NameCensus.

UK surname

Weatherhead

An English surname derived from a place name referring to a person who lived on an exposed hill or open field.

In the 1881 census there were 859 people recorded with the Weatherhead surname, ranking it #4,404 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 768, ranked #7,143, down from #4,404 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Bingley and Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harrogate, Hertsmere and Stratford-on-Avon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Weatherhead is 1,043 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 10.6%.

1881 census count

859

Ranked #4,404

Modern count

768

2016, ranked #7,143

Peak year

1901

1,043 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Weatherhead had 859 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,404 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 768 in 2016, ranked #7,143.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,043 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Weatherhead surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Weatherhead surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Weatherhead 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 557 #4,549
1861 historical 565 #4,654
1881 historical 859 #4,404
1891 historical 1,004 #4,131
1901 historical 1,043 #4,589
1911 historical 987 #4,588
1997 modern 833 #6,335
1998 modern 881 #6,276
1999 modern 892 #6,243
2000 modern 892 #6,215
2001 modern 876 #6,187
2002 modern 864 #6,390
2003 modern 825 #6,483
2004 modern 830 #6,466
2005 modern 790 #6,666
2006 modern 787 #6,715
2007 modern 786 #6,789
2008 modern 801 #6,738
2009 modern 800 #6,888
2010 modern 821 #6,871
2011 modern 799 #6,961
2012 modern 797 #6,851
2013 modern 810 #6,879
2014 modern 808 #6,936
2015 modern 783 #7,063
2016 modern 768 #7,143

Geography

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Where Weatherheads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Bingley, Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall, Bradford and Ripon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harrogate, Hertsmere, Stratford-on-Avon, Northumberland and Rochdale. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Bingley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Ripon Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harrogate 006 Harrogate
2 Hertsmere 012 Hertsmere
3 Stratford-on-Avon 011 Stratford-on-Avon
4 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
5 Rochdale 018 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Weatherhead

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Weatherhead

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Weatherhead 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

Weatherhead 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

Weatherhead falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Weatherhead

The surname Weatherhead is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "weder" meaning weather and "heafod" meaning head. It likely originated as a nickname for someone who worked outdoors or was particularly affected by the weather, perhaps with a sunburned or weathered complexion.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with one William Wetherheved mentioned in the Assize Court Rolls of Cheshire in 1287. The name also appears in various forms such as Wederheved and Wetherheved in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk and Wiltshire from the same period.

In the 14th century, a John Wederhede was listed in the Coroners' Rolls of Yorkshire in 1348, while a Henry Wedyrheyd was recorded in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379. These variations in spelling reflect the evolution of the name over time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Sir Robert Weatherhead, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London, who lived from around 1450 to 1528. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1506 and is mentioned in various historical records of the time.

Another notable bearer of the name was John Weatherhead, an English clergyman and academic who lived from 1592 to 1648. He was a fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, and served as the college's president from 1643 until his death.

In the 18th century, James Weatherhead, born in 1700, was a renowned British surgeon and author of several medical texts, including "A New and Easy System of Midwifery" published in 1756.

During the 19th century, George Weatherhead, born in 1808, was a prominent English Quaker and philanthropist who worked tirelessly for social reform and the abolition of slavery. He was also a successful businessman and author of several works on religious and social topics.

A more recent figure was Sir Lancelot Weatherhead, a British diplomat and civil servant who lived from 1889 to 1977. He served as the British ambassador to Sweden and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in 1945.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Weatherhead families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Weatherhead 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. Yorkshire leads with 276 Weatherheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.34x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 276 3.34x
Middlesex 113 1.35x
Northumberland 70 5.64x
Kent 65 2.28x
Berwickshire 35 34.65x
Bedfordshire 32 7.41x
Durham 32 1.29x
Lancashire 29 0.29x
Surrey 24 0.59x
Midlothian 22 1.97x
Buckinghamshire 19 3.77x
Lanarkshire 19 0.70x
Hertfordshire 15 2.61x
Hampshire 14 0.82x
Oxfordshire 10 1.94x
Sussex 10 0.71x
Roxburghshire 9 5.96x
Berkshire 8 1.28x
East Lothian 8 7.24x
Cambridgeshire 7 1.33x
Cornwall 6 0.64x
Lincolnshire 5 0.37x
Dumfriesshire 4 2.17x
Essex 4 0.24x
Warwickshire 4 0.19x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.39x
Leicestershire 3 0.32x
Selkirkshire 2 2.65x
Shropshire 2 0.28x
Cumberland 1 0.14x
Derbyshire 1 0.08x
Devon 1 0.06x
Gloucestershire 1 0.06x
Wiltshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. High Low Bishopside in Yorkshire leads with 28 Weatherheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 381.99x.

