NameCensus.

UK surname

Wherry

An English occupational surname referring to a person who operates or builds a light rowing boat.

In the 1881 census there were 227 people recorded with the Wherry surname, ranking it #11,858 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 356, ranked #12,978, down from #11,858 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bourn, Toxteth Park and St Austell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wherry is 388 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.8%.

1881 census count

227

Ranked #11,858

Modern count

356

2016, ranked #12,978

Peak year

2010

388 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wherry had 227 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,858 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 356 in 2016, ranked #12,978.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 297 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wherry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wherry surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wherry 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 130 #14,314
1861 historical 155 #14,881
1881 historical 227 #11,858
1891 historical 216 #14,107
1901 historical 265 #12,652
1911 historical 297 #11,524
1997 modern 366 #11,781
1998 modern 379 #11,851
1999 modern 362 #12,316
2000 modern 364 #12,223
2001 modern 356 #12,228
2002 modern 368 #12,168
2003 modern 348 #12,452
2004 modern 352 #12,399
2005 modern 363 #12,037
2006 modern 350 #12,448
2007 modern 361 #12,303
2008 modern 357 #12,509
2009 modern 368 #12,476
2010 modern 388 #12,271
2011 modern 376 #12,416
2012 modern 346 #13,070
2013 modern 359 #12,917
2014 modern 365 #12,853
2015 modern 363 #12,793
2016 modern 356 #12,978

Geography

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Where Wherrys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bourn, Toxteth Park, St Austell, Lanlivery and Warleggon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. 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 Bourn Lincolnshire
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 St Austell Cornwall
4 Lanlivery Cornwall
5 Warleggon Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 039 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 031 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 038 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 065 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 036 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wherry

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wherry

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Wherry is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wherry is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wherry falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wherry

The surname Wherry originated in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hwær," meaning "to turn" or "to wander," suggesting a connection to a nomadic lifestyle or occupation.

The name is believed to have first appeared in the county of Norfolk, where many families with this surname resided. It is thought to be associated with the occupation of a ferryman or boatman, particularly those who operated small boats known as "wherries" on the rivers and waterways of Norfolk.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wherry can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, a census-like record compiled in 1273. This document lists several individuals with the surname Wherry or similar spellings, such as Robert le Wherry and William le Wherry.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Norfolk, which were tax records. This further solidifies the presence of the Wherry family in the region during that time.

One notable figure with the surname Wherry was Sir Robert Wherry (c. 1550-1629), an English merchant and politician who served as Sheriff of London in 1611 and Lord Mayor of London in 1618-1619.

Another prominent individual was John Wherry (1629-1716), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, from 1683 to 1716.

In the 18th century, Francis Wherry (1748-1828) was a renowned English engraver and illustrator known for his intricate landscapes and architectural works.

The name Wherry also has connections to place names in Norfolk, such as Wherry Town and Wherry Hill, which may have derived their names from the occupation or presence of Wherry families in those areas.

Samuel Wherry (1773-1830), an English clergyman and author, was born in Norfolk and published several works on theology and ecclesiastical history.

The surname Wherry has endured for centuries, with many families carrying this name and contributing to various fields throughout history, primarily in England but also in other parts of the world where English settlers and emigrants established themselves.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wherry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wherry 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. Cornwall leads with 128 Wherrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.37x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 128 46.37x
Lincolnshire 34 8.72x
Channel Islands 22 30.45x
Devon 17 3.35x
Lancashire 16 0.55x
Durham 7 0.96x
Lanarkshire 4 0.51x
Middlesex 4 0.16x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.91x
Renfrewshire 3 1.59x
Kent 2 0.24x
Norfolk 2 0.53x
Yorkshire 2 0.08x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.65x
Gloucestershire 1 0.21x
Northamptonshire 1 0.44x
Royal Navy 1 3.44x
Surrey 1 0.08x
Worcestershire 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lanlivery in Cornwall leads with 25 Wherrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2155.17x.

Place Total Index
Lanlivery 25 2155.17x
Warleggan 16 8421.05x
Cardynham 14 6086.96x
St Austell 14 148.31x
Toxteth Park 14 14.29x
Bourn 13 412.70x
Cardinham 12 4800.00x
Plymouth St Andrew 12 30.69x
Ludgvan 9 409.09x
Lostwithel 8 1025.64x
St Peter Port 8 59.84x
St Blazey 7 289.26x
St Brelade 7 376.34x
Stamford St George 7 400.00x
Willington 7 167.06x
Fowey 6 472.44x
St Merryn 6 1333.33x
St Erth 5 299.40x
St Stephen In Brannel 5 198.41x
St Nicholas Lincoln 4 107.24x
St Saviour 4 100.25x
Barony 3 1.50x
Haugham 3 2727.27x
Nottingham St Mary 3 3.53x
St Helier 3 12.76x
Swinhope 3 2500.00x
West Greenock 3 8.84x
Brixham 2 34.01x
Cromer 2 150.38x
Keddington 2 1333.33x
Liverpool 2 1.14x
St Marylebone London 2 1.54x
Binbrooke 1 103.09x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 11.52x
Cheltenham 1 2.71x
Devonport 1 17.15x
Etton 1 243.90x
Gorbals 1 21.37x
Lambeth 1 0.47x
Lewisham 1 2.25x
Peterborough 1 6.02x
Plymouth Charles The 1 4.47x
Pontefract 1 19.19x
Royal Navy 1 4.03x
St Anne Soho London 1 7.18x
Tottenham 1 2.57x
Ugborough 1 81.30x
Uny Lelant 1 67.11x
Upton On Severn 1 47.85x
West Rasen 1 476.19x
Wisbech St Peter 1 12.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Elizabeth 16
Jane 10
Emily 5
Ann 3
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Harriet 3
Matilda 3
Rebecca 3
Sarah 3
Bertha 2
Catherine 2
Charity 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Grace 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Phillipa 2
Prudence 2
Albinia 1
Alice 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Camilla 1
Cordelia 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Emblyn 1
Emmeline 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
H. 1
Joanna 1
Lilian 1
Lousia 1
Loveday 1
Lucy 1
Margeret 1
Martha 1
Merino 1
Millicent 1
Selina 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 25
John 14
Joseph 8
Charles 7
George 7
James 6
Nicholas 5
Richard 4
Thomas 4
Albert 3
Henry 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Patrick 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Barney 1
Bertram 1
Chas 1
Chris. 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Geore 1
Honor 1
Hugh 1
Philip 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Wherry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wherry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 227 people were recorded with the Wherry surname. That placed it at #11,858 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wherry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 356 in 2016. That gives Wherry a modern rank of #12,978.

What does the Wherry surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who operates or builds a light rowing boat.

What does the Wherry map show?

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