NameCensus.

UK surname

Woollam

In the 1881 census there were 248 people recorded with the Woollam surname, ranking it #11,140 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 418, ranked #11,472, down from #11,140 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prees, Whitchurch and Wolstanton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Cheshire West and Chester and Stockport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woollam is 484 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.5%.

1881 census count

248

Ranked #11,140

Modern count

418

2016, ranked #11,472

Peak year

2000

484 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woollam had 248 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,140 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 418 in 2016, ranked #11,472.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 425 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Woollam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woollam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Woollam 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 159 #12,400
1861 historical 188 #12,628
1881 historical 248 #11,140
1891 historical 290 #11,409
1901 historical 325 #11,017
1911 historical 425 #8,877
1997 modern 399 #11,028
1998 modern 469 #10,079
1999 modern 466 #10,189
2000 modern 484 #9,873
2001 modern 458 #10,098
2002 modern 454 #10,367
2003 modern 433 #10,614
2004 modern 440 #10,494
2005 modern 426 #10,649
2006 modern 436 #10,506
2007 modern 433 #10,662
2008 modern 430 #10,834
2009 modern 438 #10,927
2010 modern 441 #11,087
2011 modern 430 #11,178
2012 modern 401 #11,699
2013 modern 394 #12,064
2014 modern 414 #11,708
2015 modern 426 #11,320
2016 modern 418 #11,472

Geography

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Where Woollams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prees, Whitchurch, Wolstanton, Wem and St Martin. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Cheshire West and Chester and Stockport. 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 Prees Shropshire
2 Whitchurch Shropshire
3 Wolstanton Staffordshire
4 Wem Shropshire
5 St Martin Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 001 Shropshire
2 Shropshire 008 Shropshire
3 Shropshire 011 Shropshire
4 Cheshire West and Chester 047 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Stockport 012 Stockport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Woollam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Woollam

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

Woollam is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Woollam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woollam 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. Lancashire leads with 62 Woollams recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.19x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 62 2.19x
Shropshire 56 27.12x
Cheshire 48 9.10x
Staffordshire 25 3.10x
Denbighshire 23 25.48x
Yorkshire 7 0.30x
Flintshire 5 7.78x
Hertfordshire 5 3.04x
Warwickshire 5 0.83x
Herefordshire 3 3.06x
Middlesex 2 0.08x
Bedfordshire 1 0.81x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.69x
Gloucestershire 1 0.21x
Morayshire 1 2.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tattenhall in Cheshire leads with 14 Woollams recorded in 1881 and an index of 1555.56x.

Place Total Index
Tattenhall 14 1555.56x
Whitchurch 14 349.13x
Toxteth Park 12 12.50x
West Derby 12 14.46x
Prees 11 438.25x
St Martin 9 389.61x
Stoke Upon Trent 9 10.52x
Chester St John Baptist 8 84.39x
Bollin Fee 7 299.15x
Darlaston 7 62.78x
Ellesmere 7 197.74x
Little Crosby 7 1521.74x
Wolstanton 7 28.57x
Burton 6 1034.48x
Gresford Gwersyllt 6 214.29x
Gresford Llay 6 1333.33x
Liverpool 6 3.48x
Wem 6 195.44x
Gorton 5 18.75x
Malpas Iscoyd 5 1470.59x
Rickmansworth 5 110.38x
Salford 5 6.00x
Aston 4 2.41x
Horton In Bradford 4 10.82x
Oswaldtwistle 4 39.92x
Shrewsbury St Mary 4 49.08x
Allington 3 447.76x
Brightside Bierlow 3 6.46x
Golborne Bellow 3 4285.71x
Newton In Ashton Under 3 57.69x
Yarkhill 3 833.33x
Bury 2 6.17x
Clayton Le Moors 2 36.36x
Duddon Iddinshall 2 1250.00x
Everton 2 2.21x
Sale 2 30.91x
Sutton In Macclesfield 2 36.56x
Welsh Hampton 2 465.12x
Whittington 2 115.61x
Ardwick 1 3.91x
Aston Clinton 1 81.97x
Barton 1 1000.00x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 4.68x
Blackburn 1 1.33x
Borras Hovah 1 3333.33x
Burslem 1 4.33x
Chester St Oswald 1 10.47x
Chowley 1 3333.33x
Clifton 1 4.22x
Dyke 1 98.04x
Edgbaston 1 5.35x
Farndon 1 222.22x
Great Crosby 1 12.94x
Great Sutton 1 370.37x
Hampstead London 1 2.69x
Hampton Bickley 1 163.93x
Handsworth 1 5.03x
Liscard 1 10.53x
Llanrwst 1 32.05x
Moreton Corbet 1 476.19x
Northill 1 86.21x
Paddington London 1 1.14x
Worsley 1 5.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 14
Sarah 13
Ann 7
Emma 6
Annie 5
Jane 5
Margaret 5
Alice 4
Martha 4
Edith 3
Hannah 3
Eliza 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Lucy 2
Rachael 2
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Cathne. 1
Charlotte 1
Ellen 1
Ellinor 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Hester 1
Hilliria 1
Isabella 1
Jeanette 1
Jemima 1
Lillian 1
Lizzie 1
Louise 1
Lucinda 1
Maria 1
Nelly 1
Rebecca 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 19
Thomas 16
William 12
George 11
Charles 9
Henry 6
James 5
Joseph 4
Arthur 3
Frederick 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Aaron 1
Edwin 1
Enock 1
Ernest 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Ben 1
Henery 1
Hugh 1
Jabeiz 1
Jas. 1
Lloyd 1
Matthew 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Phillip 1
Wilfred 1
Willam 1

FAQ

Woollam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woollam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 248 people were recorded with the Woollam surname. That placed it at #11,140 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woollam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 418 in 2016. That gives Woollam a modern rank of #11,472.

What does the Woollam map show?

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