NameCensus.

UK surname

Wenn

A German surname meaning "when" or "if".

In the 1881 census there were 266 people recorded with the Wenn surname, ranking it #10,589 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 561, ranked #9,145, up from #10,589 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Minster, London parishes and Elm. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and East Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wenn is 564 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 110.9%.

1881 census count

266

Ranked #10,589

Modern count

561

2016, ranked #9,145

Peak year

2014

564 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wenn had 266 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,589 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 561 in 2016, ranked #9,145.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 442 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Wenn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wenn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wenn 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 223 #9,562
1861 historical 238 #10,321
1881 historical 266 #10,589
1891 historical 400 #8,878
1901 historical 389 #9,666
1911 historical 442 #8,625
1997 modern 520 #9,043
1998 modern 530 #9,179
1999 modern 535 #9,175
2000 modern 530 #9,211
2001 modern 498 #9,498
2002 modern 512 #9,470
2003 modern 506 #9,404
2004 modern 508 #9,404
2005 modern 507 #9,351
2006 modern 513 #9,305
2007 modern 514 #9,376
2008 modern 525 #9,286
2009 modern 542 #9,269
2010 modern 554 #9,312
2011 modern 547 #9,312
2012 modern 523 #9,555
2013 modern 554 #9,279
2014 modern 564 #9,208
2015 modern 557 #9,206
2016 modern 561 #9,145

Geography

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Where Wenns are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and East 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 Elm Cambridgeshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 003 Fenland
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 013 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Fenland 002 Fenland
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 East Cambridgeshire 004 East Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wenn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wenn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Wenn, 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 Wenn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Wenn 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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Wenn is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wenn 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

Wenn falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wenn

The surname Wenn is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the medieval period around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the German word "wende," which means "a turn" or "a twist." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive nickname for someone who had a distinctive way of walking or moving.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Wenn surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval Saxon documents dating back to the 13th century. Here, a person named "Henricus dictus Wenne" is mentioned, indicating that the name was in use during this time.

The Wenn surname also appears in various town and village records throughout Germany, such as the Kirchenbücher (church books) of various regions. For example, in the Kirchenbuch of Bürgel, a small town in Thuringia, there are several entries of families with the surname Wenn dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries.

One notable individual with the surname Wenn was Johann Friedrich Wenn, a German theologian and writer who lived from 1713 to 1780. He authored several religious texts and served as a pastor in various churches throughout Saxony.

Another historical figure was Carl Gustav Wenn, a German lawyer and politician who lived from 1828 to 1898. He was a member of the Prussian House of Representatives and played a role in the unification of Germany in the 19th century.

In the field of literature, there was Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Wenn, a German poet and writer who lived from 1806 to 1877. He published several collections of poems and was known for his contributions to the Romantic movement in German literature.

The Wenn surname can also be found in other parts of Europe, although it is less common. For instance, there are records of individuals with the surname Wenn in the Netherlands and Denmark, likely descendants of German immigrants or those with German ancestry.

It's worth noting that the surname Wenn has also been subject to various spelling variations throughout history, such as Wenne, Wenne, and Wena, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations in record-keeping.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wenn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wenn 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. Norfolk leads with 74 Wenns recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.55x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 74 18.55x
Middlesex 61 2.35x
Cambridgeshire 32 19.47x
Essex 26 5.08x
Kent 21 2.37x
Surrey 8 0.63x
Lancashire 7 0.23x
Cornwall 5 1.70x
Northumberland 5 1.30x
Derbyshire 4 0.98x
Hampshire 4 0.75x
Suffolk 4 1.27x
Sussex 3 0.69x
Bedfordshire 2 1.49x
Hertfordshire 2 1.12x
Midlothian 2 0.58x
Yorkshire 2 0.08x
Denbighshire 1 1.02x
Devon 1 0.19x
Glamorgan 1 0.22x
Somerset 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tottenham in Middlesex leads with 14 Wenns recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.87x.

Place Total Index
Tottenham 14 33.87x
Hornchurch 12 478.09x
Ingham 11 2682.93x
Chatham 10 41.05x
Elm 10 621.12x
Ludham 9 1267.61x
Mile End Old Town 9 21.97x
Minster In Sheppey 9 61.35x
Upwell 9 483.87x
Barking 8 53.37x
Chelsea London 8 10.23x
Downham Market 8 291.97x
Norwich St Mary At Coslany 8 701.75x
Outwell 8 2666.67x
Bethnal Green London 7 6.21x
Great Yarmouth 6 18.15x
Byker 5 26.21x
Leverington 5 462.96x
Mashbury 5 3846.15x
Pilkington 5 42.74x
St Mary Magdalene 5 231.48x
Chesterfield 4 26.26x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 4 55.79x
Kensington London 4 2.77x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 4 33.39x
Lambeth 4 1.77x
Overton 4 314.96x
Shoreditch London 4 3.56x
St George Hanover 4 11.81x
St Luke London 4 9.61x
Walcott 4 3636.36x
East Preston 3 810.81x
Gorleston 3 37.36x
Hackney London 3 2.06x
Hemsby 3 517.24x
Bedford St Peter 2 57.31x
Broome 2 434.78x
Camberwell 2 1.21x
Chesterton 2 39.45x
East Dereham 2 39.68x
Ecclesfield 2 10.61x
South Leith 2 5.11x
Watford 2 14.42x
Westminster St 2 20.90x
Worstead 2 294.12x
Charlcombe 1 181.82x
Clapham 1 3.08x
Cowbridge 1 91.74x
Everton 1 1.02x
Gillingham 1 5.48x
Great Ellingham 1 169.49x
Haddenham 1 64.52x
Heston 1 11.60x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 9.33x
Islington London 1 0.40x
Little Ilford 1 112.36x
Liverpool 1 0.53x
Llandrillo Yn Rhos 1 68.97x
Newington 1 1.04x
Norwich Liberty Of Town 1 370.37x
Norwich St George Tombland 1 142.86x
Ormesby St Margaret W 1 100.00x
Orpington 1 36.90x
Outwell 1 129.87x
Repps Cum Bastwick 1 416.67x
Tiverton 1 10.75x
Upwell 1 83.33x
Wisbech St Peter 1 12.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 11
Sarah 7
Eliza 6
Emily 6
Alice 4
Caroline 4
Charlotte 4
Emma 4
Harriett 4
Ada 3
Ann 3
Edith 3
Ellen 3
Harriet 3
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Rachel 2
Annie 1
C.Emma 1
Eilen 1
Elenor 1
Ethel 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Jesse 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
M. 1
Margaret 1
Marianne 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Matha 1
Mercy 1
Minnie 1
Miriam 1
Phoebe 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Sally 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
George 13
James 12
John 12
Thomas 10
Charles 7
Richard 7
Arthur 6
Henry 5
Walter 5
Edmund 4
Samuel 4
Frederick 3
Fredrick 3
Herbert 3
Joseph 3
Abraham 1
Adam 1
Alfred 1
Auther 1
Benjamin 1
Christmas 1
Ebenezer 1
Edward 1
Edwd.L. 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fredric 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Hy 1
Jacob 1
Lillah 1
Robert 1
Rueben 1
Saml. 1
W.Henry 1
Willm.J. 1

FAQ

Wenn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wenn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 266 people were recorded with the Wenn surname. That placed it at #10,589 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wenn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 561 in 2016. That gives Wenn a modern rank of #9,145.

What does the Wenn surname mean?

A German surname meaning "when" or "if".

What does the Wenn map show?

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