NameCensus.

UK surname

Whateley

A variant of the English locational surname referring to someone from Whateley, Oxfordshire.

In the 1881 census there were 158 people recorded with the Whateley surname, ranking it #14,989 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 197, ranked #19,777, down from #14,989 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kings Norton, Kenilworth and Edgbaston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dacorum, Coventry and Northampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whateley is 234 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.7%.

1881 census count

158

Ranked #14,989

Modern count

197

2016, ranked #19,777

Peak year

2000

234 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whateley had 158 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,989 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016, ranked #19,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 217 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Whateley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whateley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whateley 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 101 #17,036
1861 historical 135 #16,651
1881 historical 158 #14,989
1891 historical 200 #14,913
1901 historical 190 #15,634
1911 historical 217 #14,214
1997 modern 214 #16,893
1998 modern 228 #16,706
1999 modern 220 #17,160
2000 modern 234 #16,470
2001 modern 227 #16,573
2002 modern 218 #17,338
2003 modern 213 #17,395
2004 modern 215 #17,384
2005 modern 212 #17,473
2006 modern 214 #17,507
2007 modern 206 #18,142
2008 modern 200 #18,640
2009 modern 200 #19,028
2010 modern 210 #18,836
2011 modern 213 #18,502
2012 modern 216 #18,251
2013 modern 212 #18,820
2014 modern 207 #19,259
2015 modern 198 #19,714
2016 modern 197 #19,777

Geography

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Where Whateleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kings Norton, Kenilworth, Edgbaston, Walsall and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dacorum, Coventry, Northampton, Sheffield and Huntingdonshire. 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 Kings Norton Worcestershire
2 Kenilworth Warwickshire
3 Edgbaston Worcestershire
4 Walsall Staffordshire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dacorum 020 Dacorum
2 Coventry 034 Coventry
3 Northampton 027 Northampton
4 Sheffield 025 Sheffield
5 Huntingdonshire 011 Huntingdonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whateley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whateley

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

Whateley is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whateley falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Whateley

The surname Whateley is of English origin, dating back to medieval times. It is primarily associated with the counties of Warwickshire and Worcestershire. The name likely derives from the Old English elements "hweat," meaning "wheat," and "leah," meaning "woodland" or "clearing," suggesting that the original bearers of the name resided in or near a wheat field or a fertile wheat-growing area.

Whateley appears in various historical records, including manorial rolls and tax records. One of the earliest mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, although it appeared as "Watelei" in this period. Over the centuries, the spelling has evolved through forms such as Whatlegh, Whateleye, and eventually settled on Whateley by the 17th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is attributed to John de Whateley, who lived in the 13th century. He was noted in a 1273 document in Warwickshire, suggesting that the family had already established themselves in the area by that time. Another historical figure, Agnes Whateley, was recorded in the early 14th century as a landholder in Worcestershire, indicating the name's spread to adjacent counties.

The name also appears in the records of the English Reformation. Thomas Whateley, born around 1530, was a notable figure who faced persecution for his Protestant beliefs during Queen Mary I's reign, highlighting the family's involvement in significant historical events.

In the 19th century, the name gained literary attention through the works of Reverend Samuel Whateley, born in 1795, who published several theological essays. His writings contributed to the academic discourse of the time, further cementing the name's historical presence.

One of the most famous bearers of the surname was George Whateley, born in 1830, an influential industrialist during the Victorian era. He was instrumental in the development of Birmingham's manufacturing industry and left a lasting legacy through his philanthropic efforts.

By examining these historical figures and records, the surname Whateley reveals a rich tapestry of agricultural origins, regional associations, and notable contributions to English society over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Whateley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whateley 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. Warwickshire leads with 72 Whateleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.38x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 72 19.38x
Worcestershire 16 8.32x
Middlesex 15 1.02x
Staffordshire 12 2.41x
Yorkshire 9 0.62x
Gloucestershire 7 2.42x
Cardiganshire 5 13.92x
Northumberland 5 2.28x
Hampshire 2 0.66x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.12x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.07x
Derbyshire 1 0.43x
Durham 1 0.23x
Herefordshire 1 1.66x
Kent 1 0.20x
Somerset 1 0.42x
Sussex 1 0.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 43 Whateleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.73x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 43 34.73x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 9 517.24x
Kenilworth 9 430.62x
Kings Norton 9 52.17x
Old Stratford 8 380.95x
Aston 7 6.84x
Chiswick 6 74.53x
Aberystwith 5 161.81x
Kidderminster Borough 5 44.41x
Tynemouth 5 42.59x
Kingswinford 4 22.16x
Leckhampton 4 224.72x
West Bromwich 4 14.05x
Kensington London 3 3.66x
St George Hanover 3 15.60x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 20.77x
Edgbaston 2 17.36x
Handsworth 2 16.33x
Lichfield St Mary 2 139.86x
Bath St Peter St Paul 1 95.24x
Bishops Waltham 1 79.37x
Charlton Kings 1 50.00x
Darlington 1 5.91x
East Grinstead 1 28.41x
Fordingbridge 1 60.98x
Hackney London 1 1.21x
Leamington Priors 1 10.94x
Lugwardine 1 263.16x
Minster In Sheppey 1 12.00x
Paddington London 1 1.85x
Redditch 1 25.64x
Rugby 1 19.88x
St Marylebone London 1 1.27x
St Marythe Less 1 175.44x
Stapenhill 1 29.15x
Walton 1 1666.67x
Webheath 1 294.12x
Wellesbourne Mountford 1 285.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 6
Ellen 4
Emma 4
Alice 3
Emily 3
Jane 3
Lucy 3
Ann 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Eliza 2
Fanny 2
Henrietta 2
Maria 2
Rebecca 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz.J. 1
Emilles 1
Florence 1
Freida 1
Frileve 1
Georgiana 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Hermine 1
Josephine 1
Julia 1
Katherine 1
Lillian 1
Martha 1
Rosa 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Whateley 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
Thomas 7
John 5
Charles 4
Alfred 3
Frederick 3
Henry 3
Arthur 2
Harry 2
Josiah 2
Richard 2
Ann 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Eustace 1
Frank 1
Geo.W.M. 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Lewis 1
Morgan 1
Richd. 1
Samuel 1
Stanley 1

FAQ

Whateley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whateley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 158 people were recorded with the Whateley surname. That placed it at #14,989 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whateley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016. That gives Whateley a modern rank of #19,777.

What does the Whateley surname mean?

A variant of the English locational surname referring to someone from Whateley, Oxfordshire.

What does the Whateley map show?

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