NameCensus.

UK surname

Wasson

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Wassa's town" or "town by a stream."

In the 1881 census there were 62 people recorded with the Wasson surname, ranking it #24,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 139, ranked #25,001, down from #24,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Turvey, Greenock and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waltham Forest, Reigate and Banstead and Rugby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wasson is 157 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 124.2%.

1881 census count

62

Ranked #24,843

Modern count

139

2016, ranked #25,001

Peak year

1861

157 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wasson had 62 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016, ranked #25,001.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 157 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Wasson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wasson surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wasson 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 80 #19,558
1861 historical 157 #14,732
1881 historical 62 #24,843
1891 historical 99 #24,200
1901 historical 75 #25,852
1911 historical 13 #32,172
1997 modern 118 #24,423
1998 modern 124 #24,316
1999 modern 125 #24,366
2000 modern 129 #23,901
2001 modern 119 #24,733
2002 modern 127 #24,267
2003 modern 123 #24,497
2004 modern 129 #24,019
2005 modern 130 #23,848
2006 modern 125 #24,611
2007 modern 130 #24,389
2008 modern 134 #24,249
2009 modern 139 #24,161
2010 modern 131 #25,656
2011 modern 143 #24,056
2012 modern 143 #24,019
2013 modern 146 #24,107
2014 modern 148 #24,075
2015 modern 141 #24,723
2016 modern 139 #25,001

Geography

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Where Wassons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Turvey, Greenock, Glasgow, Croydon, Battersea (Penge), Sanderstead and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waltham Forest, Reigate and Banstead, Rugby, Gourock Upper and West Central and Upper Larkfield and St. Helens. 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 Turvey Bedfordshire
2 Greenock Renfrew
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Croydon, Battersea (Penge), Sanderstead Surrey
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waltham Forest 025 Waltham Forest
2 Reigate and Banstead 011 Reigate and Banstead
3 Rugby 008 Rugby
4 Gourock Upper and West Central and Upper Larkfield Inverclyde
5 St. Helens 012 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wasson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wasson

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Wasson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Wasson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Wasson 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

Wasson is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wasson falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wasson

The surname Wasson originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English words "wasso" meaning "to wash" and "sunu" meaning "son." It is believed to have been an occupational surname given to those who worked as washers or launders, particularly those involved in the wool trade.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wassonesune" in Lincolnshire. This entry suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Wassone, Wasson, and Watsone, in records from Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Cumbria. These regions were known for their thriving wool and textile industries, further supporting the occupational origin of the name.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Wasson, a knight from Northumberland who fought alongside King Edward III in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War (1346-1353).

In the 16th century, the Wasson family established themselves in Scotland, particularly in the Borders region. One significant figure was Robert Wasson (c. 1550-1610), a prominent landowner and magistrate in Jedburgh, Scotland.

The Wassons also had a presence in Ireland, with records showing the name in County Antrim and County Down as early as the 17th century. Patrick Wasson (1680-1745), a successful merchant from Belfast, was one of the earliest known Irish bearers of the name.

Moving into the 18th century, the name Wasson gained prominence in the United States as Scottish and Irish immigrants settled in various parts of the country. One notable figure was David Wasson (1772-1848), a Revolutionary War veteran and early settler in Ohio.

In the 19th century, Isaac Wasson (1813-1888) was a prominent American educator and author who served as the president of several colleges and published works on philosophy and religion.

Another influential bearer of the name was James Wasson (1826-1898), a Scottish-born railway engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, connecting British Columbia to the rest of Canada.

These are just a few examples of individuals who carried the surname Wasson throughout history, demonstrating its longstanding presence and significance in various regions and fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wasson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wasson 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. Lanarkshire leads with 13 Wassons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.65x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 13 6.65x
Middlesex 10 1.65x
Renfrewshire 10 21.34x
Yorkshire 8 1.33x
Lancashire 5 0.70x
Cumberland 4 7.68x
Derbyshire 3 3.17x
Monmouthshire 3 6.86x
Durham 2 1.11x
Channel Islands 1 5.58x
Essex 1 0.84x
Midlothian 1 1.23x
Warwickshire 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 10 Wassons recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.79x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 10 28.79x
Brightside Bierlow 8 68.09x
Hammersmith London 6 40.27x
Cathcart 4 157.48x
Whitehaven 4 143.88x
Barony 3 6.06x
Eastwood 3 103.81x
Kirkdale 3 24.86x
Litchurch 3 78.74x
Poplar London 3 26.29x
Risca 3 365.85x
Bishopwearmouth 2 12.95x
West Greenock 2 23.78x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 3.07x
Farnworth 1 23.26x
Leamington Priors 1 26.67x
Renfrew 1 64.52x
St Helier 1 17.15x
Wanstead 1 47.85x
West Derby 1 4.76x
Westminster St James 1 16.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 2
Lydia 2
Margeret 2
Mary 2
Sarah 2
Alver 1
Constance 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elizab 1
Elizabeth 1
Gillian 1
Hannah 1
Jefter 1
Jessie 1
Lottie 1
Margaret 1
Marion 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 3
Henry 2
James 2
John 2
Geo. 1
Geo.E. 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Robert 1
Thomas 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 Wasson households.

FAQ

Wasson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wasson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 62 people were recorded with the Wasson surname. That placed it at #24,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wasson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016. That gives Wasson a modern rank of #25,001.

What does the Wasson surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Wassa's town" or "town by a stream."

What does the Wasson map show?

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