NameCensus.

UK surname

Warne

A toponymic surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone living near a mill pond or dam.

In the 1881 census there were 2,167 people recorded with the Warne surname, ranking it #2,050 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,946, ranked #2,287, down from #2,050 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ringwood, London parishes and Newchurch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall and Waveney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Warne is 3,385 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.9%.

1881 census count

2,167

Ranked #2,050

Modern count

2,946

2016, ranked #2,287

Peak year

1999

3,385 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Warne had 2,167 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,050 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,946 in 2016, ranked #2,287.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,130 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Warne surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Warne surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Warne 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 1,351 #2,128
1861 historical 1,423 #1,998
1881 historical 2,167 #2,050
1891 historical 2,528 #1,875
1901 historical 2,993 #1,870
1911 historical 3,130 #1,664
1997 modern 3,191 #2,014
1998 modern 3,379 #1,979
1999 modern 3,385 #1,999
2000 modern 3,278 #2,056
2001 modern 3,174 #2,074
2002 modern 3,263 #2,064
2003 modern 3,180 #2,067
2004 modern 3,170 #2,070
2005 modern 3,083 #2,095
2006 modern 3,082 #2,099
2007 modern 3,039 #2,154
2008 modern 3,069 #2,146
2009 modern 3,133 #2,157
2010 modern 3,150 #2,194
2011 modern 3,115 #2,190
2012 modern 2,977 #2,244
2013 modern 3,047 #2,232
2014 modern 3,062 #2,231
2015 modern 2,980 #2,274
2016 modern 2,946 #2,287

Geography

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Where Warnes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ringwood, London parishes, Newchurch and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall and Waveney. 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 Ringwood Hampshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Newchurch Hampshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 019 Cornwall
2 Waveney 015 Waveney
3 Cornwall 045 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 013 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 006 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Warne

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Warne

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Warne is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Warne is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Warne

The surname Warne is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from an Old English personal name "Warin" or "Warine", which itself comes from the Germanic name "Warin" meaning "guard" or "protector". The name is believed to have originated in the county of Warwickshire, England, during the early medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Warne can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Warinus" and "Warinus Venator" (Warine the Hunter). This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202, where it was recorded as "Warinus". Other early spellings included "Waryn", "Waryne", and "Warne".

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Warne. One of the earliest was Sir John Warne (c. 1340-1410), a nobleman and knight who served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire in 1391 and 1399.

Another prominent figure was Richard Warne (c. 1570-1635), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Michael's Church in Coventry and wrote several religious works.

In the 19th century, Samuel Warne (1792-1863) was a successful English publisher and bookseller based in London, known for publishing works by authors such as Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Warne was Shane Warne (1969-2022), an Australian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the sport. He played international cricket for Australia from 1992 to 2007 and was a key member of the team that won the 1999 Cricket World Cup.

Another notable figure was Colston Warne (1889-1969), an American economist and professor who served as the president of Mills College in Oakland, California, from 1935 to 1958.

The surname Warne has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Warnford in Hampshire, Warninglid in Sussex, and Warnhill in Wiltshire, which may have influenced the development and spread of the name over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Warne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Warne 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. Middlesex leads with 419 Warnes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.96x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 419 1.96x
Cornwall 400 16.57x
Hampshire 326 7.46x
Suffolk 196 7.55x
Surrey 163 1.57x
Devon 157 3.54x
Lancashire 59 0.23x
Kent 57 0.78x
Norfolk 49 1.49x
Essex 40 0.95x
Dorset 35 2.50x
Durham 35 0.55x
Yorkshire 27 0.13x
Sussex 22 0.61x
Gloucestershire 20 0.48x
Channel Islands 16 2.53x
Glamorgan 14 0.38x
Leicestershire 14 0.59x
Northamptonshire 13 0.65x
Warwickshire 13 0.24x
Cheshire 11 0.23x
Denbighshire 11 1.37x
Flintshire 10 1.74x
Northumberland 9 0.28x
Somerset 9 0.26x
Wiltshire 9 0.48x
Berkshire 7 0.44x
Lincolnshire 7 0.21x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.44x
Fife 5 0.40x
Hertfordshire 5 0.34x
Bedfordshire 4 0.36x
Derbyshire 4 0.12x
Royal Navy 3 1.18x
Worcestershire 3 0.11x
Staffordshire 2 0.03x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.08x
Cumberland 1 0.05x
Herefordshire 1 0.11x
Merionethshire 1 0.26x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.20x
Shropshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ringwood in Hampshire leads with 58 Warnes recorded in 1881 and an index of 207.44x.

