NameCensus.

UK surname

Walling

Derived from a place name or referring to someone who lived near a stone wall or earthen embankment.

In the 1881 census there were 597 people recorded with the Walling surname, ranking it #5,858 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 634, ranked #8,340, down from #5,858 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bovey Tracey, Hennock, Lancaster Borough and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Lakeland, County Durham and Wyre.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Walling is 833 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.2%.

1881 census count

597

Ranked #5,858

Modern count

634

2016, ranked #8,340

Peak year

1911

833 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Walling had 597 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,858 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 634 in 2016, ranked #8,340.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 833 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Walling surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Walling surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Walling 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 465 #5,332
1861 historical 546 #4,815
1881 historical 597 #5,858
1891 historical 799 #5,033
1901 historical 765 #5,848
1911 historical 833 #5,301
1997 modern 702 #7,234
1998 modern 750 #7,100
1999 modern 741 #7,220
2000 modern 703 #7,463
2001 modern 686 #7,479
2002 modern 701 #7,501
2003 modern 695 #7,421
2004 modern 680 #7,575
2005 modern 644 #7,827
2006 modern 642 #7,881
2007 modern 647 #7,895
2008 modern 644 #7,967
2009 modern 664 #7,945
2010 modern 675 #7,995
2011 modern 647 #8,183
2012 modern 662 #7,949
2013 modern 684 #7,881
2014 modern 682 #7,941
2015 modern 658 #8,116
2016 modern 634 #8,340

Geography

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Where Wallings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bovey Tracey, Hennock, Lancaster Borough, London parishes and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Lakeland, County Durham, Wyre and Lancaster. 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 Bovey Tracey, Hennock Devon
2 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Lakeland 006 South Lakeland
2 County Durham 057 County Durham
3 Wyre 006 Wyre
4 Lancaster 019 Lancaster
5 South Lakeland 003 South Lakeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Walling

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Walling

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Walling is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Walling 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

Walling falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Walling

The surname Walling is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word 'weall' meaning 'wall' or 'rampart'. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for someone who lived near a wall or was responsible for the maintenance of a town's walls.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Walling can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named Wallinc is listed as a landowner in Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings such as Wallyng, Wallynge, and Wallingge, reflecting the phonetic variations of the time. The earliest known bearer of the name was William Wallyng, recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273.

The name Walling may also have been derived from certain place names, such as Walling in Kent or Walling Street in Northamptonshire. These place names likely originated from the same Old English root, 'weall'.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Walling. One of the earliest was Sir Thomas Walling (c. 1370-1430), a prominent English judge and member of Parliament during the reign of Henry V.

In the 16th century, John Walling (c. 1540-1605) was an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Archdeacon of Norfolk. His contemporary, William Walling (c. 1550-1620), was a respected lawyer and author of legal treatises.

During the American Revolutionary War, Levi Walling (1751-1826) served as a captain in the Continental Army and fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Monmouth.

In the 19th century, Willoughby Walling (1844-1909) was an influential American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and as a judge on the Ohio Supreme Court.

Another notable bearer of the name was William English Walling (1877-1936), an American labor reformer and author who co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Walling families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Walling 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. Lancashire leads with 158 Wallings recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.28x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 158 2.28x
Devon 130 10.71x
Middlesex 65 1.11x
Westmorland 44 34.32x
Yorkshire 29 0.50x
Surrey 20 0.70x
Essex 15 1.30x
Cumberland 13 2.59x
Hertfordshire 12 2.98x
Staffordshire 12 0.61x
Durham 9 0.52x
Sussex 9 0.92x
Lincolnshire 8 0.86x
Nottinghamshire 8 1.02x
Glamorgan 7 0.69x
Northamptonshire 7 1.28x
Wiltshire 7 1.36x
Somerset 5 0.53x
Caernarfonshire 4 1.70x
Shropshire 4 0.79x
Worcestershire 4 0.53x
Gloucestershire 3 0.26x
Hampshire 3 0.25x
Norfolk 3 0.33x
Bedfordshire 2 0.66x
Brecknockshire 2 1.71x
Kent 2 0.10x
Suffolk 2 0.28x
Warwickshire 2 0.14x
Berkshire 1 0.23x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.28x
Cheshire 1 0.08x
Cornwall 1 0.15x
Derbyshire 1 0.11x
Leicestershire 1 0.15x
Oxfordshire 1 0.28x
Perthshire 1 0.38x
Royal Navy 1 1.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Crosthwaite Lyth in Westmorland leads with 20 Wallings recorded in 1881 and an index of 1298.70x.

