NameCensus.

UK surname

Witherden

In the 1881 census there were 130 people recorded with the Witherden surname, ranking it #16,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 170, ranked #21,801, down from #16,911 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and Upchurch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Horsham, Doncaster and Rother.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Witherden is 223 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.8%.

1881 census count

130

Ranked #16,911

Modern count

170

2016, ranked #21,801

Peak year

1911

223 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Witherden had 130 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,911 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016, ranked #21,801.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 223 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Witherden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Witherden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Witherden 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 121 #15,049
1861 historical 118 #18,512
1881 historical 130 #16,911
1891 historical 156 #17,842
1901 historical 205 #14,884
1911 historical 223 #13,951
1997 modern 168 #19,642
1998 modern 172 #19,883
1999 modern 165 #20,535
2000 modern 181 #19,360
2001 modern 179 #19,215
2002 modern 178 #19,671
2003 modern 169 #20,092
2004 modern 172 #20,008
2005 modern 169 #20,153
2006 modern 171 #20,131
2007 modern 172 #20,321
2008 modern 167 #20,901
2009 modern 168 #21,290
2010 modern 176 #21,101
2011 modern 176 #20,957
2012 modern 179 #20,679
2013 modern 184 #20,643
2014 modern 176 #21,413
2015 modern 169 #21,888
2016 modern 170 #21,801

Geography

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Where Witherdens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Upchurch and St Lawrence in Thanet. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Horsham, Doncaster, Rother, Wealden and Sevenoaks. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
4 Upchurch Kent
5 St Lawrence in Thanet Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Horsham 016 Horsham
2 Doncaster 027 Doncaster
3 Rother 006 Rother
4 Wealden 006 Wealden
5 Sevenoaks 007 Sevenoaks

Forenames

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First names often paired with Witherden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Witherden

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Witherden is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Witherden is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Witherden falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Witherden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Witherden 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. Kent leads with 79 Witherdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.26x.

County Total Index
Kent 79 18.26x
Middlesex 23 1.81x
Sussex 11 5.15x
Herefordshire 9 17.31x
Surrey 8 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. Biddenden in Kent leads with 27 Witherdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 4576.27x.

Place Total Index
Biddenden 27 4576.27x
Ramsgate 17 240.79x
Kensington London 12 17.02x
Hereford St Peter 9 647.48x
St Peters 8 400.00x
Preston 7 187.67x
Birchington 6 983.61x
Hackney London 6 8.44x
Bermondsey 5 13.25x
Foots Cray 5 602.41x
Plumstead 4 27.74x
Shoreditch London 3 5.46x
Westfield 3 652.17x
Deal 2 54.20x
Lewisham 2 8.67x
Margate St John Baptist 2 25.25x
Willesden 2 16.74x
Brighton 1 2.32x
Camberwell 1 1.23x
Canterbury St Margaret 1 434.78x
Croydon 1 2.92x
Hartlip 1 588.24x
High Halden 1 357.14x
Hythe St Leonard 1 65.36x
Rotherhithe 1 6.38x
Sutton At Hone 1 111.11x
Tudeley 1 416.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 5
Maria 5
Kate 4
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Caroline 3
Jane 3
Alice 2
Clara 2
Emily 2
Louisa 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Edith 1
Eliz.M. 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Ellinor 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Julia 1
Lucy 1
Madiline 1
Marin 1
Rebecca 1
Rosie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
George 9
Charles 6
Thomas 6
Joseph 5
William 4
Benjamin 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Walter 2
Arthur 1
Augusta 1
Carey 1
Chas.H. 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Henry 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
James 1
Jno. 1
Llewellyn 1
Mark 1
Robert 1
Saml. 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Witherden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Witherden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 130 people were recorded with the Witherden surname. That placed it at #16,911 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Witherden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016. That gives Witherden a modern rank of #21,801.

What does the Witherden map show?

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