NameCensus.

UK surname

Wesson

An English occupational surname referring to a huntsman or keeper of hounds.

In the 1881 census there were 778 people recorded with the Wesson surname, ranking it #4,768 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,208, ranked #4,924, down from #4,768 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Pancras and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Broxtowe, Charnwood and Nottingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wesson is 1,276 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.3%.

1881 census count

778

Ranked #4,768

Modern count

1,208

2016, ranked #4,924

Peak year

2010

1,276 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wesson had 778 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,768 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,208 in 2016, ranked #4,924.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,192 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Wesson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wesson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wesson 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 491 #5,090
1861 historical 413 #6,216
1881 historical 778 #4,768
1891 historical 835 #4,876
1901 historical 1,071 #4,509
1911 historical 1,192 #3,937
1997 modern 1,233 #4,606
1998 modern 1,261 #4,690
1999 modern 1,266 #4,712
2000 modern 1,260 #4,709
2001 modern 1,221 #4,736
2002 modern 1,244 #4,743
2003 modern 1,195 #4,824
2004 modern 1,235 #4,689
2005 modern 1,197 #4,765
2006 modern 1,179 #4,848
2007 modern 1,214 #4,765
2008 modern 1,227 #4,760
2009 modern 1,232 #4,841
2010 modern 1,276 #4,788
2011 modern 1,245 #4,834
2012 modern 1,203 #4,906
2013 modern 1,236 #4,869
2014 modern 1,229 #4,917
2015 modern 1,201 #4,969
2016 modern 1,208 #4,924

Geography

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Where Wessons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Pancras, London parishes, Wednesbury and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Broxtowe, Charnwood, Nottingham and Derby. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Wednesbury Staffordshire
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Broxtowe 010 Broxtowe
2 Charnwood 002 Charnwood
3 Nottingham 024 Nottingham
4 Broxtowe 015 Broxtowe
5 Derby 028 Derby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wesson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wesson

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Wesson 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

Wesson is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wesson 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 Wesson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Wesson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Wesson

The surname WESSON originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English word 'weg' meaning 'way' or 'road', combined with 'sunu' meaning 'son'. Thus, WESSON likely referred to someone who lived near a particular road or pathway.

WESSON is a locational surname, indicating that the first bearers of this name lived in a place whose name incorporated the word 'weg'. Some early examples include the villages of Weston in Somerset, Weston in Hertfordshire, and Weston in Staffordshire. The name may have been adopted by people migrating from these or similar places.

The WESSON surname can be traced back to the 11th century in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. There are several mentions of individuals with names like 'Wiganus' and 'Wigan', which could be early spellings of WESSON.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was William Wesson, who was born in Northamptonshire, England around 1250. In the 14th century, a John Wesson was listed as a landowner in the village of Weston in Somerset in 1327.

Notable people with the WESSON surname include Walter Wesson (1857-1942), an American firearms manufacturer who co-founded the Smith & Wesson company. Frank Wesson (1883-1962) was an American actor and film director active in the early 20th century.

