NameCensus.

UK surname

Wind

An occupational surname for a musician who played a wind instrument or a nickname for a fast runner.

In the 1881 census there were 145 people recorded with the Wind surname, ranking it #15,838 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 167, ranked #22,055, down from #15,838 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gateshead, Monkwearmouth and Birstall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Basildon, Sunderland and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wind is 259 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.2%.

1881 census count

145

Ranked #15,838

Modern count

167

2016, ranked #22,055

Peak year

1861

259 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wind had 145 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,838 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 167 in 2016, ranked #22,055.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 259 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Wind surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wind surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wind 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 166 #11,986
1861 historical 259 #9,561
1881 historical 145 #15,838
1891 historical 162 #17,390
1901 historical 121 #20,444
1911 historical 152 #17,712
1997 modern 131 #22,927
1998 modern 144 #22,221
1999 modern 149 #21,924
2000 modern 140 #22,752
2001 modern 138 #22,647
2002 modern 143 #22,595
2003 modern 136 #23,045
2004 modern 149 #21,905
2005 modern 153 #21,490
2006 modern 151 #21,818
2007 modern 147 #22,510
2008 modern 146 #22,822
2009 modern 149 #23,031
2010 modern 150 #23,482
2011 modern 145 #23,837
2012 modern 150 #23,264
2013 modern 156 #23,004
2014 modern 157 #23,101
2015 modern 163 #22,407
2016 modern 167 #22,055

Geography

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Where Winds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gateshead, Monkwearmouth, Birstall, Kirkdale and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Basildon, Sunderland, County Durham and Darlington. 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 Gateshead Durham
2 Monkwearmouth Durham
3 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Kirkdale Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Basildon 020 Basildon
2 Sunderland 005 Sunderland
3 County Durham 044 County Durham
4 Darlington 011 Darlington
5 County Durham 038 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wind

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wind

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Wind is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wind is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wind 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 Wind is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Wind

The surname "WIND" has its origins in the Old English word "wind," which means "air in motion." This term was often used to describe people who lived in windy areas or who worked in occupations related to wind, such as millers or sailors.

The name can be traced back to the 11th century in England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. It is believed that the earliest recorded instances of the name were found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings, including "Wynde," "Winde," and "Wynd." These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Windmill Hill and Windover, which further reinforced its connection to the concept of wind.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname "WIND" was John Wind, a cloth merchant who lived in London in the 14th century. Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Wind, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the mid-14th century.

In the 16th century, the name gained prominence with the English philosopher and scholar William Wind (1545-1622), who was known for his contributions to the study of logic and metaphysics. During the same period, Elizabeth Wind (1568-1647) became a renowned herbalist and midwife in the county of Kent.

The 17th century saw the rise of Richard Wind (1609-1679), a successful merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the city of Bristol. Additionally, Samuel Wind (1630-1703) was a respected minister and author who published several religious works.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the name "WIND" continued to be found across various regions of England, with notable individuals such as the writer and poet Mary Wind (1789-1856) and the industrialist John Wind (1810-1884), who established a successful textile manufacturing company in Manchester.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wind families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wind 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. Durham leads with 77 Winds recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.37x.

County Total Index
Durham 77 19.37x
Yorkshire 15 1.13x
Middlesex 12 0.90x
Northumberland 8 4.02x
Hertfordshire 7 7.60x
Kent 6 1.32x
Lanarkshire 3 0.69x
Lancashire 3 0.19x
Sussex 2 0.89x
Angus 1 0.81x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.24x
Gloucestershire 1 0.38x
Wiltshire 1 0.85x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Waldridge in Durham leads with 15 Winds recorded in 1881 and an index of 2238.81x.

Place Total Index
Waldridge 15 2238.81x
Gateshead 9 30.24x
Lamesley 9 420.56x
Monkwearmouth 9 236.22x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 8 67.40x
Cheshunt 7 217.39x
Wingate 7 256.41x
Elvet 6 209.06x
Heckmondwike 6 140.85x
Penshaw 5 420.17x
Wombleton 5 3846.15x
Tunstall 4 202.02x
Barony 3 2.74x
Hackney London 3 4.00x
St Giles 3 120.97x
St Martin In Fields 3 37.50x
Ashford 2 45.05x
Bishopwearmouth 2 5.86x
Greencroft Langley 2 1111.11x
Greenwich 2 9.40x
Kirkdale 2 7.50x
Mile End Old Town 2 9.48x
St Pancras London 2 1.86x
Stranton 2 14.95x
Thornaby 2 40.40x
Willington 2 86.96x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 1 41.84x
Buxted 1 113.64x
Chopwell 1 135.14x
Clifford Cum Boston 1 84.03x
Deptford St Paul 1 2.84x
Dundee 1 2.16x
Hampstead London 1 4.81x
Hove 1 10.11x
Maidstone 1 7.36x
Salford 1 2.14x
Sheffield 1 2.37x
Swindon 1 10.91x
Uxbridge 1 65.36x
Wendover 1 114.94x
Westoe 1 4.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Elizabeth 7
Isabella 5
Jane 5
Margaret 5
Dorothy 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Emma 3
Elizth. 2
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Etha.K. 1
Fanny 1
Henrietta 1
Isaa. 1
Jessie 1
Kitty 1
Louisa 1
Margt. 1
Margt.A. 1
Maria 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 8
John 7
William 7
Robert 6
Henry 5
Thomas 5
Joseph 4
Charles 3
Alfred 2
Frederick 2
Wm. 2
Edmund 1
Francis 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
Jacob 1
James 1
Jno.Wm. 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Neil 1
Roger 1
Walter 1
Wilhelm 1

FAQ

Wind surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wind surname in 1881?

In 1881, 145 people were recorded with the Wind surname. That placed it at #15,838 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wind surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 167 in 2016. That gives Wind a modern rank of #22,055.

What does the Wind surname mean?

An occupational surname for a musician who played a wind instrument or a nickname for a fast runner.

What does the Wind map show?

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