NameCensus.

UK surname

Waterland

Derived from a place name referring to an area containing many bodies of water.

In the 1881 census there were 149 people recorded with the Waterland surname, ranking it #15,551 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 131, ranked #26,004, down from #15,551 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, West Halton, Burton-on-Stather, Flixborough (Crosby) and Stranton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, South Holland and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Waterland is 206 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 12.1%.

1881 census count

149

Ranked #15,551

Modern count

131

2016, ranked #26,004

Peak year

1911

206 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Waterland had 149 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,551 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016, ranked #26,004.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 206 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Waterland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Waterland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Waterland 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 105 #16,618
1861 historical 113 #19,151
1881 historical 149 #15,551
1891 historical 170 #16,816
1901 historical 183 #15,996
1911 historical 206 #14,677
1997 modern 161 #20,176
1998 modern 164 #20,505
1999 modern 156 #21,290
2000 modern 171 #20,044
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 156 #21,348
2003 modern 148 #21,866
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 143 #22,473
2006 modern 149 #22,013
2007 modern 147 #22,510
2008 modern 150 #22,429
2009 modern 149 #23,031
2010 modern 150 #23,482
2011 modern 150 #23,309
2012 modern 149 #23,372
2013 modern 145 #24,207
2014 modern 141 #24,855
2015 modern 134 #25,607
2016 modern 131 #26,004

Geography

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Where Waterlands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, West Halton, Burton-on-Stather, Flixborough (Crosby), Stranton, Snaith and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, South Holland, Leeds and Blackpool. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 West Halton, Burton-on-Stather, Flixborough (Crosby) Lincolnshire
3 Stranton Durham
4 Snaith Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 020 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 South Holland 006 South Holland
3 Leeds 030 Leeds
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 032 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Blackpool 006 Blackpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Waterland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Waterland

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Waterland 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

Waterland 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

Waterland falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Waterland

The surname Waterland is of English origin, specifically from the areas surrounding the Norfolk Broads in East Anglia. It derives from the Old English words 'wæter' meaning water and 'land' meaning land or estate, referring to a person who lived near a body of water or owned land near water.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Waterlande in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1186. Other early spellings include Waterlond in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1285 and Waterland in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1317.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Waterlande, mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1317. Another early bearer was Robert de Waterlande, listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1285.

The name Waterland is also found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which records landowners in England at the time of the Norman Conquest. The entry mentions a place called 'Waterlande' in Norfolk, likely the origin of the surname.

In terms of notable individuals with the surname, one of the earliest was Daniel Waterland (1683-1740), an English theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on the doctrine of the Trinity. Another notable bearer was John William Waterland (1743-1816), an English politician and writer who served as a Member of Parliament.

Other individuals of note include Thomas Waterland (1824-1885), an English artist known for his landscape paintings, and George Robert Waterland (1805-1868), an English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London.

A more recent example is Sir Sydney Waterlow Waterland (1822-1906), a British army officer and colonial administrator who served as the first Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Territories in Canada from 1876 to 1878.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Waterland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Waterland 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. Yorkshire leads with 88 Waterlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.11x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 88 6.11x
Lincolnshire 28 12.05x
Nottinghamshire 8 4.08x
Derbyshire 7 3.08x
Essex 6 2.09x
Durham 5 1.16x
Warwickshire 3 0.82x
Middlesex 2 0.14x
Monmouthshire 1 0.95x
Norfolk 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 26 Waterlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 75.06x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 26 75.06x
Burton Upon Stather 15 5000.00x
Laxton 9 7500.00x
Leeds 9 11.07x
Chigwell 6 221.40x
East Stockwith 6 3750.00x
Eckington 6 108.50x
Amcotts 5 2500.00x
Bradfield 5 90.09x
Snaith Cowick 5 581.40x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 5 74.74x
Stranton 5 34.34x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 4 29.81x
Crowle 4 283.69x
Hunslet 4 17.81x
Birmingham 3 2.46x
Haxey 3 303.03x
Luddington 3 1000.00x
Morley 3 40.05x
Clarborough 2 136.05x
Holy Trinity St Mary 2 91.32x
Hook 2 63.09x
Horton In Bradford 2 8.89x
Clee With Weelsby 1 19.65x
Downham Market 1 64.94x
Easingwold 1 98.04x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 3.41x
Haldenby 1 2000.00x
Hammersmith London 1 2.79x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 10.79x
Leven 1 238.10x
Newport 1 19.96x
North South Killingholme 1 256.41x
Sheffield 1 2.18x
Staveley 1 24.75x
Swinefleet 1 161.29x
Tottenham 1 4.32x
Whitby 1 20.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Sarah 7
Elizabeth 6
Hannah 6
Ada 3
Ann 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Jane 3
Alice 2
Amy 2
Annis 2
Betsy 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Harriet 2
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Eleanor 1
Eleda 1
Emly 1
Fanny 1
Harriett 1
J.T. 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
Minnie 1
Oddella 1
Sara 1
Susannah 1
Una 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 10
John 9
George 8
Arthur 5
Henry 5
James 5
William 5
Charles 4
Richard 4
Robert 3
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Edward 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Lewis 1
Louis 1
Robt.Jno. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Waterland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Waterland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 149 people were recorded with the Waterland surname. That placed it at #15,551 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Waterland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016. That gives Waterland a modern rank of #26,004.

What does the Waterland surname mean?

Derived from a place name referring to an area containing many bodies of water.

What does the Waterland map show?

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