NameCensus.

UK surname

Welbourn

An English habitational surname derived from a location meaning "well-born" or "well-famed".

In the 1881 census there were 381 people recorded with the Welbourn surname, ranking it #8,240 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 601, ranked #8,708, down from #8,240 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Welby, Lincoln St Botolph and Ponton, Great. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Welbourn is 663 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.7%.

1881 census count

381

Ranked #8,240

Modern count

601

2016, ranked #8,708

Peak year

2002

663 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Welbourn had 381 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,240 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 601 in 2016, ranked #8,708.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 526 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Welbourn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Welbourn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Welbourn 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 307 #7,502
1861 historical 247 #9,977
1881 historical 381 #8,240
1891 historical 339 #10,089
1901 historical 425 #9,081
1911 historical 526 #7,543
1997 modern 624 #7,925
1998 modern 630 #8,104
1999 modern 629 #8,168
2000 modern 643 #8,004
2001 modern 618 #8,104
2002 modern 663 #7,826
2003 modern 624 #8,076
2004 modern 631 #8,018
2005 modern 607 #8,206
2006 modern 594 #8,345
2007 modern 595 #8,407
2008 modern 594 #8,487
2009 modern 597 #8,629
2010 modern 621 #8,553
2011 modern 617 #8,500
2012 modern 602 #8,584
2013 modern 604 #8,703
2014 modern 612 #8,667
2015 modern 601 #8,723
2016 modern 601 #8,708

Geography

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Where Welbourns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Welby, Lincoln St Botolph, Ponton, Great, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Plungar. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Doncaster and Boston. 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 Welby Lincolnshire
2 Lincoln St Botolph Lincolnshire
3 Ponton, Great Lincolnshire
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 Plungar Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 003 Fenland
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Doncaster 003 Doncaster
4 Doncaster 001 Doncaster
5 Boston 002 Boston

Forenames

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First names often paired with Welbourn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Welbourn

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

Welbourn is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Welbourn

The surname Welbourn originated in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "well" and "burna," meaning "a stream or brook by a well." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a well-fed stream or brook.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1199, where it appears as "Welleburn." This indicates that the name was present in this region during the Middle Ages. The Domesday Book, a valuable historical record from 1086, does not mention the name Welbourn specifically, but it does list several places with similar names, such as Welburn in Yorkshire.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Welburn, Wellburn, and Welbourne, reflecting regional dialects and differences in pronunciation. Some notable figures with the surname Welbourn include:

1. John Welbourn (c. 1590-1670), an English clergyman and academic who served as Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. 2. William Welbourn (1716-1789), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the 18th century. 3. Henry Welbourn (1837-1919), a British architect known for designing several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas. 4. Mary Welbourn (1888-1980), a British artist and painter who was part of the Newlyn School of painters in Cornwall. 5. Richard Welbourn (1901-1982), a British historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of Lincolnshire.

The name Welbourn has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Welbourn in Lincolnshire and Welbourne in Warwickshire. These place names likely originated from the same Old English roots as the surname, reflecting the connection between geographical locations and family names.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Welbourn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Welbourn 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. Lincolnshire leads with 145 Welbourns recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.47x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 145 24.47x
Yorkshire 115 3.13x
Leicestershire 38 9.25x
Nottinghamshire 27 5.40x
Lancashire 22 0.50x
Derbyshire 9 1.55x
Norfolk 6 1.05x
Cheshire 4 0.49x
Sussex 4 0.64x
Huntingdonshire 3 4.08x
Middlesex 3 0.08x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.85x
Hampshire 1 0.13x
Northamptonshire 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spittlegate in Lincolnshire leads with 32 Welbourns recorded in 1881 and an index of 390.24x.

Place Total Index
Spittlegate 32 390.24x
Plungar 20 6250.00x
Great Ponton 17 2786.89x
Etton 12 1904.76x
Grantham 11 142.49x
Middleton In Oldham 10 75.82x
Spalding 10 85.03x
Hutton Cranswick 9 580.65x
Nottingham St Mary 9 6.96x
Sculcoates 9 15.46x
Stonesby 9 3333.33x
Welby 9 1836.73x
Catterick 8 975.61x
Garthorpe 8 5333.33x
Nottingham St Nicholas 8 117.65x
Elloughton Cum Brough 7 619.47x
Thornham 7 294.12x
Wortley In Bramley 7 24.06x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 6 17.53x
Beverley St Martin 6 97.88x
Derby St Werburgh 6 17.91x
Little Kelk 6 5000.00x
Barkstone 5 793.65x
Beverley St Mary 5 93.28x
Newington 5 49.46x
Newsham With 5 1851.85x
Scarrington 5 1923.08x
Sutton St Mary 5 89.29x
Upwell 5 188.68x
Weston 5 467.29x
Castle Bytham 4 481.93x
Castle Northwich 4 147.60x
Cherry Willingham 4 2000.00x
Eastbourne 4 13.91x
Holy Trinity 4 4.53x
Manthorpe Cum Little 4 88.30x
Openshaw 4 19.42x
Syston 4 1428.57x
Dalton In Huddersfield 3 36.45x
Gainsborough 3 21.47x
Laneham 3 769.23x
Lissett 3 2727.27x
Ripon 3 35.21x
Skellingthorpe 3 326.09x
St Swithin Lincoln 3 32.19x
Stibbington 3 434.78x
Brightside Bierlow 2 2.78x
Duxford 2 204.08x
Gosberton 2 76.05x
Great Driffield 2 26.53x
Holme On Wolds 2 952.38x
Horncastle 2 32.68x
Metheringham 2 84.39x
Radford 2 7.88x
Sheffield 2 1.71x
St George In East 2 7.93x
St Maryle Wigford 2 43.48x
Tupton 2 114.94x
Wilsford 2 229.89x
Algarkirk 1 151.52x
Butterwick 1 147.06x
Dringhoe Upton Brough 1 500.00x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 1.34x
Fleet 1 59.17x
Friskney 1 53.19x
Fulwood 1 21.05x
Great Grimsby 1 2.66x
Haisthorpe 1 625.00x
Hampstead London 1 1.73x
Hasland 1 16.92x
Knaith Lea Gate Burton 1 212.77x
New Sleaford 1 26.32x
Osbournby 1 158.73x
Peterborough 1 3.96x
Rudston 1 129.87x
Scorborough 1 1250.00x
St Botolph Lincoln 1 23.47x
Stainby 1 526.32x
Stickford 1 161.29x
Watlington 1 126.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 30
John 27
George 26
Thomas 16
James 10
Joseph 9
Robert 8
Charles 6
Richard 6
Edward 5
Alfred 4
Henry 4
Samuel 3
Abraham 2
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Harold 2
Isaac 2
Jacob 2
Stephen 2
Andrew 1
Burkewood 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Herbert 1
Hiram 1
Joe 1
Joshia 1
Marmaduke 1
Percival 1
Peter 1
Robson 1
Sigmond 1
Stimson 1
Thos. 1
Wm.Brown 1

FAQ

Welbourn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Welbourn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 381 people were recorded with the Welbourn surname. That placed it at #8,240 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Welbourn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 601 in 2016. That gives Welbourn a modern rank of #8,708.

What does the Welbourn surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a location meaning "well-born" or "well-famed".

What does the Welbourn map show?

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