NameCensus.

UK surname

Welch

Derived from the Old English word meaning "foreigner," referring to someone of Celtic origin, particularly from Wales.

In the 1881 census there were 10,480 people recorded with the Welch surname, ranking it #407 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,314, ranked #486, down from #407 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Herefordshire and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Welch is 13,637 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.0%.

1881 census count

10,480

Ranked #407

Modern count

13,314

2016, ranked #486

Peak year

1999

13,637 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Welch had 10,480 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #407 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,314 in 2016, ranked #486.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12,904 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Welch surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Welch surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Welch 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 7,275 #385
1861 historical 6,542 #429
1881 historical 10,480 #407
1891 historical 9,763 #450
1901 historical 12,037 #434
1911 historical 12,904 #378
1997 modern 13,154 #463
1998 modern 13,528 #465
1999 modern 13,637 #466
2000 modern 13,563 #464
2001 modern 13,277 #464
2002 modern 13,583 #465
2003 modern 13,208 #465
2004 modern 13,159 #470
2005 modern 12,808 #477
2006 modern 12,820 #475
2007 modern 12,964 #475
2008 modern 12,949 #479
2009 modern 13,230 #483
2010 modern 13,511 #482
2011 modern 13,292 #484
2012 modern 13,041 #484
2013 modern 13,493 #479
2014 modern 13,597 #481
2015 modern 13,408 #484
2016 modern 13,314 #486

Geography

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Where Welchs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Herefordshire, Cheshire East and Sunderland. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 029 Shropshire
2 Herefordshire 019 Herefordshire, County of
3 Cheshire East 047 Cheshire East
4 Cheshire East 050 Cheshire East
5 Sunderland 035 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Welch

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Welch

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

Welch is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Welch falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Welch

The surname Welch is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word "Wilisc" or "Wielisc," which referred to someone of Welsh or Celtic descent or a person from Wales. It is believed to have emerged in England during the early medieval period.

In the Domesday Book, a survey of England conducted in 1086, the name is recorded as "Waleis," a variant spelling of the surname. This suggests that individuals with this name were present in England at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Roger le Waleys, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1196. Another notable figure from history was Sir Robert le Waleys, a Welsh military leader who played a significant role in the Welsh Wars of Independence against the English in the late 13th century.

The surname has also been associated with various place names in England and Wales, such as Welshpool in Powys, Wales, and Welsh Bicknor in Herefordshire, England. These place names likely influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Welch throughout history are:

1. John Welch (1570-1622), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and one of the founders of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. 2. Rose O'Neill Gwynne Welch (1851-1944), an American cartoonist and illustrator, best known for creating the Kewpie characters. 3. Raquel Welch (born 1940), an American actress and model, known for her roles in films like "One Million Years B.C." and "The Three Musketeers." 4. Jack Welch (1935-2020), an American business executive and author, who served as the CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001. 5. Vincent Welch (1923-2015), an American character actor who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his career.

