UK surname
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Wærmund's meadow" in Old English.
In the 1881 census there were 133 people recorded with the Wamsley surname, ranking it #16,676 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 28, ranked #36,125, down from #16,676 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Wainfleet All Saints, North Holme, Leek and Shenstone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wamsley is 153 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 78.9%.
1881 census count
133
Ranked #16,676
Modern count
28
2016, ranked #36,125
Peak year
1851
153 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Wamsley surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Wamsley surname density by area, 1881 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 | 153 | #12,721 |
| 1861 | historical | 122 | #18,036 |
| 1881 | historical | 133 | #16,676 |
| 1891 | historical | 148 | #18,506 |
| 1901 | historical | 122 | #20,344 |
| 1911 | historical | 103 | #22,328 |
| 1997 | modern | 50 | #32,658 |
| 1998 | modern | 45 | #33,374 |
| 1999 | modern | 43 | #33,683 |
| 2000 | modern | 44 | #33,602 |
| 2001 | modern | 37 | #34,082 |
| 2002 | modern | 34 | #34,634 |
| 2003 | modern | 35 | #34,609 |
| 2004 | modern | 34 | #34,868 |
| 2005 | modern | 31 | #35,260 |
| 2006 | modern | 35 | #35,191 |
| 2007 | modern | 34 | #35,410 |
| 2008 | modern | 34 | #35,502 |
| 2009 | modern | 36 | #35,496 |
| 2010 | modern | 37 | #35,566 |
| 2011 | modern | 31 | #35,892 |
| 2012 | modern | 29 | #35,991 |
| 2013 | modern | 29 | #36,040 |
| 2014 | modern | 29 | #36,058 |
| 2015 | modern | 28 | #36,106 |
| 2016 | modern | 28 | #36,125 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Wainfleet All Saints, North Holme, Leek, Shenstone, Wainfleet St Mary and Butterwick. 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 | Wainfleet All Saints, North Holme | Lincolnshire |
| 2 | Leek | Staffordshire |
| 3 | Shenstone | Staffordshire |
| 4 | Wainfleet St Mary | Lincolnshire |
| 5 | Butterwick | Lincolnshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Wamsley 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 Wamsley, 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 Wamsley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Wamsley 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, Wamsley 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 Wamsley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Wamsley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Wamsley is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Yorkshire and Derbyshire, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "wamb," meaning belly or womb, and "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wamelai." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who lived near a meadow or clearing, perhaps with a distinctive physical characteristic related to their belly or womb.
By the 13th century, the name had evolved into various spellings, including Wammeley, Wamely, and Wamsley. It is believed that these variations emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.
In the 14th century, records show a John Wamsley born in Yorkshire around 1320. He was a prominent landowner and is mentioned in several local court documents and land registries.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Wamsley (1556-1629), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Ripon in Yorkshire during the reign of King James I. He was known for his involvement in the English cloth trade and his charitable contributions to the city of Ripon.
During the 17th century, the Wamsley name appears to have spread to other parts of England, with records indicating families bearing the name in counties such as Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the Americas can be traced back to William Wamsley, who was born in England around 1620 and emigrated to Virginia in the 1640s. He established a successful tobacco plantation and is considered one of the earliest settlers of the Wamsley name in the New World.
Another notable figure with the Wamsley surname was James Wamsley (1734-1811), a prominent businessman and landowner in Pennsylvania. He played a significant role in the development of the city of Pittsburgh and was involved in various civic and political endeavors.
As the centuries passed, the Wamsley name continued to be found across different regions of England and, later, in other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, as families with this surname migrated and settled in new territories.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wamsley 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. Lancashire leads with 37 Wamsleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.39x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 37 | 2.39x |
| Yorkshire | 33 | 2.55x |
| Staffordshire | 15 | 3.40x |
| Warwickshire | 14 | 4.25x |
| Lincolnshire | 10 | 4.79x |
| Cheshire | 7 | 2.43x |
| Middlesex | 5 | 0.38x |
| Ayrshire | 4 | 4.09x |
| Shropshire | 2 | 1.77x |
| Surrey | 2 | 0.31x |
| Argyllshire | 1 | 2.75x |
| Berkshire | 1 | 1.02x |
| Cumberland | 1 | 0.89x |
| Lanarkshire | 1 | 0.24x |
| Nottinghamshire | 1 | 0.57x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Keighley in Yorkshire leads with 12 Wamsleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 86.89x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Keighley | 12 | 86.89x |
| Birmingham | 9 | 8.19x |
| Pennington In Leigh | 9 | 302.01x |
| Northolme | 7 | 7777.78x |
| Titteworth | 7 | 1029.41x |
| Hunslet | 6 | 29.70x |
| Stansfield | 6 | 125.79x |
| Great Bolton | 5 | 24.34x |
| Shenstone | 5 | 446.43x |
| Kilwinning | 4 | 126.58x |
| Lower Bebington | 4 | 233.92x |
| Walton Le Dale | 4 | 95.92x |
| Birkenhead | 3 | 13.04x |
| Crumpsall | 3 | 81.97x |
| Islington London | 3 | 2.37x |
| Kenilworth | 3 | 161.29x |
| Leek Lowe | 3 | 51.11x |
| Liverpool | 3 | 3.19x |
| Oldham | 3 | 5.99x |
| Preston | 3 | 7.23x |
| Rusholme | 3 | 72.46x |
| Stamford St Michael | 3 | 508.47x |
| Astley | 2 | 1818.18x |
| Aston | 2 | 2.20x |
| Bermondsey | 2 | 5.14x |
| Dalton In Furness | 2 | 33.39x |
| Harrow On The Hill | 2 | 76.63x |
| Heaton Norris | 2 | 22.65x |
| Idle | 2 | 33.28x |
| New Village | 2 | 512.82x |
| Sculcoates | 2 | 9.74x |
| Barony | 1 | 0.93x |
| Halifax | 1 | 5.26x |
| Holbeck | 1 | 11.66x |
| Kilfinan | 1 | 103.09x |
| Nottingham St Mary | 1 | 2.19x |
| Reading St Giles | 1 | 10.38x |
| Slaithwaite | 1 | 74.07x |
| Whitehaven | 1 | 16.67x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Wamsley 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 Wamsley 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 Wamsley households.
FAQ
In 1881, 133 people were recorded with the Wamsley surname. That placed it at #16,676 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 28 in 2016. That gives Wamsley a modern rank of #36,125.
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Wærmund's meadow" in Old English.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Wamsley 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.