NameCensus.

UK surname

Wemyss

A Scottish surname derived from a place name referring to a cave or cavern near the River Leven.

In the 1881 census there were 415 people recorded with the Wemyss surname, ranking it #7,763 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 816, ranked #6,800, up from #7,763 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hawick and Wilton, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sutherland South, Fraserburgh Harbour and Broadsea and Hilltown.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wemyss is 822 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.6%.

1881 census count

415

Ranked #7,763

Modern count

816

2016, ranked #6,800

Peak year

2011

822 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wemyss had 415 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,763 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 816 in 2016, ranked #6,800.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 548 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Wemyss surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wemyss surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wemyss 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 332 #7,031
1861 historical 286 #8,793
1881 historical 415 #7,763
1891 historical 448 #8,099
1901 historical 548 #7,547
1911 historical 175 #16,246
1997 modern 685 #7,364
1998 modern 751 #7,093
1999 modern 750 #7,144
2000 modern 764 #7,006
2001 modern 710 #7,286
2002 modern 744 #7,153
2003 modern 742 #7,075
2004 modern 729 #7,166
2005 modern 737 #7,055
2006 modern 735 #7,099
2007 modern 757 #7,000
2008 modern 778 #6,912
2009 modern 797 #6,912
2010 modern 813 #6,923
2011 modern 822 #6,791
2012 modern 797 #6,851
2013 modern 808 #6,892
2014 modern 815 #6,879
2015 modern 821 #6,788
2016 modern 816 #6,800

Geography

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Where Wemyss' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hawick and Wilton, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Bidstone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sutherland South, Fraserburgh Harbour and Broadsea, Hilltown, Fraserburgh Lochpots and Kelso North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Bidstone Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sutherland South Highland
2 Fraserburgh Harbour and Broadsea Aberdeenshire
3 Hilltown Dundee City
4 Fraserburgh Lochpots Aberdeenshire
5 Kelso North Scottish Borders

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wemyss

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wemyss

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Wemyss surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Wemyss household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Wemyss 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

Wemyss is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wemyss falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wemyss

The surname Wemyss originated in Scotland, derived from the name of the parish of Wemyss in Fife. The name is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "weem" meaning cave and "eys" meaning a place, referring to the caves along the coast of Fife.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 12th century when a Michael de Wemyss is mentioned in the Register of the Priory of St. Andrews. The Wemyss family held lands in Fife from the 12th century onwards and were prominent in Scottish history.

The name appears in various historical records, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list landowners who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. Sir Michael Wemyss is recorded as swearing fealty to the English king.

In the 14th century, Sir John Wemyss of Reres was a prominent figure and is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1359. He was a supporter of King David II of Scotland and took part in the Wars of Scottish Independence.

The Wemyss family continued to hold significant influence in Scotland throughout the centuries. Sir David Wemyss (1570-1622) was a Scottish landowner and member of the Scottish Parliament. Sir James Wemyss (1586-1655) was a Scottish soldier and member of the Privy Council of Scotland.

In the 17th century, John Wemyss (1609-1679) was a Scottish minister and author who wrote several religious works. He served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1661.

The Wemyss family also produced several notable naval officers, including Admiral William Wemyss (1760-1822), who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and Admiral Rosslyn Erskine Wemyss (1864-1933), who was the First Sea Lord during World War I.

Other notable individuals with the surname Wemyss include Francis Wemyss-Charteris-Douglas (1828-1914), a Scottish nobleman and Liberal politician, and David Wemyss (1893-1958), a Scottish artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wemyss families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wemyss 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. Fife leads with 94 Wemyss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.23x.

