NameCensus.

UK surname

Wares

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English "ware" meaning wares or goods, likely referring to merchants or traders.

In the 1881 census there were 318 people recorded with the Wares surname, ranking it #9,342 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 400, ranked #11,879, down from #9,342 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Canisbay, Wick and Lewes St John-under-the-Castle. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thurso East, Wick North and Caithness North West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wares is 412 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.8%.

1881 census count

318

Ranked #9,342

Modern count

400

2016, ranked #11,879

Peak year

1999

412 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wares had 318 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,342 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 400 in 2016, ranked #11,879.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 366 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Wares surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wares surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wares 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 257 #8,596
1861 historical 327 #7,788
1881 historical 318 #9,342
1891 historical 366 #9,508
1901 historical 351 #10,415
1911 historical 107 #21,842
1997 modern 409 #10,818
1998 modern 400 #11,335
1999 modern 412 #11,203
2000 modern 387 #11,692
2001 modern 382 #11,606
2002 modern 381 #11,865
2003 modern 368 #11,963
2004 modern 380 #11,717
2005 modern 373 #11,794
2006 modern 372 #11,878
2007 modern 381 #11,798
2008 modern 377 #12,014
2009 modern 395 #11,838
2010 modern 402 #11,949
2011 modern 387 #12,142
2012 modern 381 #12,152
2013 modern 387 #12,226
2014 modern 401 #11,979
2015 modern 400 #11,909
2016 modern 400 #11,879

Geography

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Where Wares' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Canisbay, Wick, Lewes St John-under-the-Castle, Edinburgh and Oving. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thurso East, Wick North, Caithness North West, Thurso West and Caithness South. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Canisbay Caithness
2 Wick Caithness
3 Lewes St John-under-the-Castle Sussex
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Oving Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thurso East Highland
2 Wick North Highland
3 Caithness North West Highland
4 Thurso West Highland
5 Caithness South Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wares

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wares

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Wares surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Wares household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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, Wares 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

Wares is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Wares

The surname Wares has its origins in the Old English word 'waroura', meaning a person who guarded the shores or coasts. It is believed to have originated in the coastal regions of England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, as early as the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth completed in 1086 on the orders of William the Conqueror. The name appears as 'Warres', likely referring to an individual responsible for guarding the coastline.

During the medieval period, the name Wares was particularly prevalent in the villages and towns of East Anglia, where many families held land and worked as fishermen, sailors, or coastal guards. The name evolved over time, with variations such as 'Warres', 'Waris', and 'Wares' appearing in various records and documents.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Wares include John Wares (c. 1450-1520), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich. Another notable figure was Richard Wares (1592-1668), a Puritan clergyman who emigrated to New England and served as the minister of the First Church of Boston.

In the 17th century, the name Wares appeared in the records of several coastal towns and villages in Norfolk and Suffolk, such as Lowestoft, Southwold, and Aldeburgh. This further reinforces the connection between the name and its coastal origins.

Throughout the centuries, the Wares surname has been associated with various occupations, including fishing, seafaring, and coastal defense. Some notable examples include William Wares (1721-1798), a renowned shipbuilder from Ipswich, and Thomas Wares (1805-1872), a celebrated sea captain who sailed the transatlantic routes.

Robert Wares (1678-1745) was a renowned cartographer and surveyor who produced detailed maps of the English coastline, further cementing the connection between the surname and its maritime roots.

While the surname Wares may have originated in the coastal regions of England, it has since spread across the globe, carried by individuals and families who ventured forth to new lands and opportunities. However, the rich history and etymology of this name remain deeply rooted in the coastal traditions and occupations of its English forebears.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wares families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wares 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. Caithness leads with 199 Wares' recorded in 1881 and an index of 468.57x.

County Total Index
Caithness 199 468.57x
Sussex 35 6.69x
Hampshire 16 2.52x
Midlothian 16 3.85x
Lanarkshire 13 1.30x
Kent 7 0.66x
Glamorgan 6 1.11x
Middlesex 6 0.19x
Northamptonshire 5 1.71x
Fife 3 1.63x
Yorkshire 3 0.10x
Selkirkshire 2 7.13x
Angus 1 0.35x
Essex 1 0.16x
Gloucestershire 1 0.16x
Hertfordshire 1 0.47x
Inverness-shire 1 1.08x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Perthshire 1 0.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wick in Caithness leads with 126 Wares' recorded in 1881 and an index of 918.37x.

Place Total Index
Wick 126 918.37x
Canisbay 45 1612.90x
Barony 13 5.12x
Latheron 13 183.10x
Brighton 11 10.43x
Olrig 11 518.87x
Havant 10 310.56x
Oving 9 508.47x
Edinburgh St Stephens 7 85.57x
Llangeinor 6 188.68x
Lewes St Michael 5 480.77x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 2.39x
Lewes St John Southover 4 113.96x
Peterborough 4 18.94x
Woolwich 4 10.23x
Beckenham 3 21.68x
Crondall 3 87.98x
Holy Trinity 3 4.06x
Lewes All Sts 3 144.23x
Portsea 3 2.41x
St Andrews 3 35.89x
Bower 2 116.96x
Boxgrove 2 263.16x
Galashiels 2 19.29x
South Leith 2 4.28x
Watten 2 134.23x
Ardersier 1 45.05x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.74x
Callander 1 43.48x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.37x
Duddingston 1 11.99x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 1 34.72x
Edinburgh Newington 1 135.14x
Harlow 1 37.88x
Haslingden 1 6.56x
Irchester 1 55.25x
Montrose 1 5.74x
North Mundham 1 192.31x
Northaw 1 161.29x
St Bride London 1 55.56x
St George Hanover 1 2.47x
St Marylebone London 1 0.60x
St Pancras London 1 0.40x
Thornbury 1 24.04x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
Charles 5
George 4
Henry 4
Thomas 4
Richard 3
Alexander 2
Edward 2
Albert 1
Chas.James 1
Donald 1
Edwd. 1
Edwd.Harry 1
Forster 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
James 1
John 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Wares surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wares surname in 1881?

In 1881, 318 people were recorded with the Wares surname. That placed it at #9,342 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wares surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 400 in 2016. That gives Wares a modern rank of #11,879.

What does the Wares surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English "ware" meaning wares or goods, likely referring to merchants or traders.

What does the Wares map show?

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