NameCensus.

UK surname

Webster

An occupational surname referring to a weaver, from the Old English webbestre, meaning a female weaver.

In the 1881 census there were 26,040 people recorded with the Webster surname, ranking it #125 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 34,592, ranked #150, down from #125 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derbyshire Dales, Erewash and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Webster is 36,106 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.8%.

1881 census count

26,040

Ranked #125

Modern count

34,592

2016, ranked #150

Peak year

1999

36,106 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Webster had 26,040 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #125 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 34,592 in 2016, ranked #150.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 32,658 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Webster surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Webster surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Webster 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 17,771 #123
1861 historical 18,209 #119
1881 historical 26,040 #125
1891 historical 28,198 #121
1901 historical 32,658 #124
1911 historical 30,289 #126
1997 modern 34,581 #141
1998 modern 35,695 #141
1999 modern 36,106 #140
2000 modern 35,882 #143
2001 modern 35,028 #142
2002 modern 35,711 #145
2003 modern 34,580 #146
2004 modern 34,531 #146
2005 modern 33,977 #146
2006 modern 34,012 #146
2007 modern 34,147 #147
2008 modern 34,317 #147
2009 modern 35,099 #147
2010 modern 35,569 #148
2011 modern 34,937 #148
2012 modern 34,385 #147
2013 modern 35,049 #149
2014 modern 35,119 #150
2015 modern 34,759 #150
2016 modern 34,592 #150

Geography

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Where Websters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Bradford and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Derbyshire Dales, Erewash, East Riding of Yorkshire and St. Helens. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derbyshire Dales 008 Derbyshire Dales
2 Derbyshire Dales 006 Derbyshire Dales
3 Erewash 003 Erewash
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 012 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 St. Helens 001 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Webster

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Webster

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Webster 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

Webster is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Webster falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Webster

The surname Webster is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "webbere," meaning a weaver of cloth or tapestries. The name was commonly found in areas where the textile industry was prominent, such as Norfolk and Suffolk.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Webster can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1275, where it is recorded as "le Webstere." The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 as "Webstere."

During the 14th century, the surname Webster was found in various spellings, such as "Webstere," "Webester," and "Webbester." These variations reflect the different dialects and regional pronunciations of the time.

A notable mention of the name Webster is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as a place name "Webbedestreu" in Hertfordshire. This place name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "webbe" (weaver) and "stræt" (street), suggesting an area where weavers lived or worked.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Webster is John Webster, a renowned English dramatist born in the late 16th century (c. 1580-1634). He is best known for his plays "The Duchess of Malfi" and "The White Devil."

Another notable figure is Noah Webster (1758-1843), an American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, and author of the famous "Webster's Dictionary." His work greatly influenced the standardization of the English language in the United States.

In the 19th century, Daniel Webster (1782-1852), an American statesman and orator from New Hampshire, gained prominence as a prominent political figure and served as the Secretary of State under three U.S. presidents.

The surname Webster also has connections to the literary world, with writers such as John Webster (1580-1625), an English dramatist known for his tragedies, and Augusta Webster (1837-1894), an English poet and novelist.

