NameCensus.

UK surname

Whittles

A surname derived from the Old English word "whittle," referring to a whittler or woodcarver.

In the 1881 census there were 474 people recorded with the Whittles surname, ranking it #7,040 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 436, ranked #11,062, down from #7,040 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Leek and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Selby and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whittles is 578 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.0%.

1881 census count

474

Ranked #7,040

Modern count

436

2016, ranked #11,062

Peak year

1911

578 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whittles had 474 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,040 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 436 in 2016, ranked #11,062.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 578 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Whittles surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whittles surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whittles 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 276 #8,128
1861 historical 309 #8,207
1881 historical 474 #7,040
1891 historical 519 #7,208
1901 historical 543 #7,594
1911 historical 578 #7,032
1997 modern 483 #9,549
1998 modern 473 #10,018
1999 modern 465 #10,202
2000 modern 448 #10,477
2001 modern 452 #10,192
2002 modern 465 #10,163
2003 modern 457 #10,156
2004 modern 451 #10,301
2005 modern 459 #10,053
2006 modern 465 #9,988
2007 modern 456 #10,221
2008 modern 447 #10,481
2009 modern 448 #10,719
2010 modern 464 #10,633
2011 modern 457 #10,651
2012 modern 440 #10,849
2013 modern 443 #10,968
2014 modern 455 #10,804
2015 modern 441 #10,994
2016 modern 436 #11,062

Geography

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Where Whittles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Leek, Batley, Sheffield and Whalley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Selby, Shropshire, Kingston upon Hull and Rochdale. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Leek Staffordshire
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Whalley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 012 Wakefield
2 Selby 010 Selby
3 Shropshire 024 Shropshire
4 Kingston upon Hull 027 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Rochdale 011 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whittles

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whittles

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Whittles 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

Whittles is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whittles falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Whittles

The surname Whittles has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is primarily associated with the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire in Northern England. The name is believed to derive from the Old English word hwit, meaning "white," and hyll, meaning "hill." This indicates that the initial bearers of the surname were likely from a place characterized by a white or light-colored hill.

The earliest documented instance of the surname Whittles appears in the 13th century. Historical records from 1273 include mention of a Robert de Whittel in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire. This suggests the name was established by the late 13th century and hints at its geographic spread beyond its original area.

In medieval England, surnames often developed from geographical locations or landscapes. The villages of Whittle-le-Woods and Whittle-in-the-Woods in Lancashire are examples of place names that likely influenced the surname. The Domesday Book of 1086 does not contain the surname Whittles, but it mentions places like Chetel and Hwital, which are etymologically related.

One notable individual with the surname is John Whittles, born in 1550, who served as a clerk in the courts of York. Another prominent figure is Reverend Thomas Whittles, born in 1617 in Lancashire, who played a significant role in the early educational reforms in his community. Samuel Whittles, born in 1715, was a landowner whose estate management practices were well-documented and contributed to agricultural development in Lancashire.

In the 19th century, a significant figure is William Whittles, born in 1832, an industrialist who contributed to the burgeoning textile industry in Manchester. His advancements in textile machinery had a lasting impact on the industry. Another is Elizabeth Whittles, born in 1858, who was a noted suffragette actively involved in the women's rights movement in England during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Overall, the surname Whittles has a rich history, deeply rooted in the geographical and social fabric of medieval and early modern England, with significant bearers contributing to various fields over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Whittles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whittles 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. Lancashire leads with 220 Whittles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.03x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 220 4.03x
Yorkshire 153 3.35x
Staffordshire 19 1.22x
Lincolnshire 13 1.77x
Northamptonshire 10 2.31x
Durham 9 0.66x
Warwickshire 9 0.78x
Middlesex 8 0.17x
Lanarkshire 6 0.40x
Buckinghamshire 5 1.80x
Cheshire 5 0.49x
Renfrewshire 4 1.12x
Northumberland 2 0.29x
Roxburghshire 2 2.40x
Surrey 2 0.09x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.23x
Bedfordshire 1 0.42x
Kent 1 0.06x
Monmouthshire 1 0.30x
Shropshire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spotland in Lancashire leads with 62 Whittles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 102.07x.

