NameCensus.

UK surname

Wicker

An occupational surname for a maker or seller of wicker baskets and furniture.

In the 1881 census there were 367 people recorded with the Wicker surname, ranking it #8,475 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 432, ranked #11,135, down from #8,475 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and Ealing, Chiswick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden and Southend-on-Sea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wicker is 517 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.7%.

1881 census count

367

Ranked #8,475

Modern count

432

2016, ranked #11,135

Peak year

1911

517 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wicker had 367 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,475 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 432 in 2016, ranked #11,135.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 517 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Wicker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wicker surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wicker 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 309 #7,449
1861 historical 383 #6,680
1881 historical 367 #8,475
1891 historical 496 #7,478
1901 historical 488 #8,194
1911 historical 517 #7,634
1997 modern 478 #9,627
1998 modern 500 #9,590
1999 modern 496 #9,713
2000 modern 472 #10,063
2001 modern 457 #10,113
2002 modern 456 #10,336
2003 modern 447 #10,343
2004 modern 447 #10,369
2005 modern 431 #10,558
2006 modern 439 #10,454
2007 modern 445 #10,428
2008 modern 446 #10,501
2009 modern 459 #10,502
2010 modern 461 #10,701
2011 modern 449 #10,807
2012 modern 436 #10,940
2013 modern 444 #10,946
2014 modern 439 #11,132
2015 modern 434 #11,142
2016 modern 432 #11,135

Geography

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Where Wickers are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Wealden and Southend-on-Sea. 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 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Ealing, Chiswick Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
4 London parishes London 2
5 Halstead Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 005 Wealden
2 Southend-on-Sea 013 Southend-on-Sea
3 Southend-on-Sea 017 Southend-on-Sea
4 Southend-on-Sea 006 Southend-on-Sea
5 Southend-on-Sea 009 Southend-on-Sea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wicker

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wicker

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Wicker, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Wicker surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Wicker household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Wicker 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

Wicker is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Wicker

The surname Wicker is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "wiccer" or "wicere," which referred to someone who made wickerwork baskets or other woven items. This occupation-based surname first emerged in the 13th century in various parts of England.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Wikere." Another early reference is the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, which lists a "Johannes le Wykere." These records suggest that the name was initially concentrated in the southern and eastern regions of England.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as "Wyker," "Wykere," and "Wychere," reflecting the evolving pronunciation and regional variations. One notable example is John Wychere, a landowner from Essex mentioned in documents from 1381.

During the 16th century, the surname began to take on its modern spelling of "Wicker." A prominent figure bearing this name was Sir John Wicker (c. 1525-1598), a wealthy merchant and alderman of London who served as the city's Lord Mayor in 1597.

Other notable individuals with the surname Wicker include:

1. Ralph Wicker (1580-1649), an English Puritan minister and author. 2. William Wicker (1642-1718), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. 3. John Wicker (1673-1743), an English artist known for his portraits and landscapes. 4. Elizabeth Wicker (1747-1819), an English writer and poet who published several works under the pseudonym "Eageria." 5. Thomas Wicker (1926-2011), an American journalist and author who worked for The New York Times and won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 1966.

While the name Wicker originated as an occupational surname, it eventually became associated with various place names in England, such as Wickersley in Yorkshire and Wickertown in Somerset. These place names likely derived from individuals who bore the surname Wicker and lived in or owned land in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wicker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wicker 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. Essex leads with 105 Wickers recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.78x.

County Total Index
Essex 105 14.78x
Middlesex 60 1.67x
Kent 54 4.40x
Sussex 34 5.60x
Hampshire 29 3.93x
Surrey 23 1.31x
Lancashire 16 0.37x
Durham 9 0.84x
Devon 7 0.93x
Nottinghamshire 6 1.24x
Yorkshire 6 0.17x
Hertfordshire 5 2.02x
Wiltshire 4 1.26x
Norfolk 3 0.54x
Shropshire 2 0.64x
Derbyshire 1 0.18x
Dorset 1 0.42x
Fife 1 0.47x
Perthshire 1 0.62x
Royal Navy 1 2.33x
Somerset 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Halstead in Essex leads with 88 Wickers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1061.52x.

