NameCensus.

UK surname

Warren

An occupational surname referring to a gamekeeper or caretaker of a game park or preserve.

In the 1881 census there were 19,899 people recorded with the Warren surname, ranking it #189 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 26,392, ranked #212, down from #189 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Braintree and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Warren is 27,840 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.6%.

1881 census count

19,899

Ranked #189

Modern count

26,392

2016, ranked #212

Peak year

1999

27,840 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Warren had 19,899 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #189 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 26,392 in 2016, ranked #212.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 27,198 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Warren surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Warren surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Warren 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 12,903 #183
1861 historical 11,502 #211
1881 historical 19,899 #189
1891 historical 20,983 #184
1901 historical 24,981 #183
1911 historical 27,198 #148
1997 modern 26,695 #201
1998 modern 27,739 #201
1999 modern 27,840 #202
2000 modern 27,640 #202
2001 modern 27,035 #202
2002 modern 27,487 #202
2003 modern 26,784 #203
2004 modern 26,714 #203
2005 modern 26,095 #206
2006 modern 26,116 #207
2007 modern 26,229 #207
2008 modern 26,298 #208
2009 modern 26,810 #209
2010 modern 27,320 #208
2011 modern 26,920 #207
2012 modern 26,407 #209
2013 modern 26,917 #210
2014 modern 27,019 #209
2015 modern 26,625 #211
2016 modern 26,392 #212

Geography

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Where Warrens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Braintree, Rhondda Cynon Taf, North West Leicestershire and South Derbyshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
2 Braintree 004 Braintree
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 007 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 North West Leicestershire 001 North West Leicestershire
5 South Derbyshire 012 South Derbyshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Warren

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Warren

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

Warren is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Warren falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Warren 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 Warren, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Warren

The surname Warren is of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French word "warrene" meaning "animal enclosure" or "hunting preserve". It is believed to have originated in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Norman nobles and their followers settled in the country and were granted lands by William the Conqueror.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 12th century, with a mention of a William de Warenne in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is also found in various medieval records and manuscripts, such as the Pipe Rolls and the Curia Regis Rolls.

One of the most notable bearers of the surname was William de Warenne, Earl of Surrey (c. 1166-1240), a powerful Norman nobleman who played a significant role in the Barons' War against King John. Another prominent figure was John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey (c. 1286-1347), who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence and the Hundred Years' War.

In addition to its association with noble families, the surname Warren was also derived from various place names in England, such as Warren in Somerset, Warrington in Lancashire, and Warrener in Northamptonshire. These place names often referred to areas where game was kept for hunting.

Other notable individuals with the surname Warren include Joseph Warren (1741-1775), an American Revolutionary leader who was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and Mercy Otis Warren (1728-1814), an American writer and playwright who was a prominent figure in the American Revolution. In the 19th century, Samuel P. Warren (1809-1867) was an American jurist and author who wrote several influential legal treatises.