Place Total Index
High Low Bishopside 28 381.99x
Luton 28 37.45x
Keighley 24 27.24x
Lewisham 22 14.50x
Paddington London 22 7.17x
Middlesbrough 21 19.51x
Bingley 19 36.10x
Nash 19 1938.78x
Govan 18 2.70x
Tweedmouth 18 116.35x
Kildwick 16 212.48x
St Marylebone London 16 3.59x
Berwick Upon Tweed 14 53.25x
Huddersfield 13 10.80x
Byker 12 19.56x
Stonebeck Down 12 1276.60x
Bowling 11 13.44x
Maidstone 11 12.98x
St Pancras London 11 1.64x
Westoe 11 7.82x
Camberwell 10 1.88x
Fareham 10 48.69x
Leeds 10 2.14x
Wilsden 10 117.79x
Ayton 9 153.58x
Folkestone 9 16.30x
Gorton 9 9.67x
Pannal 9 113.49x
Willesden 9 11.45x
Cowley 8 49.75x
Darlington 8 8.35x
Ford 8 176.21x
Hitchin 8 30.83x
Islington London 8 0.99x
Kensington London 8 1.73x
Shipley 8 18.65x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 7 24.76x
Coldstream 7 95.76x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 1.56x
Edmonton 7 10.42x
Pilkington 7 18.62x
Rigton 7 642.20x
Tranent 7 46.89x
Westruther 7 364.58x
Fulham London 6 4.96x
Harrow 6 47.06x
Hartwith Cum Winsley 6 198.02x
Horton In Bradford 6 4.65x
Hove 6 9.72x
Idle 6 15.66x
Illogan 6 24.00x
Lee 6 14.52x
Reading St Mary 6 11.97x
Chirton 5 17.81x
Cleckheaton 5 16.43x
Deptford St Paul 5 2.28x
Ealing 5 6.71x
Greenwich 5 3.77x
Headingley Cum Burley 5 9.40x
Jedburgh 5 33.76x
Mile End Old Town 5 3.80x
Newington 5 1.62x
Rotherhithe 5 4.85x
St Maryle Wigford 5 48.26x
Duddingston 4 17.83x
Edinburgh Greenside 4 27.10x
Edinburgh Newington 4 201.01x
Elswick 4 4.04x
Eyemouth 4 47.45x
Grewelthorpe 4 272.11x
Harton 4 40.82x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 3.72x
Moffat 4 47.56x
St Albans St Peter 4 20.62x
St Edward Cambridge 4 238.10x
Upleatham 4 285.71x
Aston 3 0.52x
Inveresk 3 9.92x
Menston 3 158.73x
Wortley In Bramley 3 4.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 55
Elizabeth 29
Sarah 28
Jane 23
Ann 19
Margaret 14
Hannah 11
Charlotte 9
Ellen 9
Emma 9
Alice 8
Annie 7
Emily 7
Edith 6
Agnes 5
Clara 5
Eliza 5
Isabella 5
Louisa 5
Ada 4
Caroline 4
Esther 4
Fanny 4
Martha 4
Sophia 4
Florence 3
Frances 3
Grace 3
Harriet 3
Julia 3
Lizzie 3
Lucy 3
Minnie 3
Anne 2
Barbara 2
Catherine 2
Dinah 2
Ethel 2
Henritta 2
Lilian 2
Marian 2
Rachel 2
Rosa 2
Barbrara 1
Beatrice 1
Drusilla 1
Dudley 1
Eliz. 1
Ida 1
Treasa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 47
William 36
Thomas 32
James 26
George 20
Robert 17
Henry 16
Arthur 14
Charles 11
Harry 9
Joseph 9
Walter 9
Edward 8
Wm. 7
Albert 6
Alfred 5
Frank 5
Peter 5
Samuel 5
Alexander 4
David 4
Herbert 4
Francis 3
Fred 3
Frederick 3
Fredk. 3
Isaac 3
Richard 3
Adam 2
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Geo. 2
Geo.N. 2
Robt. 2
Stanley 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Benjman 1
Bernard 1
Blake 1
Emile 1
Emmanuel 1
F. 1
Fd. 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Herschel 1
Jno. 1
Josiah 1
Wm.Mathew 1

FAQ

Weatherhead surname: questions and answers

How common was the Weatherhead surname in 1881?

In 1881, 859 people were recorded with the Weatherhead surname. That placed it at #4,404 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Weatherhead surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 768 in 2016. That gives Weatherhead a modern rank of #7,143.

What does the Weatherhead surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name referring to a person who lived on an exposed hill or open field.

What does the Weatherhead map show?

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