NameCensus.

UK surname

Wenman

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "winding valley man."

In the 1881 census there were 299 people recorded with the Wenman surname, ranking it #9,740 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 521, ranked #9,701, up from #9,740 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Minster, London parishes and Benenden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Windsor and Maidenhead, Sevenoaks and Gravesham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wenman is 560 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.2%.

1881 census count

299

Ranked #9,740

Modern count

521

2016, ranked #9,701

Peak year

2002

560 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wenman had 299 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,740 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 521 in 2016, ranked #9,701.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 400 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Wenman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wenman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wenman 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 239 #9,092
1861 historical 175 #13,409
1881 historical 299 #9,740
1891 historical 367 #9,486
1901 historical 379 #9,841
1911 historical 400 #9,280
1997 modern 525 #8,977
1998 modern 538 #9,073
1999 modern 536 #9,159
2000 modern 540 #9,084
2001 modern 527 #9,097
2002 modern 560 #8,856
2003 modern 545 #8,902
2004 modern 532 #9,083
2005 modern 514 #9,262
2006 modern 510 #9,342
2007 modern 513 #9,393
2008 modern 505 #9,565
2009 modern 522 #9,544
2010 modern 543 #9,443
2011 modern 555 #9,200
2012 modern 540 #9,312
2013 modern 540 #9,483
2014 modern 538 #9,556
2015 modern 526 #9,654
2016 modern 521 #9,701

Geography

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Where Wenmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Minster, London parishes, Benenden and Hawkhurst, Etchingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Windsor and Maidenhead, Sevenoaks, Gravesham, Waverley and South Cambridgeshire. 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 Minster Kent
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Benenden Kent
5 Hawkhurst, Etchingham Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Windsor and Maidenhead 011 Windsor and Maidenhead
2 Sevenoaks 014 Sevenoaks
3 Gravesham 011 Gravesham
4 Waverley 015 Waverley
5 South Cambridgeshire 015 South Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wenman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wenman

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

Wenman is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wenman falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wenman

The surname WENMAN is of English origin, derived from the place name "Wenman" in Shropshire, England. This place name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "wen" meaning "hill" and "mann" meaning "man", suggesting the name's earliest bearers may have been people living on or near a hill.

The earliest recorded instance of the WENMAN surname can be traced back to the 13th century in Shropshire. In 1273, a Richard de Wenman is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire. This suggests the name was already well-established in the region by that time.

During the medieval period, the WENMAN family held lands in Shropshire and neighboring counties. In the 16th century, a branch of the family moved to Oxfordshire, where they acquired the estate of Caswell near Witney. Prominent members of this branch include Sir Thomas Wenman (1523-1577), who served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire.

The WENMAN name appears in various historical records throughout the centuries. For instance, in the 17th century, Sir Richard Wenman (1573-1638) was a notable figure who served as a Member of Parliament and held the position of High Sheriff of Oxfordshire. His son, Thomas Wenman (1596-1665), was also an influential figure, serving as a Member of Parliament and a Royalist during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Philip Wenman (1674-1770) was a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire. He was instrumental in the construction of the Windrush Valley Road, which connected the town of Burford to the main road network.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Wenman (1742-1818), who served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire and held the position of High Sheriff of Oxfordshire. He was also a renowned art collector and patron of the arts.

The WENMAN surname has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For example, Wenman Farm in Shropshire and Wenman Abbey in Oxfordshire were both named after members of the WENMAN family who owned or resided in those locations.

While the WENMAN name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and settlement patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the historic counties of Shropshire and Oxfordshire, where the name has a long and rich history spanning several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wenman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wenman 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. Kent leads with 115 Wenmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.56x.

County Total Index
Kent 115 11.56x
Middlesex 63 2.16x
Surrey 36 2.53x
Berkshire 35 15.99x
Sussex 11 2.24x
Oxfordshire 10 5.55x
Gloucestershire 5 0.87x
Buckinghamshire 4 2.27x
Staffordshire 4 0.41x
Cheshire 3 0.47x
Hampshire 3 0.50x
Yorkshire 3 0.10x
Essex 2 0.35x
Lancashire 2 0.06x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.54x
Cornwall 1 0.30x
Midlothian 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hawkhurst in Kent leads with 27 Wenmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 873.79x.

Place Total Index
Hawkhurst 27 873.79x
Chatham 21 76.70x
Brenenden 16 1250.00x
Minster In Sheppey 11 66.71x
Tonbridge 11 30.65x
Bethnal Green London 10 7.89x
Goosey 10 6250.00x
Shoreditch London 10 7.91x
Hammersmith London 9 12.53x
Gillingham 8 38.99x
Lambeth 8 3.15x
Bermondsey 7 8.06x
Limehouse London 6 18.74x
Wantage 6 171.92x
Brasted 5 387.60x
Chobham 5 199.20x
Deptford St Paul 5 6.51x
Hartfield 5 320.51x
Hastings St Mary In The 5 47.66x
Pusey 5 4166.67x
Shiplake 5 819.67x
West Dean 5 53.82x
Battersea 4 3.73x
Bromley London 4 6.23x
Coleshill 4 1290.32x
Hackney London 4 2.45x
Reigate Borough 4 121.95x
St Giles In Fields 4 39.76x
St Luke London 4 8.55x
Wolverhampton 4 5.28x
Chieveley 3 258.62x
Kensington London 3 1.85x
Rotherfield Greys 3 157.07x
Stewkley 3 223.88x
Whitstable 3 61.48x
Bampton 2 143.88x
Hampstead London 2 4.40x
Hickleton 2 1666.67x
Hordle 2 192.31x
Liscard 2 17.24x
Milton In Gravesend 2 13.40x
Ramsden Bell House 2 500.00x
Remenham 2 322.58x
Rotherhithe 2 5.55x
Speen 2 55.87x
St Pancras London 2 0.85x
Stone In Dartford 2 78.43x
Wandsworth 2 7.12x
Barnsley 1 3.35x
Camberwell 1 0.54x
Chiswick 1 6.27x
Clapham 1 2.74x
Clewer 1 11.15x
Cliffe 1 44.44x
Denchworth 1 434.78x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 30.96x
Frindsbury 1 26.67x
Great Crosby 1 10.59x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 27.62x
Hendon 1 9.53x
Higher Bebington 1 24.27x
Islington London 1 0.35x
Kingston On Thames 1 2.93x
Liverpool 1 0.48x
Maidstone 1 3.37x
Portsmouth 1 7.27x
Scilly Islands 1 169.49x
Southwark St Thomas 1 128.21x
Stapleford 1 178.57x
Sundridge 1 60.24x
Tottenham 1 2.15x
Uxbridge 1 30.03x
Winkfield 1 27.55x
Winslow 1 60.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 20
John 13
Henry 10
Edward 9
James 9
George 8
Thomas 8
Peter 7
Richard 7
Arthur 5
Charles 5
Albert 3
Joseph 3
Fredk. 2
Geo.H. 2
Harry 2
Matthew 2
Oliver 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Willm. 2
Alfred 1
Brilford 1
Caleb 1
Charley 1
E.H. 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Embury 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
H. 1
J. 1
J.S. 1
Jasper 1
Levi 1
Reuben 1
Sidney 1
Stanley 1
Step. 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Uriah 1
W.R. 1
Willian 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Wenman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wenman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 299 people were recorded with the Wenman surname. That placed it at #9,740 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wenman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 521 in 2016. That gives Wenman a modern rank of #9,701.

What does the Wenman surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "winding valley man."

What does the Wenman map show?

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