NameCensus.

UK surname

Wieland

A German occupational surname referring to someone who hunted game or managed hunting grounds.

In the 1881 census there were 66 people recorded with the Wieland surname, ranking it #24,256 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 206, ranked #19,183, up from #24,256 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Eccles and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lichfield, South Somerset and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wieland is 212 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 212.1%.

1881 census count

66

Ranked #24,256

Modern count

206

2016, ranked #19,183

Peak year

2013

212 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wieland had 66 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,256 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016, ranked #19,183.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 126 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wieland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wieland surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wieland 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 31 #27,734
1861 historical 41 #28,839
1881 historical 66 #24,256
1891 historical 37 #31,398
1901 historical 120 #20,545
1911 historical 126 #19,831
1997 modern 180 #18,812
1998 modern 175 #19,658
1999 modern 173 #19,935
2000 modern 169 #20,199
2001 modern 164 #20,279
2002 modern 178 #19,671
2003 modern 162 #20,624
2004 modern 176 #19,731
2005 modern 181 #19,334
2006 modern 187 #19,079
2007 modern 189 #19,146
2008 modern 187 #19,465
2009 modern 189 #19,727
2010 modern 190 #20,087
2011 modern 194 #19,662
2012 modern 202 #19,084
2013 modern 212 #18,820
2014 modern 209 #19,128
2015 modern 208 #19,085
2016 modern 206 #19,183

Geography

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Where Wielands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Eccles, Manchester and St Anne Limehouse. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lichfield, South Somerset, Manchester, West Dorset and Kensington and Chelsea. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St Anne Limehouse London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lichfield 011 Lichfield
2 South Somerset 017 South Somerset
3 Manchester 048 Manchester
4 West Dorset 003 West Dorset
5 Kensington and Chelsea 004 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wieland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wieland

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Wieland is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Wieland 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

Wieland 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 Wieland is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Wieland

The surname Wieland originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German words "wil", meaning "wild" or "untamed", and "lant", meaning "land" or "territory". This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a remote or wilderness area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Mellicensis, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century, which mentions a "Wilihalmus de Wilanti". This indicates that the name was already in use by the 12th century and may have originated even earlier.

The surname Wieland has also been linked to the legendary Germanic figure Wieland the Smith, a skilled blacksmith and craftsman from Norse mythology. This association may have contributed to the name's popularity among metalworkers and artisans in the Middle Ages.

In the 15th century, the German poet and satirist Sebastian Brant (1457-1521) wrote about a character named Wieland in his work "Das Narrenschiff" (The Ship of Fools). This literary reference further solidified the name's place in German culture.

One notable bearer of the surname was Christoph Martin Wieland (1733-1813), a German writer, poet, and philosopher during the Age of Enlightenment. He was a prominent figure in the literary movement known as Weimar Classicism and is considered one of the most influential German authors of the 18th century.

Another individual with the surname Wieland was Gustav Adolf Wieland (1828-1907), a German chemist and metallurgist who made significant contributions to the study of steel and its alloys. He developed the Wieland process for the production of high-quality steel, which was widely adopted in the steel industry.

In the realm of art, the German painter and printmaker Olaf Wieland (1882-1965) was a notable figure. He was part of the Expressionist movement and is known for his woodcut prints and paintings depicting scenes of rural life and landscapes.

The surname Wieland has also been found in other European countries, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland, likely due to migration and cultural exchange over the centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the German-speaking regions of central Europe.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wieland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wieland 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. Middlesex leads with 37 Wielands recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.75x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 37 5.75x
Kent 11 5.01x
Midlothian 6 6.96x
Hertfordshire 5 11.27x
Surrey 3 0.96x
Yorkshire 2 0.31x
Hampshire 1 0.76x
Lancashire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Woolwich in Kent leads with 10 Wielands recorded in 1881 and an index of 123.30x.

Place Total Index
Woolwich 10 123.30x
St Marylebone London 9 26.19x
Edinburgh Greenside 6 526.32x
Limehouse London 6 84.87x
St George Hanover 6 71.43x
Poplar London 5 41.15x
Hemel Hempstead 3 150.00x
Hornsey 3 36.86x
Bow London 2 24.42x
Brightside Bierlow 2 15.99x
Hertford St Andrew 2 363.64x
Norwood 2 136.05x
St Pancras London 2 3.86x
Carshalton 1 83.33x
Clerkenwell London 1 6.58x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 46.95x
Islington London 1 1.60x
Kirkdale 1 7.78x
Lambeth 1 1.78x
Millbrook 1 30.12x
Streatham 1 20.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Sarah 3
Charlotte 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Adeline 1
Alice 1
Beatris 1
Cathe.S. 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Ethel 1
Eugenia 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Louisa 1
Marie 1
Marina 1
Maud 1
Rosanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Arthur 3
John 3
Charles 2
Chas. 2
Edgar 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Benjaman 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Gartleb 1
George 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Michael 1
Percy 1
Wieland 1
William 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 Wieland households.

FAQ

Wieland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wieland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 66 people were recorded with the Wieland surname. That placed it at #24,256 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wieland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016. That gives Wieland a modern rank of #19,183.

What does the Wieland surname mean?

A German occupational surname referring to someone who hunted game or managed hunting grounds.

What does the Wieland map show?

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