NameCensus.

UK surname

Wedd

A surname of English origin referring to a person who lived near a weed patch or field of weeds.

In the 1881 census there were 221 people recorded with the Wedd surname, ranking it #12,049 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 167, ranked #22,055, down from #12,049 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newport, Boston (incl. Boston allotments) and Saffron Walden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Staffordshire, South Cambridgeshire and St Albans.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wedd is 321 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 24.4%.

1881 census count

221

Ranked #12,049

Modern count

167

2016, ranked #22,055

Peak year

1911

321 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wedd had 221 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,049 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 167 in 2016, ranked #22,055.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 321 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Wedd surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wedd surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wedd 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 162 #12,215
1861 historical 159 #14,553
1881 historical 221 #12,049
1891 historical 266 #12,169
1901 historical 278 #12,252
1911 historical 321 #10,902
1997 modern 193 #18,035
1998 modern 183 #19,106
1999 modern 180 #19,454
2000 modern 193 #18,616
2001 modern 187 #18,708
2002 modern 181 #19,463
2003 modern 174 #19,760
2004 modern 187 #18,993
2005 modern 170 #20,066
2006 modern 180 #19,526
2007 modern 175 #20,090
2008 modern 167 #20,901
2009 modern 160 #21,978
2010 modern 164 #22,109
2011 modern 183 #20,425
2012 modern 177 #20,836
2013 modern 179 #21,028
2014 modern 175 #21,477
2015 modern 170 #21,800
2016 modern 167 #22,055

Geography

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Where Wedds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newport, Boston (incl. Boston allotments), Saffron Walden, St Mary Islington and Melbourn, Meldreth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Staffordshire, South Cambridgeshire, St Albans, Cheshire West and Chester and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Newport Essex
2 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
3 Saffron Walden Essex
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 Melbourn, Meldreth Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Staffordshire 004 East Staffordshire
2 South Cambridgeshire 018 South Cambridgeshire
3 St Albans 002 St Albans
4 Cheshire West and Chester 001 Cheshire West and Chester
5 North East Lincolnshire 016 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wedd

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wedd

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Wedd surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Wedd household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Wedd 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

Wedd is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wedd falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wedd

The surname WEDD is of English origin, derived from an old Anglo-Saxon word "wed" meaning a pledge or covenant. It is believed to have originated in the 11th century, during the Norman conquest of England.

This surname was likely first adopted by someone who was known for keeping their promises or pledges, or perhaps someone who officiated at weddings or marriage ceremonies. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Wede" or "Wedd".

In the 13th century, there are records of a village called Wedd in Shropshire, England, which may have been named after someone with the surname WEDD or vice versa. Some early bearers of the name include John Wedd, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1204, and Robert le Wedd, who was recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

One of the earliest notable individuals with this surname was Sir John Wedd (1588-1664), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire during the English Civil War. Another prominent figure was Thomas Wedd (1614-1672), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1670 to 1672.

In the 18th century, there was a famous English engraver and artist named William Wedd (1737-1826), who was known for his intricate engravings of architectural subjects. Another notable bearer of this surname was Samuel Wedd (1763-1836), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

During the 19th century, a prominent figure was William Wedd (1808-1885), a British civil servant and botanist who served as the Commissioner of Sindh in India and made significant contributions to the study of Indian flora.

While the surname WEDD is not among the most common surnames, it has a long and rich history, with roots stretching back to the Norman conquest of England and examples of notable individuals bearing this name throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wedd families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wedd 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. Cambridgeshire leads with 79 Wedds recorded in 1881 and an index of 57.60x.

County Total Index
Cambridgeshire 79 57.60x
Middlesex 28 1.29x
Essex 25 5.85x
Lincolnshire 21 6.07x
Surrey 19 1.80x
Lancashire 10 0.39x
Staffordshire 9 1.23x
Derbyshire 7 2.06x
Yorkshire 6 0.28x
Kent 5 0.68x
Berkshire 4 2.46x
Hertfordshire 3 2.01x
Fife 2 1.56x
Lanarkshire 2 0.29x
Devon 1 0.22x
Sussex 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire leads with 33 Wedds recorded in 1881 and an index of 1633.66x.

Place Total Index
Bassingbourn 33 1633.66x
Melbourn 17 1268.66x
Duxford 10 1754.39x
Saffron Walden 10 221.24x
Battersea 9 11.30x
Woodmansterne 9 3913.04x
Leake 8 503.14x
Paddington London 8 10.05x
Pendlebury 8 147.60x
Boston 7 66.67x
Marston Upon Dove 7 642.20x
Meldreth 7 1320.75x
Abington Pigotts 6 4615.38x
Edmonton 5 28.65x
Leeds 5 4.13x
West Ham 5 5.30x
Draycott In Clay 4 1212.12x
Foulmire 4 975.61x
New Windsor 4 73.26x
Tutbury 4 224.72x
Frindsbury 3 107.91x
Harlow 3 163.04x
Islington London 3 1.43x
Kensington London 3 2.49x
New Sleaford 3 135.14x
Wendens Ambo 3 1111.11x
Westminster St 3 37.59x
East Barnet 2 67.57x
Glasgow 2 1.61x
Great Wakering 2 208.33x
Kingsbarns 2 338.98x
Kirton 2 143.88x
Littlebury 2 338.98x
Tottenham 2 5.80x
Baldock 1 71.43x
Brighton 1 1.36x
Burghwallis 1 588.24x
Cottenham 1 54.95x
Folkestone 1 6.98x
Hackney London 1 0.82x
Harston 1 172.41x
Hulme 1 1.86x
Mile End New Town 1 33.78x
Much Woolton 1 28.65x
Plumstead 1 4.06x
Plymstock 1 42.37x
Reigate Foreign 1 8.76x
Shoreditch London 1 1.07x
Skirbeck 1 51.55x
St Pancras London 1 0.57x
Wall 1 1111.11x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Wedd surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wedd surname in 1881?

In 1881, 221 people were recorded with the Wedd surname. That placed it at #12,049 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wedd surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 167 in 2016. That gives Wedd a modern rank of #22,055.

What does the Wedd surname mean?

A surname of English origin referring to a person who lived near a weed patch or field of weeds.

What does the Wedd map show?

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