NameCensus.

UK surname

Wallett

An English surname derived from a dialect variant of the Middle English "walet" meaning wallet or bag.

In the 1881 census there were 223 people recorded with the Wallett surname, ranking it #11,998 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 279, ranked #15,534, down from #11,998 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Dawley, Magna and Biddulph. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wolverhampton, Doncaster and Lichfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wallett is 346 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.1%.

1881 census count

223

Ranked #11,998

Modern count

279

2016, ranked #15,534

Peak year

1911

346 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wallett had 223 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,998 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 346 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Wallett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wallett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wallett 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 242 #10,154
1881 historical 223 #11,998
1891 historical 295 #11,255
1901 historical 293 #11,829
1911 historical 346 #10,341
1997 modern 242 #15,597
1998 modern 276 #14,679
1999 modern 268 #15,070
2000 modern 273 #14,828
2001 modern 267 #14,839
2002 modern 273 #14,892
2003 modern 265 #15,025
2004 modern 241 #16,086
2005 modern 237 #16,244
2006 modern 240 #16,177
2007 modern 248 #15,994
2008 modern 251 #16,026
2009 modern 266 #15,711
2010 modern 284 #15,312
2011 modern 283 #15,193
2012 modern 291 #14,806
2013 modern 284 #15,358
2014 modern 296 #14,982
2015 modern 286 #15,270
2016 modern 279 #15,534

Geography

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Where Walletts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Dawley, Magna, Biddulph, Skegby and Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wolverhampton, Doncaster, Lichfield and Cornwall. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Dawley, Magna Shropshire
3 Biddulph Cheshire
4 Skegby Nottinghamshire
5 Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wolverhampton 018 Wolverhampton
2 Doncaster 010 Doncaster
3 Lichfield 001 Lichfield
4 Doncaster 013 Doncaster
5 Cornwall 070 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wallett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wallett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Wallett, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Wallett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Wallett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Wallett is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wallett 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

Wallett falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wallett

The surname Wallett is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "walh" meaning "foreigner" or "Celt". It is believed to have originated in the 12th century as a descriptive name given to someone who was perceived as a foreigner or of Celtic descent.

The Wallett name can be traced back to various regions of England, including Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it appears as "Waliet".

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners and tenants in England, there are no direct mentions of the surname Wallett, but there are references to individuals with similar names such as "Waliet" and "Walchet".

Among the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Wallett were John Wallett, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1279, and Richard Wallett, who was documented in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Wallett surname. One example is Sir John Wallett, an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire in the 16th century. Another is William Wallett, a 17th-century English clergyman and author who wrote works on theology and religious subjects.

Other individuals with the Wallett surname include Thomas Wallett (1619-1675), an English Puritan minister and author, and John Wallett (1594-1658), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire in the 17th century.

The surname Wallett has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Wallett's Court in Gloucestershire and Wallett's Farm in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the Wallett surname who owned or resided in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wallett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wallett 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. Staffordshire leads with 123 Walletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.75x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 123 16.75x
Shropshire 19 10.11x
Durham 15 2.32x
Middlesex 13 0.60x
Yorkshire 13 0.60x
Lancashire 12 0.46x
Worcestershire 7 2.46x
Hampshire 4 0.90x
Nottinghamshire 4 1.36x
Surrey 4 0.38x
Warwickshire 3 0.55x
Derbyshire 2 0.59x
Bedfordshire 1 0.89x
Hertfordshire 1 0.67x
Kent 1 0.13x
Northamptonshire 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bilston in Staffordshire leads with 38 Walletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 267.04x.

Place Total Index
Bilston 38 267.04x
West Bromwich 30 71.36x
Burslem 12 57.06x
Kingswinford 12 45.01x
Biddulph 10 241.55x
Dawley 10 146.20x
Monkwearmouth Shore 9 71.26x
Broughton In Salford 8 33.90x
Sedgley 6 22.00x
Tipton 6 26.69x
Dudley 5 14.48x
Hackney London 5 4.10x
Hipperholme Cum 5 52.80x
Tottenham 5 14.43x
Beeston 4 118.69x
Berrington 4 540.54x
Clayton 4 75.76x
Lambeth 4 2.11x
Lotherton Cum Aberford 4 1212.12x
Wellington 4 37.88x
Aston 3 1.99x
Portsea 3 3.43x
Stockton On Tees 3 9.62x
Stranton 3 13.77x
Rowley Regis 2 9.78x
Walsall Foreign 2 5.27x
Wolverhampton 2 3.54x
Worcester All Sts 2 121.21x
Burnley 1 4.60x
Chelsea London 1 1.53x
Clowne 1 74.07x
Crondall 1 41.84x
Darlaston 1 9.85x
Great Munden 1 303.03x
Harborne 1 4.25x
Islington London 1 0.47x
Liverpool 1 0.64x
Luton 1 5.13x
Madeley 1 14.51x
Northampton St Giles 1 12.84x
Poplar London 1 2.44x
Staveley 1 16.53x
Warrington 1 3.27x
Wednesfield 1 9.25x
West Derby 1 1.32x
Woolwich 1 3.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 18
Thomas 13
Joseph 11
William 10
George 5
Henry 5
James 5
Frederick 4
Alfred 3
Edward 3
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Enoch 2
Nathan 2
Thos. 2
Albert 1
Bercah 1
David 1
Emanuel 1
Euriah 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Isaiah 1
Jacob 1
Job 1
Maria 1
Matthew 1
Paul 1
Peter 1
Reuban 1
Russell 1
Samuel 1
Smith 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Wallett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wallett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 223 people were recorded with the Wallett surname. That placed it at #11,998 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wallett surname today?

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

What does the Wallett surname mean?

An English surname derived from a dialect variant of the Middle English "walet" meaning wallet or bag.

What does the Wallett map show?

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