NameCensus.

UK surname

Warton

A location surname referring to someone from Warton, a town in Lancashire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 523 people recorded with the Warton surname, ranking it #6,537 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 215, ranked #18,670, down from #6,537 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Appleby St Lawrence and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Erewash, St Edmundsbury and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Warton is 712 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 58.9%.

1881 census count

523

Ranked #6,537

Modern count

215

2016, ranked #18,670

Peak year

1861

712 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Warton had 523 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,537 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016, ranked #18,670.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 712 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Warton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Warton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Warton 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 517 #4,841
1861 historical 712 #3,811
1881 historical 523 #6,537
1891 historical 544 #6,940
1901 historical 414 #9,254
1911 historical 333 #10,624
1997 modern 237 #15,809
1998 modern 228 #16,706
1999 modern 233 #16,554
2000 modern 239 #16,239
2001 modern 232 #16,314
2002 modern 235 #16,495
2003 modern 230 #16,549
2004 modern 227 #16,778
2005 modern 217 #17,217
2006 modern 223 #17,036
2007 modern 217 #17,520
2008 modern 218 #17,638
2009 modern 220 #17,911
2010 modern 223 #18,096
2011 modern 216 #18,321
2012 modern 207 #18,777
2013 modern 213 #18,743
2014 modern 217 #18,645
2015 modern 216 #18,600
2016 modern 215 #18,670

Geography

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Where Wartons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Appleby St Lawrence, London parishes and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Erewash, St Edmundsbury, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wealden and Huntingdonshire. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Appleby St Lawrence Westmorland
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Erewash 008 Erewash
2 St Edmundsbury 014 St Edmundsbury
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 009 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 Wealden 001 Wealden
5 Huntingdonshire 012 Huntingdonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Warton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Warton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Warton, 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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Warton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Warton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Periphery

Within London, Warton is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Warton is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Warton 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 Warton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Warton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Warton

The surname Warton is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the place name Warton, a village located in Lancashire, England. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "woer" meaning a weir or dam, and "tun" meaning a settlement or enclosure.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Warton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Warton" and "Wertun." This suggests that the surname was already established in parts of northern England by the late 11th century.

One notable historical figure with the surname Warton was Sir Michael Warton (c. 1328-1386), a English knight who served under Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He fought in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and was later appointed as the Governor of Calais.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Thomas Warton (1688-1745), an English academic and poet who served as the Professor of Poetry at the University of Oxford from 1718 to 1728. His son, Thomas Warton the Younger (1728-1790), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned literary critic and historian.

In the 18th century, Joseph Warton (1722-1800), the younger brother of Thomas Warton the Younger, gained recognition as a poet and critic. He served as the Headmaster of Winchester College and was also appointed as the Poet Laureate of England in 1785.

William Warton (1674-1739), an English theologian and academic, held the position of Rector of Uphurstbourne in Hampshire and was also a prebendary of Winchester Cathedral. He published several theological works during his lifetime.

Another notable figure with the surname Warton was Henry Warton (1555-1595), an English Roman Catholic martyr who was executed for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1970.

The surname Warton has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with its origins rooted in the place name Warton in Lancashire. Over the centuries, individuals with this surname have contributed to various fields, including literature, academia, religion, and military service.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Warton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Warton 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 88 Wartons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.73x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 88 1.73x
Lancashire 68 1.13x
Staffordshire 43 2.51x
Yorkshire 41 0.81x
Bedfordshire 31 11.78x
Surrey 30 1.21x
Durham 21 1.39x
Sussex 21 2.45x
Nottinghamshire 20 2.92x
Shropshire 20 4.55x
Worcestershire 17 2.56x
Essex 13 1.30x
Cheshire 12 1.07x
Devon 12 1.13x
Oxfordshire 12 3.82x
Gloucestershire 9 0.90x
Kent 9 0.52x
Warwickshire 8 0.62x
Buckinghamshire 7 2.28x
Derbyshire 7 0.88x
Flintshire 6 4.39x
Cumberland 3 0.69x
Northumberland 3 0.40x
Westmorland 3 2.69x
Glamorgan 2 0.23x
Hertfordshire 2 0.57x
Lincolnshire 2 0.25x
Norfolk 2 0.26x
Northamptonshire 2 0.42x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.31x
Herefordshire 1 0.48x
Leicestershire 1 0.18x
Royal Navy 1 1.65x
Somerset 1 0.12x
Suffolk 1 0.16x
Wigtownshire 1 1.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Arnold in Nottinghamshire leads with 14 Wartons recorded in 1881 and an index of 140.00x.