Place Total Index
Spotland 62 102.07x
Butterworth 50 375.66x
Newchurch 21 46.99x
Ecclesall Bierlow 19 20.47x
Leek Lowe 19 91.88x
Castleton 14 25.66x
Bury 13 20.83x
Calverley Cum Farsley 13 100.39x
Dewsbury 13 27.78x
Soothill 11 66.75x
Wuerdle Wardle 11 66.35x
Peterborough 10 31.90x
Rastrick 10 78.93x
Rochdale 9 226.13x
Upton 9 2142.86x
Crompton 8 51.41x
Westoe 8 10.30x
Aston 7 2.19x
Bradford 7 6.34x
Norton In Doncaster 7 752.69x
Pudsey 7 28.70x
St George Hanover 7 11.65x
Habergham Eaves 6 12.01x
Sheffield 6 4.13x
Govan 5 1.36x
Huddersfield 5 7.52x
Kirk Smeaton 5 833.33x
Manton 5 2272.73x
Nantwich 5 42.34x
Newport Pagnell 5 85.91x
Thornhill 5 37.57x
Ashton Under Lyne 4 3.35x
Cowpe Lench Newhall Hey 4 68.49x
Eastwood 4 18.21x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 4 18.87x
Walmersley Cum 4 45.82x
West Clayton 4 176.99x
Barnby On Don 3 344.83x
Bilham 3 6000.00x
Ecclesfield 3 8.97x
Haslingden 3 13.26x
Oldham 3 1.70x
Panton 3 1200.00x
Rotherham 3 11.66x
Wardleworth 3 9.61x
Ardwick 2 4.06x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 2 4.71x
Dodworth 2 42.19x
Hawick 2 10.72x
Nether Hallam 2 3.24x
Scawby 2 82.30x
Thorne 2 35.34x
Wallsend 2 9.20x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 1.25x
Birmingham 1 0.26x
Boston 1 4.48x
Bothwell 1 2.48x
Camberwell 1 0.34x
Clee With Weelsby 1 6.20x
Doncaster 1 3.00x
Filey 1 27.10x
Foots Cray 1 33.22x
Gate Fulford 1 9.39x
Hampole 1 526.32x
Harton 1 18.48x
Leighton Buzzard 1 9.75x
Lilleshall 1 16.45x
Lofthouse Cum Carlton 1 17.99x
Milverton 1 29.41x
Pannal 1 22.83x
Pendleton In Clitheroe 1 48.31x
Pendleton In Salford 1 1.54x
Redbourne 1 172.41x
Send Ripley 1 34.25x
St Anne Soho London 1 3.80x
St Woollos 1 2.69x
Tottington Lower End 1 3.85x
Wakefield 1 2.85x
Whitwood 1 15.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 37
Sarah 28
Elizabeth 21
Ann 17
Jane 15
Alice 12
Betty 7
Annie 6
Margaret 6
Ellen 5
Ada 4
Betsy 4
Catherine 4
Emma 4
Hannah 4
Martha 4
Eliza 3
Harriet 3
Lucy 3
Caroline 2
Eleanor 2
Emily 2
Esther 2
Florence 2
Harriett 2
Louisa 2
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Christiana 1
Clara 1
Dinah 1
Emilyetta 1
Eunice 1
Fanny 1
Henretta 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Judith 1
Kate 1
Kezia 1
Leiza 1
Lilley 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Marie 1
Minnie 1
Miriam 1
Nancy 1
Naomi 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 30
John 26
William 19
Thomas 12
Charles 11
Henry 11
George 10
Robert 9
Walter 7
Arthur 6
Joseph 6
Samuel 6
Richard 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Abraham 3
Fred 3
Harry 3
Tom 3
Francis 2
Isaac 2
Jeremiah 2
Joe 2
Percy 2
Thos. 2
Chas 1
Chas. 1
Crossley 1
Dutton 1
Earnest 1
Earnshaw 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Jas. 1
Jeramiah 1
Josiah 1
Lain 1
Lawrence 1
Luke 1
Oscar 1
Peter 1
Sagar 1
Sam 1
Saml. 1
Seth 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Whittles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whittles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 474 people were recorded with the Whittles surname. That placed it at #7,040 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whittles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 436 in 2016. That gives Whittles a modern rank of #11,062.

What does the Whittles surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word "whittle," referring to a whittler or woodcarver.

What does the Whittles map show?

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