NameCensus.

UK surname

Weale

A surname derived from the Old English word "wealh" referring to Romanized Britons or foreigners.

In the 1881 census there were 570 people recorded with the Weale surname, ranking it #6,099 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 708, ranked #7,645, down from #6,099 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Llangarran and Llanvareth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Powys.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Weale is 945 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.2%.

1881 census count

570

Ranked #6,099

Modern count

708

2016, ranked #7,645

Peak year

1911

945 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Weale had 570 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,099 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 708 in 2016, ranked #7,645.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 945 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Weale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Weale surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Weale 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 376 #6,343
1861 historical 389 #6,580
1881 historical 570 #6,099
1891 historical 696 #5,634
1901 historical 811 #5,569
1911 historical 945 #4,762
1997 modern 753 #6,864
1998 modern 780 #6,897
1999 modern 797 #6,815
2000 modern 813 #6,693
2001 modern 768 #6,852
2002 modern 810 #6,703
2003 modern 769 #6,869
2004 modern 773 #6,861
2005 modern 767 #6,830
2006 modern 752 #6,972
2007 modern 755 #7,015
2008 modern 750 #7,104
2009 modern 761 #7,169
2010 modern 772 #7,221
2011 modern 750 #7,311
2012 modern 733 #7,356
2013 modern 755 #7,302
2014 modern 736 #7,498
2015 modern 717 #7,580
2016 modern 708 #7,645

Geography

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Where Weales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Llangarran, Llanvareth, Stanton Lacy, Onibury and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Powys. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Llangarran Herefordshire
3 Llanvareth Brecon
4 Stanton Lacy, Onibury Shropshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Powys 013 Powys
2 Powys 014 Powys
3 Powys 015 Powys
4 Powys 011 Powys
5 Powys 012 Powys

Forenames

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First names often paired with Weale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Weale

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Weale is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Weale is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Weale falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Weale

The surname Weale is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "weale" meaning "stranger" or "foreigner." It is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th centuries.

In the Middle Ages, the name Weale was found primarily in the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey in southeastern England. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with variations in spelling such as Wele, Weele, and Weyle.

One of the earliest known references to the name Weale appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. The record mentions a "William le Wele" from the county of Kent.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Weale was also found in various parish records and tax rolls throughout southeastern England. Notable individuals bearing this surname include John Weale (c. 1600-1662), an English clergyman and author, and William Weale (1679-1729), a lawyer and Member of Parliament for Winchelsea.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Weale surname spread beyond its traditional stronghold in southeastern England. Thomas Weale (1783-1852) was a notable British architect and surveyor who worked on several projects in London. Another prominent figure was John Weale (1791-1862), a British architect and writer on architectural topics.

The name Weale has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Weal Green in Oxfordshire and Weal Farm in Kent. These place names may have influenced the development and spread of the surname in certain regions.

Throughout history, the Weale surname has been carried by individuals from various professions and backgrounds, including clergy, lawyers, architects, and writers. While not a particularly common surname, it has a rich history dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period in England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Weale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Weale 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. Radnorshire leads with 92 Weales recorded in 1881 and an index of 207.63x.

County Total Index
Radnorshire 92 207.63x
Shropshire 92 19.39x
Surrey 88 3.29x
Middlesex 50 0.91x
Warwickshire 36 2.60x
Gloucestershire 32 2.97x
Lancashire 24 0.37x
Herefordshire 22 9.77x
Brecknockshire 18 16.39x
Glamorgan 15 1.57x
Staffordshire 15 0.81x
Leicestershire 11 1.81x
Yorkshire 11 0.20x
Sussex 9 0.97x
Merionethshire 6 5.97x
Worcestershire 6 0.84x
Essex 5 0.46x
Pembrokeshire 5 2.86x
Wiltshire 4 0.82x
Cornwall 3 0.48x
Monmouthshire 3 0.76x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.60x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.90x
Montgomeryshire 2 1.59x
Somerset 2 0.23x
Bedfordshire 1 0.35x
Berkshire 1 0.24x
Cheshire 1 0.08x
Devon 1 0.09x
Dorset 1 0.28x
Hertfordshire 1 0.26x
Kent 1 0.05x
Royal Navy 1 1.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llanyre in Radnorshire leads with 27 Weales recorded in 1881 and an index of 2045.45x.

