NameCensus.

UK surname

Willden

A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly meaning "willow valley" or "willow hill".

In the 1881 census there were 57 people recorded with the Willden surname, ranking it #25,575 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 121, ranked #27,399, down from #25,575 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Nuneaton and Bedworth, Leicester and Coventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Willden is 135 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 112.3%.

1881 census count

57

Ranked #25,575

Modern count

121

2016, ranked #27,399

Peak year

2004

135 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Willden had 57 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,575 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016, ranked #27,399.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 98 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Willden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Willden surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Willden 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 14 #30,790
1861 historical 48 #27,896
1881 historical 57 #25,575
1891 historical 70 #28,073
1901 historical 71 #26,277
1911 historical 98 #22,959
1997 modern 116 #24,688
1998 modern 126 #24,094
1999 modern 127 #24,125
2000 modern 122 #24,698
2001 modern 122 #24,366
2002 modern 124 #24,616
2003 modern 125 #24,265
2004 modern 135 #23,326
2005 modern 134 #23,406
2006 modern 121 #25,133
2007 modern 124 #25,086
2008 modern 129 #24,790
2009 modern 126 #25,686
2010 modern 134 #25,263
2011 modern 125 #26,220
2012 modern 128 #25,852
2013 modern 127 #26,452
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 118 #27,833
2016 modern 121 #27,399

Geography

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Where Willdens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Nuneaton and Bedworth, Leicester, Coventry and East Lindsey. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Nuneaton and Bedworth 009 Nuneaton and Bedworth
2 Leicester 039 Leicester
3 Coventry 008 Coventry
4 East Lindsey 003 East Lindsey
5 Coventry 007 Coventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Willden

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Willden

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Willden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Willden household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Willden is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Willden 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

Willden 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 Willden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Willden

The surname Willden is believed to have its roots in England, with the earliest records dating back to medieval times. The name likely originates from a place name, as many English surnames do, with potential ties to locations named "Wildon" or "Wyldene." The Old English elements "wild" meaning untamed or rural, and "denu" meaning a valley, suggest that the name could have described a person from a wild or rural valley.

Historical records show variations of the surname in medieval manuscripts and parish registers. One of the earliest instances includes a record in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated to 1190, mentioning a Richard de Wyledon. This suggests the surname may have been a toponymic name, referring to a person who hailed from such a locale.

In the 13th century, another individual, William de Wilton, is documented in county records, indicating a possible regional variation of the name. It's worth noting that spelling orthography was not standardized during this period, causing numerous variants to emerge.

The Willden surname also appears in 16th-century marriage and christening records in England. For instance, in 1560, John Willden is documented in the parish of Lincolnshire. His recorded presence offers insights into the geographical dispersion of the surname through generations.

One notable person bearing the surname in the 19th century is George Willden, born in 1825, who emigrated from England to the United States, contributing to wider distribution. His life and travels are chronicled in letters and immigration records.

Another important figure, William Willden (1832-1880), played a pivotal role in settling parts of Utah in the United States. His contributions to the early pioneer community remain documented in local histories and records of that region.

The surname also made its mark in Scotland, with records indicating families bearing the name Willden settling there by the late 17th century. Thomas Willden, born in 1674, is one of the earliest recorded individuals in Scottish parish registers.

In literary references, the surname appears in 19th-century English fiction, exemplifying how it was woven into the cultural fabric of the time. In publications such as "The Gentleman's Magazine," we find references to individuals with this surname, reflecting its presence in broader societal contexts.

The spellings of the name have varied over time, including Wilden, Wylden, and Wyledon, which attest to the flexibility and phonetic interpretations by record keepers and census takers of different eras and regions, all contributing to the rich tapestry of the surname's history.

The lineage and dispersion of the surname Willden illustrate not only its deep roots in specific English locales but also its evolution and adaptation as families migrated and settled in different parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Willden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Willden 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 12 Willdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.24x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 12 2.24x
Norfolk 11 13.34x
Derbyshire 7 8.34x
Staffordshire 7 3.87x
Devon 5 4.48x
Surrey 5 1.91x
Suffolk 4 6.12x
Kent 3 1.64x
Lancashire 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. Wells Next Sea in Norfolk leads with 10 Willdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2083.33x.

Place Total Index
Wells Next Sea 10 2083.33x
Eckington 6 294.12x
West Bromwich 6 57.92x
Limehouse London 5 84.89x
Plymouth Charles The 5 101.63x
St George In East 5 136.99x
Bermondsey 4 25.05x
Ipswich St Mathew 3 163.93x
Canterbury St Mary 2 162.60x
Battersea 1 5.07x
Dronfield 1 92.59x
Great Snoring 1 1111.11x
Harborne 1 17.24x
Lower Booths 1 87.72x
Northfleet 1 62.11x
Paddington London 1 5.07x
St Marylebone London 1 3.49x
Ufford 1 1000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Alice 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Ann 1
Anna 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Phebe 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Edward 4
James 3
Alfred 2
Abraham 1
Charles 1
Clarence 1
Ernest 1
Fredk.Robt. 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Thomas 1
Walter 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 Willden households.

FAQ

Willden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Willden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 57 people were recorded with the Willden surname. That placed it at #25,575 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Willden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016. That gives Willden a modern rank of #27,399.

What does the Willden surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly meaning "willow valley" or "willow hill".

What does the Willden map show?

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