NameCensus.

UK surname

Wignell

In the 1881 census there were 101 people recorded with the Wignell surname, ranking it #19,636 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 119, ranked #27,704, down from #19,636 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Loughborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Chesterfield and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wignell is 152 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.8%.

1881 census count

101

Ranked #19,636

Modern count

119

2016, ranked #27,704

Peak year

1901

152 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wignell had 101 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,636 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016, ranked #27,704.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 152 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Wignell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wignell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wignell 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 96 #17,594
1861 historical 126 #17,569
1881 historical 101 #19,636
1891 historical 150 #18,328
1901 historical 152 #17,916
1911 historical 130 #19,504
1997 modern 137 #22,301
1998 modern 142 #22,406
1999 modern 143 #22,521
2000 modern 139 #22,855
2001 modern 133 #23,132
2002 modern 146 #22,302
2003 modern 140 #22,634
2004 modern 135 #23,326
2005 modern 131 #23,737
2006 modern 133 #23,711
2007 modern 142 #23,025
2008 modern 146 #22,822
2009 modern 146 #23,352
2010 modern 139 #24,688
2011 modern 138 #24,615
2012 modern 127 #25,992
2013 modern 130 #26,074
2014 modern 129 #26,352
2015 modern 123 #27,088
2016 modern 119 #27,704

Geography

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Where Wignells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Loughborough, Bringhurst and Eckington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Chesterfield, Cornwall, Knowsley and Rotherham. 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 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Loughborough Leicestershire
4 Bringhurst Rutland
5 Eckington Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 002 Bolsover
2 Chesterfield 006 Chesterfield
3 Cornwall 071 Cornwall
4 Knowsley 005 Knowsley
5 Rotherham 032 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wignell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wignell

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Wignell is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wignell is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wignell 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 Wignell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

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

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Wignell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wignell 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. Rutland leads with 30 Wignells recorded in 1881 and an index of 414.94x.

County Total Index
Rutland 30 414.94x
Surrey 10 2.08x
Middlesex 9 0.91x
Kent 8 2.38x
Leicestershire 7 6.41x
Northamptonshire 6 6.48x
Gloucestershire 5 2.59x
Nottinghamshire 5 3.77x
Derbyshire 4 2.59x
Hampshire 4 1.98x
Yorkshire 4 0.41x
Glamorgan 2 1.17x
Huntingdonshire 2 10.22x
Lancashire 2 0.17x
Essex 1 0.51x
Northumberland 1 0.68x
Sussex 1 0.60x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Caldecott in Rutland leads with 22 Wignells recorded in 1881 and an index of 22000.00x.

Place Total Index
Caldecott 22 22000.00x
Carshalton 7 380.43x
Deptford St Paul 5 19.29x
Newland 5 308.64x
Buxton 4 305.34x
Newark Upon Trent 4 83.86x
Liddington 3 1666.67x
Portsea 3 7.58x
St Bride London 3 526.32x
Ashley 2 2000.00x
Bringhurst Drayton 2 4000.00x
Burton Latimer 2 357.14x
Croydon 2 7.51x
Islington London 2 2.09x
Kimberworth 2 36.90x
St John Near Swansea 2 94.34x
Uppingham 2 232.56x
Barrowden 1 500.00x
Bramley In Bramley 1 26.74x
Brightside Bierlow 1 5.22x
Brixworth 1 250.00x
Bromley London 1 4.61x
Camberwell 1 1.59x
Chelsea London 1 3.37x
East Grinstead 1 42.55x
Farnborough 1 47.17x
Glatton Holme 1 909.09x
Great Bowden 1 101.01x
Hadlow 1 120.48x
Hallaton 1 416.67x
Hardingstone 1 113.64x
Kibworth Beauchamp 1 263.16x
Lee 1 20.49x
Leicester St Margaret 1 3.76x
Loughborough 1 20.16x
Oakham Lordshold 1 131.58x
Salford 1 2.91x
St George Bloomsbury 1 17.70x
St Pancras London 1 1.26x
Thorpe By Water 1 5000.00x
Tynemouth 1 12.74x
West Ham 1 2.33x
West Retford 1 357.14x
Witton 1 68.03x
Yalding 1 117.65x
Yaxley 1 217.39x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Wignell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wignell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 101 people were recorded with the Wignell surname. That placed it at #19,636 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wignell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016. That gives Wignell a modern rank of #27,704.

What does the Wignell map show?

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