NameCensus.

UK surname

Weller

One who makes, repairs, or sells wells, springs, or watercourses, or one who lives near a well.

In the 1881 census there were 4,312 people recorded with the Weller surname, ranking it #1,036 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,546, ranked #1,210, down from #1,036 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dorking, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waverley, Reigate and Banstead and Crawley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Weller is 6,063 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.6%.

1881 census count

4,312

Ranked #1,036

Modern count

5,546

2016, ranked #1,210

Peak year

1911

6,063 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Weller had 4,312 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,036 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,546 in 2016, ranked #1,210.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,063 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Weller surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Weller surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Weller 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 2,826 #1,033
1861 historical 2,278 #1,293
1881 historical 4,312 #1,036
1891 historical 4,507 #1,042
1901 historical 5,392 #1,042
1911 historical 6,063 #853
1997 modern 5,676 #1,150
1998 modern 5,876 #1,150
1999 modern 5,934 #1,145
2000 modern 5,893 #1,149
2001 modern 5,726 #1,155
2002 modern 5,862 #1,154
2003 modern 5,675 #1,160
2004 modern 5,678 #1,157
2005 modern 5,523 #1,169
2006 modern 5,558 #1,166
2007 modern 5,553 #1,173
2008 modern 5,575 #1,177
2009 modern 5,723 #1,174
2010 modern 5,788 #1,187
2011 modern 5,755 #1,176
2012 modern 5,559 #1,198
2013 modern 5,662 #1,198
2014 modern 5,693 #1,201
2015 modern 5,579 #1,209
2016 modern 5,546 #1,210

Geography

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Where Wellers are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Waverley, Reigate and Banstead, Crawley, Mid Sussex and Horsham. 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 Dorking Surrey
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waverley 013 Waverley
2 Reigate and Banstead 014 Reigate and Banstead
3 Crawley 013 Crawley
4 Mid Sussex 001 Mid Sussex
5 Horsham 010 Horsham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Weller

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Weller

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Weller, 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 Weller surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Weller 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Weller is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Weller is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Weller

The surname Weller originated in Germany and is derived from the Middle High German word "wellær," which means "weller" or "fuller." This occupation referred to someone who treated and thickened cloth, particularly wool, by beating and pressing it. The surname first appeared in records in the late 12th century, and early examples of the name were found in various German states and principalities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Weller surname can be found in the Bürgerbucher (Citizen Books) of the city of Nuremberg, which mention a Chunrat der Weller in 1348. Additionally, the surname appears in the tax rolls of the town of Rottenburg am Neckar in 1441, where a Hanns Weller is listed.

The Weller name was also present in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, which includes references to individuals with the surname in the 14th and 15th centuries. For instance, a Nicol Weller is mentioned in a document from 1389 concerning a property dispute in the town of Zwickau.

In England, the surname Weller is thought to have been introduced by German immigrants in the 16th and 17th centuries. One of the earliest recorded examples is Thomas Weller, who was born in Wantage, Berkshire, in 1566. Another notable bearer of the name was John Weller (1712-1789), an English portraitist and painter who worked in London.

The Weller surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history, including:

1. Friedrich Ludwig Weller (1799-1892), a German pastor and theologian. 2. Jacobus Weller (1601-1668), a Dutch Golden Age painter and engraver. 3. Samuel Weller (1776-1854), an English cricketer who played for Surrey and Hampshire. 4. Thomas Weller (1915-2008), an American virologist known for isolating and growing the polio virus in a laboratory setting. 5. Millicent Weller (1907-1993), an American actress who appeared in several films and television shows in the mid-20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Weller families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Weller 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. Surrey leads with 1,000 Wellers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.89x.