Place Total Index
Crosthwaite Lyth 20 1298.70x
Toxteth Park 20 8.53x
Lancaster 19 46.13x
Plymouth St Andrew 19 20.31x
Tormoham 19 36.98x
Oldham 14 6.27x
Kingsteignton 13 384.62x
Crosscanonby 12 72.25x
Preston 12 6.48x
Barrow In Furness 11 11.68x
Ideford 11 1929.82x
St Pancras London 11 2.34x
Barking 10 29.68x
Halton 10 684.93x
Kensington London 10 3.08x
Bovey Tracey 9 211.76x
Great Hadham 9 347.49x
Bermondsey 8 4.61x
Evenwood Barony 8 135.59x
Exeter St Sidwell 8 28.77x
Hackney London 8 2.45x
Preston Patrick 8 733.95x
Rempstone 8 1269.84x
Salford 8 3.93x
Wolborough 8 52.12x
Bolton Le Sands 7 445.86x
Edmonton 7 14.89x
Liverpool 7 1.67x
Spalding 7 37.82x
St Budeaux 7 185.19x
Tatham 7 654.21x
Towcester 7 123.67x
Burton 6 444.44x
Clapham 6 8.23x
Horton In Bradford 6 6.65x
Newton Abbot St Mary 6 58.88x
Westminster St John 6 8.45x
Blackburn 5 2.71x
Charlton Adam 5 602.41x
East Ham 5 23.40x
Hennock 5 324.68x
Kirkby Lonsdale 5 144.09x
Manningham 5 7.02x
Poulton Barre 5 63.45x
Silverdale 5 510.20x
Stoke Upon Trent 5 2.39x
Swansea Town 5 6.00x
Trowbridge 5 21.93x
Warley 5 29.92x
Bangor 4 17.58x
Blockley 4 92.81x
Burnley 4 6.86x
Chelsea London 4 2.28x
Quatt 4 579.71x
St George Hanover 4 5.25x
St Marylebone London 4 1.28x
Warton With Lindeth 4 137.93x
West Derby 4 1.98x
Bishop Stortford 3 22.34x
Broadwater 3 13.30x
Cannock 3 8.73x
Dalton In Furness 3 11.23x
Heeley 3 17.07x
Highweek 3 69.28x
Islington London 3 0.53x
Miserdine 3 348.84x
Paddington London 3 1.40x
Sheffield 3 1.63x
Whalley 3 29.73x
Appleby St Michael 2 69.44x
Ashburton 2 34.48x
Ashton 2 512.82x
Bethnal Green London 2 0.79x
Brampton Bierlow 2 27.03x
East Teignmouth 2 40.24x
Fulwood 2 26.74x
Heslington St Lawrence 2 392.16x
Llangenny 2 198.02x
Melton 2 71.43x
Portsmouth 2 7.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 64
Elizabeth 24
Emma 15
Ann 13
Sarah 13
Annie 10
Eliza 10
Ellen 8
Margaret 7
Agnes 6
Alice 5
Jane 5
Louisa 5
Lucy 5
Edith 4
Amelia 3
Anne 3
Caroline 3
Catherine 3
Florence 3
Grace 3
Hannah 3
Martha 3
Adelaide 2
Clara 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Leah 2
Margt. 2
Minnie 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Susanna 2
Cecilia 1
Elizabh. 1
Elizth. 1
Emilly 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Etell 1
H. 1
Harriett 1
Jemima 1
Julia 1
Kezia 1
Lavinia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 53
John 50
Thomas 27
James 20
George 13
Edward 12
Henry 9
Charles 7
Frank 6
Matthew 6
Richard 6
Robert 6
Francis 5
Frederick 5
Joseph 5
Samuel 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Daniel 4
Arthur 3
Jonathan 3
Sidney 3
Wm. 3
Abram 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Harold 2
Harry 2
Isaac 2
Johnathan 2
Walter 2
Willm. 2
Cyrus 1
David 1
Donald 1
Edmund 1
Frederic 1
Gilbert 1
Horace 1
Isiah 1
Lawrence 1
Leon 1
Mickel 1
Nathaniel 1
Parker 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Richd.R. 1
Shadrack 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Walling surname: questions and answers

How common was the Walling surname in 1881?

In 1881, 597 people were recorded with the Walling surname. That placed it at #5,858 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Walling surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 634 in 2016. That gives Walling a modern rank of #8,340.

What does the Walling surname mean?

Derived from a place name or referring to someone who lived near a stone wall or earthen embankment.

What does the Walling map show?

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