NameCensus.

UK surname

Wheelton

In the 1881 census there were 154 people recorded with the Wheelton surname, ranking it #15,259 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 135, ranked #25,505, down from #15,259 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Stockport and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Bolton and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wheelton is 245 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 12.3%.

1881 census count

154

Ranked #15,259

Modern count

135

2016, ranked #25,505

Peak year

1911

245 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wheelton had 154 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,259 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016, ranked #25,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 245 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Wheelton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wheelton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Wheelton 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 112 #15,913
1861 historical 180 #13,057
1881 historical 154 #15,259
1891 historical 195 #15,211
1901 historical 215 #14,478
1911 historical 245 #13,084
1997 modern 159 #20,339
1998 modern 162 #20,673
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 158 #21,055
2001 modern 155 #21,047
2002 modern 160 #21,011
2003 modern 156 #21,115
2004 modern 154 #21,432
2005 modern 143 #22,473
2006 modern 145 #22,420
2007 modern 145 #22,693
2008 modern 143 #23,160
2009 modern 144 #23,577
2010 modern 148 #23,697
2011 modern 147 #23,627
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 136 #25,252
2014 modern 135 #25,581
2015 modern 136 #25,352
2016 modern 135 #25,505

Geography

Back to top

Where Wheeltons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Stockport, Manchester and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Bolton, Staffordshire Moorlands, Blaby and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Manchester Cheshire
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 020 Cheshire East
2 Bolton 002 Bolton
3 Staffordshire Moorlands 001 Staffordshire Moorlands
4 Blaby 008 Blaby
5 Stoke-on-Trent 020 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Wheelton

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Wheelton

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

Spacious Rural Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Wheelton 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

Wheelton is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wheelton falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Wheelton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wheelton 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. Cheshire leads with 88 Wheeltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.71x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 88 26.71x
Lancashire 38 2.15x
Staffordshire 24 4.76x
Hampshire 1 0.33x
Royal Navy 1 5.62x
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. Macclesfield in Cheshire leads with 21 Wheeltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 143.44x.

Place Total Index
Macclesfield 21 143.44x
Butley 17 6071.43x
Fisherwick 15 30000.00x
Gorton 9 54.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 9 16.85x
West Derby 8 15.44x
Wildboarclough 8 6666.67x
Austerson 7 23333.33x
Brereton Cum Smethwick 7 2258.06x
Heaton Norris 7 69.44x
Wincle 7 4666.67x
Sutton In Macclesfield 6 175.44x
Cheadle 4 63.59x
Pendleton In Salford 4 18.96x
Adlington 3 681.82x
Prestbury 3 2000.00x
Toxteth Park 3 5.00x
Ardwick 2 12.52x
Bollin Fee 2 136.99x
Aldershot 1 9.76x
Bredbury 1 52.36x
Brighton 1 1.97x
Chorley In Macclesfield 1 100.00x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 3.55x
Liverpool 1 0.93x
Manchester 1 1.26x
Royal Navy 1 6.58x
Scarisbrick 1 48.54x
Stockport 1 5.90x
Withington 1 17.54x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
Charles 7
William 7
Arthur 4
George 4
Joseph 4
Thomas 4
Harry 3
Samuel 3
Alfred 2
David 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Daniel 1
Edenser 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Josh. 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Moreley 1
Peter 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Wheelton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wheelton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 154 people were recorded with the Wheelton surname. That placed it at #15,259 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wheelton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016. That gives Wheelton a modern rank of #25,505.

What does the Wheelton map show?

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