NameCensus.

UK surname

Westland

A surname indicating one who came from the Western lands or countryside.

In the 1881 census there were 276 people recorded with the Westland surname, ranking it #10,305 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 310, ranked #14,406, down from #10,305 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Banchory-Ternan, Alva and Boston (incl. Boston allotments). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Peterhead Links, Tillicoultry and Alloa North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Westland is 368 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.3%.

1881 census count

276

Ranked #10,305

Modern count

310

2016, ranked #14,406

Peak year

1901

368 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Westland had 276 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,305 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 310 in 2016, ranked #14,406.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 368 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Westland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Westland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Westland 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 165 #12,053
1861 historical 241 #10,192
1881 historical 276 #10,305
1891 historical 327 #10,379
1901 historical 368 #10,057
1911 historical 172 #16,408
1997 modern 320 #12,966
1998 modern 337 #12,859
1999 modern 337 #12,942
2000 modern 336 #12,921
2001 modern 323 #13,083
2002 modern 334 #13,045
2003 modern 318 #13,291
2004 modern 324 #13,197
2005 modern 324 #13,108
2006 modern 321 #13,258
2007 modern 327 #13,229
2008 modern 328 #13,319
2009 modern 322 #13,741
2010 modern 328 #13,856
2011 modern 329 #13,694
2012 modern 306 #14,327
2013 modern 310 #14,403
2014 modern 317 #14,269
2015 modern 306 #14,536
2016 modern 310 #14,406

Geography

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Where Westlands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Banchory-Ternan, Alva, Boston (incl. Boston allotments), Butterwick and Pinchbeck, Cowbit. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Peterhead Links, Tillicoultry, Alloa North, Montrose South and Boston. 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 Banchory-Ternan Kincardine
2 Alva Stirling
3 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
4 Butterwick Lincolnshire
5 Pinchbeck, Cowbit Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Peterhead Links Aberdeenshire
2 Tillicoultry Clackmannanshire
3 Alloa North Clackmannanshire
4 Montrose South Angus
5 Boston 001 Boston

Forenames

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First names often paired with Westland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Westland

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Westland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Westland household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Westland 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

Westland 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

Westland falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Westland

The surname Westland is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period, specifically the 12th century. It is a locational name, derived from the Old English words "west" and "land," meaning "west land" or "western lands." This suggests that the name likely originated in the western regions of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Westland surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a person named Richard de Westlande is mentioned. The use of the Norman French preposition "de" indicates that the name was initially a descriptive reference to someone residing in or originating from the western lands.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appeared in various historical records and documents, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals with the surname Westland in counties such as Oxfordshire and Berkshire. The variant spelling "Westlonde" was also used during this period.

In the 15th century, the Westland surname was associated with the village of Westlands in Dorset, which was recorded as "Westlonde" in the Feudal Aids of 1428. This suggests a possible connection between the surname and this specific place name.

Notable individuals bearing the Westland surname throughout history include:

1. Sir John Westland (1592-1659), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Worcestershire during the English Civil War. 2. Thomas Westland (1670-1743), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Sutton in Bedfordshire. 3. William Westland (1785-1850), a British naval officer and explorer who surveyed parts of the Australian coast in the early 19th century. 4. Sir James Westland (1811-1892), a British lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1856. 5. Peter Westland (1925-2002), a British actor known for his roles in television series and films such as "The Avengers" and "The Ipcress File."

While the Westland surname has undergone various spellings throughout its history, it has maintained a strong connection to its locational origins, reflecting the western lands of England from which it emerged.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Westland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Westland 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. Lincolnshire leads with 60 Westlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.99x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 60 13.99x
Stirlingshire 58 58.63x
Aberdeenshire 52 20.93x
Lancashire 17 0.53x
Lanarkshire 12 1.38x
Durham 11 1.38x
Kincardineshire 9 27.56x
Yorkshire 9 0.34x
Inverness-shire 7 8.74x
Middlesex 7 0.26x
Midlothian 6 1.67x
Cambridgeshire 5 2.94x
Kent 5 0.55x
Worcestershire 5 1.43x
Surrey 3 0.23x
Leicestershire 2 0.67x
Sussex 2 0.44x
Berkshire 1 0.50x
Devon 1 0.18x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.39x
Glamorgan 1 0.21x
Norfolk 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alva in Stirlingshire leads with 58 Westlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 1228.81x.

Place Total Index
Alva 58 1228.81x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 19 40.88x
Aberdeen Old Machar 15 28.92x
Gosberton 12 628.27x
Pinchbeck 12 436.36x
Banchory Ternan 9 319.15x
Boston 9 69.18x
Butterwick 8 1632.65x
Spalding 8 94.01x
Clee With Weelsby 7 74.55x
Govan 7 3.26x
Inverness 7 34.74x
Southwick 7 92.59x
Belhelvie 6 352.94x
Gorton 6 20.05x
Scarborough 6 24.84x
Chapel Of Garioch 5 282.49x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 3.46x
New Machar 5 357.14x
Parr 5 43.90x
Thorney 5 264.55x
Gillingham 4 21.20x
Barony 3 1.37x
Great Witley 3 857.14x
Hampstead London 3 7.18x
Westoe 3 6.63x
Frieston 2 196.08x
Midmar 2 208.33x
Skelmersdale 2 37.74x
Bonhill 1 8.64x
Canterbury St Paul 1 60.98x
Croydon 1 1.38x
Droitwich St Andrew 1 113.64x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 13.40x
Everton 1 0.99x
Gateshead 1 1.67x
Great Torrington 1 31.55x
Hastings St Mary 1 8.88x
Heaton 1 74.63x
Heston 1 11.22x
Hove 1 5.04x
Islington London 1 0.38x
Kirton Simon Weir 1 227.27x
Lambeth 1 0.43x
Lanark 1 14.33x
Leicester St Margaret 1 1.38x
Lesmahagow 1 10.91x
New Windsor 1 14.77x
Rusholme 1 11.78x
Shangton 1 1428.57x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.85x
Spitalfields London 1 4.96x
St George Hanover 1 2.86x
Swansea Town 1 2.61x
Walton On Hill 1 5.80x
Whistones 1 39.37x
Wiggenhall St German 1 204.08x
Woolsthorpe 1 181.82x
York Marygate St Olave 1 98.04x
York St Giles In 1 39.84x
York St Martin Le Grand 1 277.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 10
Sarah 9
Annie 6
Ann 3
Harriett 3
Alice 2
Eliza 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Rose 2
Agnes 1
Angeline 1
Anne 1
Eliz. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Euphenia 1
Fanny 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Janet 1
Jessey 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
M.E. 1
Martha 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
John 7
James 6
Joseph 4
Thomas 4
Alfred 3
Henry 3
Richard 3
Thos. 3
Charles 2
George 2
Harry 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
David 1
Jno. 1
Josiah 1
Saml. 1
Simon 1

FAQ

Westland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Westland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 276 people were recorded with the Westland surname. That placed it at #10,305 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Westland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 310 in 2016. That gives Westland a modern rank of #14,406.

What does the Westland surname mean?

A surname indicating one who came from the Western lands or countryside.

What does the Westland map show?

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