NameCensus.

UK surname

Wisher

A surname derived from the occupational term for one who voiced desires or longings.

In the 1881 census there were 91 people recorded with the Wisher surname, ranking it #20,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 174, ranked #21,466, down from #20,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tythby, London parishes and Sawley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rushcliffe, Derby and North West Leicestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wisher is 213 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 91.2%.

1881 census count

91

Ranked #20,843

Modern count

174

2016, ranked #21,466

Peak year

1911

213 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wisher had 91 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 174 in 2016, ranked #21,466.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 213 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Wisher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wisher surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wisher 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 105 #16,618
1861 historical 190 #12,520
1881 historical 91 #20,843
1891 historical 151 #18,242
1901 historical 179 #16,227
1911 historical 213 #14,379
1997 modern 177 #19,018
1998 modern 177 #19,523
1999 modern 166 #20,458
2000 modern 165 #20,501
2001 modern 155 #21,047
2002 modern 162 #20,839
2003 modern 170 #20,023
2004 modern 176 #19,731
2005 modern 174 #19,783
2006 modern 160 #21,066
2007 modern 155 #21,726
2008 modern 160 #21,521
2009 modern 172 #20,950
2010 modern 191 #20,015
2011 modern 194 #19,662
2012 modern 179 #20,679
2013 modern 172 #21,575
2014 modern 170 #21,914
2015 modern 170 #21,800
2016 modern 174 #21,466

Geography

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Where Wishers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tythby, London parishes, Sawley and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rushcliffe, Derby, North West Leicestershire and Kirklees. 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 Tythby Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Sawley Derbyshire
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rushcliffe 012 Rushcliffe
2 Derby 029 Derby
3 North West Leicestershire 001 North West Leicestershire
4 Derby 009 Derby
5 Kirklees 010 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wisher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wisher

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Wisher surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Wisher household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Wisher 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

Wisher 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

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

Meaning and origin of Wisher

The surname Wisher originates from England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. The name likely derives from the Old English word "wicere" or "wischer," which means a gatherer of rushes or someone who lived near a rush bed. Such professions were quite common in rural England, where people would gather vegetation for various purposes including weaving and thatching.

Historical references to the surname Wisher are sparse but significant. One early record can be found in the Pipe Rolls of the 12th century, where a Robert le Wischer is mentioned in 1169. Records from the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a Willelmus Wyschere in the county of Worcestershire, suggesting that the name was already in use across different regions of England by that time.

Among the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was Richard Wyscher, who appears in the Feet of Fines from 1248. Another early citation can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John le Wisher is mentioned, pointing to the surname's medieval roots. Additionally, a document from the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1222 references a William le Wischer.

Famous individuals with the surname include Thomas Wisher, a notable figure in Nottinghamshire, born around 1510, who was recognized for his local contributions and service. Another prominent bearer was John Wisher, an early settler in the American colonies, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. His descendants played notable roles in the early development of the region.

Additionally, Edward Wisher, born in 1685 and died in 1740, was known for his work in the agricultural sector in Yorkshire, having introduced several innovative farming techniques. Finally, Anne Wisher, who lived during the mid-17th century, contributed significantly to the literary scene of London through her poetry and essays, although much of her work remains unpublished.

The surname Wisher showcases a rich history, embedded in the rural and agricultural life of medieval England, extending its influence into the early modern periods both in England and its colonies.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wisher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wisher 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 29 Wishers recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.24x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 29 24.24x
Cambridgeshire 12 21.35x
Yorkshire 12 1.36x
Lincolnshire 10 7.05x
Kent 8 2.64x
Derbyshire 7 5.04x
Middlesex 7 0.79x
Warwickshire 2 0.89x
Devon 1 0.54x
Durham 1 0.38x
Lancashire 1 0.10x
Sussex 1 0.67x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Andrewthe Less in Cambridgeshire leads with 10 Wishers recorded in 1881 and an index of 155.76x.

Place Total Index
St Andrewthe Less 10 155.76x
Soothill 9 283.02x
Cropwell Butler 8 5000.00x
Lewisham 8 49.54x
Bunny 7 8750.00x
Cleethorpes 7 843.37x
Islington London 6 6.98x
Derby St Peter 5 112.87x
Nottingham St Mary 5 16.16x
Dewsbury 3 33.26x
Nottingham St Peter 3 225.56x
Spalding 3 106.38x
Coventry St Michael 2 27.82x
St Andrewthe Great 2 273.97x
Arnold 1 57.14x
Beerferris 1 277.78x
Brighton 1 3.31x
Colston Bassett 1 1111.11x
Derby St Werburgh 1 12.47x
Holloway 1 588.24x
Liverpool 1 1.56x
Lowdham 1 454.55x
Newark Upon Trent 1 23.26x
Nottingham St Nicholas 1 61.35x
St Marylebone London 1 2.11x
Sunderland 1 21.46x
Tythby 1 5000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 8
Alfred 3
George 3
William 3
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Alphonso 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Edwd 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Geo 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
James 1
Lewis 1
M. 1
Ralph 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1

FAQ

Wisher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wisher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 91 people were recorded with the Wisher surname. That placed it at #20,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wisher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 174 in 2016. That gives Wisher a modern rank of #21,466.

What does the Wisher surname mean?

A surname derived from the occupational term for one who voiced desires or longings.

What does the Wisher map show?

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