walle surname. That placed it at #32,081 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 30 in 2016. That gives Walle a modern rank of #35,997.
A variant of the surname Wall deriving from Middle English "walle," meaning a wall or rampart.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Walle bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.