NameCensus.

UK surname

Washburn

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "stream by a marsh" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 61 people recorded with the Washburn surname, ranking it #24,992 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 136, ranked #25,377, down from #24,992 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire West and Chester, Darlington and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Washburn is 139 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 123.0%.

1881 census count

61

Ranked #24,992

Modern count

136

2016, ranked #25,377

Peak year

2015

139 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Washburn had 61 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,992 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016, ranked #25,377.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 76 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Washburn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Washburn surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Washburn 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 6 #32,278
1861 historical 50 #27,636
1881 historical 61 #24,992
1891 historical 57 #29,533
1901 historical 54 #28,178
1911 historical 76 #25,221
1997 modern 120 #24,158
1998 modern 126 #24,094
1999 modern 125 #24,366
2000 modern 128 #24,015
2001 modern 123 #24,242
2002 modern 121 #24,984
2003 modern 122 #24,628
2004 modern 122 #24,812
2005 modern 118 #25,301
2006 modern 122 #25,010
2007 modern 123 #25,208
2008 modern 124 #25,371
2009 modern 126 #25,686
2010 modern 131 #25,656
2011 modern 132 #25,303
2012 modern 133 #25,187
2013 modern 137 #25,149
2014 modern 137 #25,345
2015 modern 139 #24,956
2016 modern 136 #25,377

Geography

Back to top

Where Washburns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire West and Chester, Darlington and Cheshire East. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire West and Chester 017 Cheshire West and Chester
2 Darlington 006 Darlington
3 Cheshire West and Chester 018 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Cheshire West and Chester 012 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Cheshire East 024 Cheshire East

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Washburn

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Washburn

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Washburn is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Washburn 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

Washburn falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Washburn

The surname WASHBURN is of English origin, derived from a topographic name for someone who lived near a stream. It is composed of the Old English elements "wæsc" meaning "a washing or a stream" and "burna" meaning "a stream or brook." The name likely originated in areas of England with an abundance of streams and brooks.

The earliest recorded instances of the WASHBURN surname date back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, there is a mention of a Richard de Wasseburn. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also list a John de Wasshebourn. These early spellings highlight the variations in the name over time.

The WASHBURN surname has been found in various historical records throughout English history. One notable example is John Washbourne, a 16th-century English clergyman and scholar who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1564 to 1565.

Another notable individual with the WASHBURN surname was William Washburn (1619-1686), an early settler of Duxbury, Massachusetts, who arrived in America aboard the Mayflower in 1620. He was a prominent figure in the early colonial period and served as a deputy to the General Court of Plymouth Colony.

In the 18th century, Israel Washburn (1784-1828) was a notable American politician from Massachusetts who served as the 23rd Governor of Maine. His son, Israel Washburn Jr. (1813-1883), was also a politician and served as a U.S. Representative and Senator from Maine.

Another prominent figure with the WASHBURN surname was Cadwallader Colden Washburn (1818-1882), an American industrialist and politician from Wisconsin. He founded the Washburn-Crosby Company, which later became General Mills, one of the largest food companies in the world.

The WASHBURN surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Washburn County in Wisconsin and Washburn, Maine. These locations were likely named after individuals with the WASHBURN surname, further emphasizing the historical significance of this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Washburn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Washburn 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. Warwickshire leads with 18 Washburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.00x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 18 12.00x
Cheshire 11 8.38x
Middlesex 9 1.51x
Yorkshire 8 1.36x
Surrey 5 1.73x
Durham 3 1.70x
Devon 2 1.62x
Lancashire 2 0.28x
Derbyshire 1 1.07x
Northumberland 1 1.13x
Staffordshire 1 0.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 8 Washburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.04x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 8 24.04x
Chester St Martin 6 2857.14x
Wolverton 6 20000.00x
Aston Cantlow 5 2272.73x
Lambeth 5 9.64x
Runcorn 5 165.02x
Studley 5 781.25x
Bromley London 4 30.56x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 39.16x
St George Hanover 3 38.66x
Ilfracombe 2 157.48x
Old Stratford 2 235.29x
Widnes 2 39.29x
Chelsea London 1 5.58x
Litchurch 1 26.67x
St George Martyr 1 100.00x
Wallsend 1 35.59x
Wednesbury 1 19.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Amelia 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Blanche 1
Catherine 1
Cecilia 1
Dora 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Helena 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Margt. 1
S. 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Arthur 3
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Charles 2
John 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Bernad 1
E.S. 1
Edmond 1
Edwin 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
George 1
Henry 1
James 1
Mason 1
Richard 1
Sidney 1
Silas 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

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 Washburn households.

FAQ

Washburn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Washburn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 61 people were recorded with the Washburn surname. That placed it at #24,992 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Washburn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016. That gives Washburn a modern rank of #25,377.

What does the Washburn surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "stream by a marsh" in Old English.

What does the Washburn map show?

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