Additionally, Benjamin Dingley Webster (1797-1882), an English actor and theater manager, made significant contributions to the theatrical world during the 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Webster families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Webster 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 6,072 Websters recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.41x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 6,072 2.41x
Lancashire 3,922 1.30x
Middlesex 1,701 0.67x
Derbyshire 1,422 3.58x
Aberdeenshire 1,090 4.63x
Angus 949 4.03x
Nottinghamshire 778 2.27x
Staffordshire 765 0.89x
Norfolk 695 1.78x
Leicestershire 628 2.23x
Surrey 606 0.49x
Kent 491 0.57x
Warwickshire 470 0.73x
Midlothian 435 1.28x
Lincolnshire 430 1.06x
Cheshire 419 0.75x
Fife 416 2.77x
Lanarkshire 386 0.47x
Durham 357 0.47x
Essex 300 0.60x
Northamptonshire 299 1.25x
Worcestershire 193 0.58x
Banffshire 189 3.59x
Northumberland 184 0.49x
Kincardineshire 176 5.69x
Cornwall 167 0.58x
Hampshire 153 0.29x
Hertfordshire 140 0.80x
Perthshire 137 1.20x
Gloucestershire 130 0.26x
Cambridgeshire 127 0.79x
Suffolk 121 0.39x
Stirlingshire 120 1.28x
Renfrewshire 117 0.59x
Shropshire 113 0.51x
Devon 87 0.16x
Somerset 87 0.21x
Sussex 73 0.17x
Bedfordshire 71 0.54x
Oxfordshire 70 0.45x
Berkshire 69 0.36x
Buckinghamshire 68 0.44x
Huntingdonshire 67 1.33x
West Lothian 66 1.73x
Westmorland 54 0.97x
Cumberland 46 0.21x
East Lothian 46 1.37x
Glamorgan 42 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 39 0.67x
Monmouthshire 33 0.18x
Rutland 30 1.61x
Wigtownshire 28 0.83x
Dorset 25 0.15x
Flintshire 25 0.37x
Berwickshire 23 0.75x
Ayrshire 20 0.11x
Morayshire 20 0.51x
Caernarfonshire 19 0.18x
Caithness 17 0.49x
Dunbartonshire 17 0.25x
Kirkcudbrightshire 17 0.46x
Royal Navy 17 0.56x
Denbighshire 16 0.17x
Pembrokeshire 15 0.19x
Herefordshire 14 0.13x
Brecknockshire 13 0.26x
Dumfriesshire 12 0.21x
Carmarthenshire 10 0.09x
Isle of Man 10 0.21x
Orkney 10 0.36x
Ross-shire 10 0.14x
Anglesey 9 0.20x
Inverness-shire 7 0.09x
Peeblesshire 7 0.59x
Shetland 7 0.27x
Roxburghshire 5 0.11x
Buteshire 4 0.26x
Wiltshire 4 0.02x
Argyllshire 3 0.04x
Channel Islands 3 0.04x
Clackmannanshire 3 0.14x
Merionethshire 3 0.06x
Kinross-shire 2 0.31x
Sutherland 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. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 353 Websters recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.48x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 353 2.48x
Sheffield 297 3.71x
Dundee 277 3.15x
Aberdeen Old Machar 251 5.11x
Ecclesall Bierlow 225 4.39x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 194 1.42x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 179 4.07x
Pudsey 174 12.93x
Islington London 173 0.70x
Liverpool 164 0.90x
West Derby 162 1.84x
Windle 152 8.96x
Everton 151 1.57x
Nottingham St Mary 150 1.69x
Walsall Foreign 145 3.27x
Wortley In Bramley 144 7.22x
St Pancras London 142 0.69x
Toxteth Park 138 1.35x
Govan 137 0.67x
Hackney London 131 0.92x
Leicester St Margaret 130 1.89x
Aston 129 0.73x
Holbeck 128 7.67x
Preston 128 1.59x
Birmingham 126 0.59x
Ilkeston 124 11.12x
Nether Hallam 124 3.64x
Halifax 121 3.27x
Bradford 119 1.95x
Liff Benvie 116 3.25x
Brightside Bierlow 115 2.33x
Holy Trinity 115 1.90x
Sculcoates 115 2.88x
Shoreditch London 109 0.99x
Manchester 95 0.70x
Camberwell 94 0.58x
Lambeth 94 0.42x
Horton In Bradford 91 2.31x
Basford 90 5.70x
Bethnal Green London 90 0.82x
Chorlton On Medlock 90 1.88x
Scarborough 90 3.93x
Barony 89 0.43x
Derby St Werburgh 89 3.88x
Monifieth 87 10.46x
Nigg 87 33.99x
Newington 85 0.91x
Hulme 84 1.33x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 83 3.54x
Salford 83 0.94x
Dewsbury 78 3.02x
Headingley Cum Burley 77 4.75x
Parr 77 7.14x
Little Bolton 75 1.93x
West Ham 75 0.68x
Kensington London 73 0.52x
Hunslet 72 1.83x
Bowling 70 2.81x
Batley 69 2.88x
Forfar 69 5.41x
Loughborough 69 5.40x
Montrose 69 4.84x
Padiham 69 9.47x
Worksop 69 6.79x
Bromley London 68 1.22x
Derby St Alkmund 68 5.70x
Eccleston In Prescot 68 4.49x
Morley 67 5.12x
Paddington London 67 0.72x
South Leith 66 1.72x
Skelmersdale 65 12.94x
Stansfield 65 7.02x
Peterhead 64 5.14x
St Marylebone London 64 0.47x
Wolverhampton 64 0.97x
Wallasey 63 33.00x
Glasgow 62 0.42x
Brechin 61 6.59x
Gravesend 61 8.31x
Eckington 60 6.21x
Huddersfield 60 1.64x
Mansfield 60 5.06x
Old Deer 60 13.46x
Skircoat 60 6.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,553
Elizabeth 859
Sarah 815
Ann 494
Jane 418
Annie 371
Alice 344
Eliza 342
Emma 311
Hannah 310
Ellen 305
Margaret 257
Martha 213
Emily 184
Harriet 167
Ada 133
Maria 124
Clara 123
Charlotte 122
FLORENCE 120
Edith 103
Fanny 101
Louisa 101
Catherine 99
Kate 94
Caroline 91
Agnes 88
Anne 86
Isabella 71
Rebecca 67
Harriett 66
Lucy 65
Frances 64
Susan 64
Amy 56
Eleanor 53
Amelia 49
Sophia 48
Gertrude 47
Elizth. 44
Rose 44
Esther 43
Minnie 40
Susannah 39
Grace 36
Julia 35
Ruth 35
Lydia 34
Rachel 34
Selina 33

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1,321
William 1,306
George 782
Thomas 702
James 629
Joseph 500
Henry 402
Charles 318
Robert 295
Samuel 252
Arthur 232
Alfred 202
Richard 199
Edward 195
Walter 146
Frederick 141
Harry 139
Albert 131
Herbert 100
Frank 91
Wm. 86
Benjamin 74
Fred 72
David 69
Ernest 68
Tom 64
Edwin 63
Isaac 57
Francis 52
Peter 51
Thos. 46
Daniel 44
Alexander 40
Matthew 40
Geo. 37
Fredrick 27
Abraham 26
Edmund 25
Ralph 25
Fredk. 24
Christopher 23
Mark 23
Sam 23
Chas. 22
Joshua 20
Anthony 19
Willm. 19
Ben 18
Eli 18
Jonathan 17

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 Webster households.

FAQ

Webster surname: questions and answers

How common was the Webster surname in 1881?

In 1881, 26,040 people were recorded with the Webster surname. That placed it at #125 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Webster surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 34,592 in 2016. That gives Webster a modern rank of #150.

What does the Webster surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a weaver, from the Old English webbestre, meaning a female weaver.

What does the Webster map show?

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