NameCensus.

UK surname

Wase

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Wase.

In the 1881 census there were 115 people recorded with the Wase surname, ranking it #18,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 119, ranked #27,704, down from #18,230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, Broseley and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Arun, Stockton-on-Tees and Taunton Deane.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wase is 181 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.5%.

1881 census count

115

Ranked #18,230

Modern count

119

2016, ranked #27,704

Peak year

1861

181 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wase had 115 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016, ranked #27,704.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 181 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Wase surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wase surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wase 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 181 #12,997
1881 historical 115 #18,230
1891 historical 133 #19,870
1901 historical 153 #17,844
1911 historical 140 #18,657
1997 modern 130 #23,021
1998 modern 141 #22,517
1999 modern 135 #23,279
2000 modern 132 #23,562
2001 modern 130 #23,457
2002 modern 129 #24,021
2003 modern 123 #24,497
2004 modern 132 #23,625
2005 modern 126 #24,287
2006 modern 130 #24,053
2007 modern 126 #24,860
2008 modern 126 #25,131
2009 modern 134 #24,711
2010 modern 135 #25,127
2011 modern 130 #25,547
2012 modern 122 #26,696
2013 modern 127 #26,452
2014 modern 126 #26,781
2015 modern 123 #27,088
2016 modern 119 #27,704

Geography

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Where Wases are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, Broseley, London parishes, Gateshead and Madeley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Arun, Stockton-on-Tees, Taunton Deane and Wychavon. 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 Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst Sussex
2 Broseley Shropshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Madeley Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Arun 002 Arun
2 Stockton-on-Tees 001 Stockton-on-Tees
3 Stockton-on-Tees 008 Stockton-on-Tees
4 Taunton Deane 009 Taunton Deane
5 Wychavon 010 Wychavon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wase

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wase

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Wase is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wase 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

Wase 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 Wase is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Wase

The surname WASE originates from England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "waes," which means "muddy or marshy land." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a locational surname for people living in or near marshy areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the WASE surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, where a person named William Wase is mentioned. The name is also found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which were records of landowners in various counties throughout England.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the WASE surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. Variations in spelling were common during this time, with the name appearing as Wase, Wace, Wayse, and Waise in various records.

Notable individuals with the WASE surname include:

1. Christopher Wase (1625-1690), an English clergyman and antiquarian who served as the Rector of Aynho, Northamptonshire. 2. Sir Jeremiah Wase (1598-1662), an English politician and member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War. 3. Edward Wase (1650-1700), an English scholar and Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, known for his work on medieval manuscripts. 4. Robert Wase (1660-1723), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Sibbertoft, Northamptonshire. 5. Joseph Wase (1671-1738), an English clergyman and Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, who served as the Rector of Aynho, Northamptonshire.

The WASE surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Wase in Staffordshire and Wase Hill in Warwickshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English word "waes" and may have influenced the development of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wase families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wase 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. Shropshire leads with 26 Wases recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.83x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 26 26.83x
Suffolk 18 13.17x
Durham 14 4.19x
Sussex 12 6.34x
Staffordshire 11 2.90x
Surrey 6 1.10x
Yorkshire 6 0.54x
Middlesex 5 0.45x
Warwickshire 5 1.77x
Norfolk 4 2.32x
Kent 3 0.78x
Somerset 2 1.11x
Derbyshire 1 0.57x
Gloucestershire 1 0.45x
Lancashire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westoe in Durham leads with 14 Wases recorded in 1881 and an index of 74.00x.

Place Total Index
Westoe 14 74.00x
Broseley 12 697.67x
Wolstanton 7 60.87x
Astley Abbotts 6 2500.00x
Middlesbrough 6 41.44x
Birmingham 5 5.30x
Gorleston 5 144.09x
Madeley 5 140.85x
Bacton 4 1600.00x
Chillesford 4 4444.44x
Holbrook 4 1333.33x
Pulborough 4 579.71x
Newington 3 7.24x
Plumstead 3 23.51x
Preston 3 90.91x
Attleborough 2 229.89x
Bethnal Green London 2 4.10x
Bressingham 2 1000.00x
Bridgnorth St Mary 2 210.53x
Brighton 2 5.24x
Camberwell 2 2.79x
Huntspill 2 270.27x
St Botolph Aldersgate 2 155.04x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 4.98x
Bristol St Augustine 1 28.17x
Broadwater 1 23.04x
Chebsey 1 526.32x
Harborne 1 8.24x
Honington 1 909.09x
Littlehampton 1 66.23x
Preston 1 2.81x
Preston On Wild Moors 1 1111.11x
Putney 1 19.57x
St George Botolph Lane 1 2500.00x
Tillington 1 294.12x
Whitwell 1 142.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 5
Harriet 5
Catherine 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Dorothy 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Jane 2
Anna 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Edith 1
Eleaner 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Katharine 1
L. 1
Liousa 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Margret 1
Myra 1
Rosa 1
Sara 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Wase surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wase surname in 1881?

In 1881, 115 people were recorded with the Wase surname. That placed it at #18,230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wase surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016. That gives Wase a modern rank of #27,704.

What does the Wase surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Wase.

What does the Wase map show?

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