NameCensus.

UK surname

Weeding

An occupational surname relating to someone who engaged in manual labor involving removal of unwanted plants.

In the 1881 census there were 86 people recorded with the Weeding surname, ranking it #21,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 118, ranked #27,873, down from #21,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, East Grinstead and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Babergh, Wealden and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Weeding is 126 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.2%.

1881 census count

86

Ranked #21,449

Modern count

118

2016, ranked #27,873

Peak year

2009

126 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Weeding had 86 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016, ranked #27,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 118 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Weeding surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Weeding surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Weeding 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 62 #22,232
1861 historical 51 #27,498
1881 historical 86 #21,449
1891 historical 115 #21,878
1901 historical 118 #20,721
1911 historical 112 #21,274
1997 modern 112 #25,244
1998 modern 113 #25,731
1999 modern 110 #26,315
2000 modern 116 #25,452
2001 modern 115 #25,222
2002 modern 123 #24,735
2003 modern 123 #24,497
2004 modern 125 #24,443
2005 modern 118 #25,301
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 120 #25,606
2008 modern 122 #25,638
2009 modern 126 #25,686
2010 modern 126 #26,312
2011 modern 126 #26,060
2012 modern 120 #26,961
2013 modern 120 #27,406
2014 modern 115 #28,439
2015 modern 116 #28,151
2016 modern 118 #27,873

Geography

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Where Weedings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, East Grinstead, Tunbridge, Bidborough, Hartfield and Newchurch. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Babergh, Wealden, Barnsley and Cheviot East. 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 1
2 East Grinstead Sussex
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 Hartfield Sussex
5 Newchurch Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Babergh 011 Babergh
2 Wealden 007 Wealden
3 Barnsley 014 Barnsley
4 Barnsley 022 Barnsley
5 Cheviot East Scottish Borders

Forenames

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First names often paired with Weeding

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Weeding

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Weeding is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Weeding is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Weeding 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 Weeding 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 Weeding, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Weeding

The surname WEEDING is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it first emerged during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "waedan," which means "to weed" or "to remove unwanted vegetation." This occupational surname was likely given to individuals whose primary tasks involved weeding gardens, fields, or other agricultural areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the WEEDING surname can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a certain "Johannes Wydyng" is mentioned. This document provides evidence of the surname's existence in the 14th century and its connection to the northern regions of England.

In the 16th century, the WEEDING surname appeared in various parish records and legal documents. For instance, in 1567, a William Weeding is listed as a landowner in the village of Clapham, Yorkshire. Additionally, the marriage of John Weeding and Elizabeth Browne was recorded in the parish registers of Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancashire, in 1593.

The WEEDING surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure is Sir Robert Weeding (1525-1598), a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another individual of note is Thomas Weeding (1670-1743), a renowned architect and surveyor who contributed to the design of several churches and public buildings in Yorkshire.

Other individuals bearing the WEEDING surname include:

1. John Weeding (1640-1711), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Barnston, Essex. 2. Elizabeth Weeding (1748-1819), a British author and educator who published several works on grammar and literature. 3. George Weeding (1812-1879), a English industrialist and inventor who held patents for various agricultural implements. 4. William Weeding (1864-1932), a Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. 5. Evelyn Weeding (1898-1987), an American artist known for her landscape paintings and portraits.

While the WEEDING surname may have originated from a humble occupational background, it has since been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including law, architecture, literature, politics, and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Weeding families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Weeding 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. Sussex leads with 36 Weedings recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.46x.

County Total Index
Sussex 36 25.46x
Suffolk 11 10.77x
Lancashire 7 0.70x
Hampshire 6 3.49x
Norfolk 6 4.65x
Surrey 6 1.47x
Kent 5 1.75x
Bedfordshire 4 9.21x
Middlesex 2 0.24x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.77x
Hertfordshire 1 1.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Withyam in Sussex leads with 17 Weedings recorded in 1881 and an index of 2786.89x.

Place Total Index
Withyam 17 2786.89x
Hartfield 8 1777.78x
Liverpool 7 11.58x
East Grinstead 6 300.00x
Kirstead 6 10000.00x
Kingston On Thames 4 40.73x
Maresfield 4 666.67x
Northwood 4 163.27x
Holbrook 3 1363.64x
Shillington 3 468.75x
Tonbridge 3 29.07x
Bentley 2 1666.67x
Croydon 2 8.81x
Ipswich St Mathew 2 69.93x
Paddington London 2 6.49x
Weeke 2 384.62x
Winthorpe 2 2857.14x
Alderton 1 666.67x
Ampton 1 3333.33x
Botesdale 1 625.00x
Frant 1 100.00x
Ickleford 1 625.00x
Kempston 1 101.01x
Little Bealings 1 1428.57x
Sevenoaks 1 43.10x
Speldhurst 1 68.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Elizabeth 4
Ellen 4
Jane 4
Alice 3
Emily 3
Caroline 2
Sarah 2
Amy 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
E. 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marianne 1
Martha 1
Nellie 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

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 Weeding households.

FAQ

Weeding surname: questions and answers

How common was the Weeding surname in 1881?

In 1881, 86 people were recorded with the Weeding surname. That placed it at #21,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Weeding surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016. That gives Weeding a modern rank of #27,873.

What does the Weeding surname mean?

An occupational surname relating to someone who engaged in manual labor involving removal of unwanted plants.

What does the Weeding map show?

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