NameCensus.

UK surname

Weed

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a meadow, pasture, or grassland.

In the 1881 census there were 201 people recorded with the Weed surname, ranking it #12,791 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 276, ranked #15,673, down from #12,791 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Tipton otherwise Tibington and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, Dacorum and Merthyr Tydfil.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Weed is 352 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.3%.

1881 census count

201

Ranked #12,791

Modern count

276

2016, ranked #15,673

Peak year

1861

352 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Weed had 201 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,791 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016, ranked #15,673.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 352 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Weed surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Weed surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Weed 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 132 #14,174
1861 historical 352 #7,258
1881 historical 201 #12,791
1891 historical 265 #12,208
1901 historical 281 #12,167
1911 historical 297 #11,524
1997 modern 258 #14,949
1998 modern 271 #14,883
1999 modern 275 #14,789
2000 modern 266 #15,096
2001 modern 261 #15,066
2002 modern 267 #15,123
2003 modern 260 #15,216
2004 modern 256 #15,453
2005 modern 258 #15,323
2006 modern 268 #15,000
2007 modern 252 #15,815
2008 modern 263 #15,505
2009 modern 275 #15,349
2010 modern 281 #15,441
2011 modern 290 #14,933
2012 modern 281 #15,198
2013 modern 274 #15,764
2014 modern 282 #15,537
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 276 #15,673

Geography

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Where Weeds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Tipton otherwise Tibington, St Leonard Shoreditch, St Saviour Southwark and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, Dacorum, Merthyr Tydfil, Redcar and Cleveland and Monmouthshire. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 St Saviour Southwark London (South Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 006 Blaenau Gwent
2 Dacorum 017 Dacorum
3 Merthyr Tydfil 008 Merthyr Tydfil
4 Redcar and Cleveland 013 Redcar and Cleveland
5 Monmouthshire 010 Monmouthshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Weed

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Weed

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Weed surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Weed 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Weed 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

Weed is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Weed falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Weed

The surname Weed has its roots in England, originating in the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "waed," which means "garment" or "clothing." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person involved in the textile trade or someone who made or sold clothing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Weed can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Wydo le Wede." This document was a census of landowners and their holdings, indicating that individuals bearing this surname were already established in medieval England.

The name Weed is also believed to have connections to various place names in England, such as Weedon in Buckinghamshire and Weedon Bec in Northamptonshire. These locations may have influenced the development of the surname or vice versa.

In the 16th century, the Weed surname appeared in the records of the Parish of St. Dunstan in the East, London. One notable entry from 1577 mentions a certain John Weed, whose occupation is listed as a "clothworker," further solidifying the connection between the name and the textile industry.

Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Weed throughout history are:

1. Thomas Weed (1577-1643), an English colonist who settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony and was one of the founders of the town of Amesbury. 2. Thurlow Weed (1797-1882), an influential American publisher and political leader who played a significant role in the formation of the Republican Party. 3. Mary Weed (1822-1912), an American educator and activist who advocated for women's rights and helped establish several schools and colleges. 4. Lewis Weed (1847-1923), an American physician and author who made significant contributions to the field of dermatology. 5. Charles Richmond Weed (1856-1952), an American architect known for his work on various educational and institutional buildings in New York City.

While the surname Weed may have humble beginnings related to the textile industry, it has since evolved and been associated with various professions and achievements throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Weed families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Weed 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. Middlesex leads with 47 Weeds recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.42x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 47 2.42x
Northamptonshire 42 23.01x
Surrey 32 3.38x
Rutland 18 126.32x
Staffordshire 12 1.83x
Kent 10 1.51x
Essex 9 2.35x
Bedfordshire 6 5.97x
Leicestershire 5 2.32x
Monmouthshire 5 3.56x
Glamorgan 4 1.18x
Hertfordshire 4 2.99x
Cumberland 1 0.60x
Northumberland 1 0.35x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.38x
Warwickshire 1 0.20x
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. Earls Barton in Northamptonshire leads with 20 Weeds recorded in 1881 and an index of 1282.05x.

Place Total Index
Earls Barton 20 1282.05x
Tipton 12 59.82x
Shoreditch London 11 13.07x
Tottenham 10 32.35x
Belton 8 3200.00x
Hackney London 8 7.35x
Camberwell 7 5.65x
Leyton 7 106.06x
Bermondsey 6 10.38x
Canterbury St Mildred 6 382.17x
Kensington London 6 5.56x
Southwark Christchurch 6 66.01x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 15.36x
Bedwellty 5 20.19x
Leicester St Margaret 5 9.53x
Northampton Priory St 5 45.66x
Pilsgate 5 6250.00x
St Marylebone London 5 4.82x
Turvey 5 781.25x
Uppingham 5 294.12x
Aberdare 4 17.24x
Tickencote 4 5714.29x
Northampton St Giles 3 43.17x
Southwark St Saviour 3 30.06x
St Albans St Peter 3 66.52x
Wellingborough 3 32.68x
Battersea 2 2.80x
Bromley 2 19.82x
Easton 2 303.03x
Hammersmith London 2 4.18x
Islington London 2 1.06x
Lambeth 2 1.18x
Mears Ashby 2 606.06x
Southorpe 2 1666.67x
St Bartholomew By 2 1538.46x
Bedford St Mary 1 38.61x
Beeston 1 33.22x
Birmingham 1 0.61x
Canterbury St Augustine 1 416.67x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.18x
Harpenden 1 49.02x
Horton 1 69.93x
Ketton 1 135.14x
Leyton Low 1 12.84x
Nether Hallam 1 3.84x
Tudeley 1 277.78x
Walthamstow 1 7.25x
Workington 1 10.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 13
Thomas 9
George 5
James 5
Arthur 3
Benjamin 3
Geo. 3
Henry 3
Albert 2
Frederick 2
Joseph 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Albet 1
Arther 1
Austin 1
Berenard 1
Bloomfield 1
Charles 1
Currae 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Enos 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Herbert 1
Isiac 1
Jabes 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Jothan 1
Mark 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Rd 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Weed surname: questions and answers

How common was the Weed surname in 1881?

In 1881, 201 people were recorded with the Weed surname. That placed it at #12,791 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Weed surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016. That gives Weed a modern rank of #15,673.

What does the Weed surname mean?

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a meadow, pasture, or grassland.

What does the Weed map show?

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