NameCensus.

UK surname

Welton

Derived from a place name meaning "town with a well" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 1,093 people recorded with the Welton surname, ranking it #3,639 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,477, ranked #4,169, down from #3,639 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Chollerton, Birtley and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Suffolk Coastal, Northumberland and Hambleton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Welton is 1,635 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.1%.

1881 census count

1,093

Ranked #3,639

Modern count

1,477

2016, ranked #4,169

Peak year

1911

1,635 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Welton had 1,093 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,639 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,477 in 2016, ranked #4,169.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,635 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Welton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Welton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Welton 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 796 #3,353
1861 historical 718 #3,788
1881 historical 1,093 #3,639
1891 historical 1,299 #3,331
1901 historical 1,483 #3,452
1911 historical 1,635 #2,971
1997 modern 1,554 #3,796
1998 modern 1,598 #3,847
1999 modern 1,620 #3,824
2000 modern 1,617 #3,811
2001 modern 1,591 #3,798
2002 modern 1,587 #3,887
2003 modern 1,538 #3,910
2004 modern 1,570 #3,842
2005 modern 1,524 #3,895
2006 modern 1,525 #3,904
2007 modern 1,528 #3,922
2008 modern 1,525 #3,952
2009 modern 1,522 #4,064
2010 modern 1,522 #4,147
2011 modern 1,463 #4,216
2012 modern 1,469 #4,153
2013 modern 1,513 #4,132
2014 modern 1,520 #4,135
2015 modern 1,505 #4,124
2016 modern 1,477 #4,169

Geography

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Where Weltons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Chollerton, Birtley, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Suffolk Coastal, Northumberland, Hambleton and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Chollerton, Birtley Northumberland
4 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Suffolk Coastal 003 Suffolk Coastal
2 Northumberland 019 Northumberland
3 Hambleton 004 Hambleton
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 032 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 036 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Welton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Welton

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

Welton 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

Welton falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Welton

The surname Welton is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from a place name, specifically the town of Welton in Lincolnshire, England. The name itself is a combination of the Old English words "well" and "tun," meaning a farm or settlement near a well or spring.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name Welton can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a John de Welton, while the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a William de Welton.

The Welton surname is also found in the renowned Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. This document recorded landowners and their holdings across England, and it lists several individuals with the surname Welton or variations of it, such as Weltone or Weltuna.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Welton. One such person was Sir Ralph Welton (c. 1390-1459), who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1458. Another was Richard Welton (c. 1671-1713), an English playwright and poet known for his works "The Dissembled Wanton" and "The Parson's Wedding."

In the 16th century, the name Welton was associated with the village of Welton in Northamptonshire, which was once known as Welton Brockholes or Welton Brockhall. This village is mentioned in records from the time, indicating that the Welton surname may have originated from this location as well.

Additionally, the name Welton has been linked to various place names in other parts of England, such as Welton in East Yorkshire and Welton in Lincolnshire, further reinforcing its connection to specific locations.

Other notable individuals with the Welton surname include John Welton (c. 1590-1662), an English Puritan minister and author; Thomas Welton (1619-1676), an English clergyman and author; and Edward Welton (1795-1870), an English architect who designed several churches in the Gothic Revival style.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Welton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Welton 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. Suffolk leads with 190 Weltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.77x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 190 14.77x
Middlesex 161 1.52x
Norfolk 85 5.23x
Northumberland 79 5.03x
Warwickshire 73 2.74x
Yorkshire 66 0.63x
Surrey 64 1.24x
Lincolnshire 60 3.55x
Lancashire 41 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 37 2.60x
Essex 32 1.53x
Durham 31 0.99x
Derbyshire 30 1.81x
Kent 29 0.80x
Staffordshire 22 0.62x
Sussex 19 1.07x
Cheshire 11 0.47x
Pembrokeshire 9 2.68x
Worcestershire 7 0.51x
Gloucestershire 6 0.29x
Devon 5 0.23x
Glamorgan 5 0.27x
Hertfordshire 5 0.69x
Monmouthshire 5 0.65x
Stirlingshire 5 1.28x
Hampshire 3 0.14x
Berkshire 1 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.15x
Somerset 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coventry St Michael in Warwickshire leads with 36 Weltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.07x.

