NameCensus.

UK surname

Wernham

In the 1881 census there were 263 people recorded with the Wernham surname, ranking it #10,692 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 350, ranked #13,152, down from #10,692 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Kingston-on-Thames and Chieveley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Test Valley, Warrington and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wernham is 381 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.1%.

1881 census count

263

Ranked #10,692

Modern count

350

2016, ranked #13,152

Peak year

1999

381 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wernham had 263 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,692 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 350 in 2016, ranked #13,152.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 358 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wernham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wernham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wernham 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 149 #12,967
1861 historical 132 #16,957
1881 historical 263 #10,692
1891 historical 282 #11,597
1901 historical 330 #10,899
1911 historical 358 #10,110
1997 modern 342 #12,379
1998 modern 377 #11,894
1999 modern 381 #11,873
2000 modern 373 #11,996
2001 modern 378 #11,705
2002 modern 377 #11,962
2003 modern 368 #11,963
2004 modern 365 #12,077
2005 modern 359 #12,143
2006 modern 338 #12,779
2007 modern 336 #12,975
2008 modern 330 #13,257
2009 modern 336 #13,345
2010 modern 352 #13,187
2011 modern 352 #13,032
2012 modern 358 #12,724
2013 modern 366 #12,733
2014 modern 375 #12,578
2015 modern 361 #12,857
2016 modern 350 #13,152

Geography

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Where Wernhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Kingston-on-Thames, Chieveley and Hampstead Norris. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Test Valley, Warrington, Wiltshire and West Berkshire. 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 Kingston-on-Thames Surrey
3 London parishes London 3
4 Chieveley Berkshire
5 Hampstead Norris Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Test Valley 007 Test Valley
2 Warrington 008 Warrington
3 Wiltshire 029 Wiltshire
4 West Berkshire 018 West Berkshire
5 Test Valley 002 Test Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wernham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wernham

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Wernham is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wernham is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wernham falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Wernham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wernham 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. Berkshire leads with 141 Wernhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 73.23x.

County Total Index
Berkshire 141 73.23x
Middlesex 52 2.03x
Surrey 27 2.16x
Kent 15 1.71x
Warwickshire 8 1.24x
Oxfordshire 5 3.16x
Banffshire 4 7.52x
Hampshire 4 0.76x
Yorkshire 2 0.08x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.42x
Lanarkshire 1 0.12x
Lincolnshire 1 0.24x
Northumberland 1 0.26x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hampstead Norris in Berkshire leads with 41 Wernhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3388.43x.

Place Total Index
Hampstead Norris 41 3388.43x
Reading St Giles 14 74.11x
Reading St Mary 14 90.79x
West Ilsley 12 3636.36x
Islington London 11 4.42x
Chieveley 10 980.39x
Bethnal Green London 9 8.08x
Kingston On Thames 9 29.97x
Lewisham 9 19.28x
Mile End Old Town 9 22.23x
Yattendon 9 3333.33x
Aston 8 4.49x
Chelsea London 6 7.76x
Fulham London 6 16.13x
Lambeth 6 2.68x
Battersea 5 5.30x
Holywell 5 675.68x
Reading St Lawrence 5 121.36x
Wallingford St Leonard 5 555.56x
Wallingford St Mary Le 5 458.72x
Wokingham 5 113.90x
Boxford 4 800.00x
Epsom 4 65.68x
Gamrie 4 67.34x
Lambourn 4 209.42x
Mile End New Town 4 114.29x
Sevenoaks 4 56.34x
Wantage 4 130.29x
St Bartholomew Hyde 3 238.10x
Hackney London 2 1.39x
Hadlow 2 92.17x
Newbury 2 32.41x
St Pancras London 2 0.97x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 2.25x
Ashbury 1 166.67x
Baumber 1 333.33x
Bradford 1 1.63x
Caterham 1 18.08x
Cholsey 1 65.79x
Clapham 1 3.12x
Coleshill 1 370.37x
Earley 1 31.15x
East Woodhay 1 74.63x
Govan 1 0.49x
Hampton Wick London 1 53.19x
Harwell 1 140.85x
Hepburn 1 1111.11x
Norwood 1 17.04x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.12x
Peasemore 1 370.37x
Shepley 1 71.43x
Southwark St Thomas 1 144.93x
Speen 1 31.75x
St Ann Blackfriars 1 285.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 11
Mary 11
Sarah 9
Ellen 6
Hannah 6
Ada 5
Alice 5
Emma 4
Maria 4
Susan 4
Ann 3
Caroline 3
Eliza 3
Jane 3
Annie 2
Fanny 2
Harriett 2
Kate 2
Maud 2
Rosa 2
Amelia 1
Anna 1
Catherine 1
Christina 1
E. 1
Elain 1
Eliz. 1
Ester 1
Evelyn 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
George 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Letitia 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Martha 1
Maude 1
May 1
Phebe 1
Phillis 1
Pinniger 1
Priscilla 1
Robert 1
Vashiliana 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
James 10
George 9
Richard 8
Charles 7
Thomas 7
Henry 6
John 5
Frederick 4
Samuel 4
Alfred 3
Alonzo 3
Wm. 3
Allen 2
Arthur 2
Cornelius 2
David 2
Ernest 2
Herbert 2
Oliver 2
Percy 2
Tom 2
Walter 2
Wm.J. 2
Albert 1
Alfd. 1
Amos 1
Barzillac 1
Caleb 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Fronerick 1
Geo.H. 1
Hannah 1
Hedley 1
Jas. 1
Jon 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Lavington 1
Lewis 1
Obadiah 1
Peter 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Wernham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wernham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 263 people were recorded with the Wernham surname. That placed it at #10,692 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wernham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 350 in 2016. That gives Wernham a modern rank of #13,152.

What does the Wernham map show?

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