NameCensus.

UK surname

Wan

A Chinese surname meaning "ten thousand" or "many," indicating a large number or an immense amount.

In the 1881 census there were 18 people recorded with the Wan surname, ranking it #31,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,482, ranked #2,659, up from #31,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southend-on-Sea, Manchester and Charnwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wan is 2,568 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13688.9%.

1881 census count

18

Ranked #31,019

Modern count

2,482

2016, ranked #2,659

Peak year

2010

2,568 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wan had 18 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,482 in 2016, ranked #2,659.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 60 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Wan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wan 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 60 #22,584
1881 historical 18 #31,019
1901 historical 15 #32,383
1997 modern 1,788 #3,355
1998 modern 1,915 #3,270
1999 modern 1,924 #3,278
2000 modern 1,916 #3,281
2001 modern 1,929 #3,199
2002 modern 2,079 #3,072
2003 modern 2,138 #2,935
2004 modern 2,198 #2,867
2005 modern 2,254 #2,765
2006 modern 2,260 #2,760
2007 modern 2,326 #2,723
2008 modern 2,375 #2,692
2009 modern 2,421 #2,713
2010 modern 2,568 #2,639
2011 modern 2,515 #2,661
2012 modern 2,419 #2,691
2013 modern 2,482 #2,685
2014 modern 2,483 #2,700
2015 modern 2,486 #2,663
2016 modern 2,482 #2,659

Geography

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Where Wans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Southend-on-Sea, Manchester, Charnwood, Stevenage and Blaby. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Southend-on-Sea 001 Southend-on-Sea
2 Manchester 055 Manchester
3 Charnwood 002 Charnwood
4 Stevenage 006 Stevenage
5 Blaby 009 Blaby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wan

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wan

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Wan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Wan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Wan 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

Wan is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wan falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wan 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
Asian - Chinese

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

Meaning and origin of Wan

The surname "WAN" is believed to have originated from China, with records dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese character "万", which means "myriad" or "countless". This character was often used to represent a large number or abundance.

In ancient China, surnames were often given to families based on their occupation, location, or personal characteristics. The surname "WAN" may have been given to families who were wealthy or had a large number of descendants, reflecting the meaning of the character.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "WAN" can be found in the "Tang Huiyao", a historical text compiled during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). This text mentions a person named Wan Zhenggong, who served as a high-ranking official during the Tang Dynasty.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the surname "WAN" was prominent in various regions of China, particularly in the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. In the "Ming Shi", a historical record of the Ming Dynasty, there are mentions of several notable individuals with the surname "WAN", such as Wan Guoxuan (1501-1578), a renowned scholar and writer.

In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the surname "WAN" continued to be widely used across China. One notable figure from this period was Wan Sida (1636-1713), a famous Confucian scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of the Confucian classics.

Throughout history, the surname "WAN" has also been associated with various place names in China. For example, the city of Wanzhou in Chongqing was named after the Wan family, who were prominent landowners in the area during the Tang Dynasty.

Other notable historical figures with the surname "WAN" include Wan Xizhi (309-365 AD), a celebrated calligrapher during the Jin Dynasty, and Wan Huida (1599-1658), a prominent Ming Dynasty scholar and poet.

While the surname "WAN" has been prevalent throughout Chinese history, it has also been adopted by individuals of other ethnicities and nationalities over time. However, its origins can be traced back to ancient China, where it was associated with prosperity, abundance, and a large family lineage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wan 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. Channel Islands leads with 3 Wans recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.42x.

County Total Index
Channel Islands 3 49.42x
Devon 3 7.04x
Lancashire 3 1.23x
Lincolnshire 3 9.16x
Middlesex 2 0.98x
Monmouthshire 2 13.51x
Surrey 2 2.00x
Norfolk 1 3.18x
Suffolk 1 4.01x
Yorkshire 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. Keddington in Lincolnshire leads with 3 Wans recorded in 1881 and an index of 30000.00x.

Place Total Index
Keddington 3 30000.00x
Liverpool 3 20.33x
St Saviour 3 882.35x
Tormoham 3 166.67x
Islington London 2 10.08x
Newport 2 281.69x
Attleborough 1 625.00x
Bures St Mary 1 1666.67x
Croydon 1 18.05x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 24.27x
York St Mary 1 119.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Elizabeth 3
(Miss) 1
Alice 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
H. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 2
Edward 1
Frederick 1
H. 1
John 1
Loummi 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

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 Wan households.

FAQ

Wan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 18 people were recorded with the Wan surname. That placed it at #31,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,482 in 2016. That gives Wan a modern rank of #2,659.

What does the Wan surname mean?

A Chinese surname meaning "ten thousand" or "many," indicating a large number or an immense amount.

What does the Wan map show?

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