NameCensus.

UK surname

Whittlestone

In the 1881 census there were 59 people recorded with the Whittlestone surname, ranking it #25,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 163, ranked #22,407, up from #25,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Silkstone, London parishes and Thornhill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Rutland and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whittlestone is 183 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 176.3%.

1881 census count

59

Ranked #25,281

Modern count

163

2016, ranked #22,407

Peak year

1998

183 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whittlestone had 59 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 163 in 2016, ranked #22,407.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 130 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Whittlestone surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whittlestone surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whittlestone 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 28 #28,274
1861 historical 22 #31,140
1881 historical 59 #25,281
1891 historical 100 #24,045
1901 historical 130 #19,649
1911 historical 129 #19,577
1997 modern 166 #19,797
1998 modern 183 #19,106
1999 modern 183 #19,248
2000 modern 170 #20,120
2001 modern 174 #19,562
2002 modern 177 #19,759
2003 modern 161 #20,697
2004 modern 166 #20,441
2005 modern 157 #21,128
2006 modern 156 #21,399
2007 modern 158 #21,464
2008 modern 161 #21,431
2009 modern 175 #20,707
2010 modern 171 #21,481
2011 modern 177 #20,874
2012 modern 166 #21,683
2013 modern 170 #21,726
2014 modern 175 #21,477
2015 modern 164 #22,325
2016 modern 163 #22,407

Geography

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Where Whittlestones are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Silkstone, London parishes, Thornhill, Darfield and Wath-on-Dearn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Rutland, Barnsley and Wirral. 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 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Thornhill Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Darfield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Wath-on-Dearn Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 023 Bradford
2 Rutland 005 Rutland
3 Barnsley 005 Barnsley
4 Wirral 018 Wirral
5 Barnsley 004 Barnsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whittlestone

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whittlestone

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

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Whittlestone is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Whittlestone 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

Whittlestone 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 Whittlestone is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

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

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Whittlestone families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whittlestone 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. Yorkshire leads with 59 Whittlestones recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.35x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 59 10.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lofthouse Cum Carlton in Yorkshire leads with 22 Whittlestones recorded in 1881 and an index of 3142.86x.

Place Total Index
Lofthouse Cum Carlton 22 3142.86x
Hunslet 12 134.98x
Wombwell 10 602.41x
Barugh 9 1875.00x
Walton In Wakefield 4 3333.33x
Crigglestone 2 363.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Sarah 3
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Susan 2
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Harriett 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Katie 1
Lilian 1
Lucy 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
Arthur 3
George 3
Walter 3
Henry 2
John 2
Chas. 1
David 1
Elijah 1
Fred 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Jno. 1
Joe 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Tom 1
Vincent 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 Whittlestone households.

FAQ

Whittlestone surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whittlestone surname in 1881?

In 1881, 59 people were recorded with the Whittlestone surname. That placed it at #25,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whittlestone surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 163 in 2016. That gives Whittlestone a modern rank of #22,407.

What does the Whittlestone map show?

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