NameCensus.

UK surname

Wardrope

A transferred use of a place name referring to someone living near a trackway.

In the 1881 census there were 294 people recorded with the Wardrope surname, ranking it #9,859 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 505, ranked #9,919, down from #9,859 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Avondale, Govan Combination and West Calder. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kinross, Kelty East and Carlisle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wardrope is 520 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 71.8%.

1881 census count

294

Ranked #9,859

Modern count

505

2016, ranked #9,919

Peak year

2010

520 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wardrope had 294 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,859 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 505 in 2016, ranked #9,919.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 371 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Wardrope surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wardrope surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wardrope 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 248 #8,840
1861 historical 227 #10,749
1881 historical 294 #9,859
1891 historical 371 #9,405
1901 historical 356 #10,305
1911 historical 40 #28,913
1997 modern 469 #9,759
1998 modern 497 #9,638
1999 modern 497 #9,698
2000 modern 496 #9,689
2001 modern 490 #9,619
2002 modern 491 #9,752
2003 modern 491 #9,612
2004 modern 483 #9,743
2005 modern 507 #9,351
2006 modern 504 #9,432
2007 modern 490 #9,704
2008 modern 494 #9,738
2009 modern 510 #9,699
2010 modern 520 #9,764
2011 modern 502 #9,923
2012 modern 486 #10,073
2013 modern 490 #10,176
2014 modern 493 #10,191
2015 modern 490 #10,149
2016 modern 505 #9,919

Geography

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Where Wardropes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Avondale, Govan Combination, West Calder, Edinburgh and Bathgate. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kinross, Kelty East, Carlisle, Portobello and Muirhouse and Knowetop. 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 Avondale Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 West Calder Edinburgh
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Bathgate Linlithgow

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kinross Perth and Kinross
2 Kelty East Fife
3 Carlisle 013 Carlisle
4 Portobello City of Edinburgh
5 Muirhouse and Knowetop North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wardrope

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wardrope

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Wardrope surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Wardrope household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Wardrope is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wardrope 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

Wardrope falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wardrope is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Wardrope

The surname Wardrope is of Scottish origin, traced back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "waru" meaning "cautious" and "hrop" meaning "outcry" or "call." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a watchman or a town crier.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Wardrop" and "Warderop," indicating its early presence in Scotland. One of the earliest documented instances is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

The name Wardrope is also associated with the historic town of Maybole in Ayrshire, Scotland. In the 16th century, a family by the name of Wardrope resided in the area and held significant influence. John Wardrope (1540-1614), a notable member of this family, served as the Provost of Maybole and played a pivotal role in the local affairs of the town.

Another prominent figure with the surname Wardrope was Sir Ralph Wardrope (1615-1683), a Scottish merchant and military officer. He served as a colonel in the Covenanter army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and later became a wealthy merchant in Edinburgh.

In the 18th century, the name Wardrope gained further recognition with the birth of David Wardrope (1748-1825), a renowned Scottish architect. He designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the iconic Calton Hill Observatory.

William Wardrope (1809-1892) was a Scottish surgeon and pioneer in the field of ophthalmology. He authored several influential works on eye diseases and served as the President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

While the surname Wardrope has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Scottish emigration and diaspora. The name continues to be prevalent in countries with significant Scottish heritage, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wardrope families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wardrope 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. Lanarkshire leads with 86 Wardropes recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.27x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 86 9.27x
West Lothian 47 108.82x
Midlothian 44 11.45x
Stirlingshire 37 34.98x
Ayrshire 25 11.65x
Cumberland 14 5.67x
Dumfriesshire 13 20.52x
Durham 9 1.05x
Renfrewshire 8 3.60x
Northumberland 4 0.94x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.75x
Angus 1 0.38x
Argyllshire 1 1.25x
Devon 1 0.17x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.30x
Middlesex 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bathgate in West Lothian leads with 29 Wardropes recorded in 1881 and an index of 309.17x.

Place Total Index
Bathgate 29 309.17x
Barony 20 8.52x
Falkirk 19 76.74x
Stonehouse 17 539.68x
Glasgow 16 9.71x
Govan 15 6.54x
Corstorphine 11 518.87x
Hoddam 11 718.95x
Auckinleck 9 135.54x
Gateshead 9 14.09x
Muiravonside 9 334.57x
Whitburn 9 144.23x
St Cuthbert W O 8 66.45x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 4.53x
West Calder 7 92.47x
Abbey 6 17.69x
Mid Calder 6 361.45x
Muirkirk 6 119.05x
Colinton 5 116.82x
Shotts 5 45.05x
Arthuret 4 155.64x
Avondale 4 73.80x
Cockpen 4 89.09x
Galston 4 68.14x
Lesmahagow 4 40.77x
Carriden 3 153.06x
Stirling 3 22.49x
Torphichen 3 200.00x
Campsie 2 34.48x
Denny 2 35.52x
Dumfries 2 32.00x
Kilmarnock 2 7.83x
Kilmaurs 2 54.79x
Kilsyth 2 29.67x
Longbenton 2 11.07x
Mearns 2 51.41x
New Monkland 2 7.29x
Sorn 2 47.39x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 1.80x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 2.01x
Berwick Upon Tweed 1 11.06x
Bothwell 1 3.98x
Caldewgate 1 7.39x
Cumbernauld 1 23.70x
Dalkeith 1 13.19x
Dalserf 1 10.80x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 12.55x
Glassary 1 23.26x
Kirkliston 1 39.68x
Kirknewton East 1 62.11x
Liff Benvie 1 2.48x
Linlithgow 1 18.05x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 17.83x
Newton Abbot St Mary 1 19.96x
Old Monkland 1 2.72x
Paddington London 1 0.95x
Ratho 1 55.87x
Rickergate 1 19.16x
Uphall 1 21.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 4
Margaret 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Isabella 1
Mary 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 3
Francis 2
George 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Archibald 1
Henry 1
John 1
Walter 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 Wardrope households.

FAQ

Wardrope surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wardrope surname in 1881?

In 1881, 294 people were recorded with the Wardrope surname. That placed it at #9,859 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wardrope surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 505 in 2016. That gives Wardrope a modern rank of #9,919.

What does the Wardrope surname mean?

A transferred use of a place name referring to someone living near a trackway.

What does the Wardrope map show?

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