NameCensus.

UK surname

Westacott

In the 1881 census there were 422 people recorded with the Westacott surname, ranking it #7,666 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 409, ranked #11,694, down from #7,666 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, London parishes and Swimbridge. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Devon, Swansea and Herefordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Westacott is 533 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.1%.

1881 census count

422

Ranked #7,666

Modern count

409

2016, ranked #11,694

Peak year

1901

533 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Westacott had 422 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,666 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 409 in 2016, ranked #11,694.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 533 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Westacott surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Westacott surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Westacott 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 304 #7,559
1861 historical 240 #10,226
1881 historical 422 #7,666
1891 historical 462 #7,917
1901 historical 533 #7,697
1911 historical 490 #7,943
1997 modern 442 #10,209
1998 modern 444 #10,513
1999 modern 451 #10,435
2000 modern 469 #10,105
2001 modern 456 #10,136
2002 modern 467 #10,136
2003 modern 450 #10,293
2004 modern 449 #10,338
2005 modern 446 #10,283
2006 modern 441 #10,411
2007 modern 446 #10,409
2008 modern 445 #10,521
2009 modern 453 #10,611
2010 modern 447 #10,966
2011 modern 436 #11,053
2012 modern 423 #11,195
2013 modern 418 #11,533
2014 modern 419 #11,592
2015 modern 408 #11,737
2016 modern 409 #11,694

Geography

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Where Westacotts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, London parishes, Swimbridge, Molton, South and Swansea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Devon, Swansea, Herefordshire, West Devon and Windsor and Maidenhead. 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 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
2 London parishes London 3
3 Swimbridge Devon
4 Molton, South Devon
5 Swansea Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Devon 013 North Devon
2 Swansea 019 Swansea
3 Herefordshire 005 Herefordshire, County of
4 West Devon 003 West Devon
5 Windsor and Maidenhead 002 Windsor and Maidenhead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Westacott

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Westacott

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Westacott surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Westacott household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Westacott 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

Westacott is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Westacott 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 Westacott 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 Westacott, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Westacott families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Westacott 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. Devon leads with 237 Westacotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.72x.

County Total Index
Devon 237 27.72x
Middlesex 35 0.85x
Monmouthshire 29 9.77x
Glamorgan 27 3.78x
Surrey 23 1.15x
Yorkshire 13 0.32x
Gloucestershire 12 1.49x
Warwickshire 8 0.77x
Somerset 7 1.06x
Cambridgeshire 6 2.31x
Berkshire 5 1.62x
Angus 4 1.05x
Essex 4 0.49x
Worcestershire 4 0.75x
Hampshire 3 0.36x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.36x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.40x
Kent 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barnstaple in Devon leads with 53 Westacotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 394.93x.

Place Total Index
Barnstaple 53 394.93x
St Woollos 29 87.53x
South Molton 23 489.36x
Chittlehampton 20 947.87x
Landkey 17 2023.81x
Tormoham 12 33.18x
Kings Nympton 11 1250.00x
Shoreditch London 11 6.18x
St Pancras London 11 3.33x
Swansea Town 11 18.76x
Bideford 10 109.17x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 9 11.87x
Exeter St Thomas The 8 91.85x
Swimbridge 8 462.43x
Aston 7 2.45x
Burrington 7 642.20x
Guisbrough 7 78.74x
Ideford 7 1750.00x
Ilfracombe 7 79.55x
Llandaff 7 29.42x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 8.47x
Cullompton 6 160.86x
Islington London 6 1.51x
Lambeth 6 1.68x
St Benedict Cambridge 6 408.16x
Cogan 5 471.70x
Croydon 5 4.50x
Exeter Holy Trinity 5 149.25x
Newbury 5 50.66x
Pilton 5 177.31x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 7.59x
Abbots Leigh 4 784.31x
Arbroath 4 31.72x
Battersea 4 2.65x
Merthyr Tydfil 4 5.82x
Oldbury 4 15.16x
St Luke London 4 6.07x
Stoke Damerel 4 6.69x
Upton Pyne 4 701.75x
Warkleigh 4 1212.12x
Eston 3 33.86x
Gate Fulford 3 31.58x
Mariansleigh 3 967.74x
Thorpe Le Soken 3 441.18x
Weston Super Mare 3 17.97x
Bishops Tawton 2 74.91x
Iddesleigh 2 344.83x
Lenton 2 15.34x
Molland 2 285.71x
Satterleigh 2 2500.00x
Thelbridge 2 645.16x
Ashreigney 1 105.26x
Bristol St Augustine 1 7.69x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 3.72x
Chalfont St Peter 1 48.78x
Crediton 1 12.35x
Devonport 1 10.18x
East Buckland 1 416.67x
Farnborough 1 11.31x
Hammersmith London 1 0.99x
Hunningham 1 263.16x
Instow 1 108.70x
Kensington London 1 0.44x
Maidstone 1 2.40x
Morthoe 1 166.67x
Paddington London 1 0.66x
Paignton 1 15.38x
Stonehouse 1 21.83x
Tawstock 1 65.79x
Wandsworth 1 2.53x
West Ham 1 0.56x
Whippingham 1 15.70x
Whitwell 1 100.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 38
Ann 15
Elizabeth 15
Sarah 9
Alice 8
Jane 8
Emma 7
Ada 5
Maria 5
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Emily 4
Harriet 4
Lucy 4
Anne 3
Annie 3
Bessie 3
Catherine 3
Fanny 3
Florence 3
Grace 3
Martha 3
Rosa 3
Sophia 3
Amelia 2
Frances 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Nellie 2
Sally 2
Susan 2
Anna 1
Blanche 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Elizth. 1
Florie 1
Florry 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Katie 1
Kezia 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lily 1
Lousia 1
Tirzall 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 39
William 37
George 16
Thomas 13
Charles 12
James 11
Henry 9
Alfred 7
Robert 7
Walter 5
Arthur 4
Edwin 3
Joseph 3
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Michael 2
Reuben 2
Samuel 2
Wm. 2
Benjm. 1
Chas. 1
Colin 1
David 1
Henery 1
Hry. 1
Lewis 1
Mark 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Richd. 1
Saml. 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
W. 1

FAQ

Westacott surname: questions and answers

How common was the Westacott surname in 1881?

In 1881, 422 people were recorded with the Westacott surname. That placed it at #7,666 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Westacott surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 409 in 2016. That gives Westacott a modern rank of #11,694.

What does the Westacott map show?

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