UK surname
Derived from a German nickname meaning "one who walks well" or "a capable walker."
The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, Darlaston and Nottingham St Nicholas and St Peter. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Welker is 151 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.
1881 census count
-
Modern count
18
2016, ranked #36,832
Peak year
1861
151 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Welker surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Welker surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 31 | #27,734 |
| 1861 | historical | 151 | #15,209 |
| 1891 | historical | 49 | #30,349 |
| 1901 | historical | 11 | #32,907 |
| 1911 | historical | 8 | #32,903 |
| 1997 | modern | 6 | #37,704 |
| 1998 | modern | 5 | #37,861 |
| 1999 | modern | 5 | #37,872 |
| 2000 | modern | 5 | #37,823 |
| 2001 | modern | 5 | #37,652 |
| 2002 | modern | 6 | #37,532 |
| 2003 | modern | 10 | #36,964 |
| 2004 | modern | 11 | #36,969 |
| 2005 | modern | 13 | #36,833 |
| 2006 | modern | 12 | #37,014 |
| 2007 | modern | 13 | #36,990 |
| 2008 | modern | 12 | #37,143 |
| 2009 | modern | 13 | #37,140 |
| 2010 | modern | 13 | #37,215 |
| 2011 | modern | 17 | #36,839 |
| 2012 | modern | 17 | #36,811 |
| 2013 | modern | 19 | #36,691 |
| 2014 | modern | 17 | #36,888 |
| 2015 | modern | 18 | #36,809 |
| 2016 | modern | 18 | #36,832 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, Darlaston, Nottingham St Nicholas and St Peter, St Pancras and Toxteth Park. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Leonard Shoreditch | London (East Districts) |
| 2 | Darlaston | Staffordshire |
| 3 | Nottingham St Nicholas and St Peter | Nottinghamshire |
| 4 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 5 | Toxteth Park | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Welker surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Welker, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Welker surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Welker household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Welker is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Welker is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Welker, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Welker originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "walken," meaning "to walk" or "to tread." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as an occupational name for a fuller, who trod on cloth to thicken and clean it.
The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it appeared in various spellings such as Walker, Walcker, and Walker. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westphalensium, a 12th-century manuscript from Westphalia, which mentions a person named Wolkerus.
During the Middle Ages, the name Welker appeared in several historical records, including the Stadtbuch of Nürnberg from the 14th century, which lists individuals with the surname Welker residing in the city. In the 15th century, a man named Hans Welker was mentioned in the records of the city of Augsburg as a member of the local guild of shoemakers.
One notable individual with the surname Welker was Johann Welker, a German Renaissance humanist and scholar who lived from 1486 to 1554. He was a professor of Greek and Latin at the University of Tübingen and contributed significantly to the study of classical literature.
Another famous bearer of the name was Friedrich Gottlieb Welcker, a German classical scholar and archaeologist who lived from 1784 to 1868. He made important contributions to the study of ancient Greek art and literature and is considered a pioneer in the field of classical archaeology.
In the 19th century, Carl Theodor Welcker (1790-1869) was a prominent German jurist and politician who served as the Minister of Justice and Vice President of the Prussian Council of State. He played a significant role in the legal reforms of Prussia during that period.
The name Welker also has a historical presence in other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands, where it appeared as Welker or Welkers. In the 17th century, a Dutch scholar named Pieter Welker (1618-1688) gained recognition for his work in theology and philology.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Welker has been associated with individuals from various professions, including scholars, politicians, and artisans, reflecting the diverse origins and meanings of this German surname.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
FAQ
The latest modern count shown here is 18 in 2016. That gives Welker a modern rank of #36,832.
Derived from a German nickname meaning "one who walks well" or "a capable walker."
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Welker bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.