NameCensus.

UK surname

Westcombe

In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Westcombe surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 71, ranked #33,633, down from #20,467 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newbury, Kingsclere and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Basingstoke and Deane, Camden and Cardiff.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Westcombe is 154 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 24.5%.

1881 census count

94

Ranked #20,467

Modern count

71

2016, ranked #33,633

Peak year

1901

154 bearers

Map years

4

1891 to 1998

Key insights

  • Westcombe had 94 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,467 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 71 in 2016, ranked #33,633.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 154 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Westcombe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Westcombe surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Westcombe 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 51 #24,096
1861 historical 93 #22,009
1881 historical 94 #20,467
1891 historical 133 #19,870
1901 historical 154 #17,775
1911 historical 133 #19,214
1997 modern 99 #27,039
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 100 #27,757
2000 modern 98 #27,988
2001 modern 89 #28,932
2002 modern 92 #29,040
2003 modern 82 #30,206
2004 modern 86 #30,019
2005 modern 84 #30,359
2006 modern 79 #31,263
2007 modern 79 #31,628
2008 modern 78 #32,081
2009 modern 82 #32,048
2010 modern 82 #32,492
2011 modern 77 #32,909
2012 modern 71 #33,573
2013 modern 71 #33,693
2014 modern 72 #33,647
2015 modern 72 #33,595
2016 modern 71 #33,633

Geography

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Where Westcombes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newbury, Kingsclere, London parishes, St Giles Camberwell and Creech St Michael. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Basingstoke and Deane, Camden, Cardiff, Wealden and Bexley. 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 Newbury Berkshire
2 Kingsclere Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)
5 Creech St Michael Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Basingstoke and Deane 004 Basingstoke and Deane
2 Camden 016 Camden
3 Cardiff 014 Cardiff
4 Wealden 003 Wealden
5 Bexley 013 Bexley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Westcombe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Westcombe

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Westcombe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Westcombe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Westcombe is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Westcombe is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Westcombe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Westcombe 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 18 Westcombes recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.63x.

County Total Index
Kent 18 5.63x
Surrey 15 3.29x
Glamorgan 13 7.97x
Somerset 11 7.30x
Berkshire 7 9.96x
Devon 7 3.59x
Hampshire 6 3.13x
Yorkshire 6 0.65x
Middlesex 3 0.32x
Gloucestershire 2 1.09x
Lancashire 2 0.18x
Royal Navy 2 17.92x
Warwickshire 2 0.85x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.69x
Oxfordshire 1 1.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 8 Westcombes recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.38x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 8 13.38x
Newcastle Higher 8 720.72x
Newbury 7 311.11x
Rochester St Margaret 7 207.72x
Canterbury St Mildred 5 657.89x
Hunslet 5 34.55x
Pitminster 5 1136.36x
Barnstaple 4 130.72x
Croydon 4 15.80x
Merthyr Tydfil 4 25.53x
Ashford 3 96.46x
Lee 3 64.66x
Taunton St James 3 136.36x
Exeter St Sidwell 2 44.84x
Hulme 2 8.62x
Leamington Priors 2 34.42x
Portsea 2 5.32x
Royal Navy 2 20.96x
Southampton St Mary 2 16.57x
St Marylebone London 2 4.00x
Thornbury 2 158.73x
Alverstoke 1 14.39x
Bishops Hull 1 204.08x
Charlbury 1 153.85x
East Clandon 1 1111.11x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 1 38.61x
Frome 1 27.78x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 16.75x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 25.32x
Neath 1 30.12x
Newington 1 2.89x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 6.66x
Southwark St Saviour 1 20.79x
St Mary Kalendar 1 250.00x
St Pancras London 1 1.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Caroline 3
Eliza 3
Elizabeth 3
Sarah 3
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Jane 2
Abigail 1
Ann 1
Anna 1
Bertha 1
Cecilla 1
Christiana 1
Eleanor 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Frances 1
H.M. 1
Henryetta 1
Jessie 1
Levina 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Maude 1
Minnie 1
Rosilind 1
Ruth 1
Selina 1
Willmot 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Westcombe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Westcombe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Westcombe surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Westcombe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 71 in 2016. That gives Westcombe a modern rank of #33,633.

What does the Westcombe map show?

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