UK surname
From a place name referring to a town in West Yorkshire, England.
In the 1881 census there were 127 people recorded with the Wetherby surname, ranking it #17,166 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 37, ranked #35,582, down from #17,166 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Farnborough, London parishes and Seasalter. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wetherby is 127 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 70.9%.
1881 census count
127
Ranked #17,166
Modern count
37
2016, ranked #35,582
Peak year
1881
127 bearers
Map years
1
1881 to 1881
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Wetherby surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Wetherby surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 79 | #19,712 |
| 1861 | historical | 80 | #23,566 |
| 1881 | historical | 127 | #17,166 |
| 1891 | historical | 79 | #26,897 |
| 1901 | historical | 87 | #24,386 |
| 1911 | historical | 56 | #27,216 |
| 1997 | modern | 34 | #34,282 |
| 1998 | modern | 41 | #33,747 |
| 1999 | modern | 40 | #33,967 |
| 2000 | modern | 44 | #33,602 |
| 2001 | modern | 37 | #34,082 |
| 2002 | modern | 38 | #34,307 |
| 2003 | modern | 40 | #34,215 |
| 2004 | modern | 39 | #34,477 |
| 2005 | modern | 31 | #35,260 |
| 2006 | modern | 35 | #35,191 |
| 2007 | modern | 41 | #34,974 |
| 2008 | modern | 42 | #34,994 |
| 2009 | modern | 43 | #35,088 |
| 2010 | modern | 43 | #35,233 |
| 2011 | modern | 39 | #35,444 |
| 2012 | modern | 37 | #35,531 |
| 2013 | modern | 40 | #35,439 |
| 2014 | modern | 41 | #35,396 |
| 2015 | modern | 37 | #35,593 |
| 2016 | modern | 37 | #35,582 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Farnborough, London parishes, Seasalter, Wigan and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farnborough | Kent |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | Seasalter | Kent |
| 4 | Wigan | Lancashire |
| 5 | St Matthew Bethnal Green | London (East Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Wetherby surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Wetherby, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Wetherby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Wetherby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Wetherby is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wetherby is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Wetherby, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Wetherby originated in Yorkshire, England, during the medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from the town of Wetherby, which lies on the River Wharfe. The name Wetherby itself is believed to have come from the Old English words "wæðer" meaning "ram" and "by" meaning "settlement" or "village," indicating that the town was likely a center for sheep farming.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Wetherby appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a John de Wetherby is listed. This suggests that the surname was already well-established by the late 14th century. In the Domesday Book of 1086, the town of Wetherby is mentioned as "Wedrebi," reflecting the Old English origins of the name.
One notable early bearer of the Wetherby surname was Sir Thomas Wetherby (c. 1490-1554), a member of the English gentry who served as a Justice of the Peace in Yorkshire. He was also a Member of Parliament for the city of York in 1547.
Another prominent figure was Sir Nicholas Wetherby (1556-1624), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Yorkshire. He served as Lord Mayor of York in 1619 and was knighted by King James I in 1617.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Wetherby family emigrated to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is John Wetherby, who was born in England around 1630 and settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1650s.
During the English Civil War, a Captain William Wetherby (1610-1684) fought for the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell. He later became a prominent figure in the English Commonwealth and served as a member of the Council of State.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir Edward Wetherby (1712-1786), a British naval officer who rose to the rank of Admiral and served in several conflicts, including the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wetherby surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 30 Wetherbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.46x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 30 | 2.46x |
| Yorkshire | 17 | 1.41x |
| Surrey | 14 | 2.36x |
| Lancashire | 12 | 0.83x |
| Warwickshire | 10 | 3.25x |
| Northamptonshire | 9 | 7.85x |
| Kent | 7 | 1.68x |
| Cheshire | 5 | 1.86x |
| Northumberland | 5 | 2.76x |
| Essex | 4 | 1.66x |
| Worcestershire | 4 | 2.51x |
| Staffordshire | 3 | 0.73x |
| Buckinghamshire | 1 | 1.36x |
| Dorset | 1 | 1.25x |
| Durham | 1 | 0.28x |
| Norfolk | 1 | 0.53x |
| Shropshire | 1 | 0.95x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 9 Wetherbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.99x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Bethnal Green London | 9 | 16.99x |
| Croydon | 9 | 27.30x |
| Sheffield | 8 | 20.80x |
| Farnborough | 6 | 983.61x |
| Acton | 5 | 69.93x |
| Aston | 5 | 5.91x |
| West Haddon | 5 | 1351.35x |
| Westgate | 5 | 44.52x |
| Wigan | 5 | 24.73x |
| Guilsborough | 4 | 1333.33x |
| Harrow | 4 | 215.05x |
| St Pancras London | 4 | 4.08x |
| Aspull | 3 | 88.24x |
| Exhall | 3 | 638.30x |
| Fulham London | 3 | 16.97x |
| Kings Norton | 3 | 21.01x |
| Lambeth | 3 | 2.82x |
| St Marylebone London | 3 | 4.61x |
| Sutton In Macclesfield | 3 | 107.53x |
| Wolstanton Thursfield | 3 | 600.00x |
| Attercliffe Cum Darnall | 2 | 17.78x |
| Everton | 2 | 4.34x |
| Foleshill | 2 | 61.92x |
| Navestock | 2 | 571.43x |
| Stockport | 2 | 14.44x |
| Tadcaster West | 2 | 208.33x |
| Woodford | 2 | 73.53x |
| Battersea | 1 | 2.23x |
| Cliffe | 1 | 106.38x |
| Edmonton | 1 | 10.18x |
| Enfield | 1 | 12.50x |
| Exelby Leeming Newton | 1 | 344.83x |
| Guiseley | 1 | 64.52x |
| Hambleden | 1 | 158.73x |
| Headingley Cum Burley | 1 | 12.85x |
| Huddersfield | 1 | 5.68x |
| Leeds | 1 | 1.47x |
| North Meols | 1 | 7.06x |
| Northwold | 1 | 200.00x |
| Tenbury | 1 | 114.94x |
| Toxteth Park | 1 | 2.04x |
| Wandsworth | 1 | 8.52x |
| Wellington | 1 | 16.89x |
| Whickham | 1 | 29.94x |
| Wimborne | 1 | 103.09x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Wetherby surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Sarah | 7 |
| Elizabeth | 4 |
| Ellen | 4 |
| Louisa | 4 |
| Mary | 4 |
| Alice | 3 |
| Martha | 3 |
| Ann | 2 |
| Anne | 2 |
| Barbara | 2 |
| Catherine | 2 |
| Eliza | 2 |
| Frances | 2 |
| Gertrude | 2 |
| Jane | 2 |
| Ada | 1 |
| Amy | 1 |
| Annie | 1 |
| Bridget | 1 |
| Celia | 1 |
| Ellinor | 1 |
| Emily | 1 |
| Emma | 1 |
| Ethel | 1 |
| Eunice | 1 |
| Evelyn | 1 |
| Florence | 1 |
| Harriet | 1 |
| Harriett | 1 |
| Jessie | 1 |
| Kate | 1 |
| Louesa | 1 |
| Lucy | 1 |
| Margaret | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Sophia | 1 |
| Stella | 1 |
| Susannah | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Wetherby surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Wetherby households.
FAQ
In 1881, 127 people were recorded with the Wetherby surname. That placed it at #17,166 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 37 in 2016. That gives Wetherby a modern rank of #35,582.
From a place name referring to a town in West Yorkshire, England.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Wetherby bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.