NameCensus.

UK surname

Wharton

A locational surname derived from any of several places named Wharton in England, likely referring to a farmstead.

In the 1881 census there were 4,194 people recorded with the Wharton surname, ranking it #1,074 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,353, ranked #1,064, up from #1,074 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Birstall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eden, Barrow-in-Furness and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wharton is 6,627 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.5%.

1881 census count

4,194

Ranked #1,074

Modern count

6,353

2016, ranked #1,064

Peak year

2010

6,627 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wharton had 4,194 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,074 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,353 in 2016, ranked #1,064.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,908 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wharton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wharton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wharton 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 2,620 #1,129
1861 historical 2,685 #1,096
1881 historical 4,194 #1,074
1891 historical 4,693 #993
1901 historical 5,367 #1,049
1911 historical 5,908 #878
1997 modern 6,228 #1,055
1998 modern 6,434 #1,061
1999 modern 6,555 #1,051
2000 modern 6,586 #1,038
2001 modern 6,418 #1,040
2002 modern 6,587 #1,035
2003 modern 6,463 #1,032
2004 modern 6,438 #1,037
2005 modern 6,342 #1,034
2006 modern 6,317 #1,038
2007 modern 6,379 #1,034
2008 modern 6,410 #1,032
2009 modern 6,571 #1,032
2010 modern 6,627 #1,039
2011 modern 6,502 #1,050
2012 modern 6,281 #1,066
2013 modern 6,421 #1,061
2014 modern 6,443 #1,065
2015 modern 6,380 #1,060
2016 modern 6,353 #1,064

Geography

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Where Whartons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Birstall, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eden, Barrow-in-Furness and Wirral. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eden 007 Eden
2 Eden 006 Eden
3 Barrow-in-Furness 002 Barrow-in-Furness
4 Wirral 016 Wirral
5 Wirral 011 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wharton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wharton

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

Wharton 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

Wharton falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wharton

The surname Wharton is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hwr" meaning a"at" and "tun" meaning "enclosure or settlement". It originally referred to a person who lived near a settlement or enclosure.

The name is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Huertone" and "Hverton", referring to places in Yorkshire and Cheshire. The earliest recorded spelling of the surname itself is Whuerton, found in the Assize Court Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219.

In the 13th century, the name was also recorded as Wherton, Wharton, and Whartone. These variations reflect the regional dialects and spellings used at the time. The modern spelling of Wharton became more standardized in the 16th century.

Notable historical figures with the surname Wharton include:

1. Thomas Wharton (1495-1568), an English priest and one of the first Protestant martyrs, burned at the stake during the reign of Queen Mary I.

2. Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton (1613-1696), an English nobleman and military commander who fought for the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War.

3. Thomas Wharton, 1st Marquess of Wharton (1648-1715), an English nobleman and Whig politician who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

4. Anne Wharton (1659-1685), an English poet and writer, one of the first female authors to be published in English.

5. Edith Wharton (1862-1937), a renowned American novelist and short story writer, known for works such as "The Age of Innocence" and "Ethan Frome".

The name Wharton is also associated with several place names in England, including Wharton, a village in Cheshire, and Wharton Hill, a suburb of Durham.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wharton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wharton 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. Lancashire leads with 965 Whartons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.99x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 965 1.99x
Yorkshire 945 2.33x
Durham 356 2.92x
Cheshire 269 2.98x
Middlesex 212 0.52x
Westmorland 146 16.23x
Norfolk 125 1.99x
Derbyshire 122 1.90x
Cumberland 106 3.01x
Nottinghamshire 97 1.76x
Staffordshire 97 0.70x
Oxfordshire 95 3.76x
Surrey 91 0.46x
Worcestershire 89 1.67x
Lincolnshire 74 1.13x
Kent 68 0.49x
Warwickshire 66 0.64x
Herefordshire 33 1.97x
Buckinghamshire 26 1.05x
Suffolk 23 0.46x
Shropshire 21 0.59x
Northumberland 19 0.31x
Berkshire 16 0.52x
Devon 16 0.19x
Hertfordshire 15 0.53x
Hampshire 13 0.16x
Denbighshire 12 0.78x
Bedfordshire 11 0.52x
Gloucestershire 10 0.12x
Essex 9 0.11x
Glamorgan 9 0.13x
Midlothian 7 0.13x
Lanarkshire 6 0.05x
Sussex 6 0.09x
Flintshire 5 0.45x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.23x
Somerset 3 0.05x
Fife 2 0.08x
Royal Navy 2 0.41x
Anglesey 1 0.14x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.04x
East Lothian 1 0.18x
Northamptonshire 1 0.03x
Renfrewshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liversedge in Yorkshire leads with 57 Whartons recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.58x.