County Total Index
Surrey 1,000 4.89x
Sussex 963 13.60x
Kent 811 5.66x
Middlesex 642 1.53x
Oxfordshire 189 7.29x
Berkshire 134 4.25x
Buckinghamshire 88 3.47x
Essex 76 0.92x
Warwickshire 63 0.59x
Hampshire 60 0.70x
Yorkshire 50 0.12x
Staffordshire 44 0.31x
Lancashire 37 0.07x
Norfolk 16 0.25x
Devon 15 0.17x
Dorset 15 0.54x
Hertfordshire 15 0.52x
Northumberland 15 0.24x
Somerset 15 0.22x
Cornwall 8 0.17x
Lanarkshire 7 0.05x
Gloucestershire 6 0.07x
Suffolk 5 0.10x
Cumberland 4 0.11x
Shropshire 4 0.11x
Durham 3 0.02x
Monmouthshire 3 0.10x
Northamptonshire 3 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.22x
Derbyshire 2 0.03x
Herefordshire 2 0.12x
Lincolnshire 2 0.03x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.04x
Wiltshire 2 0.05x
Cheshire 1 0.01x
Sutherland 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 147 Wellers recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.29x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 147 10.29x
Lambeth 96 2.62x
Dorking 77 56.03x
Horsham 76 55.24x
Croydon 75 6.60x
Camberwell 69 2.57x
Battersea 63 4.08x
Mile End Old Town 50 7.54x
Capel 46 238.59x
Fulham London 46 7.55x
Reading St Mary 46 18.21x
Eastbourne 44 13.50x
Reigate Foreign 44 19.85x
Oxford St Thomas 41 33.87x
Tonbridge 40 7.74x
Bermondsey 37 2.96x
Chelsea London 37 2.92x
Shoreditch London 36 1.98x
St Marylebone London 36 1.61x
Newington 35 2.26x
St Pancras London 34 1.01x
Birmingham 33 0.93x
Hastings St Mary 33 18.72x
Bexley 32 25.26x
East Grinstead 31 30.92x
Lewisham 31 4.06x
West Ham 31 1.69x
Paddington London 29 1.88x
Aston 28 0.96x
Berrick Salome 28 1854.30x
Maidstone 28 6.56x
Poplar London 28 3.53x
St George Hanover 27 4.92x
Tenterden 27 53.42x
Withyam 27 89.08x
Hove 26 8.37x
Kensington London 26 1.11x
Worth 26 50.56x
Mitcham 25 19.33x
Reading St Giles 25 8.08x
Rochester St Margaret 25 16.54x
West Firle 25 303.40x
Banstead 24 43.27x
Plumstead 24 5.02x
Greenwich 22 3.29x
Handborough 22 157.93x
Horley 22 64.12x
Hornsey 22 4.14x
Littlehampton 22 38.91x
Newdigate 22 230.13x
Wycombe 22 11.62x
Deptford St Paul 20 1.81x
Epsom 20 20.05x
Folkestone 20 7.19x
Islington London 20 0.49x
Salehurst 20 65.21x
Westerham 20 60.50x
Glynde 19 465.69x
Harborne 19 4.18x
Hendon 19 12.57x
Kingston On Thames 19 3.86x
Cliffe 18 75.22x
Fletching 18 56.80x
Lewes St John Southover 18 37.85x
South Bersted 18 29.89x
Southwark St George Martyr 18 2.13x
Hailsham 17 39.66x
Sandhurst 17 100.77x
Enfield 16 5.81x
Hastings St Leonards 16 15.37x
Maresfield 16 53.60x
Portslade 16 36.96x
Betchworth 15 59.41x
Bethnal Green London 15 0.82x
Chatham 15 3.80x
Hackney London 15 0.64x
Hammersmith London 15 1.45x
Lewes All Sts 15 53.17x
St Luke London 15 2.23x
Reigate Borough 14 29.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 236
Sarah 149
Elizabeth 144
Emily 92
Jane 82
Alice 81
Annie 74
Eliza 72
Ellen 69
Emma 66
Louisa 51
Ann 50
Caroline 50
Fanny 45
Hannah 38
Martha 36
Kate 33
Edith 32
Harriet 31
Florence 29
Charlotte 27
Ada 24
Lucy 24
Maria 22
Frances 19
Rose 19
Susan 19
Anne 17
Catherine 17
Margaret 17
Harriett 16
Amelia 15
Esther 15
Matilda 15
Agnes 14
Clara 14
Amy 11
Susannah 11
Isabella 10
Minnie 10
Rosa 10
Sophia 10
Rebecca 9
Ruth 9
Bertha 8
Bessie 8
Julia 8
May 8
Beatrice 7
Mabel 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 264
George 187
John 183
James 156
Thomas 142
Charles 121
Henry 108
Alfred 58
Frederick 55
Albert 47
Edward 44
Arthur 42
Harry 41
Joseph 38
Walter 35
Richard 34
Frank 26
Samuel 21
Ernest 20
Robert 20
Stephen 20
Herbert 18
Edwin 17
Jesse 17
Peter 14
Wm. 13
Francis 11
Mark 11
David 10
Amos 9
Thos. 9
Chas. 8
Daniel 8
Benjamin 7
Fred 7
Fredk. 7
Sidney 7
Fredrick 6
Edgar 5
Frederic 5
Lewis 5
Reuben 5
Aaron 4
Archibald 4
Edmund 4
Geo. 4
Sydney 4
Tom 4
Alexander 3
Josiah 3

FAQ

Weller surname: questions and answers

How common was the Weller surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,312 people were recorded with the Weller surname. That placed it at #1,036 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Weller surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,546 in 2016. That gives Weller a modern rank of #1,210.

What does the Weller surname mean?

One who makes, repairs, or sells wells, springs, or watercourses, or one who lives near a well.

What does the Weller map show?

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