NameCensus.

UK surname

Warrington

A locational surname referring to a town in Lancashire or Buckinghamshire, England, likely meaning "settlement by the weir."

In the 1881 census there were 2,451 people recorded with the Warrington surname, ranking it #1,813 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,400, ranked #2,002, down from #1,813 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Glossop, London parishes and Leeds. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wirral, Shropshire and North Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Warrington is 3,670 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.7%.

1881 census count

2,451

Ranked #1,813

Modern count

3,400

2016, ranked #2,002

Peak year

2000

3,670 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Warrington had 2,451 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,813 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,400 in 2016, ranked #2,002.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,507 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Warrington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Warrington surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Warrington 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 1,526 #1,875
1861 historical 1,733 #1,666
1881 historical 2,451 #1,813
1891 historical 2,706 #1,755
1901 historical 3,183 #1,766
1911 historical 3,507 #1,489
1997 modern 3,500 #1,854
1998 modern 3,656 #1,841
1999 modern 3,664 #1,854
2000 modern 3,670 #1,838
2001 modern 3,575 #1,846
2002 modern 3,664 #1,848
2003 modern 3,557 #1,857
2004 modern 3,566 #1,852
2005 modern 3,477 #1,873
2006 modern 3,431 #1,897
2007 modern 3,469 #1,897
2008 modern 3,496 #1,900
2009 modern 3,570 #1,911
2010 modern 3,649 #1,911
2011 modern 3,615 #1,904
2012 modern 3,469 #1,945
2013 modern 3,541 #1,945
2014 modern 3,530 #1,957
2015 modern 3,456 #1,976
2016 modern 3,400 #2,002

Geography

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Where Warringtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Glossop, London parishes, Leeds, Manchester and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wirral, Shropshire, North Kesteven, Cheshire East 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 Glossop Derbyshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wirral 010 Wirral
2 Shropshire 039 Shropshire
3 North Kesteven 012 North Kesteven
4 Cheshire East 020 Cheshire East
5 East Staffordshire 015 East Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Warrington

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Warrington

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

Warrington 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

Warrington falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Warrington

The surname Warrington has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. The name is derived from the place name Warrington, which is a town located in the county of Cheshire. The place name is believed to come from the Old English words "wær" meaning "weir" or "dam" and "ing" meaning "people" or "settlement," referring to a settlement by a weir or dam.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Walintone." This was an early spelling variation of the place name Warrington. The name likely evolved from "Walintone" to "Warrington" over time as the spelling and pronunciation changed.

In the 13th century, a record from 1279 mentions a "William de Warenton," using an early spelling form of the surname. This suggests that the surname had become established by that time, derived from the place name Warrington.

Notable individuals with the surname Warrington throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Warrington (c. 1574-1638), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wigan. 2. Ralph Warrington (1591-1640), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge. 3. Henry Warrington (1801-1877), an English cricketer who played for the Marylebone Cricket Club and All-England Eleven teams in the early days of the sport. 4. Theodore Warrington (1829-1899), an American politician who served as the Mayor of Philadelphia from 1895 to 1899. 5. William Warrington (1797-1868), an English painter known for his landscapes and historical scenes.

While the surname Warrington has its roots in the town of the same name in Cheshire, it has spread across England and beyond over the centuries. The name's association with the town and its early recorded instances in medieval times contribute to its rich historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Warrington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Warrington 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. Yorkshire leads with 433 Warringtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.82x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 433 1.82x
Cheshire 361 6.83x
Lancashire 303 1.07x
Staffordshire 281 3.48x
Middlesex 167 0.70x
Derbyshire 166 4.43x
Surrey 93 0.80x
Leicestershire 91 3.43x
Kent 72 0.88x
Cambridgeshire 53 3.49x
Huntingdonshire 49 10.30x
Warwickshire 40 0.66x
Lincolnshire 37 0.97x
Sussex 33 0.82x
Hampshire 28 0.57x
Cardiganshire 24 4.11x
Lanarkshire 24 0.31x
Northamptonshire 23 1.02x
Durham 19 0.27x
Essex 18 0.38x
Nottinghamshire 16 0.50x
Midlothian 15 0.47x
Berkshire 13 0.72x
Rutland 12 6.82x
Flintshire 11 1.71x
Herefordshire 10 1.02x
Northumberland 8 0.22x
Glamorgan 6 0.14x
Hertfordshire 6 0.36x
Ross-shire 6 0.91x
Norfolk 5 0.14x
Gloucestershire 4 0.09x
Shropshire 4 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.21x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.57x
Anglesey 2 0.47x
Channel Islands 2 0.28x
Dorset 2 0.13x
Isle of Man 2 0.45x
Royal Navy 2 0.70x
Argyllshire 1 0.15x
Bedfordshire 1 0.08x
Monmouthshire 1 0.06x
Oxfordshire 1 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.13x
Somerset 1 0.03x
Stirlingshire 1 0.11x
Worcestershire 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. Hayfield in Derbyshire leads with 38 Warringtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 165.22x.

