NameCensus.

UK surname

Wayman

An English occupational surname for a wagon driver or wagon maker.

In the 1881 census there were 789 people recorded with the Wayman surname, ranking it #4,713 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,146, ranked #5,146, down from #4,713 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willingham, Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham and Fenland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wayman is 1,200 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.2%.

1881 census count

789

Ranked #4,713

Modern count

1,146

2016, ranked #5,146

Peak year

2002

1,200 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wayman had 789 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,713 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,146 in 2016, ranked #5,146.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,126 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wayman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wayman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wayman 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 578 #4,409
1861 historical 463 #5,613
1881 historical 789 #4,713
1891 historical 896 #4,594
1901 historical 1,043 #4,589
1911 historical 1,126 #4,131
1997 modern 1,142 #4,916
1998 modern 1,170 #4,986
1999 modern 1,184 #4,992
2000 modern 1,198 #4,911
2001 modern 1,173 #4,912
2002 modern 1,200 #4,905
2003 modern 1,145 #5,011
2004 modern 1,126 #5,085
2005 modern 1,114 #5,083
2006 modern 1,084 #5,198
2007 modern 1,097 #5,199
2008 modern 1,112 #5,174
2009 modern 1,135 #5,184
2010 modern 1,171 #5,146
2011 modern 1,171 #5,087
2012 modern 1,177 #4,988
2013 modern 1,187 #5,038
2014 modern 1,183 #5,085
2015 modern 1,162 #5,107
2016 modern 1,146 #5,146

Geography

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Where Waymans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willingham, Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth, London parishes, Sutton and Haddenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham and Fenland. 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 Willingham Cambridgeshire
2 Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth Cambridgeshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Sutton Cambridgeshire
5 Haddenham Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 053 County Durham
2 County Durham 049 County Durham
3 Fenland 011 Fenland
4 County Durham 050 County Durham
5 Fenland 010 Fenland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wayman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wayman

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Wayman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Wayman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Wayman is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Wayman is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Wayman

The surname Wayman is of English origin and is thought to have derived from the Old English words "weg" meaning "way" and "mann" meaning "man", suggesting that the name was initially an occupational one referring to someone who was responsible for maintaining or guarding roads and pathways.

This surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with some of the earliest recorded instances appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it was spelled as "le Wayman". It is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, written as "Wayman".

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms in different regions of England, such as "Weymon" in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332 and "Weyeman" in the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1397.

One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was John Wayman, who was recorded in the Inquisitiones post mortem for Oxfordshire in 1366. Another early reference can be found in the Patent Rolls of 1440, which mention a Thomas Wayman from Kent.

The Wayman surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history, including Sir William Wayman (1529-1597), a prominent English lawyer and landowner during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another figure was John Wayman (1633-1705), a Puritan minister and author from Massachusetts.

In the 18th century, William Wayman (1730-1811) was a renowned English engraver and sculptor, known for his intricate work on medals and seals. Additionally, Joseph Wayman (1763-1828) was a British naval officer who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

One of the most famous individuals with this surname was Sir Hussey Vivian Wayman (1892-1979), a British barrister and judge who served as Lord Justice of Appeal and was knighted in 1955.

While the Wayman surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, where it is often spelled as "Wyman" or "Wheyman".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wayman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wayman 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. Cambridgeshire leads with 190 Waymans recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.02x.

County Total Index
Cambridgeshire 190 39.02x
Middlesex 102 1.33x
Durham 96 4.20x
Surrey 65 1.74x
Huntingdonshire 37 24.24x
Yorkshire 37 0.49x
Hampshire 30 1.90x
Lancashire 24 0.26x
Dorset 23 4.56x
Berkshire 21 3.64x
Gloucestershire 20 1.33x
Norfolk 19 1.61x
Suffolk 15 1.60x
Staffordshire 14 0.54x
Kent 10 0.38x
Essex 8 0.53x
Glamorgan 7 0.52x
Monmouthshire 7 1.26x
Northamptonshire 7 0.97x
Worcestershire 7 0.70x
Bedfordshire 5 1.26x
Cumberland 5 0.76x
Hertfordshire 5 0.94x
Oxfordshire 5 1.05x
Angus 4 0.56x
Denbighshire 4 1.38x
Flintshire 4 1.94x
Lanarkshire 3 0.12x
Renfrewshire 3 0.50x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.43x
Cheshire 2 0.12x
Northumberland 2 0.17x
Lincolnshire 1 0.08x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.10x
Royal Navy 1 1.09x
Rutland 1 1.77x
Wiltshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishopwearmouth in Durham leads with 65 Waymans recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.11x.