The Warren surname has also been borne by several notable artists and writers, including Robert Penn Warren (1905-1989), an American poet and novelist who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and Mercy Warren (1805-1828), an American novelist and playwright who was a pioneer of early American literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Warren families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Warren 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 3,184 Warrens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.63x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 3,184 1.63x
Surrey 1,469 1.54x
Devon 1,404 3.45x
Lancashire 1,120 0.48x
Essex 1,105 2.87x
Somerset 776 2.47x
Kent 766 1.15x
Cornwall 731 3.31x
Hampshire 663 1.66x
Suffolk 584 2.45x
Dorset 572 4.46x
Northamptonshire 562 3.06x
Gloucestershire 526 1.37x
Derbyshire 506 1.65x
Yorkshire 451 0.23x
Warwickshire 446 0.91x
Hertfordshire 433 3.22x
Staffordshire 394 0.60x
Norfolk 385 1.28x
Leicestershire 356 1.64x
Cheshire 352 0.82x
Bedfordshire 323 3.19x
Cambridgeshire 310 2.51x
Buckinghamshire 279 2.36x
Durham 233 0.40x
Wiltshire 229 1.33x
Sussex 228 0.69x
Glamorgan 212 0.62x
Lanarkshire 149 0.24x
Worcestershire 139 0.54x
Nottinghamshire 133 0.51x
Lincolnshire 124 0.40x
Channel Islands 97 1.68x
Monmouthshire 93 0.66x
Berkshire 88 0.60x
Northumberland 84 0.29x
Huntingdonshire 61 1.57x
Oxfordshire 60 0.50x
Shropshire 55 0.33x
Royal Navy 41 1.76x
Inverness-shire 40 0.69x
Wigtownshire 33 1.27x
Cumberland 26 0.15x
Herefordshire 25 0.31x
Pembrokeshire 24 0.39x
Ayrshire 21 0.14x
Midlothian 19 0.07x
Angus 15 0.08x
Renfrewshire 12 0.08x
Morayshire 11 0.36x
Stirlingshire 11 0.15x
Carmarthenshire 9 0.11x
Brecknockshire 6 0.15x
Caernarfonshire 6 0.08x
Montgomeryshire 6 0.13x
Flintshire 5 0.10x
Westmorland 5 0.12x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.02x
Dunbartonshire 3 0.06x
Merionethshire 3 0.08x
Orkney 3 0.14x
Rutland 3 0.21x
Denbighshire 2 0.03x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.05x
Banffshire 1 0.02x
Berwickshire 1 0.04x
Fife 1 0.01x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.04x
Nairnshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 350 Warrens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.85x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 350 1.85x
Lambeth 290 1.70x
Hackney London 232 2.12x
St Pancras London 228 1.45x
Kensington London 199 1.83x
Portsea 173 2.20x
Camberwell 169 1.35x
West Ham 154 1.81x
St Marylebone London 147 1.41x
Aston 132 0.97x
Mile End Old Town 131 4.25x
St Just In Penwith 131 30.53x
Paddington London 129 1.80x
Battersea 127 1.77x
Shoreditch London 126 1.49x
Deptford St Paul 122 2.37x
Leicester St Margaret 114 2.16x
St George Hanover 111 4.35x
Birmingham 107 0.65x
Newington 104 1.44x
Bethnal Green London 103 1.21x
Poplar London 101 2.74x
Chelsea London 94 1.60x
Stoke Upon Trent 93 1.33x
Plymouth St Andrew 92 2.94x
Bromley London 91 2.12x
Marnhull 89 95.35x
Stoke Damerel 88 3.09x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 87 2.41x
Liverpool 77 0.55x
Southampton St Mary 77 3.06x
Luton 75 4.28x
Hammersmith London 73 1.52x
Clifton 72 3.72x
Salford 72 1.06x
Southwark St George Martyr 71 1.81x
Northampton Priory St 67 6.08x
Manchester 66 0.63x
Brighton 62 0.93x
West Derby 62 0.91x
Bedminster 61 2.06x
Bermondsey 61 1.05x
Enfield 59 4.60x
Croydon 58 1.10x
Paul 58 14.44x
Ashton Under Lyne 57 1.13x
Fulham London 57 2.01x
Leeds 57 0.52x
Tottenham 56 1.80x
Burwell 55 37.10x
Madron Penzance 54 6.72x
Wickham St Paul 54 228.14x
Hornsey 52 2.11x
Hitchin 51 8.39x
Macclesfield 50 2.61x
St Helier 50 2.65x
Hampstead London 49 1.61x
Ipswich St Clement 48 7.94x
Stoke Goldington 48 88.86x
Edmonton 47 2.99x
Tormoham 47 2.73x
Camborne 46 5.05x
Northampton St Sepulchre 46 4.92x
Plumstead 46 2.07x
St Luke London 46 1.47x
Stapenhill 46 10.11x
Barony 45 0.28x
Llandaff 45 3.98x
Litchurch 44 3.58x
Rochford 44 39.22x
St Buryan 44 48.18x
Church Gresley 43 8.84x
St George In East 43 3.24x
Chorlton On Medlock 42 1.14x
Exeter St Sidwell 42 4.51x
Plymouth Charles The 42 2.34x
Roath 41 2.65x
Willesden 41 2.23x
Woolwich 41 1.67x
Wrestlingworth 41 94.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,238
Elizabeth 819
Sarah 663
Jane 372
Eliza 359
Ann 321
Emma 317
Alice 299
Emily 295
Ellen 294
Annie 259
Louisa 194
Hannah 164
Charlotte 154
Martha 147
Florence 138
Susan 133
Caroline 132
Maria 130
Ada 129
Harriet 128
Margaret 119
Edith 114
Kate 101
Lucy 98
Fanny 97
Clara 90
Minnie 84
Catherine 78
Amelia 70
Harriett 68
Anne 63
Rose 63
Frances 60
Agnes 58
Julia 58
Rebecca 58
Sophia 46
Esther 44
Jessie 44
Elizth. 43
Grace 41
Lydia 41
Anna 40
Matilda 40
Laura 39
Gertrude 38
Bessie 36
Isabella 36
Eleanor 35

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 1,256
John 1,063
George 786
James 599
Thomas 550
Charles 463
Henry 412
Joseph 259
Alfred 247
Frederick 215
Arthur 210
Edward 207
Samuel 203
Walter 191
Robert 182
Richard 157
Albert 147
Harry 121
Ernest 105
Frank 83
Herbert 72
Edwin 70
David 66
Francis 65
Wm. 57
Benjamin 52
Thos. 43
Stephen 36
Fred 35
Peter 34
Fredrick 29
Percy 29
Daniel 27
Fredk. 27
Geo. 26
Isaac 26
Mark 25
Sydney 22
Matthew 21
Sidney 21
Willm. 20
Jesse 19
Andrew 18
Chas. 18
Joshua 18
Eli 15
Edmund 14
Jno. 14
Josiah 14
Leonard 14

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 Warren households.

FAQ

Warren surname: questions and answers

How common was the Warren surname in 1881?

In 1881, 19,899 people were recorded with the Warren surname. That placed it at #189 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Warren surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 26,392 in 2016. That gives Warren a modern rank of #212.

What does the Warren surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a gamekeeper or caretaker of a game park or preserve.

What does the Warren map show?

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