Place Total Index
Llanyre 27 2045.45x
Llanvareth 20 7407.41x
Aston 17 4.46x
Disserth Trecoed 16 1666.67x
Much Wenlock 16 365.30x
Alfold 15 1470.59x
Birmingham 15 3.25x
Stanton Lacy 15 365.85x
Leicester St Margaret 11 7.41x
Old Radnor Evenjobb 11 1833.33x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 10 185.87x
Bridgnorth St Mary 10 215.98x
Clapham 10 14.56x
Willesden 10 19.32x
Bow London 9 12.87x
Llangarren 9 445.54x
Llansaintfraed In Elvel 9 1551.72x
Westbury On Severn East 9 36.96x
Guildford Holy Trinity 8 156.86x
Merthyr Tydfil 8 8.70x
St Pancras London 8 1.81x
Camberwell 7 2.00x
Little Bookham 7 1944.44x
Ardwick 6 10.21x
Bledington 6 869.57x
Bramley 6 254.24x
Clun 6 178.04x
Edgmond 6 114.94x
Llanenddwyn 6 333.33x
Prees 6 103.81x
Richmond 6 16.00x
Stanton Long 6 1200.00x
Teddington London 6 48.23x
Aldingbourn 5 357.14x
Cregrina 5 2777.78x
Ewhurst 5 299.40x
Gelligaer 5 22.89x
Leeds 5 1.63x
Tenby St Mary In 5 56.31x
Upper Arley 5 362.32x
West Ham 5 2.09x
Barnsley 4 7.13x
Cheltenham 4 4.81x
Chobham 4 84.75x
Clifford 4 268.46x
Gloucester St Owen 4 338.98x
Gwenddwr North 4 1025.64x
Kensington London 4 1.31x
Leckhampton 4 60.24x
St Bride London 4 125.39x
Stretford 4 11.16x
Swindon 4 10.62x
Talgarth 4 147.06x
Toxteth Park 4 1.81x
Westminster St John 4 5.98x
Bodmin 3 29.15x
Brighton 3 1.61x
Builth 3 109.49x
Clun Eddycliff 3 333.33x
Coreley 3 256.41x
Culmington 3 285.71x
Dudley 3 3.44x
Everton 3 1.44x
Godalming 3 17.80x
Hascombe 3 365.85x
Kington 3 53.76x
Leominster 3 32.19x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 2.71x
Sutton 3 15.50x
Tettenhall 3 26.48x
Toddington 3 750.00x
Wolverhampton 3 2.10x
Worplesdon 3 92.88x
Bedminster 2 2.41x
Boughrood 2 408.16x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 1.93x
Kerry 2 52.91x
Priors Marston 2 185.19x
St Marylebone London 2 0.68x
Ynyscynhaiarn 2 19.34x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 41
John 36
Thomas 31
James 14
Henry 13
Edward 11
Charles 9
Walter 8
Alfred 7
Francis 7
Albert 6
Arthur 6
George 6
Evan 5
Richard 5
Robert 5
Abel 3
Adam 3
David 3
Herbert 3
Joseph 3
Amos 2
Benjamin 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Hugh 2
Isaac 2
Rees 2
Samuel 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Allen 1
Annie 1
Augustus 1
Caleb 1
Dansy 1
Edwin 1
Eliza 1
Emmanuel 1
Ernest 1
Fredk.W. 1
Hubert 1
Isaiah 1
Jesse 1
Jonah 1
Mark 1
Nelson 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Wm.E. 1

FAQ

Weale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Weale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 570 people were recorded with the Weale surname. That placed it at #6,099 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Weale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 708 in 2016. That gives Weale a modern rank of #7,645.

What does the Weale surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word "wealh" referring to Romanized Britons or foreigners.

What does the Weale map show?

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