NameCensus.

UK surname

Wightman

An English locational surname derived from the Isle of Wight, referring to someone from that island.

In the 1881 census there were 1,970 people recorded with the Wightman surname, ranking it #2,225 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,874, ranked #2,341, down from #2,225 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Coldingham, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Lakeland, Berwickshire East and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wightman is 3,030 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.9%.

1881 census count

1,970

Ranked #2,225

Modern count

2,874

2016, ranked #2,341

Peak year

1999

3,030 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wightman had 1,970 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,225 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,874 in 2016, ranked #2,341.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,490 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Wightman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wightman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wightman 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 1,257 #2,269
1861 historical 1,407 #2,034
1881 historical 1,970 #2,225
1891 historical 2,057 #2,250
1901 historical 2,490 #2,193
1911 historical 2,110 #2,369
1997 modern 2,880 #2,240
1998 modern 3,020 #2,231
1999 modern 3,030 #2,240
2000 modern 3,022 #2,230
2001 modern 2,942 #2,238
2002 modern 3,015 #2,233
2003 modern 2,912 #2,254
2004 modern 2,915 #2,254
2005 modern 2,888 #2,245
2006 modern 2,842 #2,287
2007 modern 2,850 #2,301
2008 modern 2,862 #2,312
2009 modern 2,892 #2,336
2010 modern 2,923 #2,360
2011 modern 2,859 #2,379
2012 modern 2,819 #2,373
2013 modern 2,864 #2,374
2014 modern 2,889 #2,368
2015 modern 2,878 #2,346
2016 modern 2,874 #2,341

Geography

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Where Wightmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Coldingham, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Edinburgh and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Lakeland, Berwickshire East, Wakefield, Hinckley and Bosworth and Lancaster. 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 Coldingham Berwick
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Lakeland 010 South Lakeland
2 Berwickshire East Scottish Borders
3 Wakefield 037 Wakefield
4 Hinckley and Bosworth 011 Hinckley and Bosworth
5 Lancaster 002 Lancaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wightman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wightman

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Wightman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Wightman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Wightman 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

Wightman is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wightman falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wightman

The surname Wightman is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "wiht" meaning a person or creature, and "man" referring to a man or human being. Historically, the name was first found in the Isle of Wight, an island off the southern coast of England, where it emerged as an occupational name for someone who guarded or watched over the island.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wictman" and "Wictemann". This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears as "Wyhtman" in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire, indicating its spread across various regions of England. The spelling "Wightman" became more standardized by the 16th and 17th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was William Wightman, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in Lichfield, England, in 1612 for his religious beliefs.

Another notable figure was Henry Wightman (1533-1623), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Gloucester and later the Bishop of Hereford.

In the 18th century, John Wightman (1762-1834) was a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

The 19th century saw the rise of Edward Wightman (1852-1923), a British civil engineer who played a key role in the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal.

A more recent figure was William Wightman (1908-1998), an American psychologist and educator who made significant contributions to the field of learning theory.

