NameCensus.

UK surname

Westerby

From the western farmstead or village.

In the 1881 census there were 194 people recorded with the Westerby surname, ranking it #13,097 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 269, ranked #15,956, down from #13,097 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkheaton, Beverley St Mary and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle upon Tyne, Rugby and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Westerby is 314 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.7%.

1881 census count

194

Ranked #13,097

Modern count

269

2016, ranked #15,956

Peak year

1901

314 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Westerby had 194 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,097 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 269 in 2016, ranked #15,956.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 314 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Westerby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Westerby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Westerby 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 168 #11,873
1861 historical 173 #13,553
1881 historical 194 #13,097
1891 historical 249 #12,813
1901 historical 314 #11,285
1911 historical 311 #11,150
1997 modern 264 #14,734
1998 modern 285 #14,351
1999 modern 269 #15,040
2000 modern 273 #14,828
2001 modern 272 #14,654
2002 modern 301 #13,962
2003 modern 285 #14,295
2004 modern 300 #13,871
2005 modern 308 #13,590
2006 modern 291 #14,175
2007 modern 284 #14,548
2008 modern 279 #14,860
2009 modern 277 #15,260
2010 modern 287 #15,195
2011 modern 284 #15,174
2012 modern 277 #15,375
2013 modern 286 #15,259
2014 modern 285 #15,416
2015 modern 276 #15,673
2016 modern 269 #15,956

Geography

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Where Westerbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkheaton, Beverley St Mary, Newcastle All Saints, Hagworthingham and Batley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle upon Tyne, Rugby, Kirklees, North West Leicestershire and Bradford. 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 Kirkheaton Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Beverley St Mary Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
4 Hagworthingham Lincolnshire
5 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle upon Tyne 020 Newcastle upon Tyne
2 Rugby 002 Rugby
3 Kirklees 032 Kirklees
4 North West Leicestershire 009 North West Leicestershire
5 Bradford 032 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Westerby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Westerby

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Westerby 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

Westerby 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

Westerby falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Westerby is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Westerby

The surname Westerby has its origins in the northern English counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It is believed to have emerged in the late 11th or early 12th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "wester" meaning west, and "by" meaning a town or village, suggesting it may have originally referred to someone who lived in a western settlement or town.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a Thomas de Westerby. The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the English Crown, indicating that the Westerby name was already established by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various medieval records and documents. Robert de Westerby, born around 1220, was a prominent landowner in the village of Westerby, near Grantham, Lincolnshire. His descendants continued to hold lands in the area for several generations.

The Westerby surname is also associated with the village of Westerby in the East Riding of Yorkshire, which may have been the original source of the name. A branch of the family is recorded as residing in this village in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Notable historical figures bearing the Westerby name include:

1. Sir John Westerby (c. 1380-1445), a member of the English gentry and a knight of the shire for Lincolnshire. 2. Thomas Westerby (c. 1450-1520), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of York. 3. Margaret Westerby (c. 1510-1582), a renowned herbalist and apothecary in the village of Westerby, Yorkshire. 4. William Westerby (1585-1650), a Puritan minister and author who emigrated to New England in the early 1600s. 5. Elizabeth Westerby (1670-1745), a philanthropist and benefactor who endowed several schools and charitable institutions in Lincolnshire.

While the Westerby name has evolved in spelling over the centuries, with variations such as Westby, Westbury, and Westoby appearing in historical records, it has maintained a strong connection to its northern English roots and the concept of a western settlement or town.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Westerby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Westerby 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. Yorkshire leads with 112 Westerbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.97x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 112 5.97x
Lincolnshire 34 11.24x
Middlesex 16 0.85x
Northumberland 16 5.68x
Staffordshire 5 0.78x
Surrey 4 0.43x
Lancashire 3 0.13x
Shropshire 2 1.22x
Suffolk 2 0.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Huddersfield in Yorkshire leads with 14 Westerbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.24x.

Place Total Index
Huddersfield 14 51.24x
Churwell 13 1015.63x
Islington London 11 6.00x
Kirkheaton 11 361.84x
Hagworthingham 10 3225.81x
Coxlodge 9 420.56x
Beverley St Mary 8 291.97x
Authorpe 7 7000.00x
Tong 7 193.37x
York St Mary 7 90.09x
Wooldale 6 188.68x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 5 73.42x
Mirfield 5 48.59x
Stoke Upon Trent 5 7.38x
Tetford 5 1315.79x
Thornhill 5 91.41x
Lockwood 4 59.26x
Rotherhithe 4 17.11x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 4 93.90x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 4 45.92x
Allerton 3 125.52x
Beverley St Nicholas 3 194.81x
Byker 3 21.55x
Dalton In Huddersfield 3 71.43x
Great Grimsby 3 15.63x
Holy Trinity 3 6.65x
Morley 3 30.77x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 17.85x
St Marylebone London 3 2.97x
Castleford 2 29.28x
Hackney London 2 1.89x
Halton Holegate 2 625.00x
Ipswich St Margaret 2 25.58x
Madeley 2 33.39x
Manchester 2 1.98x
Redcar 2 134.23x
Almondbury 1 11.03x
Belchford 1 312.50x
Hulme 1 2.13x
Hutton Cranswick 1 126.58x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 1 21.14x
Salmonby 1 1428.57x
Southcoates 1 9.61x
Tynemouth 1 6.63x
Ulceby 1 135.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 12
George 10
James 10
Thomas 9
John 8
Joseph 5
Henry 4
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Edward 3
Herbert 3
Jno. 2
Matthew 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Abert 1
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Calvert 1
Edwin 1
Erenst 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
G. 1
Harold 1
Hermon 1
Jerimiah 1
Jessie 1
Martin 1
Percy 1
Robert 1
Theophilus 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Westerby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Westerby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 194 people were recorded with the Westerby surname. That placed it at #13,097 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Westerby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 269 in 2016. That gives Westerby a modern rank of #15,956.

What does the Westerby surname mean?

From the western farmstead or village.

What does the Westerby map show?

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