NameCensus.

UK surname

Wearn

An English surname derived from the Old English word 'werne' meaning protector or guardian.

In the 1881 census there were 220 people recorded with the Wearn surname, ranking it #12,087 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 463, ranked #10,586, up from #12,087 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Helen, Milford with Keyhaven (incl. Efford) and Newchurch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Portsmouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wearn is 514 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 110.5%.

1881 census count

220

Ranked #12,087

Modern count

463

2016, ranked #10,586

Peak year

2000

514 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wearn had 220 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,087 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 463 in 2016, ranked #10,586.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 356 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Wearn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wearn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wearn 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 243 #8,983
1861 historical 225 #10,843
1881 historical 220 #12,087
1891 historical 272 #11,957
1901 historical 355 #10,329
1911 historical 356 #10,148
1997 modern 488 #9,470
1998 modern 497 #9,638
1999 modern 509 #9,527
2000 modern 514 #9,424
2001 modern 494 #9,560
2002 modern 511 #9,484
2003 modern 486 #9,688
2004 modern 480 #9,793
2005 modern 460 #10,042
2006 modern 441 #10,411
2007 modern 435 #10,613
2008 modern 453 #10,345
2009 modern 453 #10,611
2010 modern 480 #10,353
2011 modern 491 #10,094
2012 modern 464 #10,439
2013 modern 461 #10,634
2014 modern 468 #10,586
2015 modern 456 #10,715
2016 modern 463 #10,586

Geography

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Where Wearns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Helen, Milford with Keyhaven (incl. Efford), Newchurch, London parishes and St George the Martyr. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Portsmouth. 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 Helen Hampshire
2 Milford with Keyhaven (incl. Efford) Hampshire
3 Newchurch Hampshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St George the Martyr London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Portsmouth 013 Portsmouth
2 Portsmouth 002 Portsmouth
3 Portsmouth 001 Portsmouth
4 Portsmouth 016 Portsmouth
5 Portsmouth 012 Portsmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wearn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wearn

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Wearn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Wearn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Wearn 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

Wearn 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

Wearn falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wearn

The surname Wearn is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "warn," which means "to warn" or "to caution." This suggests that the name may have originally belonged to someone who held a position of authority, such as a town crier or a watchman.

Another theory suggests that the name Wearn is a variant of the surname "Verne," which has its roots in the French language. In this case, the name could be derived from the Old French word "verne," meaning "alder tree." This connection could indicate that the name was initially given to someone who lived near an alder grove or worked with alder wood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Wearn can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the 13th century. These ancient financial records mention a person named William Warne, which is likely an early spelling variation of the Wearn surname.

In the 14th century, the Wearn surname appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire, where a certain John Werne was listed as a taxpayer. This document provides evidence that the name was present in different regions of England during the medieval period.

A notable individual with the Wearn surname was Sir John Warne, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 16th century. He was a landowner in Oxfordshire and served as a justice of the peace for several years.

Another prominent figure was Robert Wearne, a British writer and traveler who lived from 1608 to 1683. He is best known for his travelogue "A Discourse of the Turke," which documented his experiences in the Ottoman Empire.

In the 18th century, William Wearne (1720-1796) was a renowned English engraver and portrait painter. His works can be found in various art collections throughout the United Kingdom.

Moving into the 19th century, John Wearne (1834-1903) was an influential Australian politician who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and played a crucial role in the development of the Australian federation.

Finally, Edith Wearne (1867-1950) was a notable Australian artist and art teacher. She was known for her landscape paintings and was a member of the Victorian Artists' Society.

These examples demonstrate the widespread presence of the Wearn surname throughout history, spanning various professions and regions, particularly in England and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wearn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wearn 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 124 Wearns recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.81x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 124 27.81x
Cornwall 27 10.96x
Middlesex 16 0.74x
Surrey 14 1.32x
Lancashire 11 0.43x
Sussex 8 2.18x
Essex 6 1.40x
Caernarfonshire 4 4.55x
Kent 4 0.54x
Royal Navy 3 11.57x
Berkshire 1 0.61x
Brecknockshire 1 2.30x
Cumberland 1 0.53x
Devon 1 0.22x
Dorset 1 0.70x
Yorkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 51 Wearns recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.37x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 51 58.37x
Ryde 23 240.08x
St Helens 14 432.10x
Milford 11 846.15x
Kenwyn 9 139.75x
Cuckfield 8 216.22x
Hordle 6 769.23x
Kensington London 6 4.96x
Pemberton 6 58.31x
Shere 6 468.75x
Southampton St Mary 6 21.40x
West Ham 6 6.33x
Gwennap 5 107.53x
Illogan 5 76.69x
Bangor 4 47.17x
Chelsea London 4 6.10x
St Pancras London 4 2.28x
Tonbridge 4 14.94x
Carisbrooke 3 48.47x
Lymington 3 91.46x
Rotherhithe 3 11.16x
Royal Navy 3 13.54x
St Just In Penwith 3 62.76x
Witton 3 92.31x
Lambeth 2 1.05x
Northwood 2 31.50x
Wendron 2 58.48x
Whippingham 2 59.17x
Brotton 1 35.59x
Builth 1 92.59x
Croydon 1 1.70x
Falmouth 1 11.47x
Fawley 1 70.92x
Freshwater 1 49.02x
Hackney London 1 0.82x
Heaton Norris 1 6.81x
Islington London 1 0.47x
Manchester 1 0.86x
Millom 1 17.42x
New Windsor 1 18.21x
Penge 1 7.20x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 2.87x
Portland 1 13.02x
Redruth 1 14.35x
Southwick 1 200.00x
St Ives 1 20.75x
Wimbledon 1 8.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 20
George 12
James 12
John 9
Thomas 8
Henry 6
Joseph 6
Charles 5
Frederick 4
Richard 4
Alexander 3
Alfred 2
Albert 1
Archibald 1
Chas. 1
Chas.Arth. 1
Christopher 1
Claude 1
Edw. 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Hy. 1
Jesse 1
Roger 1
Ronald 1
Sidney 1
Thos.S.T. 1
Thos.Taylor 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.John 1

FAQ

Wearn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wearn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 220 people were recorded with the Wearn surname. That placed it at #12,087 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wearn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 463 in 2016. That gives Wearn a modern rank of #10,586.

What does the Wearn surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English word 'werne' meaning protector or guardian.

What does the Wearn map show?

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