Throughout history, variations of the surname have included Whightman, Wyteman, and Whitman, with the latter being a distinct surname with a separate origin. The name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Wightman's Hill in Warwickshire and Wightman's Croft in Yorkshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wightman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wightman 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. Yorkshire leads with 195 Wightmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.02x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 195 1.02x
Lancashire 160 0.70x
Midlothian 152 5.91x
Middlesex 144 0.75x
Northumberland 120 4.20x
Suffolk 111 4.74x
Nottinghamshire 104 4.02x
Leicestershire 90 4.23x
Lanarkshire 88 1.42x
Berwickshire 82 35.25x
Surrey 80 0.85x
Dumfriesshire 69 16.26x
Durham 65 1.14x
Derbyshire 52 1.73x
Dorset 36 2.86x
East Lothian 32 12.58x
Cumberland 26 1.57x
Essex 25 0.66x
Staffordshire 25 0.39x
Westmorland 25 5.92x
Ayrshire 23 1.60x
Somerset 22 0.71x
Cheshire 21 0.50x
Angus 17 0.96x
Fife 17 1.50x
Kent 17 0.26x
Berkshire 15 1.04x
Hampshire 14 0.36x
Monmouthshire 12 0.86x
Devon 11 0.28x
Gloucestershire 11 0.29x
Norfolk 9 0.30x
Oxfordshire 9 0.76x
Renfrewshire 9 0.60x
Worcestershire 8 0.32x
Hertfordshire 7 0.53x
Kirkcudbrightshire 7 2.52x
Warwickshire 7 0.14x
Perthshire 6 0.70x
Roxburghshire 6 1.72x
Stirlingshire 6 0.85x
Shropshire 5 0.30x
Selkirkshire 4 2.30x
Dunbartonshire 3 0.58x
Isle of Man 3 0.84x
West Lothian 3 1.04x
Wigtownshire 3 1.18x
Northamptonshire 2 0.11x
Royal Navy 2 0.87x
Sussex 2 0.06x
Wiltshire 2 0.12x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.06x
Banffshire 1 0.25x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.09x
Cornwall 1 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 42 Wightmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.27x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 42 6.27x
Lambeth 41 2.45x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 38 3.67x
Barony 29 1.84x
Westoe 24 7.41x
Coldingham 23 110.00x
Elswick 23 10.08x
Dewsbury 22 11.27x
Manchester 21 2.05x
Kirkby Mallory Earl 20 195.69x
Leicester St Margaret 20 3.85x
Bradford 19 4.12x
Dalkeith 19 37.43x
West Ham 19 2.27x
Westgate 19 10.74x
Saxstead 18 810.81x
Corstorphine 16 112.76x
Mile End Old Town 16 5.28x
Kendal 15 19.41x
Doncaster 14 10.07x
Sheepshed 14 47.96x
West Derby 14 2.10x
Dryfesdale 13 66.50x
Islington London 13 0.70x
Kensington London 13 1.22x
Liverpool 13 0.94x
Newcastle On Tyne St 13 8.78x
Thornham Magna 13 695.19x
Walsall Foreign 13 3.88x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 12 17.36x
Annesley 12 123.20x
Berwick North 12 67.34x
Burbage 12 107.91x
Derby St Alkmund 12 13.32x
Dumfries 12 28.67x
Edinburgh St Andrews 12 56.47x
Govan 12 0.78x
Kirkpatrick Juxta 12 172.91x
Monmouth 12 32.59x
Mordington 12 497.93x
Oldham 12 1.63x
Pendleton In Salford 12 4.42x
Coundon 11 47.50x
Ipswich St Clement 11 18.50x
Mansfield 11 12.28x
North Leith 11 9.24x
Batley 10 5.53x
Beeston 10 51.95x
Camberwell 10 0.82x
Cretingham 10 490.20x
Easton 10 355.87x
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 2.58x
Edinburgh St Stephens 10 19.74x
Gateshead 10 2.34x
Hackney London 10 0.93x
St Pancras London 10 0.65x
Wallsend 10 11.03x
Wickham Market 10 103.41x
Bedminster 9 3.10x
Bowness 9 140.63x
Carlton 9 500.00x
Felkington 9 1285.71x
Framlingham 9 54.18x
Gladsmuir 9 79.37x
Heanor 9 20.01x
Liff Benvie 9 3.33x
Paddington London 9 1.27x
Shilton 9 476.19x
St George Hanover 9 3.59x
Auckinleck 8 17.98x
Bungay St Mary 8 69.03x
Bunkle Preston 8 167.36x
Cattistock 8 229.23x
Chirton 8 12.37x
Cupar 8 16.18x
Great Torrington 8 35.29x
Kirkby In Ashfield 8 28.89x
Liberton 8 20.14x
Wickwar 8 132.23x
York St Martin Le Grand 8 307.69x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 88
John 86
James 45
Thomas 38
George 36
Charles 29
Joseph 28
Henry 19
Arthur 18
Edward 18
Samuel 18
Walter 16
Robert 15
Richard 11
Frederick 10
Harry 10
Ernest 9
Frank 9
Herbert 9
David 7
Alfred 6
Wm. 6
Alexander 5
Edmund 4
Francis 4
Percy 4
Albert 3
Amos 3
Edgar 3
Geo. 3
Horace 3
Jesse 3
Job 3
Matthew 3
Saml. 3
Stephen 3
Thos. 3
Willm. 3
Cecil 2
Chas. 2
Emanuel 2
Fred 2
Harold 2
Hugh 2
Isaac 2
Powdrill 2
Reginald 2
Sam 2
Timothy 2
Tom 2

FAQ

Wightman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wightman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,970 people were recorded with the Wightman surname. That placed it at #2,225 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wightman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,874 in 2016. That gives Wightman a modern rank of #2,341.

What does the Wightman surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from the Isle of Wight, referring to someone from that island.

What does the Wightman map show?

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