NameCensus.

UK surname

Warburton

A locational surname derived from any of the various places in England meaning "fortified town by a stream."

In the 1881 census there were 7,375 people recorded with the Warburton surname, ranking it #580 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,436, ranked #896, down from #580 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bury and Stockport. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Warrington, Bolton and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Warburton is 9,425 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.8%.

1881 census count

7,375

Ranked #580

Modern count

7,436

2016, ranked #896

Peak year

1911

9,425 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Warburton had 7,375 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #580 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,436 in 2016, ranked #896.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 9,425 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Warburton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Warburton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Warburton 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 4,198 #680
1861 historical 4,343 #654
1881 historical 7,375 #580
1891 historical 7,752 #572
1901 historical 8,680 #606
1911 historical 9,425 #520
1997 modern 7,618 #844
1998 modern 7,978 #839
1999 modern 8,012 #845
2000 modern 7,986 #841
2001 modern 7,938 #823
2002 modern 8,089 #825
2003 modern 7,841 #831
2004 modern 7,793 #833
2005 modern 7,683 #832
2006 modern 7,656 #838
2007 modern 7,648 #853
2008 modern 7,668 #854
2009 modern 7,854 #855
2010 modern 7,964 #861
2011 modern 7,765 #873
2012 modern 7,546 #878
2013 modern 7,636 #886
2014 modern 7,633 #887
2015 modern 7,525 #891
2016 modern 7,436 #896

Geography

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Where Warburtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bury, Stockport, Manchester and Warrington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Warrington, Bolton, Cheshire East and Rossendale. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bury Lancashire
3 Stockport Cheshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Warrington Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Warrington 008 Warrington
2 Warrington 017 Warrington
3 Bolton 002 Bolton
4 Cheshire East 051 Cheshire East
5 Rossendale 002 Rossendale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Warburton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Warburton

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Warburton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Warburton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Warburton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Warburton is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Warburton falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Warburton

The surname Warburton originated in England and is derived from the Old English words "waer" meaning a weir or dam, and "burh" meaning a fortified place or town. It is a locational surname referring to someone who lived near a dam or weir in a fortified town. The name is believed to have originated in the areas of Cheshire and Lancashire, where there are several places called Warburton.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Warburgetonea". This record shows that a family with this surname held lands in Cheshire at the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, a William de Warburton is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1286. This is one of the earliest recorded instances of the name in its more modern spelling.

The Warburton family was prominent in Cheshire and Lancashire for several centuries. Sir Peter Warburton (1540-1610) was a notable Member of Parliament and Sheriff of Cheshire. His son, Sir John Warburton (1585-1627), was also an MP and served as a judge.

Another notable figure was John Warburton (1682-1759), an English antiquary and author who wrote extensively on the history and genealogy of Cheshire families, including his own.

In the 19th century, Eliot Warburton (1810-1852) was a renowned English author and traveler who wrote several popular books about his adventures.

Overall, the surname Warburton has a long and well-documented history in England, particularly in the counties of Cheshire and Lancashire, dating back to at least the 11th century. It is a locational name that reflects the geographic origins of the families who bore it.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Warburton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Warburton 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 4,410 Warburtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.16x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 4,410 5.16x
Cheshire 1,174 7.38x
Yorkshire 535 0.75x
Staffordshire 218 0.90x
Middlesex 117 0.16x
Leicestershire 109 1.36x
Nottinghamshire 91 0.94x
Surrey 65 0.19x
Northumberland 58 0.54x
Derbyshire 45 0.40x
Warwickshire 44 0.24x
Herefordshire 43 1.46x
Somerset 42 0.36x
Durham 38 0.18x
Flintshire 38 1.96x
Denbighshire 30 1.10x
Kent 27 0.11x
Cumberland 26 0.42x
Essex 26 0.18x
Hampshire 26 0.18x
Glamorgan 23 0.18x
Shropshire 18 0.29x
Midlothian 17 0.18x
Lincolnshire 15 0.13x
Wiltshire 14 0.22x
Gloucestershire 13 0.09x
Berkshire 10 0.18x
Devon 10 0.07x
Isle of Man 10 0.75x
Channel Islands 9 0.42x
Merionethshire 9 0.68x
Sussex 9 0.07x
Bedfordshire 6 0.16x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.14x
Renfrewshire 6 0.11x
Cornwall 5 0.06x
Dorset 5 0.11x
Monmouthshire 5 0.10x
Oxfordshire 5 0.11x
Worcestershire 5 0.05x
Hertfordshire 4 0.08x
Lanarkshire 4 0.02x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.10x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.04x
Northamptonshire 2 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.09x
Royal Navy 2 0.23x
Westmorland 2 0.13x
Wigtownshire 2 0.21x
Fife 1 0.02x
Stirlingshire 1 0.04x
West Lothian 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. Bury in Lancashire leads with 236 Warburtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.16x.

