NameCensus.

UK surname

Wharf

In the 1881 census there were 223 people recorded with the Wharf surname, ranking it #11,998 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 261, ranked #16,309, down from #11,998 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest Heath, Northumberland and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wharf is 269 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.0%.

1881 census count

223

Ranked #11,998

Modern count

261

2016, ranked #16,309

Peak year

1911

269 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wharf had 223 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,998 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016, ranked #16,309.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 269 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wharf surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wharf surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wharf 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 174 #11,590
1861 historical 119 #18,393
1881 historical 223 #11,998
1891 historical 225 #13,714
1901 historical 234 #13,705
1911 historical 269 #12,300
1997 modern 247 #15,399
1998 modern 262 #15,203
1999 modern 258 #15,467
2000 modern 261 #15,314
2001 modern 258 #15,194
2002 modern 251 #15,770
2003 modern 244 #15,861
2004 modern 251 #15,655
2005 modern 247 #15,763
2006 modern 242 #16,097
2007 modern 252 #15,815
2008 modern 247 #16,205
2009 modern 245 #16,646
2010 modern 250 #16,791
2011 modern 258 #16,284
2012 modern 248 #16,618
2013 modern 254 #16,603
2014 modern 257 #16,598
2015 modern 260 #16,361
2016 modern 261 #16,309

Geography

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Where Wharfs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes, Manchester, Brandon and Whalley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest Heath, Northumberland, Breckland and King's Lynn and West Norfolk. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Brandon Norfolk
5 Whalley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest Heath 001 Forest Heath
2 Northumberland 007 Northumberland
3 Breckland 017 Breckland
4 Breckland 012 Breckland
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 014 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wharf

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wharf

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Wharf is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wharf 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

Wharf falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Wharf families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wharf 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. Norfolk leads with 75 Wharfs recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.42x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 75 22.42x
Yorkshire 36 1.67x
Lancashire 28 1.08x
Surrey 28 2.64x
Hertfordshire 20 13.34x
Middlesex 12 0.55x
Suffolk 9 3.40x
Durham 6 0.93x
Kent 6 0.81x
Devon 1 0.22x
Essex 1 0.23x
Lincolnshire 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brandon in Norfolk leads with 59 Wharfs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3277.78x.

Place Total Index
Brandon 59 3277.78x
Bermondsey 22 33.97x
Holy Trinity 14 27.00x
Salford 10 13.17x
Little Berkhampstead 9 2812.50x
Chelsea London 8 12.20x
Habergham Eaves 8 33.91x
Bradford 7 13.42x
Keighley 7 30.46x
Thetford St Peter 7 795.45x
Cheetham 6 31.17x
Northaw 6 1395.35x
Stockton On Tees 6 19.24x
Wells Next Sea 6 307.69x
Camberwell 5 3.60x
Hertford St Andrew 5 270.27x
Bury St Edmunds St James 4 56.50x
Greenwich 4 11.55x
Lackford 4 3076.92x
Shipley 4 35.75x
Horton In Bradford 3 8.91x
St George Hanover 2 7.04x
Thetford St Mary 2 219.78x
West Derby 2 2.65x
All Hallows Lombard 1 769.23x
Chislehurst 1 25.13x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.75x
Gorleston 1 14.86x
Haworth 1 19.53x
Limehouse London 1 4.19x
Narborough 1 312.50x
Openshaw 1 8.27x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 2.87x
Southwark Christchurch 1 9.81x
Spalding 1 14.49x
West Ham 1 1.05x
Withington 1 12.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 9
Sarah 8
Alice 5
Jane 5
Eliza 4
Harriet 4
Louisa 4
Susan 4
Amy 3
Ann 3
Maria 3
Martha 3
Caroline 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Matilda 2
Maud 2
Rachel 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
H.Ann 1
Jemima 1
Lillie 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Mildra 1
Millicent 1
Minne 1
Phoebe 1
Reason 1
Rebbecca 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Rose 1
Rosina 1
Sabina 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
James 11
John 11
Henry 9
Charles 8
George 5
Joseph 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Edward 4
Robert 4
Thomas 4
Richard 3
Wm. 3
Arthur 2
Batley 2
Frederick 2
Richd. 2
Alfd. 1
Aubrey 1
Chas. 1
Elijah 1
Emely 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Griffin 1
Harry 1
Jno.A. 1
Rowland 1
Thos. 1
Thos.H. 1
Thos.S. 1
Walker 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Wharf surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wharf surname in 1881?

In 1881, 223 people were recorded with the Wharf surname. That placed it at #11,998 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wharf surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016. That gives Wharf a modern rank of #16,309.

What does the Wharf map show?

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