NameCensus.

UK surname

Whatford

In the 1881 census there were 81 people recorded with the Whatford surname, ranking it #22,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 118, ranked #27,873, down from #22,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Raveley, Great, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew and Rotherfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Sussex, South Holland and Mendip.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whatford is 157 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.7%.

1881 census count

81

Ranked #22,082

Modern count

118

2016, ranked #27,873

Peak year

1911

157 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whatford had 81 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016, ranked #27,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 157 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Whatford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whatford surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whatford 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 67 #21,440
1861 historical 64 #25,747
1881 historical 81 #22,082
1891 historical 98 #24,313
1901 historical 125 #20,061
1911 historical 157 #17,348
1997 modern 135 #22,499
1998 modern 139 #22,720
1999 modern 147 #22,110
2000 modern 147 #22,081
2001 modern 145 #21,951
2002 modern 140 #22,876
2003 modern 135 #23,155
2004 modern 131 #23,756
2005 modern 135 #23,297
2006 modern 130 #24,053
2007 modern 132 #24,166
2008 modern 132 #24,476
2009 modern 130 #25,176
2010 modern 123 #26,728
2011 modern 120 #26,930
2012 modern 117 #27,394
2013 modern 117 #27,838
2014 modern 115 #28,439
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 118 #27,873

Geography

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Where Whatfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Raveley, Great, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Rotherfield, Molesey, East and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Sussex, South Holland, Mendip, Wealden and Spelthorne. 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 Raveley, Great Huntingdonshire
2 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
3 Rotherfield Sussex
4 Molesey, East Surrey
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Sussex 017 Mid Sussex
2 South Holland 009 South Holland
3 Mendip 013 Mendip
4 Wealden 016 Wealden
5 Spelthorne 003 Spelthorne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whatford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whatford

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Established Mature Families

Nationally, the Whatford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Mature Families, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Whatford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Whatford is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Whatford is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whatford falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Whatford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whatford 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. Sussex leads with 41 Whatfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.40x.

County Total Index
Sussex 41 30.40x
Surrey 14 3.59x
Huntingdonshire 10 62.97x
Kent 8 2.93x
Hampshire 4 2.44x
Middlesex 2 0.25x
Northumberland 2 1.68x
Gloucestershire 1 0.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. East Molesey in Surrey leads with 13 Whatfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 1444.44x.

Place Total Index
East Molesey 13 1444.44x
Brighton 9 33.08x
Brede 8 2857.14x
Rotherfield 8 672.27x
Newington In Milton 6 2142.86x
Eastbourne 5 80.52x
Farcett 5 2500.00x
Keymer 5 526.32x
Beauworth 4 10000.00x
Great Raveley 3 5000.00x
Lindfield 3 526.32x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 32.41x
Ardingly 1 232.56x
Banstead 1 94.34x
Brampton 1 303.03x
Hastings St Andrew 1 208.33x
Hove 1 16.89x
Islington London 1 1.29x
Leckhampton 1 103.09x
Maidstone 1 12.30x
Sittingbourne 1 46.30x
St Pancras London 1 1.55x
Upwood 1 1111.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 3
Mary 3
Sarah 3
Charlotte 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Margaret 2
Rose 2
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Eustice 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Mahalah 1
Mercy 1
Muriel 1
Thomas 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 5
Charles 4
William 4
Jack 3
James 3
John 3
Alfred 2
Frederick 2
Robert 2
Aaron 1
Arthur 1
Auther 1
Benjamin 1
Benoni 1
Ebenezer 1
Edward 1
Harrey 1
Hartnoll 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Nathaniel 1
Peter 1
Samuel 1
Stuart 1
Warden 1

FAQ

Whatford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whatford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 81 people were recorded with the Whatford surname. That placed it at #22,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whatford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016. That gives Whatford a modern rank of #27,873.

What does the Whatford map show?

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