NameCensus.

UK surname

Woollven

In the 1881 census there were 88 people recorded with the Woollven surname, ranking it #21,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 141, ranked #24,753, down from #21,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Bromley and Keymer, North & South. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Swale and Maidstone.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woollven is 157 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.2%.

1881 census count

88

Ranked #21,211

Modern count

141

2016, ranked #24,753

Peak year

2002

157 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woollven had 88 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 141 in 2016, ranked #24,753.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 138 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Woollven surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woollven surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Woollven 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 50 #24,274
1861 historical 30 #30,188
1881 historical 88 #21,211
1891 historical 72 #27,804
1901 historical 138 #18,955
1911 historical 111 #21,392
1997 modern 152 #20,948
1998 modern 152 #21,481
1999 modern 155 #21,375
2000 modern 151 #21,684
2001 modern 147 #21,756
2002 modern 157 #21,261
2003 modern 145 #22,172
2004 modern 151 #21,720
2005 modern 139 #22,887
2006 modern 147 #22,221
2007 modern 142 #23,025
2008 modern 146 #22,822
2009 modern 142 #23,791
2010 modern 151 #23,377
2011 modern 153 #22,996
2012 modern 150 #23,264
2013 modern 151 #23,529
2014 modern 147 #24,177
2015 modern 147 #24,036
2016 modern 141 #24,753

Geography

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Where Woollvens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Bromley, Keymer, North & South, Maidstone, Linton, Loddington and St Paul Shadwell, Ratcliff hamlet. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Swale, Maidstone, Horsham and East Hampshire. 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 3
2 St Leonard Bromley London (East Districts)
3 Keymer, North & South Sussex
4 Maidstone, Linton, Loddington Kent
5 St Paul Shadwell, Ratcliff hamlet London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 017 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Swale 009 Swale
3 Maidstone 013 Maidstone
4 Horsham 011 Horsham
5 East Hampshire 009 East Hampshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Woollven

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Woollven

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Woollven is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Woollven is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Woollven falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Woollven families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woollven 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. Middlesex leads with 35 Woollvens recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.08x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 35 4.08x
Sussex 18 12.44x
Kent 17 5.81x
Lancashire 10 0.98x
Surrey 8 1.91x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Maidstone in Kent leads with 15 Woollvens recorded in 1881 and an index of 172.02x.

Place Total Index
Maidstone 15 172.02x
Bromley London 11 58.26x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 31.45x
Ratcliffe London 7 147.68x
Stoke Newington London 6 89.69x
Westminster St 6 189.87x
Newington 5 15.77x
Ore 4 370.37x
Ashington 3 4285.71x
Bermondsey 3 11.74x
Blackburn 3 11.07x
Horsham 3 106.76x
St George Hanover 3 26.79x
Clayton 2 363.64x
Keymer 2 196.08x
Littlehampton 2 172.41x
Trottiscliffe 2 2222.22x
Cowfold 1 322.58x
Islington London 1 1.20x
Nuthurst 1 416.67x
Paddington London 1 3.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 6
Emily 3
Kate 3
Alice 2
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Mary 2
Rhoda 2
Rosina 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Dorathea 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Jane 1
Katie 1
Laura 1
Lily 1
Margare 1
Margery 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Mildred 1
Phoebe 1
Rebeccah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
Henry 6
Charles 4
Harry 3
John 3
Richard 3
William 3
Frederick 2
Thomas 2
Chetwode 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Horace 1
James 1
Jesse 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Woollven surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woollven surname in 1881?

In 1881, 88 people were recorded with the Woollven surname. That placed it at #21,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woollven surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 141 in 2016. That gives Woollven a modern rank of #24,753.

What does the Woollven map show?

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