NameCensus.

UK surname

Wilmshurst

In the 1881 census there were 427 people recorded with the Wilmshurst surname, ranking it #7,608 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 568, ranked #9,058, down from #7,608 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Horsemonden, Buxted and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tunbridge Wells, Wealden and Dover.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wilmshurst is 668 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.0%.

1881 census count

427

Ranked #7,608

Modern count

568

2016, ranked #9,058

Peak year

1911

668 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wilmshurst had 427 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,608 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 568 in 2016, ranked #9,058.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 668 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Wilmshurst surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wilmshurst surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wilmshurst 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 217 #9,784
1861 historical 276 #9,052
1881 historical 427 #7,608
1891 historical 501 #7,418
1901 historical 567 #7,374
1911 historical 668 #6,301
1997 modern 579 #8,354
1998 modern 601 #8,384
1999 modern 595 #8,487
2000 modern 580 #8,597
2001 modern 576 #8,523
2002 modern 583 #8,610
2003 modern 584 #8,491
2004 modern 577 #8,569
2005 modern 573 #8,544
2006 modern 574 #8,564
2007 modern 587 #8,505
2008 modern 572 #8,711
2009 modern 575 #8,866
2010 modern 580 #8,999
2011 modern 585 #8,861
2012 modern 566 #8,981
2013 modern 586 #8,883
2014 modern 598 #8,822
2015 modern 585 #8,899
2016 modern 568 #9,058

Geography

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Where Wilmshursts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Horsemonden, Buxted, London parishes and Tunbridge, Bidborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tunbridge Wells, Wealden, Dover and Eastbourne. 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 Horsemonden Kent
2 Buxted Sussex
3 London parishes London 1
4 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tunbridge Wells 011 Tunbridge Wells
2 Wealden 006 Wealden
3 Dover 007 Dover
4 Eastbourne 008 Eastbourne
5 Wealden 019 Wealden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wilmshurst

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wilmshurst

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Wilmshurst 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

Wilmshurst 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

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

1881 census detail

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Wilmshurst families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wilmshurst 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. Sussex leads with 193 Wilmshursts recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.48x.

County Total Index
Sussex 193 27.48x
Kent 117 8.23x
Middlesex 43 1.03x
Surrey 29 1.43x
Essex 8 0.97x
Worcestershire 6 1.10x
Yorkshire 6 0.15x
Devon 5 0.58x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.89x
Buckinghamshire 3 1.19x
Suffolk 3 0.59x
Berkshire 2 0.64x
Hampshire 2 0.23x
Bedfordshire 1 0.46x
Hertfordshire 1 0.35x
Norfolk 1 0.16x
Somerset 1 0.15x
Warwickshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Buxted in Sussex leads with 29 Wilmshursts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1054.55x.

Place Total Index
Buxted 29 1054.55x
Rotherfield 29 469.26x
Goudhurst 23 585.24x
Horsemonden 22 1057.69x
Brighton 20 14.12x
Westminster St John 19 37.45x
Eastbourne 14 43.32x
Heathfield 14 491.23x
Maidstone 12 28.35x
Bermondsey 11 8.87x
Cliffe 11 464.14x
Herstmonceaux 11 521.33x
Hastings St Mary In The 10 66.76x
Brenchley 9 176.82x
Deal 8 66.01x
Tonbridge 8 15.61x
Clayton 7 264.15x
Lewisham 7 9.24x
Mitcham 7 54.56x
Claines 6 40.19x
Hadlow 6 170.45x
Leeds 6 2.57x
Lewes All Sts 6 214.29x
Mile End Old Town 6 9.13x
St Pancras London 6 1.79x
Westminster St 6 39.06x
Chatham 5 12.79x
Cranbrook 5 83.06x
East Retford 5 102.67x
Lee 5 24.24x
Ringmer 5 252.53x
Salehurst 5 164.47x
Stoke Damerel 5 8.24x
Croydon 4 3.55x
Newington 4 2.60x
Preston 4 32.63x
Speldhurst 4 55.25x
Subdeanery 4 75.05x
Walton Le Soken 4 205.13x
West Ham 4 2.20x
Frant 3 60.24x
Newhaven 3 52.63x
Upton Cum Chalvey 3 29.91x
Withyam 3 99.67x
Woodbridge 3 46.23x
Brading 2 17.62x
Chichester St Andrew 2 273.97x
Fletching 2 63.69x
Hove 2 6.49x
Maresfield 2 67.57x
St George Hanover 2 3.68x
Broxbourne 1 17.57x
Canterbury St Andrew 1 166.67x
Canterbury St Mary 1 10.48x
Cranleigh 1 33.67x
Cuckfield 1 14.10x
Fulham London 1 1.66x
Greenwich 1 1.51x
Hastings St Andrew 1 39.68x
Holy Trinity Less 1 111.11x
Ifield 1 34.13x
Kensington London 1 0.43x
Lambeth 1 0.28x
Lewes St John Southover 1 21.19x
Little Horsted 1 232.56x
Luton 1 2.68x
Old Stratford 1 16.81x
Old Windsor 1 27.62x
Richmond 1 3.52x
St Katherine 1 196.08x
Thetford St Cuthbert 1 43.10x
Wadhurst 1 21.69x
Wallingford St Peter 1 151.52x
Wartling 1 116.28x
Weston 1 19.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Sarah 16
Elizabeth 15
Ellen 14
Alice 8
Emma 8
Annie 7
Jane 7
Eliza 6
Emily 6
Fanny 6
Harriett 6
Kate 5
Ann 4
Charlotte 4
Frances 4
Louisa 4
Maria 4
Caroline 3
Esther 3
Florence 3
Hannah 3
Minnie 3
Rose 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Bessie 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Grace 2
Harriet 2
Julia 2
Lizzie 2
Margaret 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Maud 2
Rhoda 2
Anna 1
Arinon 1
Catherine 1
France 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Lucy 1
M.E. 1
Mable 1
Margt. 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 29
John 18
Thomas 17
George 12
James 11
Arthur 8
Edward 8
Frederick 8
Henry 8
Charles 7
Stephen 6
Albert 5
Alfred 5
Edwin 4
Harry 4
Walter 4
Ernest 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Archibald 2
Benjamin 2
David 2
Edmund 2
Eli 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Richard 2
Sydney 2
Carl 1
Earnest 1
Ebenezer 1
Edgar 1
Elizabeth 1
Fredk 1
Fredk.G. 1
Fredrick 1
Hartlust 1
Herbert 1
Jesse 1
Jonathan 1
Joshia 1
Joshua 1
Leaf 1
Luther 1
Nelson 1
Robert 1
Sandhurst 1
Simeon 1
Wentworth 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Wilmshurst surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wilmshurst surname in 1881?

In 1881, 427 people were recorded with the Wilmshurst surname. That placed it at #7,608 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wilmshurst surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 568 in 2016. That gives Wilmshurst a modern rank of #9,058.

What does the Wilmshurst map show?

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