NameCensus.

UK surname

Wardlow

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "enclosed settlement by a shore."

In the 1881 census there were 120 people recorded with the Wardlow surname, ranking it #17,756 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 143, ranked #24,505, down from #17,756 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Glossop, Manchester and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Lindsey, East Riding of Yorkshire and Carlisle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wardlow is 159 in 2007. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.2%.

1881 census count

120

Ranked #17,756

Modern count

143

2016, ranked #24,505

Peak year

2007

159 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wardlow had 120 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,756 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016, ranked #24,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 151 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Wardlow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wardlow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wardlow 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 76 #20,127
1861 historical 76 #24,114
1881 historical 120 #17,756
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 151 #17,988
1911 historical 148 #18,023
1997 modern 142 #21,856
1998 modern 145 #22,139
1999 modern 139 #22,884
2000 modern 144 #22,357
2001 modern 142 #22,234
2002 modern 141 #22,794
2003 modern 148 #21,866
2004 modern 157 #21,168
2005 modern 158 #21,052
2006 modern 153 #21,643
2007 modern 159 #21,387
2008 modern 150 #22,429
2009 modern 148 #23,141
2010 modern 145 #24,031
2011 modern 148 #23,520
2012 modern 142 #24,148
2013 modern 148 #23,884
2014 modern 149 #23,969
2015 modern 143 #24,481
2016 modern 143 #24,505

Geography

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Where Wardlows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Glossop, Manchester, Sheffield, Stockport and Ashton-under-Lyne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Lindsey, East Riding of Yorkshire, Carlisle and Torridge. 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 Glossop Derbyshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Stockport Lancashire
5 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Lindsey 007 East Lindsey
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 001 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Carlisle 006 Carlisle
4 Torridge 004 Torridge
5 Carlisle 004 Carlisle

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wardlow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wardlow

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Wardlow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Wardlow 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Wardlow 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

Wardlow is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wardlow 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 Wardlow 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 Wardlow, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Wardlow

The surname Wardlow originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "weard" meaning "watch" or "guard" and "hlaw" meaning "hill" or "mound," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on or near a hill used as a lookout point.

One of the earliest references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, which mention a person named Roger de Wardelowe. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

The name Wardlow is also closely associated with several place names in England, such as Wardlow in Derbyshire and Wardlow in Cheshire. These place names likely contributed to the formation and spread of the surname, as people often adopted surnames based on the locations they were from.

In the 13th century, the Wardlow surname appeared in several historical documents, including the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1273, which recorded a Richard de Wardelowe.

Notable individuals with the surname Wardlow include:

1. William Wardlow (c. 1540-1612), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge.

2. John Wardlow (c. 1695-1769), a British naval officer who served during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War.

3. Elizabeth Wardlow (c. 1790-1872), a British artist known for her landscape paintings and watercolors.

4. Henry Wardlow (1818-1892), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Wardlow Orphanage in Manchester.

5. Thomas Wardlow (1871-1942), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire County Cricket Club.

While the Wardlow surname may not be as common as some others, its history can be traced back centuries, with roots in various regions of England and connections to both place names and occupations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wardlow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wardlow 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 36 Wardlows recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.59x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 36 2.59x
Yorkshire 20 1.72x
Cumberland 13 12.90x
Middlesex 10 0.85x
Midlothian 8 5.10x
Cheshire 7 2.71x
Kent 7 1.75x
Worcestershire 6 3.93x
Surrey 5 0.88x
Sussex 3 1.52x
Warwickshire 2 0.68x
Devon 1 0.41x
Glamorgan 1 0.49x
Lanarkshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ecclesall Bierlow in Yorkshire leads with 10 Wardlows recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.39x.

Place Total Index
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 42.39x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 12.68x
Ardwick 7 55.87x
Acton 6 87.46x
Eltham 6 256.41x
Salford 6 14.69x
Sculcoates 6 32.63x
Wetheral 6 451.13x
Droylsden 5 110.38x
Dukinfield 5 41.88x
Liverpool 5 5.93x
Oldbury 5 66.49x
Richmond 5 62.58x
Ashton Under Lyne 4 13.18x
Dovenby 3 3333.33x
Guestling 3 937.50x
Nether Hallam 3 19.12x
Beswick 2 56.34x
Birmingham 2 2.03x
Clerkenwell London 2 7.24x
Dearham 2 150.38x
Kirkdale 2 8.56x
Toxteth Park 2 4.25x
Windle 2 25.61x
Chatham 1 9.11x
Gosforth 1 204.08x
Govan 1 1.07x
Hanley Castle 1 109.89x
Heeley 1 28.41x
Lidford 1 91.74x
Monks Coppenhall 1 10.26x
Northenden 1 212.77x
Openshaw 1 15.38x
Solport 1 1000.00x
St Pancras London 1 1.06x
Swansea St Thomas 1 48.78x
Westminster St 1 23.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 5
Ann 4
Jane 4
Anna 2
Annie 2
Dinah 2
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Margt. 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Carinda 1
Charlotte 1
Christina 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Ena 1
Esther 1
Francis 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Jesse 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Margery 1
Marie 1
Rebecca 1
Sacatan 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alexander 5
Thomas 5
William 5
James 4
George 3
David 2
Jno. 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Edwin 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
John 1
Jos. 1
Josh. 1
Marmaduke 1
Morris 1
Reuben 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1
Wm.A. 1

FAQ

Wardlow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wardlow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 120 people were recorded with the Wardlow surname. That placed it at #17,756 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wardlow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016. That gives Wardlow a modern rank of #24,505.

What does the Wardlow surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "enclosed settlement by a shore."

What does the Wardlow map show?

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