NameCensus.

UK surname

Wisden

In the 1881 census there were 61 people recorded with the Wisden surname, ranking it #24,992 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #24,992 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cardiff, Brighton and Hove and Hastings.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wisden is 119 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.5%.

1881 census count

61

Ranked #24,992

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

2010

119 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wisden had 61 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,992 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 94 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Wisden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wisden surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wisden 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 71 #24,765
1881 historical 61 #24,992
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 68 #26,598
1911 historical 94 #23,391
1997 modern 110 #25,529
1998 modern 113 #25,731
1999 modern 109 #26,439
2000 modern 107 #26,700
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 108 #26,698
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 93 #29,065
2005 modern 94 #28,973
2006 modern 97 #28,793
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 101 #28,825
2009 modern 103 #29,127
2010 modern 119 #27,250
2011 modern 116 #27,477
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 111 #28,856
2014 modern 107 #29,827
2015 modern 106 #29,895
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Wisdens 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 Cardiff, Brighton and Hove, Hastings and King's Lynn and West Norfolk. 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 Cardiff 039 Cardiff
2 Brighton and Hove 032 Brighton and Hove
3 Hastings 002 Hastings
4 Brighton and Hove 015 Brighton and Hove
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 001 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wisden

These lists show first names that appear often with the Wisden 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 Wisden

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

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Wisden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Wisden 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 many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s 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, Wisden 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

Wisden is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wisden falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wisden 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 Wisden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Wisden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wisden 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 35 Wisdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.90x.

County Total Index
Sussex 35 34.90x
Kent 13 6.41x
Warwickshire 7 4.67x
Middlesex 2 0.34x
Surrey 2 0.69x
Buckinghamshire 1 2.78x
Worcestershire 1 1.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 25 Wisdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 123.58x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 25 123.58x
Aston 7 16.95x
Westerham 6 1276.60x
Dartford 5 240.38x
Hastings All Sts 3 319.15x
Heene 2 1176.47x
Hove 2 45.45x
Croydon 1 6.22x
Eton 1 121.95x
Folkestone 1 25.38x
Hastings St Leonards 1 68.03x
Henfield 1 256.41x
Lambeth 1 1.93x
Northfield 1 68.03x
Nuthurst 1 588.24x
Shadwell London 1 60.24x
St Martin In Fields 1 28.09x
Tonbridge 1 13.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 6
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
Frederick 2
George 2
John 2
Joseph 2
Wm. 2
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Edward 1
Jonathan 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 Wisden households.

FAQ

Wisden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wisden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 61 people were recorded with the Wisden surname. That placed it at #24,992 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wisden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Wisden a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Wisden map show?

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