Place Total Index
Halstead 88 1061.52x
Strood 23 328.10x
Chiswick 19 96.59x
Lambeth 13 4.14x
Mayfield 13 362.12x
Tonbridge 13 29.35x
Wonston 10 1162.79x
Stockton On Tees 9 17.44x
Hackney London 8 3.96x
Frant 7 162.79x
Newchurch 7 20.03x
Willesborough 7 212.12x
Chelmsford 6 49.22x
Deptford St Paul 6 6.33x
Liverpool 6 2.31x
Ratcliffe Upon Trent 6 491.80x
Croydon 5 5.14x
Digswell 5 1785.71x
Ottery St Mary 5 101.83x
Portsea 5 3.46x
Barking 4 19.24x
Bromley London 4 5.05x
New Shoreham 4 109.89x
Ratcliffe London 4 20.12x
St George In East 4 16.34x
Ventnor 4 56.98x
Bow London 3 6.55x
Hove 3 11.27x
Mile End Old Town 3 5.28x
St Pancras London 3 1.04x
Tottenham 3 5.23x
Wilton 3 133.33x
Beddington 2 29.50x
Bermondsey 2 1.87x
Hammersmith London 2 2.26x
Hastings St Mary In The 2 15.44x
Honiton 2 48.19x
Kensington London 2 1.00x
Little Maplestead 2 625.00x
Maidstone 2 5.47x
Manchester 2 1.04x
Oswestry Town 2 20.08x
Rotherfield 2 37.45x
St Helens 2 37.31x
Arreton 1 42.19x
Basingstoke 1 11.78x
Battersea 1 0.76x
Burntisland 1 16.78x
Catherington 1 61.35x
Christchurch 1 6.25x
Clifford Cum Boston 1 31.15x
Colchester St Mary 1 151.52x
Eskdaleside 1 57.14x
Hampstead London 1 1.78x
Hastings St Mary 1 6.62x
Holdenhurst 1 5.17x
Hornsea 1 44.25x
Islington London 1 0.29x
Lewisham 1 1.53x
Leyton Low 1 6.93x
New Malton 1 23.47x
Normanby In 1 10.48x
Normanton 1 21.01x
North Meols 1 2.39x
Norwich St Mary At Coslany 1 63.29x
Norwich St Paul 1 30.21x
Orpington 1 26.60x
Poole St James 1 11.26x
Romsey Infra 1 40.00x
Royal Navy 1 2.73x
Sheffield 1 0.88x
Southampton St Mary 1 2.16x
St George Hanover 1 2.13x
Stratton St Margaret 1 20.49x
Subdeanary 1 61.35x
Ticehurst 1 26.95x
West Ham 1 0.64x
Westminster St James 1 2.70x
Weston Super Mare 1 6.84x
Wickham Bishops 1 151.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Sarah 12
Alice 9
Emily 9
Jane 9
Elizabeth 8
Ann 7
Eliza 7
Fanny 5
Caroline 4
Charlotte 4
Ellen 4
Emma 4
Margaret 4
Clara 3
Edith 3
Julia 3
Louisa 3
Susan 3
Susannah 3
Alma 2
Annie 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Martha 2
Rebecca 2
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Daisy 1
Dora 1
Dorcas 1
Dorris 1
Eleanor 1
Elen 1
Elleanor 1
Emmelin 1
Esther 1
Flora 1
Grace 1
Henrietta 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Johana 1
Karenhappuch 1
Keturah 1
Laviner 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 38
George 24
John 18
Henry 13
Alfred 12
James 12
Arthur 6
Charles 6
Albert 5
Frederick 5
Walter 5
Edward 4
Richard 4
Thomas 4
Ernest 3
Harry 3
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Abraham 1
Ambrose 1
Amos 1
Arther 1
Bertie 1
Chas.Jno. 1
Daniel 1
Fred 1
Geo.Heny. 1
Henery 1
Hinnih 1
Jno. 1
Joshua 1
Josiah 1
Julian 1
Neheinial 1
Reuben 1
Rupert 1
Samuel 1
Tobias 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Wicker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wicker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 367 people were recorded with the Wicker surname. That placed it at #8,475 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wicker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 432 in 2016. That gives Wicker a modern rank of #11,135.

What does the Wicker surname mean?

An occupational surname for a maker or seller of wicker baskets and furniture.

What does the Wicker map show?

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