NameCensus.

UK surname

Waring

Derived from a place name meaning "dweller at the dam or weir" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 3,768 people recorded with the Waring surname, ranking it #1,216 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,198, ranked #1,297, down from #1,216 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Batley and Bolton-le-Moors. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derbyshire Dales, St. Helens and East Staffordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Waring is 5,514 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.0%.

1881 census count

3,768

Ranked #1,216

Modern count

5,198

2016, ranked #1,297

Peak year

2000

5,514 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Waring had 3,768 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,216 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,198 in 2016, ranked #1,297.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,403 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Waring surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Waring surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Waring 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 2,180 #1,339
1861 historical 2,419 #1,207
1881 historical 3,768 #1,216
1891 historical 4,022 #1,188
1901 historical 4,765 #1,188
1911 historical 5,403 #965
1997 modern 5,380 #1,210
1998 modern 5,504 #1,232
1999 modern 5,509 #1,244
2000 modern 5,514 #1,236
2001 modern 5,361 #1,240
2002 modern 5,470 #1,245
2003 modern 5,266 #1,259
2004 modern 5,274 #1,256
2005 modern 5,217 #1,253
2006 modern 5,198 #1,256
2007 modern 5,192 #1,271
2008 modern 5,157 #1,287
2009 modern 5,270 #1,292
2010 modern 5,393 #1,294
2011 modern 5,311 #1,292
2012 modern 5,195 #1,295
2013 modern 5,230 #1,308
2014 modern 5,292 #1,299
2015 modern 5,234 #1,299
2016 modern 5,198 #1,297

Geography

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Where Warings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Batley, Bolton-le-Moors, Preston and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Derbyshire Dales, St. Helens and East Staffordshire. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derbyshire Dales 009 Derbyshire Dales
2 St. Helens 008 St. Helens
3 St. Helens 011 St. Helens
4 St. Helens 017 St. Helens
5 East Staffordshire 001 East Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Waring

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Waring

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Waring 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

Waring 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

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

Meaning and origin of Waring

The surname Waring is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to England in the medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "wær," meaning "wary" or "cautious," and the suffix "-ing," which signifies "people" or "family." This suggests that the name originally referred to a family or group known for their cautious or vigilant nature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Waring appears in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Waring, who held estates in Worcestershire and Warwickshire. This entry provides evidence that the surname was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 12th century, the name Waring is found in various contemporary records, such as the Pipe Rolls and the Curia Regis Rolls. These documents reference individuals with the surname, indicating its continued use throughout medieval England. The name also appeared in various spellings, including Wareing, Waringe, and Waryng, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era.

The Waring surname is associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded figures was John Waring (c. 1425-1489), a wealthy merchant and alderman of London. Another prominent figure was Robert Waring (1614-1658), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

In the 18th century, a distinguished member of the Waring family was Edward Waring (1736-1798), a renowned English mathematician and Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. His seminal work, "Meditationes Algebraicae," published in 1770, greatly influenced the development of modern algebra.

Another notable figure was Walter Waring (1775-1853), a British army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament. His son, Walter Waring (1816-1891), followed in his footsteps and had a distinguished military career, serving in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