County Total Index
Fife 94 39.23x
Midlothian 64 11.80x
Lanarkshire 28 2.14x
Aberdeenshire 26 6.94x
Roxburghshire 22 30.00x
Angus 21 5.60x
Yorkshire 19 0.47x
Durham 18 1.49x
Cheshire 12 1.34x
Ross-shire 12 10.79x
Lancashire 11 0.23x
Middlesex 8 0.20x
Stirlingshire 8 5.36x
Surrey 8 0.41x
Berwickshire 7 14.28x
Selkirkshire 7 19.12x
Kincardineshire 6 12.17x
Ayrshire 5 1.65x
Caithness 4 7.22x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 6.83x
Dumfriesshire 3 3.36x
Dunbartonshire 3 2.76x
Hertfordshire 3 1.08x
Kent 3 0.22x
Northumberland 3 0.50x
Staffordshire 3 0.22x
Devon 2 0.24x
Gloucestershire 2 0.25x
Banffshire 1 1.19x
Clackmannanshire 1 2.99x
Dorset 1 0.38x
East Lothian 1 1.87x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.78x
Royal Navy 1 2.07x
Somerset 1 0.15x
West Lothian 1 1.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 38 Wemyss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.42x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 38 17.42x
Govan 15 4.63x
St Andrews 15 137.61x
Wemyss 15 147.93x
Kirkcaldy 13 109.34x
Crail 12 489.80x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 11 15.68x
Liff Benvie 11 19.32x
Fodderty 10 355.87x
Birkenhead 9 12.64x
Falkirk 8 22.89x
Headingley Cum Burley 8 30.98x
Kinghorn 8 157.17x
Peterhead 8 40.34x
South Leith 8 13.11x
Dundee 7 5.00x
Earlston 7 285.71x
Edinburgh St Marys 7 66.41x
Leslie 7 115.32x
Manchester 7 3.24x
Barony 6 1.81x
Bervie 6 205.48x
Galashiels 6 44.31x
Westoe 6 8.79x
Ayr 5 34.97x
Ford 5 138.50x
Harton 5 105.04x
Hawick 5 30.47x
Kelso 5 68.40x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 6.14x
Wilton 5 62.11x
Cambusnethan 4 13.76x
Cawthorne In Wortley 4 246.91x
Ceres 4 138.89x
Fraserburgh 4 37.91x
Kelton 4 83.16x
Morebattle 4 285.71x
Scarborough 4 10.97x
Wick 4 22.35x
Abbotshall 3 33.52x
Auchtertool 3 303.03x
Belhelvie 3 117.19x
Byker 3 10.08x
Edinburgh St Georges 3 26.67x
Fulham London 3 5.11x
Guildford St Nicholas 3 85.96x
Kensington London 3 1.33x
Kilconquhar 3 105.26x
Liberton 3 35.84x
Moston 3 62.24x
Newburgh 3 98.68x
North Leith 3 11.95x
Row 3 21.32x
Stoke Upon Trent 3 2.07x
Watford 3 13.87x
Altrincham 2 12.81x
Carluke 2 16.82x
Castleton 2 63.49x
Dumfries 2 22.68x
Monifieth 2 15.09x
Naburn 2 253.16x
Painswick 2 35.65x
Plumstead 2 4.34x
Alverstoke 1 3.33x
Anstruther Easter 1 57.80x
Auchterhouse 1 108.70x
Bishopwearmouth 1 0.97x
Duddingston 1 9.18x
Dysart 1 6.20x
Edmonton 1 3.07x
Ferry Port On Craig 1 25.38x
Glasgow 1 0.43x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 1.92x
Hownam 1 277.78x
Kirkpatrick Fleming 1 49.02x
Largo 1 32.15x
Melrose 1 10.85x
Paddington London 1 0.67x
Royal Navy 1 2.42x
Whatley 1 166.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
David 5
James 3
Robert 3
William 3
Andrew 2
Archibald 2
Charles 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
John 2
Alex.S. 1
Alexander 1
Axander 1
Christopher 1
Duncan 1
Edward 1
George 1
Hendary 1
Rosslyn 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Wemyss surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wemyss surname in 1881?

In 1881, 415 people were recorded with the Wemyss surname. That placed it at #7,763 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wemyss surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 816 in 2016. That gives Wemyss a modern rank of #6,800.

What does the Wemyss surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a place name referring to a cave or cavern near the River Leven.

What does the Wemyss map show?

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