Place Total Index
Liversedge 57 31.58x
Liverpool 51 1.73x
Birkenhead 49 6.80x
Heckmondwike 47 36.03x
Batley 41 10.64x
Great Grimsby 40 9.63x
Eccleston In Prescot 39 16.00x
Salford 39 2.73x
Hulme 38 3.75x
Manchester 37 1.69x
Stourbridge 34 24.73x
Orton 33 122.77x
Birmingham 32 0.93x
Barrow In Furness 30 4.54x
Crook Billy Row 30 19.24x
Kirkdale 30 3.67x
Toxteth Park 30 1.82x
Nottingham St Mary 29 2.03x
St Pancras London 29 0.88x
Everton 28 1.81x
Broughton In Salford 27 6.08x
Preston 26 2.00x
Formby 25 45.47x
Litherland 25 24.62x
Northowram 25 8.79x
Alfreton 24 12.33x
Darlington 24 5.11x
Kings Norton 23 4.80x
Oxton 23 45.02x
Stretford 23 8.61x
Aberford 22 240.44x
Bishop Auckland 22 13.47x
Gomersal 22 11.62x
Blackburn 21 1.63x
Dewsbury 21 5.05x
Eastwood 21 42.58x
Middlesbrough 21 3.98x
Newington 21 1.39x
Sheffield 21 1.63x
Tranmere 21 6.33x
West Bromwich 21 2.66x
West Derby 21 1.48x
Bramley In Bramley 20 12.88x
Hopwood 20 31.51x
Aston 19 0.67x
Bradford 19 1.94x
Heap 19 7.38x
Holy Trinity 19 1.95x
Chesterfield 18 7.49x
Clifford Cum Boston 18 49.37x
Hunslet 18 2.85x
Kensington London 18 0.79x
Openshaw 18 7.91x
Stockton On Tees 18 3.07x
Widnes 18 5.14x
Sculcoates 17 2.64x
Stanton St John 17 221.07x
Baildon 16 20.95x
Ecclesall Bierlow 16 1.94x
Great Bolton 16 2.49x
Halliwell 16 9.05x
Leeds 16 0.70x
Mirfield 16 7.19x
Southwick 16 13.88x
Islington London 15 0.38x
Wolstanton 15 3.58x
Keighley 14 3.24x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 14 7.41x
Paddington London 14 0.93x
Pemberton 14 7.23x
Wolsingham 14 12.62x
Arkengarthdale 13 92.26x
Claylane 13 14.60x
Farnley In Bramley 13 25.68x
Lamesley 13 19.84x
Leyland 13 15.39x
Margate St John Baptist 13 5.09x
Plymouth St Andrew 13 1.98x
St Marylebone London 13 0.60x
Stradbroke 13 77.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 331
Elizabeth 187
Sarah 151
Ann 100
Margaret 76
Jane 71
Annie 66
Hannah 65
Alice 62
Ellen 61
Emma 57
Martha 48
Emily 40
Eliza 37
Harriet 26
Isabella 26
Clara 25
Florence 24
Ada 23
Agnes 23
Charlotte 22
Esther 22
Fanny 21
Frances 21
Lucy 20
Maria 20
Louisa 18
Catherine 17
Edith 16
Caroline 15
Anne 14
Kate 14
Rose 13
Elizth. 11
Amelia 9
Ethel 9
Bertha 8
Eleanor 8
Rebecca 8
Betsy 7
Dorothy 7
Harriett 7
Mabel 7
Susan 7
Lilian 6
Margt. 6
Matilda 6
Rachel 6
Ruth 6
Selina 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 277
William 247
Thomas 164
George 142
James 137
Joseph 110
Henry 91
Charles 70
Robert 70
Alfred 42
Edward 37
Richard 37
Frederick 30
Harry 24
Samuel 24
Arthur 22
Albert 19
Ernest 18
Walter 16
Fred 14
Hugh 13
Wm. 13
Herbert 12
Christopher 11
Benjamin 10
Thos. 10
Francis 8
Frank 8
Geo. 8
David 7
Edgar 7
Fredrick 7
Matthew 7
Michael 7
Peter 7
Willm. 7
Anthony 6
Fredk. 6
Willie 6
Aaron 5
Abraham 5
Edwin 5
Hy. 5
Leonard 5
Oliver 5
Percy 5
Stanley 5
Stephen 5
Tom 5
Job 3

FAQ

Wharton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wharton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,194 people were recorded with the Wharton surname. That placed it at #1,074 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wharton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,353 in 2016. That gives Wharton a modern rank of #1,064.

What does the Wharton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from any of several places named Wharton in England, likely referring to a farmstead.

What does the Wharton map show?

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