NameCensus.

UK surname

Widdowfield

In the 1881 census there were 55 people recorded with the Widdowfield surname, ranking it #25,862 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, up from #25,862 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Stranton and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland, Hartlepool and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Widdowfield is 151 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 158.2%.

1881 census count

55

Ranked #25,862

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

2014

151 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Widdowfield had 55 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,862 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 124 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Widdowfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Widdowfield surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Widdowfield 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 23 #29,205
1861 historical 28 #30,405
1881 historical 55 #25,862
1891 historical 124 #20,818
1901 historical 118 #20,721
1911 historical 110 #21,519
1997 modern 134 #22,608
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 129 #23,907
2000 modern 130 #23,785
2001 modern 128 #23,665
2002 modern 130 #23,903
2003 modern 132 #23,459
2004 modern 136 #23,207
2005 modern 133 #23,502
2006 modern 136 #23,378
2007 modern 139 #23,377
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 147 #23,248
2010 modern 148 #23,697
2011 modern 146 #23,736
2012 modern 145 #23,780
2013 modern 150 #23,653
2014 modern 151 #23,745
2015 modern 145 #24,246
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Widdowfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Stranton, Bradford, Middlesborough and Houghton-le-Spring. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland, Hartlepool, Scarborough and Middlesbrough. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Stranton Durham
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Middlesborough Durham
5 Houghton-le-Spring Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 027 Sunderland
2 Sunderland 033 Sunderland
3 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
4 Scarborough 012 Scarborough
5 Middlesbrough 002 Middlesbrough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Widdowfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Widdowfield

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Widdowfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Widdowfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Widdowfield 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

Widdowfield 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

Widdowfield 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 Widdowfield is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Widdowfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Widdowfield 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. Durham leads with 29 Widdowfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.17x.

County Total Index
Durham 29 18.17x
Yorkshire 19 3.57x
Monmouthshire 3 7.74x
Lincolnshire 2 2.33x
Lancashire 1 0.16x
Northumberland 1 1.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Middlesbrough in Yorkshire leads with 18 Widdowfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 260.12x.

Place Total Index
Middlesbrough 18 260.12x
Darlington 9 146.10x
Hetton Le Hole 9 445.54x
Penshaw 7 1458.33x
Bishopwearmouth 3 21.90x
St Woollos 3 69.28x
Aubourn 2 5000.00x
Jesmond 1 89.29x
Moss Side 1 29.85x
Thornaby 1 50.25x
Wolviston 1 909.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Jane 4
Elizabeth 3
Margaret 3
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Edith 1
Henrietta 1
Jessie 1
Martha 1
Phillis 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
James 3
Frank 2
George 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
William 2
Wm. 2
Ernest 1
Ralph 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 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 Widdowfield households.

FAQ

Widdowfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Widdowfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 55 people were recorded with the Widdowfield surname. That placed it at #25,862 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Widdowfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Widdowfield a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Widdowfield map show?

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