NameCensus.

UK surname

Weatherspoon

An occupational surname referring to a person who made spoons or sold goods in all types of weather.

In the 1881 census there were 38 people recorded with the Weatherspoon surname, ranking it #28,285 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 110, ranked #29,225, down from #28,285 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, North Tyneside and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Weatherspoon is 121 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 189.5%.

1881 census count

38

Ranked #28,285

Modern count

110

2016, ranked #29,225

Peak year

1997

121 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Weatherspoon had 38 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,285 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016, ranked #29,225.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 66 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Weatherspoon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Weatherspoon surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Weatherspoon 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 58 #26,585
1881 historical 38 #28,285
1891 historical 38 #31,330
1901 historical 64 #27,010
1911 historical 66 #26,249
1997 modern 121 #24,019
1998 modern 121 #24,677
1999 modern 118 #25,227
2000 modern 118 #25,197
2001 modern 114 #25,344
2002 modern 112 #26,165
2003 modern 103 #27,234
2004 modern 110 #26,451
2005 modern 114 #25,837
2006 modern 111 #26,565
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 112 #27,061
2009 modern 108 #28,311
2010 modern 108 #28,996
2011 modern 110 #28,478
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 108 #29,379
2014 modern 105 #30,204
2015 modern 108 #29,512
2016 modern 110 #29,225

Geography

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Where Weatherspoons 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 Northumberland, North Tyneside and County Durham. 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 Northumberland 038 Northumberland
2 North Tyneside 004 North Tyneside
3 County Durham 005 County Durham
4 County Durham 013 County Durham
5 Northumberland 036 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Weatherspoon

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Weatherspoon

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Weatherspoon is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Weatherspoon is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Weatherspoon falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Weatherspoon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Weatherspoon

The surname Weatherspoon has its origins in England, arising during the medieval period between the 11th and 15th centuries. It is derived from the Old English words "wæder" meaning weather and "spoon" referring to a maker or shaper of objects, likely describing an early tradesman who made weather vanes or similar items.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Weatherspoon name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a William Wetherdespon is mentioned as a taxpayer. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, with a John Wethersponne listed as a resident of the county.

During the 13th century, the Weatherspoon surname was particularly concentrated in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, though it later spread to other parts of England. Variations in spelling were common, with forms such as Wetherdspon, Wetherspoon, and Wetherspoone appearing in historical records.

One notable individual bearing the Weatherspoon name was Sir John Weatherspoon (c. 1486-1549), who served as Lord Mayor of York in 1528 and played a role in the city's defense during the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion. Another early figure was Thomas Weatherspoon (c. 1510-1585), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.

In the 17th century, the Weatherspoon surname can be found in the parish records of several English villages, such as Wetherspoon families residing in Clapham, Yorkshire, and Weatherspoon families in Warwickshire. One notable member of the family during this period was Robert Weatherspoon (1633-1711), a successful landowner and magistrate in the county of Northamptonshire.

As the British Empire expanded, the Weatherspoon name spread to other parts of the world, with members of the family recorded in colonial America and later in Canada, Australia, and other former British territories. One notable individual was James Weatherspoon (1789-1858), a Scottish-born merchant and industrialist who established successful businesses in both Canada and the United States.

While the Weatherspoon surname has evolved and dispersed over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the skilled craftsmen and tradesmen of medieval England, whose work with weather-related items led to the distinctive surname still in use today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Weatherspoon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Weatherspoon 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. Lancashire leads with 10 Weatherspoons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.40x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 10 2.40x
Durham 7 6.70x
Middlesex 7 1.99x
Northumberland 5 9.57x
Cheshire 2 2.58x
Stirlingshire 2 15.44x
Fife 1 4.81x
Hampshire 1 1.39x
Norfolk 1 1.85x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 8 Weatherspoons recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.61x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 8 31.61x
Usworth 5 909.09x
Prudhoe 4 1111.11x
Mile End New Town 3 625.00x
Balfron 2 1250.00x
Limehouse London 2 51.95x
Oxton 2 454.55x
Aldershot 1 41.49x
Beath 1 151.52x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 30.21x
Chelsea London 1 9.45x
Gateshead 1 12.79x
Mile End Old Town 1 18.05x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 144.93x
Norwich St James 1 238.10x
Stranton 1 28.41x
West Derby 1 8.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Adelaide 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Diana 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizh. 1
Ellen 1
Ellenor 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Jemima 1
Margaret 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Mary 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Charles 2
Henry 2
Adam 1
Alexr. 1
Hedley 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Peter 1
Thomas 1
William 1
Wm. 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 Weatherspoon households.

FAQ

Weatherspoon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Weatherspoon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 38 people were recorded with the Weatherspoon surname. That placed it at #28,285 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Weatherspoon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016. That gives Weatherspoon a modern rank of #29,225.

What does the Weatherspoon surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who made spoons or sold goods in all types of weather.

What does the Weatherspoon map show?

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