The Waring surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Waring Green in Warwickshire and Waring Street in Lowestoft, Suffolk. These place names further attest to the historical presence of the Waring family in various regions of the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Waring families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Waring 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 1,495 Warings recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.43x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,495 3.43x
Yorkshire 791 2.18x
Cheshire 313 3.86x
Warwickshire 136 1.47x
Middlesex 122 0.33x
Staffordshire 116 0.94x
Gloucestershire 92 1.28x
Leicestershire 77 1.89x
Surrey 71 0.40x
Derbyshire 66 1.15x
Northamptonshire 66 1.91x
Worcestershire 45 0.94x
Nottinghamshire 43 0.87x
Kent 39 0.31x
Durham 31 0.28x
Lincolnshire 28 0.48x
Hertfordshire 23 0.91x
Devon 21 0.27x
Hampshire 21 0.28x
Herefordshire 20 1.33x
Essex 17 0.23x
Suffolk 14 0.31x
Shropshire 13 0.41x
Glamorgan 10 0.16x
Berkshire 9 0.33x
Montgomeryshire 9 1.07x
Monmouthshire 8 0.30x
Somerset 8 0.14x
Wiltshire 8 0.25x
Bedfordshire 6 0.32x
Dorset 6 0.25x
Flintshire 6 0.61x
Cumberland 5 0.16x
Sussex 5 0.08x
Oxfordshire 4 0.18x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.14x
Rutland 3 1.11x
Westmorland 3 0.37x
Norfolk 2 0.04x
Royal Navy 2 0.46x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Isle of Man 1 0.15x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Merionethshire 1 0.15x
Stirlingshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 163 Warings recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.07x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 163 14.07x
Darton 93 249.66x
Preston 74 6.35x
Chorley 72 29.47x
Morley 66 34.91x
Tranmere 63 21.16x
Dewsbury 49 13.14x
Birkenhead 42 6.50x
Huddersfield 37 6.98x
Liverpool 35 1.32x
Great Harwood 34 43.20x
Toxteth Park 34 2.31x
Bradford 32 3.63x
Warrington 31 6.01x
West Derby 31 2.43x
Withnell 31 116.02x
Hellidon 30 751.88x
Whittle Le Woods 30 207.90x
Great Bolton 28 4.85x
Over Darwen 28 8.05x
Livesey 26 34.02x
Salford 26 2.03x
Dilworth 25 93.70x
Everton 25 1.80x
Walton Le Dale 25 21.37x
North South Anston 24 150.94x
Birmingham 23 0.75x
Layton With Warbreck 23 14.39x
Shitlington 23 61.14x
North Meols 21 4.93x
Parr 21 13.48x
Sheepshed 21 37.66x
Tottington Lower End 21 10.15x
Wheelton 21 107.80x
Ecclesall Bierlow 19 2.57x
Kirkdale 19 2.59x
Leeds 19 0.93x
Radcliffe 19 9.05x
Tring 19 28.14x
Barrow In Furness 18 3.04x
Wigan 18 2.96x
Battersea 17 1.26x
Castleford 17 12.84x
Coventry Holy Trinity 17 6.15x
Habergham Eaves 17 4.27x
Leyland 17 22.44x
Sutton In Ashfield 17 15.84x
Eastham 16 147.60x
Lambeth 16 0.50x
Paddington London 16 1.19x
Dudley 15 2.57x
Eccleston In Prescot 15 6.86x
Heskin 15 312.50x
Horton In Bradford 15 2.64x
Kings Norton 15 3.49x
Rotherham 15 7.32x
Ardwick 14 3.56x
Bootle Cum Linacre 14 4.05x
Clifton 14 42.85x
Eccleshill 14 147.37x
Kirkham 14 24.32x
Leicester St Margaret 14 1.41x
Stanton 14 353.54x
Accrington 13 3.28x
Aston 13 0.51x
Barnsley 13 3.47x
Clifton 13 3.57x
Droylsden 13 9.15x
Newington 13 0.96x
Poulton Cum Spital 13 259.48x
St Marylebone London 13 0.66x
Wakefield 13 4.66x
Walton On Hill 13 5.51x
West Ham 13 0.81x
Wootton 13 565.22x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 12 1.77x
Derby St Werburgh 12 3.62x
Dorstone 12 213.52x
St Pancras London 12 0.41x
Warwick St Mary 12 14.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 288
Elizabeth 177
Sarah 137
Ann 104
Jane 97
Ellen 85
Alice 82
Margaret 58
Annie 53
Martha 51
Hannah 50
Emma 42
Eliza 38
Emily 34
Harriet 32
Catherine 22
Ada 21
Charlotte 20
Lucy 19
Agnes 18
Edith 17
Esther 17
Louisa 17
Anne 16
Fanny 16
Florence 15
Maria 15
Clara 14
Caroline 12
Isabella 12
Frances 10
Kate 10
Lydia 10
Eleanor 9
Laura 9
Susannah 9
Betsy 8
Susan 8
Elizth. 7
Ethel 7
Jessie 7
Minnie 7
Rachel 7
Grace 6
Maud 6
Rose 6
Amy 5
Betty 5
Henrietta 5
Julia 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 226
William 186
Thomas 178
James 134
George 111
Joseph 91
Henry 74
Richard 70
Charles 40
Edward 39
Samuel 35
Robert 33
Arthur 28
Walter 21
Alfred 20
Peter 20
Albert 19
Francis 19
Frederick 19
Thos. 14
David 13
Edwin 13
Wm. 12
Harry 11
Herbert 10
Tom 9
Benjamin 8
Edmund 8
Ernest 8
Fred 8
Alexander 7
Frank 7
Abraham 6
Geo. 6
Isaac 6
Jno. 5
Job 5
Ralph 5
Ben 4
Christopher 4
Elijah 4
Emanuel 4
Levi 4
Sam 4
Harold 3
Hugh 3
Jabez 3
Mathew 3
Noah 3
Percy 3

FAQ

Waring surname: questions and answers

How common was the Waring surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,768 people were recorded with the Waring surname. That placed it at #1,216 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Waring surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,198 in 2016. That gives Waring a modern rank of #1,297.

What does the Waring surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "dweller at the dam or weir" in Old English.

What does the Waring map show?

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