Place Total Index
Bishopwearmouth 65 33.11x
Lambeth 26 3.88x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 24 113.05x
Sutton 18 445.54x
Haddenham 17 371.18x
Willingham 17 408.65x
Mile End Old Town 16 13.19x
Over 16 553.63x
Clewer 15 63.45x
Sunderland 15 37.14x
Kingston 14 1866.67x
Stoke Upon Trent 14 5.09x
Halifax 13 11.62x
Manea 13 423.45x
Wimborne 13 213.11x
Camberwell 12 2.44x
Offord Cluny 12 1578.95x
Cottenham 11 170.02x
Clapham 10 10.41x
St Pancras London 10 1.62x
Tottenham 10 8.17x
Wimpole 10 1075.27x
Layton With Warbreck 9 26.89x
Thornbury 9 87.29x
Wimborne Minster 9 110.29x
Acton 8 17.75x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 5.64x
Bromley London 8 4.73x
Downham Market 8 98.52x
Millbrook 8 20.16x
Paddington London 8 2.83x
Elland Cum Greetland 7 20.40x
Fareham 7 36.98x
Littleport 7 75.27x
Monw Wearmouth Shore 7 319.63x
Newington 7 33.37x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 4.53x
Wellingborough 7 19.26x
Worcester St Peter 7 36.84x
Alconbury Weston 6 545.45x
Downham 6 116.05x
Elsworth 6 338.98x
Foulsham 6 240.00x
Islington London 6 0.81x
Offord D Arcy 6 659.34x
West Ham 6 1.79x
Altofts 5 59.45x
Cheshunt 5 27.00x
Great Abington 5 684.93x
Great Gransden 5 299.40x
Kensington London 5 1.17x
Limehouse London 5 5.92x
New Windsor 5 25.77x
Sparsholt 5 438.60x
St Andrewthe Less 5 8.99x
St Giles Cambridge 5 79.49x
Barrow In Furness 4 3.22x
Bethnal Green London 4 1.20x
Dearham 4 45.82x
Dyserth 4 157.48x
Elythe College 4 1428.57x
Framwellgate 4 29.52x
Great Thurlow 4 392.16x
Kings Somborne 4 121.21x
Liff Benvie 4 3.70x
Llangollen Llangollen 4 121.21x
Neath 4 14.69x
Panteg 4 45.71x
Accrington 3 3.62x
Battersea 3 1.06x
Bluntisham 3 104.90x
Chelsea London 3 1.30x
Clerkenwell London 3 1.65x
Great Yarmouth 3 3.06x
Inverkip 3 21.37x
Llanover 3 15.81x
Monkwearmouth Shore 3 6.72x
Ovenden 3 8.85x
S Stoke 3 135.14x
Woodbridge 3 25.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 41
Elizabeth 32
Sarah 27
Jane 17
Emma 15
Alice 14
Ann 14
Ellen 10
Fanny 10
Annie 9
Emily 7
Martha 7
Esther 6
Susannah 6
Charlotte 5
Eliza 5
Kate 5
Maria 5
Catherine 4
Edith 4
Florence 4
Gertrude 4
Harriett 4
Isabella 4
Julia 4
Lydia 4
Margaret 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Anne 3
Caroline 3
Hannah 3
Harriet 3
Lucy 3
Rose 3
Ruth 3
Sophia 3
Amelia 2
Clara 2
Dorothy 2
Elizath. 2
Elizh. 2
Ester 2
Laura 2
Mabel 2
Matilda 2
Maud 2
Minnie 2
Phebe 2
Rebecca 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 53
William 47
George 23
James 23
Thomas 22
Charles 21
Edward 11
Henry 11
Robert 11
Arthur 9
Alfred 8
Walter 8
Joseph 7
Samuel 7
Paul 6
Richard 6
Daniel 5
Albert 4
David 4
Frank 4
Harry 4
Fred 3
Frederick 3
Geo. 3
Matthew 3
Myers 3
Thos. 3
Berry 2
Elijah 2
Fredrick 2
Herbert 2
Richd. 2
Robson 2
Russell 2
Sydney 2
Tempest 2
Tom 2
Willm. 2
Zachariah 2
Edwin 1
Eliott 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.H. 1
Fredk.W. 1
Fredrica 1
Geo.Arthur 1
Joshua 1
Lawrence 1
Levi 1
Zaydock 1

FAQ

Wayman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wayman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 789 people were recorded with the Wayman surname. That placed it at #4,713 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wayman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,146 in 2016. That gives Wayman a modern rank of #5,146.

What does the Wayman surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a wagon driver or wagon maker.

What does the Wayman map show?

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