NameCensus.

UK surname

Whitebread

A surname referring to someone who made or sold white bread.

In the 1881 census there were 214 people recorded with the Whitebread surname, ranking it #12,284 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 124, ranked #26,975, down from #12,284 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Frindsbury, Cooling, Hever and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Medway, Gravesham and Bromley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whitebread is 318 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 42.1%.

1881 census count

214

Ranked #12,284

Modern count

124

2016, ranked #26,975

Peak year

1891

318 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whitebread had 214 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,284 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016, ranked #26,975.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 318 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Whitebread surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whitebread surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whitebread 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 199 #10,441
1861 historical 240 #10,226
1881 historical 214 #12,284
1891 historical 318 #10,583
1901 historical 279 #12,225
1911 historical 253 #12,776
1997 modern 164 #19,944
1998 modern 164 #20,505
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 153 #21,520
2001 modern 145 #21,951
2002 modern 137 #23,198
2003 modern 137 #22,939
2004 modern 135 #23,326
2005 modern 125 #24,398
2006 modern 128 #24,267
2007 modern 124 #25,086
2008 modern 123 #25,505
2009 modern 128 #25,427
2010 modern 119 #27,250
2011 modern 121 #26,789
2012 modern 129 #25,705
2013 modern 132 #25,789
2014 modern 129 #26,352
2015 modern 127 #26,494
2016 modern 124 #26,975

Geography

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Where Whitebreads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Frindsbury, Cooling, Hever, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Sundridge. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Medway, Gravesham and Bromley. 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 Frindsbury, Cooling Kent
2 Hever Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 Sundridge Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Medway 003 Medway
2 Gravesham 010 Gravesham
3 Medway 004 Medway
4 Bromley 020 Bromley
5 Medway 002 Medway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whitebread

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whitebread

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Whitebread is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Whitebread is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whitebread falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Whitebread

The surname Whitebread originates from England, with its earliest usage traced back to the medieval period. The name is believed to have developed in the 13th to 14th centuries, particularly in the southeastern regions of England. It is derived from the Middle English words "hwit" meaning white and "bred" meaning bread or loaf. The origins of the name suggest it may have initially been a nickname referring to a baker who specialized in baking white bread, which was considered a finer and more luxurious type of bread in medieval times.

Historical references to the surname Whitebread appear in a variety of old English records and manuscripts. One of the earliest examples can be found in the Subsidy Rolls, a series of tax records detailing the name of taxpayers during the reign of Edward III. The name also appears in early parish records, which document births, marriages, and deaths within the Church of England.

Among the earliest recorded instances of the surname is John Whitebread, who is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Kent in 1255. Another early example is Richard Whitebread, recorded in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1343. These records indicate the presence of the surname in different counties, suggesting the name's distribution across England.

Alice Whitebread, born around 1380 and died in 1447, was a notable figure from the town of Canterbury. She was referenced in various property deeds and legal documents of the time. Another individual, Thomas Whitebread, born circa 1420 and died in 1496, appears in the guild records of the Worshipful Company of Bakers in London. He is notable for his contributions to the standards and regulations governing the baker's trade.

Moving into the 17th century, a figure of historical significance is William Whitebread, born in 1603 and died in 1654, who served as a prominent member of the local gentry in Suffolk. His involvement in the English Civil War on the side of the Parliamentarians brought some attention to the name. A later figure, James Whitebread, born 1690 and died in 1750, was known for his charitable work and is commemorated in St. Mary's Church in Hertfordshire.

The name Whitebread, while not exceedingly common, has a distinguished history tied to the cultural and social fabric of medieval and early modern England. The records preserved provide insight into the roles and contributions of individuals bearing this surname throughout English history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Whitebread families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whitebread 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. Kent leads with 77 Whitebreads recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.81x.

County Total Index
Kent 77 10.81x
Middlesex 43 2.06x
Wiltshire 20 10.83x
Leicestershire 13 5.62x
Berkshire 11 7.02x
Surrey 11 1.08x
Essex 9 2.18x
Suffolk 8 3.15x
Devon 5 1.15x
Cornwall 4 1.69x
Hertfordshire 3 2.09x
Norfolk 2 0.62x
Sussex 2 0.57x
Bedfordshire 1 0.93x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.79x
Dorset 1 0.73x
Gloucestershire 1 0.24x
Hampshire 1 0.23x
Staffordshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Higham in Kent leads with 23 Whitebreads recorded in 1881 and an index of 2395.83x.

Place Total Index
Higham 23 2395.83x
Finchley 16 200.00x
Sundridge 14 1176.47x
Hurley 11 1358.02x
Hever 9 1836.73x
Frindsbury 8 298.51x
Hanwell 8 216.22x
Devizes St Mary 7 374.33x
Leicester St Margaret 7 12.40x
St Luke London 7 20.91x
Sutton At Hone 7 472.97x
Loughborough 6 57.14x
Milton Lilborne 6 1395.35x
Willesden 6 30.49x
Woodbridge 6 184.62x
Horndon On Hill 5 1190.48x
Croydon 4 7.08x
Islington London 4 1.98x
Milton In Gravesend 4 37.45x
Wandsworth 4 19.91x
Biddestone St Nicholas 3 1034.48x
Lynsted 3 326.09x
Stoke Damerel 3 9.87x
Epsom 2 40.32x
Great Amwell 2 138.89x
Madron Penzance 2 23.28x
Phillack 2 65.57x
West Overton 2 416.67x
Bedford St Paul 1 13.50x
Bushey 1 29.15x
Caston 1 256.41x
Caterham 1 22.22x
Chelmsford 1 14.14x
Chislehurst 1 26.18x
Diss 1 36.36x
East Ham 1 13.07x
Eastling 1 294.12x
Exeter Heavitree 1 30.86x
Exeter Holy Trinity 1 58.82x
Gloucester St John Baptist 1 37.88x
Gravesend 1 16.58x
Great Burstead 1 66.67x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 11.59x
Kensington London 1 0.86x
Lee 1 9.67x
Maidstone 1 4.71x
Mayfield 1 48.08x
Palgrave 1 188.68x
Penshurst 1 83.33x
Pewsey 1 73.53x
Portsmouth 1 10.15x
Preshute 1 87.72x
Rochester St Margaret 1 13.32x
St Giles In Fields 1 13.89x
Sturminster Marshall 1 175.44x
Tonbridge 1 3.89x
Walsall Borough 1 18.28x
West Grinstead 1 94.34x
West Ham 1 1.10x
Woolwich 1 3.80x
Wraysbury 1 212.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Alice 5
Ann 5
Emma 5
Sarah 5
Fanny 4
Martha 4
Charlotte 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Frances 3
Hannah 3
Julia 3
Lucy 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Elizabeth 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Rosa 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
B. 1
Beatrice 1
Blanche 1
Celia 1
Clara 1
Clementine 1
Edith 1
Elizebeth 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
M.A. 1
Mather 1
Maud 1
May 1
Naomi 1
Rachael 1
Sara 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 14
James 11
John 11
William 9
Henry 8
George 7
Edward 5
Alfred 4
Joseph 4
Charles 3
Ernest 3
Frederick 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Wm. 3
Frank 2
Reuben 2
Stephen 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
E. 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Jame. 1
Nicholas 1
Samuel 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Whitebread surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whitebread surname in 1881?

In 1881, 214 people were recorded with the Whitebread surname. That placed it at #12,284 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whitebread surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016. That gives Whitebread a modern rank of #26,975.

What does the Whitebread surname mean?

A surname referring to someone who made or sold white bread.

What does the Whitebread map show?

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