NameCensus.

UK surname

Wilday

A rare English surname possibly derived from a variant spelling of "wild day".

In the 1881 census there were 142 people recorded with the Wilday surname, ranking it #16,012 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 124, ranked #26,975, down from #16,012 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and St John Hackney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stroud, Flintshire and Chorley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wilday is 154 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 12.7%.

1881 census count

142

Ranked #16,012

Modern count

124

2016, ranked #26,975

Peak year

1891

154 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wilday had 142 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,012 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016, ranked #26,975.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 154 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wilday surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wilday surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Wilday 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 122 #14,966
1861 historical 132 #16,957
1881 historical 142 #16,012
1891 historical 154 #18,004
1901 historical 150 #18,075
1911 historical 149 #17,937
1997 modern 138 #22,227
1998 modern 137 #22,922
1999 modern 140 #22,789
2000 modern 136 #23,155
2001 modern 134 #23,037
2002 modern 145 #22,392
2003 modern 142 #22,460
2004 modern 140 #22,793
2005 modern 141 #22,688
2006 modern 135 #23,486
2007 modern 129 #24,503
2008 modern 129 #24,790
2009 modern 135 #24,594
2010 modern 132 #25,519
2011 modern 139 #24,507
2012 modern 126 #26,148
2013 modern 131 #25,932
2014 modern 130 #26,216
2015 modern 126 #26,654
2016 modern 124 #26,975

Geography

Back to top

Where Wildays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, St John Hackney, Leamington Priors and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stroud, Flintshire, Chorley, Cheshire West and Chester and Cornwall. 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 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
4 Leamington Priors Warwickshire
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stroud 012 Stroud
2 Flintshire 010 Flintshire
3 Chorley 003 Chorley
4 Cheshire West and Chester 027 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Cornwall 037 Cornwall

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Wilday

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Wilday

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Wilday 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

Wilday is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Wilday

The surname Wilday has its roots in England, likely originating during the medieval period. The name is thought to be locational, deriving from a place name rather than a given name. It is believed to have originated in areas such as Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, where many early medieval records have been found documenting variations of the name.

The etymology of Wilday suggests a connection to Old English. The name likely derives from an Old English word combination, where "wild" refers to uncultivated, natural areas, and "eg" translates to an island or a piece of land surrounded by water. Therefore, the surname may originally have been used to describe someone who lived by a 'wild island' or a secluded natural area.

One of the earliest references to the surname Wilday is found in the 12th century. The name appears in various medieval rolls and charters. For example, the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1176 list a Richard de Wildeye, indicating an early form of the name with the locational suffix.

The oldest recorded examples of people bearing the surname Wilday include John de Wilday, recorded in the Hundred Rolls of 1273. This document was one of England's earliest comprehensive surveys, detailing landowners and significant figures of the time. It captures early medieval English life and indicates the name’s historical importance.

In the 14th century, the Poll Tax returns of 1379 in Yorkshire record a William Wilday. These returns were tax records, showing the populace subject to the Poll Tax, highlighting the family's presence and economic activities in the area.

Through the centuries, prominent individuals with the surname Wilday have included Edward Wilday (b. 1560 – d. 1633), a noted landowner in Derbyshire whose estate was documented in various land grants and manorial records. Another significant figure is Robert Wilday (b. 1702 – d. 1776), who was a merchant in Nottinghamshire known for his trading activities recorded in local business archives.

Lastly, the 19th century saw notable figures like Thomas Wilday (b. 1810 – d. 1865), who contributed to local government and civic administration in Nottingham, as documented in municipal records.

The surname Wilday thus encapsulates a rich heritage tied to specific English locales and conveys a historical linkage to the medieval landscape and society of England. Through these records, a picture of the name's origins and its evolution through time comes to life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Wilday families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wilday 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. Warwickshire leads with 79 Wildays recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.30x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 79 22.30x
Middlesex 20 1.42x
Staffordshire 8 1.69x
Cheshire 7 2.26x
Lancashire 7 0.42x
Derbyshire 6 2.73x
Leicestershire 6 3.85x
Surrey 2 0.29x
Yorkshire 2 0.14x
Durham 1 0.24x
Essex 1 0.36x
Gloucestershire 1 0.36x
Kent 1 0.21x
Northamptonshire 1 0.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 22 Wildays recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.64x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 22 18.64x
Coventry St Michael 17 149.38x
Aston 11 11.28x
Leamington 7 297.87x
St Pancras London 7 6.19x
Newton In Northwich 6 638.30x
Tottenham 6 26.82x
Derby St Werburgh 5 39.37x
Kenilworth 5 250.00x
Markfield 5 649.35x
Tipton 5 34.44x
Toxteth Park 5 8.86x
Warwick St Nicholas 5 192.31x
Foleshill 3 80.43x
Paddington London 3 5.81x
Bedworth 2 77.52x
Berkswell 2 285.71x
Chilvers Coton 2 136.99x
Croydon 2 5.26x
Sheffield 2 4.51x
St Pancras Soper Lane 2 6666.67x
Barking 1 12.33x
Barrow In Furness 1 4.41x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 10.88x
Brixworth 1 178.57x
Cadeby 1 1428.57x
Canterbury St Mary 1 31.06x
Colton 1 303.03x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 9.45x
Everton 1 1.88x
Hackney London 1 1.27x
Hartlepool 1 16.84x
Horninglow 1 44.84x
Knutsford Nether 1 53.48x
Long Eaton 1 34.48x
Milverton 1 96.15x
Polesworth 1 59.52x
St Paul Covent Garden 1 70.92x
Wolverhampton 1 2.74x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Wilday surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wilday surname in 1881?

In 1881, 142 people were recorded with the Wilday surname. That placed it at #16,012 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wilday surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016. That gives Wilday a modern rank of #26,975.

What does the Wilday surname mean?

A rare English surname possibly derived from a variant spelling of "wild day".

What does the Wilday map show?

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