NameCensus.

UK surname

Wayt

A locational surname derived from an English place name meaning "the way" or "road".

In the 1881 census there were 29 people recorded with the Wayt surname, ranking it #29,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 84, ranked #32,726, down from #29,484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swansea, Summerston Central and West and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wayt is 106 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 189.7%.

1881 census count

29

Ranked #29,484

Modern count

84

2016, ranked #32,726

Peak year

1999

106 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2006

Key insights

  • Wayt had 29 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 84 in 2016, ranked #32,726.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 57 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Wayt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wayt surname density by area, 2006 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wayt 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 32 #27,570
1861 historical 32 #29,944
1881 historical 29 #29,484
1891 historical 36 #31,465
1901 historical 30 #30,724
1911 historical 57 #27,099
1997 modern 98 #27,179
1998 modern 102 #27,314
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 105 #27,001
2001 modern 105 #26,620
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 102 #27,383
2004 modern 104 #27,338
2005 modern 97 #28,485
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 98 #29,019
2008 modern 88 #30,857
2009 modern 90 #31,094
2010 modern 99 #30,397
2011 modern 95 #30,877
2012 modern 91 #31,659
2013 modern 92 #31,909
2014 modern 89 #32,409
2015 modern 89 #32,325
2016 modern 84 #32,726

Geography

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Where Wayts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swansea, Summerston Central and West and Birmingham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swansea 031 Swansea
2 Summerston Central and West Glasgow City
3 Birmingham 003 Birmingham
4 Birmingham 004 Birmingham
5 Birmingham 017 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wayt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wayt

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Wayt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Wayt 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 are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Wayt is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wayt is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wayt falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wayt is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Wayt, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Wayt

The surname WAYT is of English origin, deriving from an Anglo-Saxon personal name. It likely emerged in the 8th or 9th century during the early medieval period. The name may have originated in the East Midlands region of England, particularly in counties like Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

One potential source of the name WAYT is the Old English word "wætan," meaning "to wet" or "to moisten." This could suggest an occupational name for someone involved in dyeing or tanning leather. Alternatively, the name may derive from the Old English "wæt," meaning "wet" or "moist," possibly referring to someone living near a body of water or in a marshy area.

While the WAYT surname does not appear in the Domesday Book of 1086, it can be found in early English records from the 13th century onwards. One of the earliest recorded instances is Robert le Wayte, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Warwickshire in 1221.

During the Middle Ages, variations in spelling were common, and the name appeared as Wayte, Waite, Wate, and Waight. It may have also been influenced by place names like Waite in Lincolnshire or Waite Farm in Nottinghamshire.

Notable individuals with the surname WAYT throughout history include:

1. John Wayt (c. 1470 - c. 1537), an English composer and singer during the Tudor period. 2. Thomas Wayt (fl. 1588), an English dramatist and writer of plays performed at the Rose Theatre in London. 3. James Wayt (1674 - 1750), a British soldier and military engineer who served in the War of the Spanish Succession. 4. Elizabeth Wayt (1648 - 1711), an English Quaker minister and writer known for her religious treatises. 5. Samuel Wayt (1786 - 1862), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut.

The WAYT surname has a long history in England, with roots dating back to the early medieval period. While not as common as some other English surnames, it has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including musicians, writers, soldiers, and politicians.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wayt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wayt 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. Hampshire leads with 14 Wayts recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.15x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 14 24.15x
Glamorgan 12 24.37x
Kent 1 1.04x
Middlesex 1 0.35x
Surrey 1 0.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitchurch in Hampshire leads with 9 Wayts recorded in 1881 and an index of 5000.00x.

Place Total Index
Whitchurch 9 5000.00x
Merthyr Tydfil 8 169.13x
Overton 5 3571.43x
Llantrisant 4 322.58x
Deptford St Paul 1 13.44x
Kensington London 1 6.36x
Lambeth 1 4.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizth. 2
Jane 2
Bertha 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Joan 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Maryann 1
Rebecca 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 2
George 2
William 2
Alfred 1
Francis 1
Lloyd 1
Raymond 1
Robert 1
Wallace 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 Wayt households.

FAQ

Wayt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wayt surname in 1881?

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

How common is the Wayt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 84 in 2016. That gives Wayt a modern rank of #32,726.

What does the Wayt surname mean?

A locational surname derived from an English place name meaning "the way" or "road".

What does the Wayt map show?

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