UK surname
A German surname derived from the word meaning "world" or "cosmos".
In the 1881 census there were 25 people recorded with the Welt surname, ranking it #30,077 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2, ranked #38,825, down from #30,077 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Codicote, Winwick and Walthamstow, Low Leyton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Welt is 135 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 92.0%.
1881 census count
25
Ranked #30,077
Modern count
2
2016, ranked #38,825
Peak year
1861
135 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Welt surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Welt 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 | 10 | #31,497 |
| 1861 | historical | 135 | #16,651 |
| 1881 | historical | 25 | #30,077 |
| 1891 | historical | 82 | #26,494 |
| 1901 | historical | 24 | #31,365 |
| 1911 | historical | 19 | #31,416 |
| 1997 | modern | 5 | #37,891 |
| 1998 | modern | 5 | #37,861 |
| 1999 | modern | 6 | #37,696 |
| 2000 | modern | 5 | #37,823 |
| 2001 | modern | 4 | #37,862 |
| 2002 | modern | 4 | #37,921 |
| 2003 | modern | 4 | #37,951 |
| 2004 | modern | 4 | #38,013 |
| 2005 | modern | 3 | #38,312 |
| 2006 | modern | 3 | #38,334 |
| 2007 | modern | 4 | #38,169 |
| 2008 | modern | 3 | #38,396 |
| 2009 | modern | 2 | #38,725 |
| 2010 | modern | 3 | #38,552 |
| 2011 | modern | 3 | #38,546 |
| 2012 | modern | 2 | #38,754 |
| 2013 | modern | 2 | #38,761 |
| 2014 | modern | 2 | #38,791 |
| 2015 | modern | 2 | #38,793 |
| 2016 | modern | 2 | #38,825 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Codicote, Winwick, Walthamstow, Low Leyton, Tettenhall and Oldswinford. 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 | Codicote | Hertfordshire |
| 2 | Winwick | Lancashire |
| 3 | Walthamstow, Low Leyton | Essex |
| 4 | Tettenhall | Staffordshire |
| 5 | Oldswinford | Worcestershire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Welt 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 Welt, 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 Welt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Welt 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, Welt 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 Welt is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Welt, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Welt originates from Germany, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "walt," meaning "forest" or "woods." The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a forested area.
Welt was a common surname in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Westphalia. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Walth, Waldt, and Walther. Some of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval charters from Saxony, dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johann Welt, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Rottenburg, near Stuttgart, in the late 14th century. His name appeared in local tax records from 1387.
During the 16th century, the surname Welt began to spread beyond Germany's borders as traders and artisans migrated to other parts of Europe. Notable individuals from this period include Hans Welt (1490-1558), a master woodcarver from Nuremberg, and Katharina Welt (1522-1592), a renowned herbalist and midwife from Augsburg.
In the 17th century, the Welt name appeared in various records across Central Europe. For example, Johann Michael Welt (1619-1687) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and author from Saxony, while Christoph Welt (1642-1718) was a respected jurist and mayor of the town of Oppenheim in the Palatinate region.
As the name spread further, it also found its way to other parts of the world through migration and exploration. One notable bearer was Johann Georg Welt (1745-1821), a German-born explorer and cartographer who participated in several expeditions to the Pacific Northwest of North America in the late 18th century.
Throughout history, the Welt surname has been borne by various notable individuals in fields such as academia, politics, and the arts. These include Carl Welt (1870-1948), a German-American artist and illustrator; Karl Welt (1895-1972), an Austrian politician and member of the National Council; and Hans Welt (1915-2003), a German-born American physicist and educator.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Welt surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Monmouthshire leads with 10 Welts recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.79x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Monmouthshire | 10 | 56.79x |
| Suffolk | 9 | 30.32x |
| Middlesex | 5 | 2.05x |
| Midlothian | 1 | 3.06x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chepstow in Monmouthshire leads with 10 Welts recorded in 1881 and an index of 3333.33x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Chepstow | 10 | 3333.33x |
| Great Bradley | 9 | 30000.00x |
| Edinburgh St Cuthberts | 1 | 7.62x |
| St Bride London | 1 | 714.29x |
| St George Hanover | 1 | 31.45x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 5.10x |
| Tottenham | 1 | 25.77x |
| Westminster St James | 1 | 40.00x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Welt surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Welt surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Welt households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 7 |
| Mason | 3 |
| Ag Labourer | 1 |
| Cook | 1 |
| Dom Serv Unemployed | 1 |
| Farm Labourer | 1 |
| Farm Labourer Church Clerk | 1 |
| Genl Laborer | 1 |
| Hall Porter (Dom) | 1 |
| Kitchen Maid | 1 |
| Labourer | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 25 people were recorded with the Welt surname. That placed it at #30,077 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 2 in 2016. That gives Welt a modern rank of #38,825.
A German surname derived from the word meaning "world" or "cosmos".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Welt 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.