NameCensus.

UK surname

Wason

A variant spelling of the English surname Watson, meaning "son of Wat."

In the 1881 census there were 255 people recorded with the Wason surname, ranking it #10,924 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 516, ranked #9,778, up from #10,924 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Girvan, Govan Combination and Dailly. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carrick South, West Dorset and Yoker South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wason is 527 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 102.4%.

1881 census count

255

Ranked #10,924

Modern count

516

2016, ranked #9,778

Peak year

2010

527 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wason had 255 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,924 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 516 in 2016, ranked #9,778.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 359 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Wason surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wason surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wason 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 202 #10,323
1861 historical 329 #7,748
1881 historical 255 #10,924
1891 historical 359 #9,635
1901 historical 353 #10,364
1911 historical 167 #16,692
1997 modern 461 #9,886
1998 modern 485 #9,825
1999 modern 492 #9,784
2000 modern 486 #9,837
2001 modern 467 #9,965
2002 modern 485 #9,846
2003 modern 482 #9,755
2004 modern 489 #9,652
2005 modern 505 #9,379
2006 modern 502 #9,463
2007 modern 497 #9,615
2008 modern 497 #9,681
2009 modern 512 #9,670
2010 modern 527 #9,667
2011 modern 519 #9,687
2012 modern 502 #9,832
2013 modern 499 #10,034
2014 modern 525 #9,745
2015 modern 521 #9,722
2016 modern 516 #9,778

Geography

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Where Wasons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Girvan, Govan Combination, Dailly, Pennard, West and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carrick South, West Dorset, Yoker South, Carnwadric East and Stevenston North West. 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 Girvan Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Dailly Ayr
4 Pennard, West Somerset
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carrick South South Ayrshire
2 West Dorset 005 West Dorset
3 Yoker South Glasgow City
4 Carnwadric East Glasgow City
5 Stevenston North West North Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wason

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wason

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Wason surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Wason household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Wason 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

Wason 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

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

Meaning and origin of Wason

The surname Wason originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "wæs" meaning "to remain" and "tun" meaning "a town or settlement." This suggests the name may have referred to someone who lived in a permanent settlement or town.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landholder named Wasone in Oxfordshire. This indicates the surname was established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, variations of the name such as Wasson, Wassone, and Wasshon appeared in various historical records across different counties in England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Wason, a landowner in Yorkshire who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records from 1301. Another notable figure was William Wason, born around 1450 in Lincolnshire, who served as a clerk and scribe in the court of Henry VII.

During the 16th century, the surname Wason became more widespread across England, with families bearing the name residing in counties such as Wiltshire, Somerset, and Gloucestershire. In 1567, a record from the Parish Registers of Chedworth, Gloucestershire, mentions the marriage of Thomas Wason and Agnes Smyth.

In the 17th century, the name appears to have been particularly prominent in the northern counties of England. One notable individual from this period was Robert Wason, born in 1624 in Northumberland, who served as a minister and authored several religious texts.

Another significant figure was Sir John Wason, born in 1668 in Yorkshire, who was a prominent merchant and served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1710. He was known for his philanthropy and contributed to the construction of several public buildings in the city.

As the surname spread across England, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the Americas and other parts of the world through migration and exploration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wason families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wason 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. Somerset leads with 63 Wasons recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.74x.

County Total Index
Somerset 63 15.74x
Ayrshire 59 31.69x
Lanarkshire 27 3.36x
Renfrewshire 24 12.45x
Middlesex 22 0.88x
Lancashire 14 0.47x
Glamorgan 12 2.77x
Cornwall 9 3.20x
Perthshire 7 6.27x
Surrey 5 0.41x
Kent 2 0.24x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 5.55x
Shropshire 2 0.93x
Wiltshire 2 0.91x
Dumfriesshire 1 1.82x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.27x
Stirlingshire 1 1.09x
Sussex 1 0.24x
Yorkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Pennard in Somerset leads with 22 Wasons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3437.50x.

Place Total Index
West Pennard 22 3437.50x
Dailly 15 789.47x
Girvan 14 299.79x
Llanwonno 12 77.12x
Ballantrae 11 894.31x
Neilston 10 103.31x
Barony 9 4.42x
East Pennard 9 1730.77x
St Clement 9 306.12x
Abbey 8 27.20x
Shotts 8 83.07x
Butleigh 7 1060.61x
Kincardine 7 608.70x
Pylle 7 3043.48x
Hampstead London 6 15.49x
Newton On Ayr 6 107.72x
St Pancras London 6 3.00x
Billinge Chapel End 5 301.20x
Glasgow 5 3.50x
Govan 5 2.51x
Paisley High Church 5 32.57x
St Quivox 5 79.49x
Glastonbury 4 122.32x
Islington London 4 1.66x
Pilton 4 421.05x
Riccarton 4 142.35x
Walton On Hill 4 25.02x
Clevedon 3 72.12x
Newington 3 3.27x
Poplar London 3 6.39x
Baltonsborough 2 333.33x
Barr 2 392.16x
Clapham 2 6.43x
Colmonell 2 106.95x
Englishcombe 2 444.44x
Kirkdale 2 4.03x
Kirkmabreck 2 127.39x
Shrewsbury St Mary 2 23.58x
Westbury 2 38.99x
Wigan 2 4.85x
Berrow 1 263.16x
Bexley 1 13.33x
Brighton 1 1.18x
Carew 1 126.58x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.53x
Dumfries 1 18.45x
Eastwood 1 8.42x
Gate Fulford 1 17.36x
Great Crosby 1 12.42x
Hackney London 1 0.72x
Kippen 1 81.30x
Shoreditch London 1 0.93x
Wells St Cuthbert 1 36.63x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 1 31.06x
Westminster St 1 10.91x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
Robert 7
William 6
Richard 4
George 3
Henry 3
Albert 2
Charles 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
James 2
Rigby 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Arthur 1
Cathcart 1
Christopher 1
Ernest 1
Eugene 1
Eugine 1
Hugh 1
Jesse 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Wason surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wason surname in 1881?

In 1881, 255 people were recorded with the Wason surname. That placed it at #10,924 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wason surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 516 in 2016. That gives Wason a modern rank of #9,778.

What does the Wason surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English surname Watson, meaning "son of Wat."

What does the Wason map show?

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