Place Total Index
Hayfield 38 165.22x
Sheffield 38 5.03x
Macclesfield 36 15.32x
Tranmere 33 16.99x
Lambeth 32 1.53x
Heckington 31 212.77x
Manchester 31 2.43x
Leeds 30 2.24x
Elland Cum Greetland 29 27.13x
Leicester St Margaret 27 4.17x
Sutton In Macclesfield 27 49.22x
Liverpool 26 1.51x
Altrincham 25 27.07x
Barton Under Needwood 24 163.49x
Cawood 24 264.03x
Ecclesall Bierlow 24 4.97x
Hunslet 23 6.22x
Toxteth Park 23 2.39x
Ramsey 22 57.79x
Sandbach 22 48.79x
Dukinfield 21 8.60x
Brampton 20 202.22x
Wortley In Bramley 20 10.64x
Great Little Saughall 19 325.90x
Levenshulme 19 64.96x
Shoreditch London 19 1.83x
Camberwell 18 1.18x
Glossop Dale 18 10.25x
Saxton Cum 18 606.06x
Stoughton 18 350.88x
Aberystwith 17 33.81x
Leek Lowe 17 15.81x
Salford 17 2.03x
Ardwick 16 6.24x
Barsby 16 769.23x
Dilhorne 16 118.96x
Islington London 16 0.69x
Stoke Upon Trent 16 1.87x
West Derby 16 1.92x
Cotton 15 279.85x
Brinnington 14 28.35x
St Marylebone London 14 1.09x
Cheddleton 13 76.83x
Ecclesfield 13 7.47x
Eccleshall 13 42.41x
Honley 13 31.30x
Bromley London 12 2.28x
Aston 11 0.66x
Hackney London 11 0.82x
Holy Trinity 11 1.93x
Peterborough 11 6.75x
Quarnford 11 307.26x
St Pancras London 11 0.57x
Battersea 10 1.13x
Eccleshill 10 17.32x
Eltham 10 20.89x
Hapton 10 56.31x
Hartshorn 10 70.57x
Hawarden 10 19.77x
Moss Side 10 6.69x
Newton In Ashton Under 10 19.17x
Over 10 110.99x
Ryther Cum Ossendyke 10 418.41x
Stapenhill 10 17.92x
Bethnal Green London 9 0.87x
Burton Extra 9 19.42x
Congleton 9 9.85x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 9 11.86x
Farley 9 231.96x
Gawsworth 9 186.72x
Gorton 9 3.37x
Newbold Astbury 9 142.86x
Newcastle Under Lyme 9 6.29x
North Meols 9 3.24x
Stanton 9 348.84x
Stockton On Tees 9 2.62x
Aldershot 8 4.87x
Ballidon 8 898.88x
Northen Etchells 8 129.03x
Oldham 8 0.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 151
Elizabeth 93
Sarah 90
Ann 68
Emma 47
Jane 46
Alice 36
Ellen 35
Eliza 34
Annie 33
Hannah 29
Emily 26
Martha 26
Harriet 20
Ada 16
Florence 16
Margaret 16
Fanny 15
Charlotte 13
Louisa 13
Maria 13
Edith 12
Harriett 11
Agnes 10
Frances 10
Ruth 10
Anne 9
Lucy 9
Rose 9
Elizth. 8
Caroline 7
Clara 7
Gertrude 7
Rachel 7
Amy 6
Catherine 6
Francis 6
Julia 6
Matilda 6
Rebecca 6
Amelia 5
Beatrice 5
Ethel 5
Bertha 4
Esther 4
Isabella 4
Phoebe 4
Jessie 3
Kate 3
Minnie 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 155
William 152
Thomas 99
George 95
James 76
Joseph 57
Henry 48
Charles 33
Arthur 27
Edward 27
Alfred 24
Albert 22
Richard 22
Robert 22
Herbert 21
Samuel 21
Walter 15
Fred 13
Harry 13
Daniel 12
Frederick 12
Frank 11
Francis 9
Stephen 8
Thos. 8
Benjamin 7
Edwin 7
Levi 7
Wm. 7
Ernest 6
Percy 6
David 5
Joshua 5
Mark 4
Peter 4
Ralph 4
Chas. 3
Geo. 3
Harold 3
Isaac 3
Jesse 3
Jno. 3
Marshall 3
Matthew 3
Richd. 3
Willie 3
Edgar 2
Edwd. 2
Mathew 2
Nathlunb 2

FAQ

Warrington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Warrington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,451 people were recorded with the Warrington surname. That placed it at #1,813 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Warrington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,400 in 2016. That gives Warrington a modern rank of #2,002.

What does the Warrington surname mean?

A locational surname referring to a town in Lancashire or Buckinghamshire, England, likely meaning "settlement by the weir."

What does the Warrington map show?

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