NameCensus.

UK surname

Wathall

In the 1881 census there were 58 people recorded with the Wathall surname, ranking it #25,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 213, ranked #18,785, up from #25,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Peter, Duffield and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Amber Valley, High Peak and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wathall is 222 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 267.2%.

1881 census count

58

Ranked #25,428

Modern count

213

2016, ranked #18,785

Peak year

2013

222 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wathall had 58 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 213 in 2016, ranked #18,785.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 142 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Wathall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wathall surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Wathall 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 61 #22,412
1861 historical 129 #17,271
1881 historical 58 #25,428
1891 historical 96 #24,559
1901 historical 102 #22,596
1911 historical 142 #18,487
1997 modern 210 #17,104
1998 modern 213 #17,431
1999 modern 215 #17,425
2000 modern 209 #17,723
2001 modern 209 #17,469
2002 modern 202 #18,189
2003 modern 193 #18,501
2004 modern 198 #18,308
2005 modern 189 #18,807
2006 modern 190 #18,898
2007 modern 190 #19,088
2008 modern 192 #19,143
2009 modern 197 #19,218
2010 modern 209 #18,893
2011 modern 205 #18,965
2012 modern 205 #18,909
2013 modern 222 #18,198
2014 modern 218 #18,583
2015 modern 215 #18,659
2016 modern 213 #18,785

Geography

Back to top

Where Wathalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Peter, Duffield, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Horsley and St Werburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Amber Valley, High Peak, Rotherham and Sheffield. 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 St Peter Derbyshire
2 Duffield Derbyshire
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Horsley Derbyshire
5 St Werburgh Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Amber Valley 010 Amber Valley
2 Amber Valley 008 Amber Valley
3 High Peak 013 High Peak
4 Rotherham 022 Rotherham
5 Sheffield 070 Sheffield

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Wathall

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Wathall

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Wathall is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wathall 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

Wathall falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Wathall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wathall 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. Derbyshire leads with 51 Wathalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 57.59x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 51 57.59x
Nottinghamshire 3 3.94x
Yorkshire 2 0.36x
Cheshire 1 0.80x
Staffordshire 1 0.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Belper in Derbyshire leads with 15 Wathalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 872.09x.

Place Total Index
Belper 15 872.09x
Derby St Werburgh 15 293.54x
Duffield 6 857.14x
Matlock 6 504.20x
Long Eaton 5 427.35x
Radford 3 77.52x
Derby St Alkmund 2 75.47x
Derby St Peter 2 70.92x
Sheffield 2 11.21x
Macclesfield 1 18.02x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 4.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Emma 5
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Angelina 1
Annie 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Marion 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alfred 5
John 4
Herbert 3
James 3
Albert 2
George 2
William 2
Edwin 1
Forden 1
Leonard 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
Thos.Hy. 1
Wm. 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 Wathall households.

FAQ

Wathall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wathall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 58 people were recorded with the Wathall surname. That placed it at #25,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wathall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 213 in 2016. That gives Wathall a modern rank of #18,785.

What does the Wathall map show?

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