NameCensus.

UK surname

Wellens

A surname derived from a surname meaning prosperous or wealthy.

In the 1881 census there were 110 people recorded with the Wellens surname, ranking it #18,695 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 177, ranked #21,230, down from #18,695 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Manchester and Lytham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rochdale and St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wellens is 196 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.9%.

1881 census count

110

Ranked #18,695

Modern count

177

2016, ranked #21,230

Peak year

1999

196 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wellens had 110 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,695 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016, ranked #21,230.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 188 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Wellens surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wellens surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Wellens 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 68 #21,302
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 110 #18,695
1891 historical 98 #24,313
1901 historical 123 #20,248
1911 historical 188 #15,550
1997 modern 184 #18,580
1998 modern 195 #18,397
1999 modern 196 #18,464
2000 modern 187 #18,990
2001 modern 178 #19,288
2002 modern 182 #19,411
2003 modern 179 #19,416
2004 modern 177 #19,662
2005 modern 174 #19,783
2006 modern 176 #19,787
2007 modern 181 #19,680
2008 modern 181 #19,875
2009 modern 188 #19,797
2010 modern 194 #19,819
2011 modern 185 #20,288
2012 modern 180 #20,606
2013 modern 183 #20,722
2014 modern 181 #21,033
2015 modern 186 #20,576
2016 modern 177 #21,230

Geography

Back to top

Where Wellens' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Manchester, Lytham, Middleton and Ashton-under-Lyne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rochdale and St. Helens. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Lytham Lancashire
4 Middleton Lancashire
5 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rochdale 023 Rochdale
2 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
3 Rochdale 025 Rochdale
4 St. Helens 016 St. Helens
5 Rochdale 024 Rochdale

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Wellens

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Wellens

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Wellens surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Wellens household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Wellens 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

Wellens 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

Wellens falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wellens is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Wellens, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Wellens

The surname Wellens is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old English words "wyll," meaning "stream" or "spring," and "un," meaning "hill" or "mound." Thus, the name Wellens likely referred to someone who lived near a spring or stream on a hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Wellens can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various historical records and documents from counties such as Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert de Wellens, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.

During the 14th century, the name Wellens became more widespread, appearing in various records from different parts of England. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, for instance, there is a reference to a William de Wellens from Gloucestershire. The name also appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, where a John Wellens was listed as a landowner.

One notable historical figure with the surname Wellens was Sir John Wellens, a renowned military commander who served under King Henry V during the Hundred Years' War. He was born in Oxfordshire around 1385 and played a significant role in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

Another noteworthy person with the surname Wellens was Richard Wellens, a prominent merchant and philanthropist from Bristol in the 16th century. He was born in 1510 and was known for his charitable works, including the establishment of a school for underprivileged children in the city.

In the 17th century, the name Wellens appeared in various parish records and historical documents across different parts of England. One such record is from the Parish Registers of Oxfordshire, where a William Wellens was listed as a baptism in 1623.

An interesting figure from this period was Thomas Wellens, a renowned academic and clergyman who was born in Gloucestershire in 1655. He served as the Dean of Chichester Cathedral and was known for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy.

In the 18th century, the surname Wellens continued to be found in various records and documents across England. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Edward Wellens, a prominent lawyer and judge who was born in Oxfordshire in 1725. He served as the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench from 1780 until his death in 1793.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Wellens families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wellens 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. Lancashire leads with 109 Wellens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.56x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 109 8.56x
Middlesex 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Middleton In Oldham in Lancashire leads with 65 Wellens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1701.57x.

Place Total Index
Middleton In Oldham 65 1701.57x
Tonge 17 636.70x
Oldham 15 36.50x
Thornham 7 1014.49x
Cheetham 5 52.63x
St Marylebone London 1 1.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 5
Ann 4
Eliza 4
Annie 3
Ellen 3
Alice 2
Anne 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Lucy 2
Betty 1
Elizth.Ann 1
Emily 1
Lilla 1
Lillah 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
James 5
Thomas 5
William 4
Joseph 3
Robert 3
Samuel 3
David 2
Richard 2
Tom 2
Abraham 1
Absolam 1
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
George 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Wellens surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wellens surname in 1881?

In 1881, 110 people were recorded with the Wellens surname. That placed it at #18,695 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wellens surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016. That gives Wellens a modern rank of #21,230.

What does the Wellens surname mean?

A surname derived from a surname meaning prosperous or wealthy.

What does the Wellens map show?

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