NameCensus.

UK surname

Waton

In the 1881 census there were 29 people recorded with the Waton surname, ranking it #29,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 80, ranked #33,030, down from #29,484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St James Westminster, Gateshead and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hambleton, Paisley West and Paisley North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Waton is 426 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 175.9%.

1881 census count

29

Ranked #29,484

Modern count

80

2016, ranked #33,030

Peak year

1861

426 bearers

Map years

3

1861 to 1998

Key insights

  • Waton had 29 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 80 in 2016, ranked #33,030.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 426 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Waton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Waton surname density by area, 1998 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Waton 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 97 #17,484
1861 historical 426 #6,032
1881 historical 29 #29,484
1891 historical 195 #15,211
1901 historical 61 #27,379
1911 historical 83 #24,531
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 111 #25,990
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 110 #26,248
2001 modern 91 #28,670
2002 modern 87 #29,644
2003 modern 82 #30,206
2004 modern 85 #30,132
2005 modern 90 #29,527
2006 modern 90 #29,893
2007 modern 94 #29,650
2008 modern 95 #29,822
2009 modern 96 #30,239
2010 modern 88 #31,875
2011 modern 94 #31,016
2012 modern 82 #32,701
2013 modern 76 #33,329
2014 modern 79 #33,205
2015 modern 80 #33,052
2016 modern 80 #33,030

Geography

Back to top

Where Watons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St James Westminster, Gateshead, St Pancras, Stelling and Elmsted and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hambleton, Paisley West, Paisley North, Leeds and Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington. 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 James Westminster London (West Districts)
2 Gateshead Durham
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Stelling and Elmsted Kent
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hambleton 004 Hambleton
2 Paisley West Renfrewshire
3 Paisley North Renfrewshire
4 Leeds 075 Leeds
5 Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington Renfrewshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Waton

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Waton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Waton, 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 Waton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Waton 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Waton is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Waton is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Waton falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Waton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Waton 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. Durham leads with 10 Watons recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.32x.

County Total Index
Durham 10 12.32x
Middlesex 4 1.47x
Staffordshire 3 3.26x
Yorkshire 3 1.11x
Lancashire 2 0.62x
Midlothian 2 5.47x
Kent 1 1.07x
Norfolk 1 2.38x
Warwickshire 1 1.45x
Worcestershire 1 2.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stockton On Tees in Durham leads with 8 Watons recorded in 1881 and an index of 204.60x.

Place Total Index
Stockton On Tees 8 204.60x
St Pancras London 4 18.21x
Wolverhampton 3 42.37x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 13.60x
Barnard Castle 1 250.00x
Beverley St Mary 1 256.41x
Birmingham 1 4.36x
Broughton In Salford 1 33.78x
Crossgate 1 285.71x
Hemlington 1 10000.00x
Over Darwen 1 38.61x
Sevenoaks 1 133.33x
Sheffield 1 11.61x
Stanford 1 5000.00x
Tutnall Cobley 1 2000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 3
Ann 2
Sarah 2
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
M. 1
Maria 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
George 2
Benjaman 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Fredrick 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1
William 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 Waton households.

FAQ

Waton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Waton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 29 people were recorded with the Waton surname. That placed it at #29,484 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Waton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 80 in 2016. That gives Waton a modern rank of #33,030.

What does the Waton map show?

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