NameCensus.

UK surname

Wistow

In the 1881 census there were 63 people recorded with the Wistow surname, ranking it #24,711 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154, ranked #23,293, up from #24,711 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ordsall, Clarborough and Gainsborough, Paddocks. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wistow is 159 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 144.4%.

1881 census count

63

Ranked #24,711

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

2013

159 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wistow had 63 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,711 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 118 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wistow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wistow surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wistow 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 36 #26,838
1861 historical 28 #30,405
1881 historical 63 #24,711
1891 historical 87 #25,802
1901 historical 99 #22,999
1911 historical 118 #20,649
1997 modern 155 #20,684
1998 modern 155 #21,227
1999 modern 149 #21,924
2000 modern 144 #22,357
2001 modern 153 #21,197
2002 modern 157 #21,261
2003 modern 150 #21,669
2004 modern 151 #21,720
2005 modern 154 #21,396
2006 modern 157 #21,322
2007 modern 148 #22,406
2008 modern 150 #22,429
2009 modern 153 #22,611
2010 modern 157 #22,800
2011 modern 154 #22,886
2012 modern 155 #22,762
2013 modern 159 #22,706
2014 modern 157 #23,101
2015 modern 158 #22,913
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Wistows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ordsall, Clarborough, Gainsborough, Paddocks, Darfield and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley 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 Ordsall Nottinghamshire
2 Clarborough Nottinghamshire
3 Gainsborough, Paddocks Lincolnshire
4 Darfield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 025 Barnsley
2 Barnsley 023 Barnsley
3 Barnsley 020 Barnsley
4 Barnsley 011 Barnsley
5 Kirklees 055 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wistow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wistow

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Wistow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Wistow household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Wistow 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

Wistow 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

Wistow falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wistow is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Wistow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wistow 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. Lincolnshire leads with 22 Wistows recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.40x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 22 22.40x
Yorkshire 21 3.45x
Nottinghamshire 9 10.87x
Middlesex 4 0.65x
Staffordshire 4 1.93x
Lancashire 3 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gainsborough in Lincolnshire leads with 11 Wistows recorded in 1881 and an index of 474.14x.

Place Total Index
Gainsborough 11 474.14x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 10 176.37x
Clarborough 7 1129.03x
Sheffield 5 25.80x
Hendon 4 181.00x
Snarford 4 20000.00x
Walsall Foreign 4 37.35x
Rotherham 3 87.46x
Scotforth 3 638.30x
Ingham 2 1538.46x
Ryhill 2 1176.47x
St Nicholas Lincoln 2 212.77x
St Swithin Lincoln 2 129.87x
Elksley 1 1428.57x
Kirkleavington 1 2500.00x
Spalding 1 51.28x
Walkeringham 1 666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 3
Ann 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Alec 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Loyrewn 1
Lucy 1
Martha 1
Rebeca 1
Robert 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
George 6
Anthony 2
Edwin 2
Herbert 2
Samuel 2
William 2
Charles 1
Edmon 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Henery 1
James 1
Reuben 1
Robert 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 Wistow households.

FAQ

Wistow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wistow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 63 people were recorded with the Wistow surname. That placed it at #24,711 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wistow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Wistow a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Wistow map show?

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