Place Total Index
Arnold 14 140.00x
Islington London 14 2.84x
Elstow 13 1340.21x
Lambeth 12 2.71x
St Pancras London 11 2.69x
Hackney London 10 3.51x
Chelsea London 9 5.88x
Loughton 9 181.45x
Preston 9 5.58x
Stockton On Tees 9 12.35x
Toxteth Park 9 4.41x
Bethnal Green London 8 3.62x
Bilston 8 24.06x
Cuckfield 8 92.38x
Rowley Regis 8 16.73x
Aston 7 1.98x
Bedford St Peter 7 102.34x
Brighton 7 4.05x
Clerkenwell London 7 5.84x
Formby 7 102.49x
Gateshead 7 6.18x
Hughenden 7 222.93x
Oswestry Town 7 49.79x
St George Hanover 7 10.55x
Audley 6 35.36x
Monks Coppenhall 6 14.17x
Over Wyresdale 6 674.16x
Plymouth Charles The 6 12.87x
Windlesham 6 128.76x
Bingley 5 15.59x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 5 100.40x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 5.22x
Clapham 5 7.87x
Clayton Le Woods 5 892.86x
Great Torrington 5 83.33x
Kempston 5 83.75x
Sedgley 5 7.85x
Sowerby In Halifax 5 30.36x
Stoke Upon Trent 5 2.75x
Thame 5 87.57x
Tong 5 51.39x
Wolverhampton 5 3.79x
Church Stretton 4 135.59x
Dewsbury 4 7.74x
Gradley 4 124.61x
Hammersmith London 4 3.19x
Nether Hallam 4 5.87x
Openshaw 4 14.16x
Sheffield 4 2.49x
Shoreditch London 4 1.82x
St Lawrence 4 33.56x
Stokenchurch 4 142.35x
Warley Salop 4 421.05x
Westbury On Trym 4 11.84x
Whitechapel London 4 7.98x
Bedford St Mary 3 44.25x
Bristol St Nicholas 3 167.60x
Cardington 3 140.19x
Cliff Cum Lund 3 267.86x
Everton 3 1.56x
Hucknall Torkard 3 17.27x
Mold 3 24.21x
Mold Hartsheath 3 857.14x
Oswaldtwistle 3 14.08x
South Blyth Newsham 3 201.34x
St Giles In Fields 3 17.11x
St Marylebone London 3 1.11x
Stourbridge 3 17.56x
Street 3 937.50x
Appleby St Lawrence 2 78.74x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 2.13x
Colton 2 63.69x
Frimley 2 28.37x
Hulme 2 1.59x
Kings Norton 2 3.36x
Newick 2 106.38x
Newington 2 1.07x
Oldham 2 1.03x
Tettenhall 2 19.07x
Whitehaven 2 8.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 34
Elizabeth 26
Sarah 21
Ann 13
Jane 11
Eliza 9
Annie 8
Ellen 8
Margaret 8
Emma 7
Martha 7
Ada 6
Alice 6
Charlotte 5
Florence 5
Hannah 5
Louisa 5
Katherine 4
Lucy 4
Bertha 3
Caroline 3
Clara 3
Emily 3
Fanny 3
Harriet 3
Isabella 3
Agnes 2
Amy 2
Catherine 2
Eleanor 2
Francis 2
Harriett 2
Maria 2
Minnie 2
Ruth 2
Susannah 2
Adelaide 1
Barthy 1
Beatrice 1
Bessey 1
Dorothy 1
E. 1
El.Beatrice 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth. 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
Isabel 1
Jessie 1
Una 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 37
William 32
Thomas 22
Charles 11
George 9
Henry 9
James 9
Joseph 9
Richard 9
Edward 8
Robert 8
Arthur 6
Frederick 4
Walter 4
Benjamin 3
Frank 3
Alfred 2
Francis 2
Michael 2
Peter 2
Wm. 2
Andrew 1
Benjamen 1
Charlie 1
Chas.James 1
Cuthbert 1
D.H. 1
David 1
Edith 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fillias 1
Fred. 1
Fred.William 1
Fredk.W. 1
French 1
Geoffrey 1
Gilbert 1
Gorge 1
Jacob 1
Jno. 1
Jonah 1
Jonathan 1
Laurence 1
Mathew 1
Mike 1
Mortham 1
Oliver 1
P. 1
Zackeus 1

FAQ

Warton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Warton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 523 people were recorded with the Warton surname. That placed it at #6,537 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Warton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016. That gives Warton a modern rank of #18,670.

What does the Warton surname mean?

A location surname referring to someone from Warton, a town in Lancashire, England.

What does the Warton map show?

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