UK surname
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or repairer of wheels, or a person living near a water wheel.
In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Wheelock surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 61, ranked #34,287, down from #22,893 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Burton-on-Trent, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wheelock is 124 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 18.7%.
1881 census count
75
Ranked #22,893
Modern count
61
2016, ranked #34,287
Peak year
1911
124 bearers
Map years
2
1901 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Wheelock surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Wheelock surname density by area, 1911 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 | 44 | #25,328 |
| 1861 | historical | 40 | #28,970 |
| 1881 | historical | 75 | #22,893 |
| 1891 | historical | 84 | #26,229 |
| 1901 | historical | 107 | #21,955 |
| 1911 | historical | 124 | #20,023 |
| 1997 | modern | 64 | #31,233 |
| 1998 | modern | 71 | #30,869 |
| 1999 | modern | 74 | #30,759 |
| 2000 | modern | 69 | #31,273 |
| 2001 | modern | 69 | #31,098 |
| 2002 | modern | 66 | #31,821 |
| 2003 | modern | 69 | #31,587 |
| 2004 | modern | 70 | #31,681 |
| 2005 | modern | 71 | #31,816 |
| 2006 | modern | 67 | #32,532 |
| 2007 | modern | 65 | #33,045 |
| 2008 | modern | 64 | #33,402 |
| 2009 | modern | 67 | #33,450 |
| 2010 | modern | 72 | #33,324 |
| 2011 | modern | 72 | #33,323 |
| 2012 | modern | 72 | #33,502 |
| 2013 | modern | 72 | #33,631 |
| 2014 | modern | 72 | #33,647 |
| 2015 | modern | 69 | #33,788 |
| 2016 | modern | 61 | #34,287 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Burton-on-Trent, London parishes, St Pancras, Lambeth and Stoke Prior. 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 | Burton-on-Trent | Staffordshire |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 4 | Lambeth | London (South Districts) |
| 5 | Stoke Prior | Worcestershire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Wheelock 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 Wheelock, 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 Wheelock surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Wheelock 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, Wheelock 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 Wheelock is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Wheelock, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Wheelock is of English origin, deriving from an old place name, and dates back to the medieval period. The name is a compound word, combining the Old English terms "hweol" meaning wheel and "ac" meaning oak tree, indicating an oak tree situated by a wheel or mill-wheel.
Records show that the name was first found in Worcestershire, where the family held estates and lands after the Norman Conquest of 1066. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William de Whelok, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1221.
During the Middle Ages, the Wheelock family played a significant role in the region, and their name appeared in various historical documents. In the Domesday Book of 1086, a reference is made to a place called "Wheluche" in Worcestershire, which is believed to be the original location associated with the surname.
In the 14th century, the name Wheelock was also found in Lancashire, where John de Whelok was listed in the Wills at Chester in 1362. This suggests that branches of the family had spread to different parts of England by that time.
One notable bearer of the name was Ralph Wheelock (c. 1600-1683), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637 and became one of the founders of the town of Medfield.
Another prominent individual was Eleazar Wheelock (1711-1779), a Congregational minister and educator from Connecticut, who founded Dartmouth College in 1769, one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States.
In the literary world, John Wheelock (1786-1857), an American publisher and son of Eleazar Wheelock, is known for publishing the works of renowned authors like James Fenimore Cooper and Washington Irving.
Other notable figures with the surname Wheelock include Edward Wheelock (1608-1684), an English clergyman and puritan writer, and Gerry Wheelock (1904-1989), an American baseball player who played for the New York Yankees in the 1920s.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wheelock 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. Worcestershire leads with 26 Wheelocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.86x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Worcestershire | 26 | 26.86x |
| Staffordshire | 14 | 5.60x |
| Surrey | 12 | 3.32x |
| Leicestershire | 8 | 9.73x |
| Middlesex | 8 | 1.08x |
| Lancashire | 4 | 0.45x |
| Derbyshire | 1 | 0.86x |
| Hampshire | 1 | 0.66x |
| Royal Navy | 1 | 11.33x |
| Warwickshire | 1 | 0.54x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bromsgrove in Worcestershire leads with 17 Wheelocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 521.47x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Bromsgrove | 17 | 521.47x |
| Lambeth | 12 | 18.57x |
| Stoke Prior | 9 | 1500.00x |
| Burbage | 7 | 1627.91x |
| St Pancras London | 6 | 10.06x |
| Branstone | 5 | 2000.00x |
| Manchester | 4 | 10.11x |
| Rocester | 4 | 1290.32x |
| Burton Upon Trent | 3 | 51.28x |
| Ashby De La Zouch | 1 | 52.63x |
| Birmingham | 1 | 1.61x |
| Duffield | 1 | 109.89x |
| Edmonton | 1 | 16.75x |
| Enfield | 1 | 20.58x |
| Portsmouth | 1 | 28.57x |
| Royal Navy | 1 | 13.25x |
| Stoke Upon Trent | 1 | 3.77x |
| Willenhall | 1 | 21.32x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Wheelock surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Wheelock 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 Wheelock households.
FAQ
In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Wheelock surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 61 in 2016. That gives Wheelock a modern rank of #34,287.
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or repairer of wheels, or a person living near a water wheel.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Wheelock 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.