NameCensus.

UK surname

Witcomb

In the 1881 census there were 251 people recorded with the Witcomb surname, ranking it #11,041 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 527, ranked #9,622, up from #11,041 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Doulting and Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Powys, Malvern Hills and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Witcomb is 561 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 110.0%.

1881 census count

251

Ranked #11,041

Modern count

527

2016, ranked #9,622

Peak year

2011

561 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Witcomb had 251 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,041 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 527 in 2016, ranked #9,622.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 478 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Witcomb surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Witcomb surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Witcomb 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 375 #6,361
1861 historical 217 #11,220
1881 historical 251 #11,041
1891 historical 305 #10,976
1901 historical 333 #10,843
1911 historical 478 #8,099
1997 modern 514 #9,129
1998 modern 541 #9,044
1999 modern 535 #9,175
2000 modern 506 #9,541
2001 modern 500 #9,464
2002 modern 505 #9,563
2003 modern 520 #9,233
2004 modern 527 #9,157
2005 modern 548 #8,805
2006 modern 541 #8,930
2007 modern 539 #9,025
2008 modern 547 #9,011
2009 modern 558 #9,066
2010 modern 560 #9,225
2011 modern 561 #9,118
2012 modern 541 #9,294
2013 modern 548 #9,359
2014 modern 550 #9,395
2015 modern 535 #9,530
2016 modern 527 #9,622

Geography

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Where Witcombs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Doulting, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes and Compton Dundon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Powys, Malvern Hills, Wiltshire, Blaenau Gwent and West Berkshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Doulting Somerset
3 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
4 London parishes London 1
5 Compton Dundon Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Powys 020 Powys
2 Malvern Hills 010 Malvern Hills
3 Wiltshire 039 Wiltshire
4 Blaenau Gwent 004 Blaenau Gwent
5 West Berkshire 009 West Berkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Witcomb

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Witcomb

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

Witcomb 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

Witcomb falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Witcomb families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Witcomb 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. Somerset leads with 85 Witcombs recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.57x.

County Total Index
Somerset 85 21.57x
Middlesex 48 1.96x
Warwickshire 40 6.48x
Gloucestershire 36 7.50x
Wiltshire 14 6.47x
Monmouthshire 10 5.65x
Herefordshire 5 4.98x
Kent 2 0.24x
Surrey 2 0.17x
Worcestershire 2 0.63x
Yorkshire 2 0.08x
Devon 1 0.20x
Durham 1 0.14x
Midlothian 1 0.30x
Selkirkshire 1 4.51x
Staffordshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 27 Witcombs recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.12x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 27 13.12x
Cheltenham 12 32.39x
Frome 12 127.25x
Walcot 11 52.41x
Mells 10 1234.57x
Mile End Old Town 10 25.87x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 9 19.91x
Limington 9 3600.00x
Aston 8 4.71x
Bedminster 8 21.60x
Hammersmith London 8 13.26x
Swindon 8 47.62x
Shepton Mallet 7 158.37x
Aberystruth 6 38.46x
Walton 6 1333.33x
Westminster St John 6 20.12x
Bethnal Green London 5 4.70x
Edgbaston 5 26.12x
Hackney London 5 3.64x
Pensford St Thomas 5 2272.73x
Whitechapel London 5 20.72x
Bisley 4 91.95x
Chippenham 4 88.11x
Trevethin 4 23.92x
Hereford St Owen 3 90.36x
Midsomer Norton 3 80.86x
St Pancras London 3 1.52x
Upton St Leonards 3 245.90x
West Lydford 3 1363.64x
Witham Friary 3 731.71x
Brightside Bierlow 2 4.20x
Bristol St Peter 2 116.28x
Deptford St Paul 2 3.10x
Moorlinch 2 952.38x
North Wootton 2 869.57x
Somerton 2 124.22x
St Katherine 2 666.67x
Stroud 2 21.41x
Arlingham 1 188.68x
Badgeworth 1 119.05x
Calne 1 22.42x
Camberwell 1 0.64x
Crook Billy Row 1 10.72x
Croydon 1 1.51x
Dudley 1 2.57x
Finchley 1 10.65x
Gloucester Longford St 1 153.85x
Hampstead London 1 2.62x
Handsworth 1 4.91x
Hanley Castle 1 52.36x
Hereford St John 1 86.96x
Hereford St Peter 1 37.31x
Keinton Mandeville 1 222.22x
Melrose 1 17.92x
North Leith 1 6.59x
Ottery St Mary 1 29.94x
St George Hanover 1 3.13x
St Marylebone London 1 0.77x
Trowbridge 1 10.45x
Whatley 1 277.78x
Wickwar 1 129.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Sarah 9
Alice 8
Elizabeth 7
Jane 7
Emily 6
Louisa 6
Annie 4
Emma 4
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Lucy 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Anna 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Helen 2
Margaret 2
A. 1
Alma 1
Amelia 1
Bessie 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Elizabett 1
Elizth. 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Henrietta 1
Joanna 1
Laura 1
Liley 1
Lottie 1
Margt. 1
Maryanna 1
Matilda 1
Priscilla 1
Rhoda 1
Rose 1
Selina 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1
Tamar 1
Winnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 13
George 10
Charles 9
Thomas 7
Alfred 6
James 5
Frank 4
Frederick 4
Henry 4
Samuel 4
Arthur 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Albert 2
David 2
Fred 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Joshua 2
Ralph 2
Randolph 2
Walter 2
Abner 1
Abraham 1
Alexander 1
Alma 1
Chas. 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Elisha 1
Francis 1
G.H. 1
Ges 1
Halliburton 1
Isaac 1
Jame 1
Joseph 1
Lionel 1
Philip 1
Reynold 1
Tom 1
Willie 1
Zaccheus 1

FAQ

Witcomb surname: questions and answers

How common was the Witcomb surname in 1881?

In 1881, 251 people were recorded with the Witcomb surname. That placed it at #11,041 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Witcomb surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 527 in 2016. That gives Witcomb a modern rank of #9,622.

What does the Witcomb map show?

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