NameCensus.

UK surname

Whorlow

In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Whorlow surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 180, ranked #21,022, up from #24,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Seasalter and Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stranraer West, Stranraer South and Stranraer East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whorlow is 197 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 168.7%.

1881 census count

67

Ranked #24,104

Modern count

180

2016, ranked #21,022

Peak year

1997

197 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whorlow had 67 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016, ranked #21,022.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 121 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Whorlow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whorlow surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Whorlow 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 55 #23,413
1861 historical 46 #28,170
1881 historical 67 #24,104
1891 historical 64 #28,781
1901 historical 80 #25,251
1911 historical 121 #20,336
1997 modern 197 #17,792
1998 modern 195 #18,397
1999 modern 193 #18,642
2000 modern 178 #19,570
2001 modern 173 #19,635
2002 modern 179 #19,598
2003 modern 179 #19,416
2004 modern 180 #19,424
2005 modern 179 #19,467
2006 modern 180 #19,526
2007 modern 176 #20,028
2008 modern 179 #20,015
2009 modern 192 #19,527
2010 modern 192 #19,960
2011 modern 179 #20,732
2012 modern 166 #21,683
2013 modern 175 #21,320
2014 modern 177 #21,340
2015 modern 179 #21,069
2016 modern 180 #21,022

Geography

Back to top

Where Whorlows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Seasalter, Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew, St Dunstan Stepney and Walmer. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stranraer West, Stranraer South, Stranraer East and Canterbury. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Seasalter Kent
3 Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew Suffolk
4 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
5 Walmer Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stranraer West Dumfries and Galloway
2 Stranraer South Dumfries and Galloway
3 Stranraer East Dumfries and Galloway
4 Canterbury 008 Canterbury
5 Canterbury 009 Canterbury

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Whorlow

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Whorlow

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Whorlow, 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 Whorlow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Whorlow 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Whorlow is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Whorlow is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whorlow 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 Whorlow 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 Whorlow, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Whorlow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whorlow 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 47 Whorlows recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.08x.

County Total Index
Kent 47 21.08x
Surrey 7 2.20x
Middlesex 4 0.61x
Suffolk 4 5.03x
Wigtownshire 4 46.08x
Sussex 1 0.91x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitstable in Kent leads with 24 Whorlows recorded in 1881 and an index of 2201.83x.

Place Total Index
Whitstable 24 2201.83x
Seasalter 9 3214.29x
Camberwell 7 16.77x
Little Mongeham 5 12500.00x
Charing 4 1333.33x
Stranraer 4 506.33x
Bow London 3 36.06x
Sudbury St Gregory 3 468.75x
Faversham 2 93.90x
Harbledown 2 1250.00x
Brighton 1 4.50x
Greenwich 1 9.62x
Norwood 1 67.11x
Stowmarket 1 108.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charlotte 3
Mary 3
Alice 2
Elizabeth 2
Jane 2
Maria 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Charlott 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Mabel 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
William 5
John 4
Albert 3
Alfred 2
Harry 2
Thomas 2
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Giles 1
Joseph 1
Martin 1
Sterling 1
Willie 1
Wm. 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 Whorlow households.

FAQ

Whorlow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whorlow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Whorlow surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whorlow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016. That gives Whorlow a modern rank of #21,022.

What does the Whorlow map show?

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