NameCensus.

UK surname

Woolnough

In the 1881 census there were 919 people recorded with the Woolnough surname, ranking it #4,173 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,260, ranked #4,744, down from #4,173 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Leiston with Sizewell and Beccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woolnough is 1,430 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.1%.

1881 census count

919

Ranked #4,173

Modern count

1,260

2016, ranked #4,744

Peak year

1999

1,430 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woolnough had 919 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,173 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,260 in 2016, ranked #4,744.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,247 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Woolnough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woolnough surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Woolnough 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 670 #3,877
1861 historical 617 #4,321
1881 historical 919 #4,173
1891 historical 1,028 #4,054
1901 historical 1,184 #4,138
1911 historical 1,247 #3,805
1997 modern 1,355 #4,245
1998 modern 1,400 #4,280
1999 modern 1,430 #4,228
2000 modern 1,409 #4,264
2001 modern 1,414 #4,185
2002 modern 1,411 #4,272
2003 modern 1,356 #4,328
2004 modern 1,341 #4,381
2005 modern 1,294 #4,446
2006 modern 1,276 #4,517
2007 modern 1,281 #4,543
2008 modern 1,270 #4,599
2009 modern 1,294 #4,629
2010 modern 1,307 #4,687
2011 modern 1,277 #4,720
2012 modern 1,265 #4,682
2013 modern 1,264 #4,783
2014 modern 1,273 #4,771
2015 modern 1,257 #4,776
2016 modern 1,260 #4,744

Geography

Back to top

Where Woolnoughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Leiston with Sizewell, Beccles and Halesworth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Mid Suffolk. 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 Leiston with Sizewell Suffolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 Beccles Suffolk
5 Halesworth Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 015 Waveney
2 Waveney 014 Waveney
3 Waveney 010 Waveney
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 013 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Mid Suffolk 011 Mid Suffolk

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Woolnough

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Woolnough

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Woolnough is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Woolnough is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Woolnough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woolnough 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. Suffolk leads with 423 Woolnoughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.24x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 423 38.24x
Middlesex 128 1.41x
Surrey 105 2.37x
Norfolk 65 4.65x
Essex 49 2.73x
Kent 48 1.55x
Lancashire 18 0.17x
Lincolnshire 17 1.17x
Hertfordshire 16 2.56x
Cambridgeshire 13 2.26x
Yorkshire 12 0.13x
Hampshire 7 0.38x
Isle of Man 7 4.15x
Channel Islands 4 1.49x
Angus 3 0.36x
Derbyshire 3 0.21x
Worcestershire 3 0.25x
Durham 2 0.07x
Sussex 2 0.13x
Bedfordshire 1 0.21x
Cheshire 1 0.05x
Glamorgan 1 0.06x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.55x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x
Wiltshire 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. Beccles in Suffolk leads with 46 Woolnoughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 258.43x.

Place Total Index
Beccles 46 258.43x
Leiston 45 592.11x
Croydon 33 13.43x
Hackney London 23 4.52x
Chediston 19 1681.42x
Lowestoft 19 36.36x
Camberwell 17 2.93x
Lambeth 17 2.15x
Tunstall 17 890.05x
Great Yarmouth 16 13.83x
Halesworth 16 204.08x
Clerkenwell London 15 7.00x
Ipswich St Clement 13 46.23x
Ipswich St Margaret 13 34.64x
Bury St Edmunds St James 12 40.61x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 12 57.80x
Henstead 12 718.56x
St Andrewthe Less 12 18.26x
Heigham 11 14.68x
Kingston On Thames 11 10.35x
Sternfield 11 1527.78x
Walton 11 277.78x
Wickham Market 11 240.70x
Baldock 10 170.07x
Walthamstow 10 15.50x
Aldringham 9 566.04x
Chelmsford 9 29.26x
Mile End New Town 9 72.58x
Watton 9 205.01x
Eye 8 111.89x
Gainsborough 8 23.37x
Greenwich 8 5.53x
Islington London 8 0.91x
Plumstead 8 7.75x
Spexhall 8 1269.84x
Blaxhall 7 437.50x
Braddan 7 76.00x
Clapham 7 6.17x
Dickleburgh 7 271.32x
Kensington London 7 1.39x
St Pancras London 7 0.96x
Strood 7 39.59x
Aldeburgh 6 91.60x
Beckenham 6 14.81x
Bromley London 6 3.00x
Clee With Weelsby 6 18.87x
Dallinghoo 6 638.30x
East Ham 6 18.03x
Gillingham 6 9.39x
Hackford In Aylsham 6 239.04x
Minster In Sheppey 6 11.69x
Poplar London 6 3.50x
Sandwich St Mary 6 213.52x
Stow Upland 6 164.84x
Tottenham 6 4.15x
Aldershot 5 8.02x
Barnby 5 617.28x
Blythburgh 5 195.31x
Bramfield 5 256.41x
East Barnet 5 40.26x
Everton 5 1.46x
Hardingham 5 308.64x
Kimberworth 5 10.01x
Manchester 5 1.03x
Mile End Old Town 5 3.49x
Nacton 5 312.50x
Richmond 5 8.06x
Romford 5 17.64x
Saxmundham 5 121.95x
St Marylebone London 5 1.03x
Wangford 5 240.38x
Carlton Colville 4 98.52x
Ellough 4 833.33x
Kelsale 4 130.29x
Kirkley 4 43.24x
Mitcham 4 14.30x
Rotherham 4 7.88x
Spotland 4 3.34x
West Ham 4 1.01x
Westleton 4 153.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 39
Mary 33
Sarah 33
Emma 24
Alice 21
Ellen 17
Emily 16
Eliza 13
Maria 13
Jane 12
Ann 10
Louisa 9
Edith 8
Clara 7
Harriet 7
Kate 7
Annie 6
Florence 6
Lucy 6
Martha 6
Ada 5
Caroline 5
Catherine 5
Charlotte 5
Eleanor 5
Margaret 5
Maud 5
Susan 5
Susannah 5
Bessie 4
Georgina 4
Hannah 4
Jessie 4
Laura 4
Matilda 4
Anna 3
Esther 3
Gertrude 3
Lizzie 3
Rachel 3
Sophia 3
Adeline 2
Fanny 2
Mabel 2
Malinda 2
Maryann 2
Nellie 2
Patty 2
Rebah 2
Rosa 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 54
Charles 38
John 35
George 34
James 33
Alfred 22
Henry 20
Arthur 16
Frederick 16
Thomas 16
Harry 11
Robert 10
Benjamin 9
Herbert 9
Walter 9
Edward 8
Christopher 4
Ernest 4
Francis 4
Frederic 4
Horace 4
Albert 3
Edwin 3
Fredk. 3
Percy 3
Samuel 3
Chas. 2
Ephraim 2
Frank 2
Henery 2
Joseph 2
Leonard 2
Thos. 2
W.T. 2
Wm. 2
Albt.Ernest 1
Algar 1
Allan 1
Ashley 1
Cornelious 1
David 1
Dennis 1
E. 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Edwd.W. 1
Godfrey 1
Harold 1
Hector 1
Zachariah 1

FAQ

Woolnough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woolnough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 919 people were recorded with the Woolnough surname. That placed it at #4,173 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woolnough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,260 in 2016. That gives Woolnough a modern rank of #4,744.

What does the Woolnough map show?

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