Place Total Index
Coventry St Michael 36 42.07x
Southwold 30 393.70x
Chollerton 27 610.86x
Bromley London 19 8.17x
Deptford St Paul 18 6.47x
Headon Cum Upton 15 1851.85x
Birmingham 13 1.46x
Edmonton 13 15.27x
Great Yarmouth 13 9.66x
Wreningham 13 738.64x
Bermondsey 12 3.82x
Haltwhistle 12 157.27x
Clerkenwell London 11 4.41x
Coventry Holy Trinity 11 13.83x
Hackney London 11 1.86x
Leiston 11 124.43x
St Pancras London 11 1.29x
Chelsea London 10 3.14x
Gorleston 10 30.59x
Ipswich St Margaret 10 22.90x
Lambeth 10 1.09x
Westminster St John 10 7.77x
Whitburn 10 136.43x
Barton St Peter 9 116.28x
East West Charlton 9 927.84x
Haverfordwest St Thomas 9 133.93x
Holy Trinity 9 3.57x
Ipswich St Helen 9 59.02x
Lavenham 9 133.73x
Moss Side 9 13.64x
Newchurch 9 8.78x
Woodbridge 9 54.71x
Wymondham 9 54.18x
Ecclesall Bierlow 8 3.76x
Hampstead London 8 4.86x
Hastings St Mary 8 18.05x
Hethel 8 1481.48x
Kelsale 8 224.09x
Monkwearmouth Shore 8 13.04x
Scarcliff 8 358.74x
St Marylebone London 8 1.42x
Throxenby 8 1739.13x
Ashby 7 132.33x
Battersea 7 1.80x
Bradwell 7 348.26x
Brandon Byshottles 7 17.78x
Bredon 7 148.62x
East Retford 7 56.68x
Fryerning 7 274.51x
Heigham 7 8.03x
Scunthorpe 7 92.11x
Shipley 7 12.88x
South Ockendon 7 162.04x
St Swithin Lincoln 7 26.36x
Westleigh 7 24.59x
Whitechapel London 7 6.72x
Aston 6 0.82x
Bristol St George 6 6.26x
Bury St Edmunds St James 6 17.46x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 6 24.84x
Carshalton 6 30.46x
Castle Church 6 28.00x
Great Driffield 6 27.93x
Herringfleet 6 705.88x
Heston 6 17.10x
Nottingham St Mary 6 1.63x
Ripley 6 29.34x
Roughton 6 377.36x
Somerleyton 6 277.78x
Ubbeston 6 882.35x
Wark 6 322.58x
Wolverhampton 6 2.19x
York St Helen Stonegate 6 375.00x
Birtley 5 362.32x
Bow London 5 3.72x
Falkirk 5 5.48x
Kirkwhelpington 5 609.76x
Longbenton 5 7.51x
St George Hanover 5 3.63x
Syleham 5 495.05x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 69
John 61
George 39
James 33
Charles 29
Thomas 28
Robert 19
Samuel 18
Arthur 14
Walter 12
Edward 11
Frederick 10
Henry 9
Joseph 9
Richard 8
Alfred 7
Frank 7
Harry 7
Isaac 6
Albert 5
Ernest 5
Herbert 5
Edmund 4
Francis 4
Christopher 3
Bartholomew 2
Edgar 2
Edwin 2
Fred 2
Fredrick 2
Howard 2
Infant 2
Matthew 2
Michael 2
Morris 2
Percival 2
Septimus 2
Sidney 2
Willie 2
Archibald 1
Colin 1
Cornelious 1
Dan 1
Daniel 1
Ellick 1
Fergus 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Jane 1
Jeremiah 1

FAQ

Welton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Welton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,093 people were recorded with the Welton surname. That placed it at #3,639 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Welton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,477 in 2016. That gives Welton a modern rank of #4,169.

What does the Welton surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "town with a well" in Old English.

What does the Welton map show?

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