Place Total Index
Ringwood 58 207.44x
Northwood 46 73.91x
St Austell 46 55.74x
Islington London 33 1.60x
Portsea 32 3.74x
Kensington London 31 2.61x
St Pancras London 31 1.81x
Perranzabuloe 30 144.02x
Fressingfield 26 310.63x
St Kew 26 323.38x
Calstock 24 50.70x
Camberwell 23 1.69x
Lambeth 23 1.24x
Stoke Damerel 23 7.40x
Tottenham 23 6.77x
Carisbrooke 22 36.26x
Clerkenwell London 22 4.37x
Battersea 21 2.68x
Southwark St George Martyr 21 4.89x
Chelsea London 20 3.11x
Egloshayle 20 176.68x
Halesworth 19 103.15x
Hampstead London 19 5.72x
St Marylebone London 19 1.67x
Weymouth 19 71.67x
Hornsey 18 6.68x
Edmonton 17 9.89x
Southampton St Mary 17 6.19x
St Columb Major 17 84.83x
Tormoham 17 9.05x
West Ham 17 1.83x
Clapham 16 6.00x
Ipswich St Clement 16 24.24x
Lidford 16 80.28x
Plymouth Charles The 15 7.67x
Whippingham 15 45.32x
Brading 14 24.10x
Shorwell 14 312.50x
Walkhampton 14 329.41x
Kettleburgh 13 613.21x
Stockton On Tees 13 4.25x
Teddington London 13 26.91x
Heigham 12 6.82x
Sunbury 12 46.86x
Bersham 11 32.01x
Bow London 11 4.05x
Hammersmith London 11 2.09x
Marytavy 11 168.20x
Swanscombe 11 33.65x
West Looe 11 172.96x
Alverstoke 10 6.32x
Bedfield 10 364.96x
Bromley London 10 2.13x
Croydon 10 1.73x
Little Hulton 10 23.87x
Paddington London 10 1.28x
St Anne Soho London 10 8.21x
St Sampson 10 35.12x
St Teath 10 68.78x
Wellingborough 10 9.92x
Whitford 10 33.66x
Blaxhall 9 240.00x
Brighton 9 1.24x
Croxton Keyrial 9 225.00x
Erpingham 9 338.35x
Limehouse London 9 3.84x
Mabe 9 181.45x
Roche 9 73.41x
Sampford Spiney 9 300.00x
St Breock 9 69.02x
Stoke Newington London 9 5.42x
Windle 9 6.32x
Aldringham 8 214.48x
Escomb 8 27.44x
Godshill 8 79.29x
Liskeard 8 19.81x
Menheniot 8 79.84x
Shoreditch London 8 0.87x
Southwark Christchurch 8 8.01x
St Germans 8 47.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 124
Elizabeth 94
Jane 62
Emma 42
Sarah 40
Alice 29
Annie 29
Ann 28
Emily 28
Louisa 27
Ellen 25
Eliza 24
Susan 21
Fanny 19
Maria 19
Charlotte 18
Edith 16
Ada 15
Caroline 15
Kate 15
Martha 14
Florence 13
Anne 12
Grace 12
Hannah 12
Harriet 12
Catherine 11
Rose 11
Sophia 9
Amelia 8
Bessie 8
Frances 8
Lucy 8
Margaret 8
Agnes 7
Isabella 7
Jessie 7
Elizth. 6
Lily 6
May 6
Laura 5
Matilda 5
Adelaide 4
Harriett 4
Helen 4
Jemima 4
Julia 4
Lavinia 4
Lydia 4
Minnie 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 155
John 117
George 90
James 63
Thomas 55
Charles 50
Henry 48
Joseph 36
Frederick 32
Edward 27
Richard 25
Walter 24
Alfred 23
Robert 23
Arthur 18
Samuel 18
Albert 16
Ernest 14
Frank 12
Harry 9
Herbert 9
Fredrick 8
Francis 6
Percy 6
Thos. 6
David 5
Edwin 5
Fred 5
Leonard 5
Peter 5
Wm. 5
Benjamin 4
Fredk. 4
Geo. 4
Jonathan 4
Stephen 4
Tom 4
Edgar 3
Jacob 3
Joshua 3
Sidney 3
Simon 3
Willie 3
Absolom 2
Alexander 2
Frederic 2
Jas. 2
Jessie 2
Robt. 2
T.Brook 2

FAQ

Warne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Warne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,167 people were recorded with the Warne surname. That placed it at #2,050 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Warne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,946 in 2016. That gives Warne a modern rank of #2,287.

What does the Warne surname mean?

A toponymic surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone living near a mill pond or dam.

What does the Warne map show?

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