NameCensus.

UK surname

Wickens

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "dwelling/cottage near the willow trees".

In the 1881 census there were 1,885 people recorded with the Wickens surname, ranking it #2,312 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,264, ranked #2,865, down from #2,312 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Rotherfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Mole Valley and Mid Sussex.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wickens is 2,505 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.1%.

1881 census count

1,885

Ranked #2,312

Modern count

2,264

2016, ranked #2,865

Peak year

1911

2,505 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wickens had 1,885 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,312 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,264 in 2016, ranked #2,865.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,505 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wickens surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wickens surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wickens 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 1,048 #2,672
1861 historical 818 #3,366
1881 historical 1,885 #2,312
1891 historical 1,963 #2,354
1901 historical 2,303 #2,362
1911 historical 2,505 #2,052
1997 modern 2,394 #2,614
1998 modern 2,472 #2,642
1999 modern 2,446 #2,681
2000 modern 2,438 #2,677
2001 modern 2,358 #2,698
2002 modern 2,402 #2,709
2003 modern 2,352 #2,703
2004 modern 2,333 #2,719
2005 modern 2,249 #2,776
2006 modern 2,260 #2,760
2007 modern 2,271 #2,772
2008 modern 2,253 #2,821
2009 modern 2,309 #2,826
2010 modern 2,343 #2,847
2011 modern 2,301 #2,856
2012 modern 2,272 #2,837
2013 modern 2,307 #2,844
2014 modern 2,315 #2,850
2015 modern 2,263 #2,880
2016 modern 2,264 #2,865

Geography

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Where Wickens' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Rotherfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Mole Valley, Mid Sussex and Merthyr Tydfil. 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 1
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Rotherfield Sussex
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 009 Wealden
2 Wealden 010 Wealden
3 Mole Valley 013 Mole Valley
4 Mid Sussex 014 Mid Sussex
5 Merthyr Tydfil 008 Merthyr Tydfil

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wickens

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wickens

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Wickens is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wickens is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wickens falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wickens

The surname Wickens finds its origins in England, specifically during the medieval period. It is a toponymic surname derived from various locations named Wick, Wyke, or Wicken across England. The name Wickens typically signifies 'of Wick,' with 'wick' being an Old English word meaning a settlement, village, or dairy farm, derived from the Latin 'vicus.' Another variant is derived from the Old Norse word ‘vik,’ meaning a creek or bay, which further underscores the name's association with geographical features.

Documented instances of the Wickens surname can be traced back to the early medieval period. While the name Wickens itself does not appear in the Domesday Book of 1086, places called Wick, Wicken, and Wyke are well-recorded, indicating the likely habitation of families who would later adopt the surname, including Wickens, based on these settlements. The earliest confirmed reference to the surname Wickens can be found in 1296 in the Sussex Subsidy Rolls, where one Johannes de Wickens is recorded. This mention signifies the presence of the surname in southern England, particularly Sussex.

Several noteworthy individuals have carried the Wickens surname throughout history. One such individual is Robert Wickens, born in 1835 and a notable figure in the late 19th century as a pioneering industrialist during the British Industrial Revolution. Edward Wickens, born in 1562, was an early scholar who contributed to the Elizabethan era's intellectual landscape. Another prominent bearer of the surname is George Wickens, a soldier in the British Army who served valiantly during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century.

In the late 17th century, Elizabeth Wickens, born in 1679, became well-regarded for her work in botanical studies in England, reflecting the broader scholarly inclinations of some bearing the Wickens name. Additionally, during the Victorian era, Joseph Wickens, born in 1821, gained prominence as a philanthropist, contributing significantly to various charitable causes, including the establishment of schools and hospitals in London.

The surname Wickens has endured through centuries, with its etymological roots deeply embedded in the geographical and agricultural lexicon of medieval England. While variations and mutations of 'Wick' or 'Wicken' have occurred over time, the name Wickens remains a testament to the enduring legacy of these early English settlements.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wickens families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wickens 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. Sussex leads with 480 Wickens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.47x.

County Total Index
Sussex 480 15.47x
Kent 403 6.42x
Berkshire 242 17.52x
Surrey 211 2.35x
Middlesex 205 1.11x
Hampshire 147 3.90x
Northamptonshire 34 1.96x
Oxfordshire 33 2.90x
Durham 28 0.51x
Essex 23 0.63x
Leicestershire 16 0.78x
Bedfordshire 8 0.84x
Lancashire 8 0.04x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.63x
Suffolk 7 0.31x
Warwickshire 7 0.15x
Cheshire 5 0.12x
Yorkshire 5 0.03x
Glamorgan 4 0.12x
Cornwall 2 0.10x
Derbyshire 2 0.07x
Herefordshire 2 0.27x
Wiltshire 2 0.12x
Gloucestershire 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.08x
Norfolk 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 0.46x
Somerset 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rotherfield in Sussex leads with 134 Wickens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 490.66x.

