NameCensus.

UK surname

Willdig

In the 1881 census there were 28 people recorded with the Willdig surname, ranking it #29,646 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 135, ranked #25,505, up from #29,646 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Drayton Bassett and Tamworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North West Leicestershire, North Warwickshire and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Willdig is 162 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 382.1%.

1881 census count

28

Ranked #29,646

Modern count

135

2016, ranked #25,505

Peak year

1999

162 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Willdig had 28 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,646 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016, ranked #25,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 147 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Willdig surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Willdig surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Willdig 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 17 #31,714
1881 historical 28 #29,646
1891 historical 71 #27,934
1901 historical 79 #25,363
1911 historical 147 #18,104
1997 modern 151 #21,034
1998 modern 160 #20,832
1999 modern 162 #20,781
2000 modern 159 #20,975
2001 modern 158 #20,788
2002 modern 162 #20,839
2003 modern 148 #21,866
2004 modern 150 #21,830
2005 modern 148 #21,961
2006 modern 151 #21,818
2007 modern 151 #22,120
2008 modern 153 #22,132
2009 modern 161 #21,879
2010 modern 159 #22,577
2011 modern 155 #22,790
2012 modern 147 #23,567
2013 modern 148 #23,884
2014 modern 149 #23,969
2015 modern 142 #24,617
2016 modern 135 #25,505

Geography

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Where Willdigs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Drayton Bassett, Tamworth, Manchester and Hucknall Torkard. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North West Leicestershire, North Warwickshire, Cheshire East and Walsall. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Drayton Bassett Staffordshire
3 Tamworth Staffordshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Hucknall Torkard Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North West Leicestershire 012 North West Leicestershire
2 North Warwickshire 007 North Warwickshire
3 Cheshire East 020 Cheshire East
4 Walsall 021 Walsall
5 Cheshire East 018 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Willdig

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Willdig

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Willdig, 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 Willdig surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Willdig household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Willdig is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Willdig is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Willdig falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Willdig is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Willdig families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Willdig 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. Staffordshire leads with 16 Willdigs recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.37x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 16 17.37x
Lancashire 6 1.85x
Warwickshire 4 5.81x
Oxfordshire 2 11.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Drayton Bassett in Staffordshire leads with 10 Willdigs recorded in 1881 and an index of 25000.00x.

Place Total Index
Drayton Bassett 10 25000.00x
Hulme 5 73.96x
Polesworth 3 909.09x
Wolstanton 3 107.14x
Fazeley 2 1176.47x
Oxford St Thomas 2 253.16x
Much Woolton 1 227.27x
Nether Whitacre 1 2000.00x
Tamworth 1 204.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Mary 2
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Jane 1
Lucy 1
Matilda 1
S.J. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 3
Joseph 3
John 2
Charles 1
Edward 1
James 1
Nathan 1
Thomas 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 Willdig households.

FAQ

Willdig surname: questions and answers

How common was the Willdig surname in 1881?

In 1881, 28 people were recorded with the Willdig surname. That placed it at #29,646 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Willdig surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016. That gives Willdig a modern rank of #25,505.

What does the Willdig map show?

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