Other examples are Robert Wesson (1882-1930), an English footballer who played for Newcastle United, and Sir Jonah Wesson (1901-1982), a British politician and Member of Parliament from 1935 to 1970. Emily Wesson (1867-1936) was an American poet and novelist active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wesson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wesson 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. Leicestershire leads with 167 Wessons recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.82x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 167 19.82x
Middlesex 136 1.79x
Nottinghamshire 91 8.88x
Warwickshire 90 4.70x
Staffordshire 68 2.65x
Yorkshire 41 0.54x
Kent 33 1.27x
Surrey 24 0.65x
Derbyshire 22 1.85x
Cambridgeshire 19 3.95x
Cornwall 14 1.63x
Bedfordshire 13 3.30x
Lancashire 10 0.11x
Lincolnshire 10 0.82x
Essex 7 0.47x
Hertfordshire 7 1.34x
Cheshire 6 0.36x
Huntingdonshire 5 3.31x
Northamptonshire 5 0.70x
Durham 3 0.13x
Gloucestershire 2 0.13x
Berkshire 1 0.18x
Northumberland 1 0.09x
Oxfordshire 1 0.21x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.41x
Sussex 1 0.08x
Worcestershire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 41 Wessons recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.96x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 41 19.96x
Nottingham St Mary 39 14.72x
Hackney London 28 6.57x
Leicester St Mary 24 35.26x
Birmingham 20 3.13x
Harby 18 1168.83x
Warwick St Mary 17 102.16x
Hammersmith London 16 8.55x
Islington London 15 2.04x
Perranzabuloe 14 188.68x
St Andrewthe Less 14 25.46x
St Pancras London 14 2.29x
Rowley Regis 13 18.19x
Shadwell London 12 56.44x
Stratford On Avon 12 112.89x
Wednesbury 12 18.72x
Chelsea London 11 4.80x
Deptford St Paul 11 5.50x
Ecclesall Bierlow 11 7.18x
Wigston Magna 11 98.48x
Ashford 10 39.60x
North Kilworth 10 854.70x
Coventry Holy Trinity 8 13.98x
Heage 8 127.19x
Kensington London 8 1.89x
Sedgley 8 8.40x
Snitterfield 8 377.36x
Tipton 8 10.18x
Eastwood 7 76.42x
Gaydon 7 1029.41x
Lambeth 7 1.06x
Owston Newbold Saucey 7 14000.00x
Rawmarsh 7 26.32x
Snodland 7 95.24x
Trowell 7 636.36x
Woburn 7 204.68x
Ashby Magna 6 909.09x
Basford 6 12.71x
Bidford 6 146.34x
Brightside Bierlow 6 4.06x
Ilkeston 6 17.99x
Melton Mowbray 6 39.60x
Potsgrove 6 1132.08x
Scunthorpe 6 109.69x
Snenton 6 14.91x
Sysonby 6 2400.00x
West Ham 6 1.81x
Belvoir 5 1351.35x
Bewerley 5 161.29x
Camberwell 5 1.03x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 3.49x
Darlaston 5 14.10x
Leicester St Martin 5 88.34x
Shoreditch London 5 1.52x
Tanworth 5 98.81x
Warkworth 5 77.76x
Watford 5 12.31x
Wolverhampton 5 2.54x
Bluntisham 4 141.34x
Cotgrave 4 187.79x
Derby St Peter 4 10.56x
Derby St Werburgh 4 5.82x
Hampstead London 4 3.38x
Harborne 4 4.87x
Keyworth 4 171.67x
Ruddington 4 58.22x
West Bromwich 4 2.72x
Willoughby Waterless 4 487.80x
Bramhall 3 43.17x
Bromley London 3 1.79x
Chatteris 3 24.43x
Croydon 3 1.46x
Enfield 3 6.02x
Esher 3 57.92x
Holwell 3 434.78x
Humberstone 3 43.35x
Radford 3 5.77x
Somerby 3 217.39x
St George Bloomsbury 3 6.88x
Walsall Foreign 3 2.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 63
John 45
James 33
Thomas 29
George 22
Henry 17
Joseph 16
Charles 13
Richard 11
Alfred 9
Arthur 9
Edward 8
Frederick 7
Robert 7
Samuel 7
Walter 6
Herbert 5
Ernest 4
Benjamin 3
David 3
Enoch 3
Harry 3
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Frederic 2
Harold 2
Matthew 2
Percy 2
Samual 2
Solomon 2
Augustus 1
Cornelious 1
Edmund 1
Fred 1
Fredk.W. 1
Fredrick 1
G. 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Jn. 1
Jos. 1
Joshp. 1
Mark 1
Mather 1
Mathew 1
Matthias 1
Montague 1
Philip 1
Piercy 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Wesson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wesson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 778 people were recorded with the Wesson surname. That placed it at #4,768 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wesson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,208 in 2016. That gives Wesson a modern rank of #4,924.

What does the Wesson surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a huntsman or keeper of hounds.

What does the Wesson map show?

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