NameCensus.

UK surname

Waples

A habitational surname derived from a place name in Worcestershire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 121 people recorded with the Waples surname, ranking it #17,671 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 169, ranked #21,884, down from #17,671 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wellingborough, Boston (incl. Boston allotments) and Wollaston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wellingborough and Reigate and Banstead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Waples is 192 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.7%.

1881 census count

121

Ranked #17,671

Modern count

169

2016, ranked #21,884

Peak year

1911

192 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Waples had 121 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,671 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016, ranked #21,884.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 192 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Waples surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Waples surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Waples 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 91 #18,187
1861 historical 89 #22,419
1881 historical 121 #17,671
1891 historical 123 #20,939
1901 historical 160 #17,387
1911 historical 192 #15,342
1997 modern 170 #19,505
1998 modern 181 #19,229
1999 modern 184 #19,178
2000 modern 176 #19,698
2001 modern 169 #19,912
2002 modern 165 #20,619
2003 modern 164 #20,483
2004 modern 162 #20,756
2005 modern 165 #20,468
2006 modern 170 #20,214
2007 modern 170 #20,471
2008 modern 169 #20,745
2009 modern 178 #20,486
2010 modern 179 #20,886
2011 modern 187 #20,132
2012 modern 163 #21,989
2013 modern 170 #21,726
2014 modern 170 #21,914
2015 modern 164 #22,325
2016 modern 169 #21,884

Geography

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Where Waples' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wellingborough, Boston (incl. Boston allotments), Wollaston, St Marylebone and Thrapston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wellingborough and Reigate and Banstead. 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 Wellingborough Northamptonshire
2 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
3 Wollaston Northamptonshire
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Thrapston Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wellingborough 009 Wellingborough
2 Reigate and Banstead 018 Reigate and Banstead
3 Wellingborough 007 Wellingborough
4 Wellingborough 008 Wellingborough
5 Wellingborough 002 Wellingborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Waples

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Waples

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Waples is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Waples is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Waples falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Waples

The surname Waples has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "wapol" or "wapel," meaning "wandering" or "roving," which may have been used to describe a person who traveled frequently or had a nomadic lifestyle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Waples can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire from the year 1195, where a person named Willelmus Wapel is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been established in that region by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name Waples appeared in various records across different counties in England, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a person named Robertus Wapel is listed. This indicates that the name had spread to other areas of the country by that time.

During the 14th century, the name Waples was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a person named Johannes Wapeles is mentioned. This variation in spelling further highlights the development and evolution of the surname over time.

One notable individual with the surname Waples was John Waples, who lived in the late 16th century and was a member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers in London. He was born around 1550 and played a significant role in the trade industry during that era.

Another individual of note was Richard Waples, who was born in 1620 in Lincolnshire, England. He later immigrated to the American colonies and settled in Virginia, where he became a prominent landowner and established the Waples family line in the New World.

In the 18th century, a man named William Waples, born in 1720 in Kent, England, gained recognition as a skilled carpenter and woodworker. His craftsmanship can still be seen in some of the historic buildings in that region.

During the 19th century, a notable figure with the surname Waples was Samuel Waples, born in 1818 in Yorkshire. He was a respected scholar and author, known for his works on literature and history.

Throughout its long history, the surname Waples has undergone various spelling variations, including Wapel, Wapeles, Wapples, and Whapples, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic changes that occurred over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Waples families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Waples 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. Northamptonshire leads with 45 Waples' recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.22x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 45 41.22x
Middlesex 22 1.90x
Lancashire 9 0.65x
Lincolnshire 9 4.85x
Surrey 9 1.59x
Worcestershire 9 5.94x
Bedfordshire 4 6.66x
Durham 4 1.16x
Warwickshire 3 1.02x
Berkshire 2 2.30x
Leicestershire 1 0.78x
Staffordshire 1 0.26x
Yorkshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Earls Barton in Northamptonshire leads with 19 Waples' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2043.01x.

Place Total Index
Earls Barton 19 2043.01x
Dudley 9 48.83x
Lambeth 9 8.89x
Oldham 9 20.25x
Boston 8 142.10x
Wollaston 8 1333.33x
Bethnal Green London 7 13.88x
Wellingborough 6 109.29x
Luton 4 38.46x
Northampton St Giles 4 96.15x
Shoreditch London 4 7.95x
St Marylebone London 4 6.45x
Wingate 4 168.78x
Burton Latimer 3 454.55x
Lapworth 2 740.74x
Preston Capes 2 2222.22x
Reading St Lawrence 2 107.53x
St Gabriel Fenchurch 2 4000.00x
St Pancras London 2 2.14x
Cranford St John 1 666.67x
Fishtoft 1 277.78x
Hammersmith London 1 3.50x
Huddersfield 1 5.97x
Leamington 1 51.55x
Leicester St Margaret 1 3.19x
Rothwell 1 90.91x
Shenstone 1 100.00x
St George Hanover 1 6.60x
Towerof London London 1 270.27x
Woodford 1 163.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 5
Ann 3
Caroline 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Sarah 3
Amelia 2
Clara 2
Jane 2
Martha 2
Alice 1
Angelina 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Carlonine 1
Catherine 1
Delilah 1
Eliz.Lucy 1
Eliza 1
Florance 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Isabel 1
Jessie 1
Jessy 1
Julia 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
Marianne 1
Matilda 1
Millicent 1
Minnie 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
George 7
John 4
Frederick 3
Richard 3
Charles 2
Henry 2
James 2
Samuel 2
Abram 1
Albert 1
Daiell 1
Daniel 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredk.Harry 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Jabez 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Ralph 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Waples surname: questions and answers

How common was the Waples surname in 1881?

In 1881, 121 people were recorded with the Waples surname. That placed it at #17,671 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Waples surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016. That gives Waples a modern rank of #21,884.

What does the Waples surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name in Worcestershire, England.

What does the Waples map show?

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