The surname Welch has a rich history dating back to the early medieval period in England and Wales, reflecting the interactions between Anglo-Saxon and Celtic populations. Its variations and associations with place names provide insights into the geographical distribution and evolution of the name over centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Welch families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Welch 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 1,536 Welchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.49x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,536 1.49x
Lancashire 976 0.80x
Surrey 804 1.61x
Durham 630 2.06x
Warwickshire 517 2.00x
Hampshire 461 2.19x
Staffordshire 440 1.27x
Kent 361 1.03x
Cheshire 346 1.53x
Hertfordshire 341 4.82x
Somerset 307 1.86x
Yorkshire 236 0.23x
Cornwall 225 1.93x
Northumberland 218 1.43x
Gloucestershire 203 1.01x
Devon 186 0.87x
Dorset 185 2.74x
Berkshire 184 2.39x
Sussex 166 0.96x
Worcestershire 151 1.13x
Essex 146 0.72x
Fife 143 2.35x
Buckinghamshire 137 2.21x
Bedfordshire 130 2.44x
Lincolnshire 128 0.78x
Northamptonshire 127 1.31x
Shropshire 124 1.40x
Lanarkshire 116 0.35x
Wiltshire 114 1.25x
Glamorgan 106 0.59x
Nottinghamshire 77 0.56x
Derbyshire 67 0.42x
Angus 62 0.65x
Oxfordshire 62 0.98x
Suffolk 61 0.49x
Leicestershire 52 0.46x
Channel Islands 46 1.51x
Norfolk 35 0.22x
Cambridgeshire 33 0.51x
Flintshire 33 1.19x
Midlothian 33 0.24x
Perthshire 29 0.63x
Ayrshire 21 0.27x
Renfrewshire 19 0.24x
Caernarfonshire 17 0.41x
Monmouthshire 15 0.20x
Royal Navy 12 0.98x
Cumberland 11 0.12x
Berwickshire 10 0.80x
West Lothian 9 0.58x
Herefordshire 8 0.19x
Westmorland 8 0.35x
Isle of Man 7 0.37x
Rutland 7 0.93x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.14x
Denbighshire 5 0.13x
East Lothian 5 0.37x
Peeblesshire 5 1.03x
Roxburghshire 5 0.27x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.04x
Kincardineshire 4 0.32x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 0.27x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.15x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.09x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.09x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.07x
Inverness-shire 2 0.07x
Kinross-shire 1 0.39x
Stirlingshire 1 0.03x
Wigtownshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 252 Welchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.92x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 252 2.92x
Portsea 152 3.68x
Lambeth 146 1.63x
St Marylebone London 132 2.41x
Islington London 126 1.27x
Aston 119 1.67x
St Pancras London 117 1.41x
Hackney London 78 1.35x
Camberwell 77 1.17x
Bethnal Green London 76 1.70x
Liverpool 74 1.00x
Cheltenham 69 4.44x
Newington 68 1.79x
Manchester 66 1.20x
Southwark St George Martyr 64 3.10x
Bermondsey 61 1.99x
Bridport 57 41.06x
Shoreditch London 54 1.21x
Gateshead 53 2.32x
Shepton Beauchamp 53 235.45x
Hammersmith London 52 2.05x
Toxteth Park 51 1.24x
Kensington London 50 0.88x
Paddington London 50 1.32x
St George In East 50 7.15x
Wolverhampton 50 1.88x
Battersea 49 1.30x
Rotherhithe 47 3.70x
Westoe 47 2.71x
Luton 46 5.00x
Mere 46 44.57x
Chorley 45 6.58x
Stockton On Tees 45 3.05x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 44 3.32x
Brighton 41 1.17x
Ferry Port On Craig 41 40.98x
Southampton St Mary 41 3.10x
Barrow In Furness 39 2.35x
Clerkenwell London 39 1.61x
Lewisham 39 2.09x
Nantwich 39 14.80x
Enfield 38 5.64x
Stoke Upon Trent 38 1.03x
Chorlton On Medlock 37 1.91x
Tottenham 36 2.20x
Willesden 36 3.72x
Brandon Byshottles 34 8.88x
Monkwearmouth Shore 34 5.70x
South Stoneham 34 7.44x
Glasgow 33 0.56x
West Ilsley 33 248.87x
Croydon 32 1.15x
Dundee 32 0.90x
Birkenhead 31 1.71x
Oldham 31 0.79x
Poplar London 31 1.60x
St Luke London 31 1.88x
Stranton 31 3.01x
West Ham 31 0.69x
Burslem 30 3.02x
Hampstead London 30 1.87x
Newcastle On Tyne St 30 3.79x
Preston 30 0.92x
West Bromwich 30 1.51x
Codicote 28 66.29x
Ilminster 28 24.24x
Leicester St Margaret 28 1.01x
Plymouth St Andrew 28 1.70x
Wolstanton 27 2.56x
Chatham 25 2.59x
Ealing 25 2.72x
Everton 25 0.64x
Hitchin 25 7.82x
Merthyr Tydfil 25 1.45x
New Monkland 25 2.55x
Shepton Mallet 25 13.47x
South Mimms 25 17.75x
Whitchurch 25 14.51x
Kingston On Thames 24 2.00x
Stoke Newington London 24 3.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 773
Elizabeth 342
Sarah 288
Ellen 224
Ann 218
Jane 186
Margaret 155
Annie 154
Alice 152
Eliza 152
Emma 126
Emily 119
Catherine 97
Hannah 85
Louisa 81
Martha 61
Maria 59
Bridget 56
Ada 52
Kate 51
Edith 49
Charlotte 48
Caroline 44
Harriet 44
Fanny 42
Florence 42
Julia 42
Clara 41
Lucy 41
Susan 39
Rose 36
Frances 34
Anne 33
Amelia 31
Agnes 30
Isabella 29
Amy 26
Harriett 26
Rebecca 22
Sophia 22
Matilda 21
Anna 20
Lydia 20
Esther 19
Ethel 18
Minnie 18
Helen 17
Susannah 16
Jessie 15
Elizth. 14

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 637
William 631
Thomas 374
James 359
George 312
Charles 187
Joseph 179
Henry 178
Edward 105
Robert 99
Alfred 95
Richard 95
Arthur 91
Frederick 91
Patrick 79
Michael 71
Walter 66
Samuel 64
Albert 62
Harry 60
Ernest 38
Francis 36
Frank 34
Herbert 34
Martin 33
Peter 32
David 31
Benjamin 29
Daniel 29
Edwin 25
Thos. 25
Stephen 17
Jesse 16
Fred 15
Wm. 14
Edmund 12
Isaac 12
Fredrick 11
Josiah 11
Amos 10
Anthony 10
Christopher 10
Fredk. 10
Mark 10
Geo. 9
Ralph 9
Sidney 9
Sydney 9
Alexander 8
Tom 8

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 Welch households.

FAQ

Welch surname: questions and answers

How common was the Welch surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10,480 people were recorded with the Welch surname. That placed it at #407 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Welch surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,314 in 2016. That gives Welch a modern rank of #486.

What does the Welch surname mean?

Derived from the Old English word meaning "foreigner," referring to someone of Celtic origin, particularly from Wales.

What does the Welch map show?

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