NameCensus.

UK surname

Warters

A habitational surname derived from the town of Warter in Yorkshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 191 people recorded with the Warters surname, ranking it #13,224 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 210, ranked #18,965, down from #13,224 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Norton, Whitby and Westerham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Hambleton and Ryedale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Warters is 236 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.9%.

1881 census count

191

Ranked #13,224

Modern count

210

2016, ranked #18,965

Peak year

1851

236 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Warters had 191 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,224 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 210 in 2016, ranked #18,965.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 236 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Warters surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Warters surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Warters 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 236 #9,174
1861 historical 218 #11,175
1881 historical 191 #13,224
1891 historical 179 #16,198
1901 historical 168 #16,886
1911 historical 187 #15,600
1997 modern 179 #18,889
1998 modern 198 #18,224
1999 modern 198 #18,343
2000 modern 191 #18,752
2001 modern 195 #18,215
2002 modern 206 #17,966
2003 modern 196 #18,358
2004 modern 198 #18,308
2005 modern 200 #18,144
2006 modern 215 #17,441
2007 modern 212 #17,803
2008 modern 203 #18,470
2009 modern 207 #18,600
2010 modern 219 #18,319
2011 modern 211 #18,630
2012 modern 206 #18,837
2013 modern 215 #18,598
2014 modern 212 #18,945
2015 modern 215 #18,659
2016 modern 210 #18,965

Geography

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Where Warters' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Norton, Whitby, Westerham, Pocklington and Hunmanby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Hambleton, Ryedale and Peterborough. 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 Norton Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Whitby Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Westerham Kent
4 Pocklington Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Hunmanby Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 001 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Hambleton 004 Hambleton
3 Ryedale 008 Ryedale
4 Peterborough 004 Peterborough
5 Ryedale 004 Ryedale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Warters

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Warters

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Warters is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Warters is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Warters

The surname Warters has its origins in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "weortere," which translates to "one who works or guards." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a guard or watchman.

One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, where it is spelled as "Wartur." This record provides evidence of the name's existence during the medieval period in England.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Warter," "Wartre," and "Wartyr," as recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1327. These variations in spelling were common during this time, as standardized spellings were not yet established.

The Warters surname has been linked to several place names in England, including Warter in the East Riding of Yorkshire and Warter Priory, an Augustinian monastery founded in the 12th century. It is possible that some individuals bearing the surname may have derived their name from these locations or had an association with them.

Notable individuals with the surname Warters include:

1. Thomas Warters (c. 1400 - 1478), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of St. Asaph from 1472 until his death. 2. John Warters (c. 1520 - 1592), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Exeter in 1559. 3. Elizabeth Warters (c. 1580 - 1635), an English poet and author known for her work "The Virtuous Ladies' Delight." 4. William Warters (1678 - 1746), a British soldier who fought in the War of the Spanish Succession and later became the Governor of Bombay. 5. Margaret Warters (1725 - 1798), a Scottish botanist and naturalist renowned for her contributions to the study of plant life in the 18th century.

While the Warters surname may have been more prevalent in certain regions of England during its early history, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and settlement patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Warters families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Warters 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 93 Warters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.01x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 93 5.01x
Middlesex 34 1.82x
Hertfordshire 8 6.20x
Essex 6 1.62x
Kent 5 0.78x
Lincolnshire 5 1.67x
Norfolk 5 1.74x
Shropshire 5 3.09x
Durham 4 0.72x
Northumberland 4 1.44x
Staffordshire 4 0.63x
Hampshire 3 0.78x
Huntingdonshire 3 8.07x
Lancashire 3 0.14x
Northamptonshire 2 1.14x
Warwickshire 2 0.42x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.84x
Devon 1 0.26x
Gloucestershire 1 0.27x
Lanarkshire 1 0.17x
Royal Navy 1 4.48x
Suffolk 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitby in Yorkshire leads with 20 Warters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 320.00x.

Place Total Index
Whitby 20 320.00x
Fordon 11 27500.00x
Islington London 9 4.96x
Fryton 8 13333.33x
Ware 8 216.22x
Norton In Malton 7 311.11x
St George In East 7 54.95x
Colchester St Botolph 5 159.24x
Coneysthorpe 5 4166.67x
Gilling East 5 3125.00x
Shoreditch London 5 6.16x
Westerham 5 340.14x
Wortley In Bramley 5 34.01x
Fxhls Bythrp Btrwch 4 1481.48x
Great Driffield 4 104.99x
Stafford St Mary 4 44.69x
Ashford 3 202.70x
Barnoldby Le Beck 3 2142.86x
Cottingham 3 75.00x
Fakenham 3 211.27x
Fylingdales 3 322.58x
Minsterley 3 500.00x
New Malton 3 135.14x
Overton 3 326.09x
Stockton On Tees 3 11.17x
Tetworth 3 2307.69x
Barby Cum Onley 2 555.56x
Clerkenwell London 2 4.52x
Holy Trinity 2 4.48x
Linthorpe 2 18.05x
North Shields 2 35.97x
Stratford On Avon 2 76.34x
Sutton Stoneferry 2 37.66x
Willesden 2 11.33x
Bradbury 1 833.33x
Burton Agnes 1 454.55x
Caytn Deepdal Kilrby 1 256.41x
Chipping Campden 1 83.33x
Church Pulverbach 1 384.62x
East Bedfont 1 107.53x
Freckleton 1 136.99x
Fulham London 1 3.68x
Gate Fulford 1 23.09x
Glasgow 1 0.93x
Great Maplestead 1 400.00x
Great Yarmouth 1 4.19x
Huttons Ambo 1 370.37x
Lowestoft 1 9.28x
Lythe 1 135.14x
Marton Cum Moxby 1 1111.11x
Mepal 1 416.67x
Mile End Old Town 1 3.38x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 6.01x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 6.93x
North Meols 1 4.60x
Norwich St Lawrence 1 256.41x
Pontesbury 1 50.76x
Rillington 1 178.57x
Royal Navy 1 5.24x
Ruswarp 1 48.54x
Sidmouth 1 44.84x
St Clement Danes 1 33.00x
St George Hanover 1 4.09x
St Marylebone London 1 1.00x
Sutton St Mary 1 35.34x
Todmorden Walsden 1 16.81x
Tydd St Mary 1 166.67x
York All Sts North 1 108.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 9
Sarah 9
Jane 7
Ann 5
Emily 4
Caroline 3
Kate 3
Ada 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Adelaide 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Celia 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Jemima 1
Jeminia 1
Jessee 1
Leah 1
M.A. 1
Margarat 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Rhoda 1
Rosa 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 14
Thomas 8
George 6
Robert 6
James 5
Joseph 4
Arthur 3
Frederick 3
Herbert 3
Edward 2
Henry 2
Isaac 2
Alfred 1
Anthony 1
Charles 1
Christopher 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Greenwood 1
Henery 1
Horace 1
Jacob 1
Jno. 1
Lennard 1
Mark 1
Martin 1
Mikel 1
Owen 1
Revd 1
Richard 1
Ruben 1
S... 1
Salmon 1
Tom 1
W.W. 1
Walter 1
Wm.F. 1

FAQ

Warters surname: questions and answers

How common was the Warters surname in 1881?

In 1881, 191 people were recorded with the Warters surname. That placed it at #13,224 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Warters surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 210 in 2016. That gives Warters a modern rank of #18,965.

What does the Warters surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from the town of Warter in Yorkshire, England.

What does the Warters map show?

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