Place Total Index
Bury 236 24.16x
Manchester 226 5.88x
Warrington 215 21.21x
Tottington Lower End 206 50.69x
Haslingden 204 57.61x
Salford 149 5.92x
Hulme 129 7.23x
Little Bolton 122 11.10x
Great Bolton 101 8.92x
Oldham 100 3.62x
Elton 96 32.49x
Heap 87 19.18x
Chorlton On Medlock 81 5.96x
Pendleton In Salford 77 7.56x
Stockport 76 9.28x
Chorley 75 15.63x
Gorton 72 8.96x
Spotland 71 7.47x
Pilkington 67 20.62x
Newchurch 66 9.43x
Sheffield 65 2.86x
Altrincham 63 22.66x
Stretford 59 12.54x
Farnworth 57 11.12x
Blackburn 55 2.42x
Accrington 53 6.82x
Everton 53 1.94x
Kearsley 50 27.79x
Turton 49 34.99x
Tonge With Haulgh 47 28.23x
Toxteth Park 46 1.59x
Leicester St Margaret 45 2.31x
Ecclesall Bierlow 43 2.96x
Radcliffe 43 10.43x
Walmersley Cum 42 30.74x
Wolstanton 41 5.55x
Clayton 40 22.89x
Newton 40 6.07x
Broughton In Salford 39 4.99x
Wardleworth 39 7.98x
Bradford 38 2.20x
Barton Upon Irwell 37 5.75x
Cheadle 37 12.18x
Dunham Massey 37 75.90x
Stoke Upon Trent 37 1.43x
West Derby 36 1.44x
Burslem 35 5.02x
Liverpool 35 0.67x
Lymm 35 30.26x
Birmingham 34 0.56x
Castleton 33 3.86x
Hyde 33 7.03x
Kirkdale 32 2.22x
Wharton 32 36.93x
Bollington In 31 21.89x
Heaton Norris 31 6.37x
Atherton 30 9.64x
Cheetham 29 4.55x
Hunslet 27 2.42x
Ince In Makerfield 27 6.79x
Ardwick 26 3.37x
Burtonwood 26 82.86x
Butterworth 26 12.48x
Prestwich 26 12.19x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 25 10.16x
Worsley 25 4.74x
Audley 24 9.97x
Bowdon 24 38.02x
Norbury 24 64.78x
Macclesfield 23 3.25x
Openshaw 23 5.74x
Widnes 23 3.73x
Wigan 23 1.92x
Worksop 23 7.98x
Birkenhead 22 1.73x
Brightside Bierlow 22 1.57x
Hale 22 40.09x
Leicester St Mary 22 3.41x
Livesey 22 14.66x
Poynton 22 41.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 625
Elizabeth 329
Sarah 327
Alice 179
Ann 159
Jane 151
Ellen 122
Hannah 119
Martha 115
Annie 99
Margaret 98
Emma 93
Eliza 73
Emily 54
Ada 47
Harriet 45
Maria 39
Clara 35
Betsy 33
Florence 30
Betty 29
Edith 29
Fanny 29
Anne 28
Charlotte 28
Lucy 27
Esther 26
Nancy 26
Agnes 24
Catherine 24
Kate 24
Rachel 24
Caroline 22
Matilda 22
Louisa 21
Frances 20
Isabella 18
Amelia 16
Gertrude 16
Susan 16
Susannah 15
Jessie 14
Elizth. 13
Harriett 12
Rose 12
Ruth 11
Amy 10
Ethel 10
Lilly 9
Maggie 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 499
William 371
James 318
Thomas 304
George 202
Joseph 189
Henry 109
Samuel 102
Robert 98
Richard 82
Charles 73
Peter 63
Alfred 58
Arthur 49
Harry 45
Edward 44
Frederick 43
Frank 42
Walter 40
Albert 33
Fred 29
Thos. 28
Wm. 26
Ernest 24
Herbert 23
Benjamin 22
Abraham 20
Edwin 20
Isaac 14
Daniel 13
David 13
Saml. 13
Ralph 11
Geo. 10
Jno. 10
Edmund 9
Robt. 9
Andrew 8
Eli 8
Francis 8
Jacob 8
Jesse 8
Jonathan 8
Ellis 7
Joshua 7
Tom 7
Emanuel 6
Jas. 6
Nathaniel 6
Richd. 6

FAQ

Warburton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Warburton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,375 people were recorded with the Warburton surname. That placed it at #580 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Warburton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,436 in 2016. That gives Warburton a modern rank of #896.

What does the Warburton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from any of the various places in England meaning "fortified town by a stream."

What does the Warburton map show?

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