NameCensus.

UK surname

Whellans

In the 1881 census there were 39 people recorded with the Whellans surname, ranking it #28,137 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, up from #28,137 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Kelso North and Kelso South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whellans is 142 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 264.1%.

1881 census count

39

Ranked #28,137

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

2016

142 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whellans had 39 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,137 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 59 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Whellans surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whellans surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whellans 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 7 #32,070
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 39 #28,137
1891 historical 59 #29,325
1901 historical 43 #29,380
1911 historical 16 #31,804
1997 modern 101 #26,774
1998 modern 112 #25,856
1999 modern 113 #25,913
2000 modern 113 #25,843
2001 modern 110 #25,900
2002 modern 117 #25,494
2003 modern 108 #26,486
2004 modern 114 #25,870
2005 modern 112 #26,114
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 112 #26,800
2008 modern 120 #25,922
2009 modern 123 #26,098
2010 modern 133 #25,379
2011 modern 135 #24,922
2012 modern 130 #25,559
2013 modern 132 #25,789
2014 modern 134 #25,711
2015 modern 137 #25,226
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Whellans' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Kelso North, Kelso South, Duns and Sunderland. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 008 Northumberland
2 Kelso North Scottish Borders
3 Kelso South Scottish Borders
4 Duns Scottish Borders
5 Sunderland 021 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whellans

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whellans

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Whellans surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Whellans household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Whellans is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Whellans is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whellans falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Whellans is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Whellans, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Whellans families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whellans 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. Roxburghshire leads with 23 Whellans' recorded in 1881 and an index of 333.82x.

County Total Index
Roxburghshire 23 333.82x
Midlothian 7 13.74x
Berwickshire 4 86.77x
Cheshire 3 3.57x
Durham 1 0.88x
Northumberland 1 1.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Morebattle in Roxburghshire leads with 20 Whellans' recorded in 1881 and an index of 15384.62x.

Place Total Index
Morebattle 20 15384.62x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 24.39x
Channelkirk 4 5000.00x
Monks Coppenhall 3 94.64x
Edinburgh New 2 500.00x
Jedburgh 2 294.12x
Hawick 1 64.94x
Howtell 1 5000.00x
Westoe 1 15.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 1
Jane 1
Nora 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 1

Top occupations

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 Whellans households.

FAQ

Whellans surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whellans surname in 1881?

In 1881, 39 people were recorded with the Whellans surname. That placed it at #28,137 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whellans surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Whellans a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Whellans map show?

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