Place Total Index
Rotherfield 134 490.66x
Tonbridge 94 41.52x
Tilehurst 63 225.81x
Cobham 32 552.68x
Eastbourne 32 22.42x
Camberwell 30 2.55x
Reading St Giles 29 21.40x
Wandsworth 28 15.81x
Lambeth 27 1.68x
Hawkhurst 26 133.27x
Brighton 24 3.84x
Buxted 24 197.69x
Fletching 22 158.50x
Boughton Malherbe 20 714.29x
Croydon 20 4.02x
Maidstone 20 10.70x
Paddington London 20 2.96x
West Ham 20 2.49x
Clayton 19 162.53x
Wadhurst 19 93.27x
Thatcham 18 84.59x
Bishopwearmouth 17 3.62x
Islington London 17 0.95x
St Pancras London 17 1.15x
Charlwood 16 186.26x
Deptford St Paul 16 3.30x
Southampton St Mary 16 6.75x
Basingstoke 15 34.59x
Kingsclere 15 87.11x
Newbury 15 33.91x
St Marylebone London 15 1.53x
Brimpton 14 520.45x
Greenham 14 203.19x
Heathfield 14 111.38x
Horsted Keynes 14 193.64x
Portsea 14 1.89x
Smarden 14 195.26x
Southampton All Sts 14 21.64x
Ryde 13 16.05x
Ashford 12 19.63x
Keymer 12 54.79x
Shoreditch London 12 1.50x
Withyam 12 90.36x
Bexhill 11 71.15x
Chiddingly 11 196.78x
Clapham 11 4.78x
Mortimer 11 166.41x
Broomfield 10 990.10x
Carisbrooke 10 19.10x
Gillingham 10 7.73x
Hammersmith London 10 2.21x
Hunton 10 182.15x
Lewisham 10 2.99x
Shalfleet 10 137.55x
Washington 10 187.97x
Bermondsey 9 1.64x
Bray 9 22.18x
East Farleigh 9 85.47x
Epsom 9 20.60x
Hampstead London 9 3.14x
Humberstone 9 53.70x
New Windsor 9 19.38x
Old Windsor 9 56.32x
Ringmer 9 102.97x
St Katherine 9 401.79x
Uckfield 9 66.57x
Battersea 8 1.18x
Bow London 8 3.42x
Northampton Priory St 8 7.70x
Shilton 8 441.99x
Speldhurst 8 25.03x
Bedford St Paul 7 10.71x
Bethnal Green London 7 0.88x
Burford 7 70.99x
Crowhurst 7 264.15x
Hastings St Mary In The 7 10.58x
Milton In Milton 7 26.24x
Speen 7 30.97x
St George Hanover 7 2.92x
Wargrave 7 59.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 110
Sarah 62
Elizabeth 57
Alice 34
Eliza 34
Ellen 34
Jane 33
Ann 28
Emily 26
Emma 23
Fanny 23
Annie 22
Harriett 21
Harriet 19
Hannah 15
Caroline 14
Frances 14
Louisa 14
Maria 14
Charlotte 13
Edith 12
Clara 11
Lucy 11
Ada 10
Anne 10
Rose 10
Ruth 10
Agnes 9
Kate 9
Rhoda 9
Amelia 8
Catherine 8
Martha 8
Esther 6
Florence 6
Margaret 6
Rosa 6
Sophia 6
Anna 5
Francis 5
Julia 5
Lily 5
Minnie 5
Amy 4
Betsy 4
Grace 4
Jessie 4
Lizzie 4
Lydia 4
Ella 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 117
George 87
John 65
James 63
Charles 52
Henry 50
Thomas 38
Alfred 31
Joseph 28
Arthur 24
Frederick 24
Edward 22
Samuel 22
Walter 19
Albert 18
Frank 18
Harry 11
Benjamin 10
Ernest 10
Edwin 9
Stephen 9
Amos 8
Richard 8
Mark 7
Fredrick 6
Herbert 6
Fred 5
Geo. 5
Philip 5
Robert 5
Chas. 4
Isaac 4
Michael 4
Thos. 4
Alexander 3
David 3
Douglas 3
Francis 3
Jesse 3
Sidney 3
Daniel 2
Edwd. 2
Harold 2
Henery 2
Josiah 2
Louis 2
Luther 2
Nelson 2
Percy 2
Reuben 2

FAQ

Wickens surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wickens surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,885 people were recorded with the Wickens surname. That placed it at #2,312 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wickens surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,264 in 2016. That gives Wickens a modern rank of #2,865.

What does the Wickens surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "dwelling/cottage near the willow trees".

What does the Wickens map show?

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