NameCensus.

UK surname

Worbey

In the 1881 census there were 57 people recorded with the Worbey surname, ranking it #25,575 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 225, ranked #18,105, up from #25,575 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burton-on-Trent, London parishes and Baldock, Willian, Weston, Clothall, Bygrave, Norton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Hertfordshire and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Worbey is 227 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 294.7%.

1881 census count

57

Ranked #25,575

Modern count

225

2016, ranked #18,105

Peak year

2015

227 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Worbey had 57 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,575 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 225 in 2016, ranked #18,105.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 154 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Worbey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Worbey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Worbey 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 24 #29,038
1861 historical 22 #31,140
1881 historical 57 #25,575
1891 historical 62 #28,991
1901 historical 129 #19,735
1911 historical 154 #17,553
1997 modern 217 #16,761
1998 modern 214 #17,366
1999 modern 216 #17,364
2000 modern 216 #17,340
2001 modern 218 #17,017
2002 modern 216 #17,447
2003 modern 210 #17,559
2004 modern 206 #17,883
2005 modern 190 #18,753
2006 modern 189 #18,961
2007 modern 191 #19,031
2008 modern 190 #19,246
2009 modern 203 #18,840
2010 modern 210 #18,836
2011 modern 201 #19,213
2012 modern 221 #17,979
2013 modern 223 #18,135
2014 modern 225 #18,142
2015 modern 227 #17,941
2016 modern 225 #18,105

Geography

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Where Worbeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burton-on-Trent, London parishes, Baldock, Willian, Weston, Clothall, Bygrave, Norton, Hitchin and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Hertfordshire and Wakefield. 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 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Baldock, Willian, Weston, Clothall, Bygrave, Norton Hertfordshire
4 Hitchin Hertfordshire
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Hertfordshire 012 North Hertfordshire
2 North Hertfordshire 011 North Hertfordshire
3 Wakefield 040 Wakefield
4 North Hertfordshire 009 North Hertfordshire
5 North Hertfordshire 010 North Hertfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Worbey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Worbey

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Worbey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Worbey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Worbey is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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.

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Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Worbey is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Worbey falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Worbey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Worbey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Worbey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Worbey 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. Hertfordshire leads with 38 Worbeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 99.16x.

County Total Index
Hertfordshire 38 99.16x
Middlesex 6 1.08x
Durham 4 2.42x
Worcestershire 4 5.51x
Surrey 2 0.74x
Sussex 2 2.13x
Kent 1 0.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hitchin in Hertfordshire leads with 16 Worbeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 924.86x.

Place Total Index
Hitchin 16 924.86x
Willian 7 11666.67x
Ware 6 545.45x
Baldock 4 1111.11x
Bethnal Green London 4 16.56x
Cornforth 4 816.33x
Dudley 4 45.30x
Aston 2 1818.18x
Brighton 2 10.58x
St Albans St Michael 2 465.12x
Camberwell 1 2.82x
Croydon 1 6.65x
Great Munden 1 1250.00x
Lewisham 1 9.89x
Paddington London 1 4.89x
Shoreditch London 1 4.15x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 8
William 5
Charles 3
Arthur 2
Herbert 2
John 2
Alfred 1
Bertram 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Henry 1
James 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Worbey households.

FAQ

Worbey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Worbey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 57 people were recorded with the Worbey surname. That placed it at #25,575 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Worbey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 225 in 2016. That gives Worbey a modern rank of #18,105.

What does the Worbey map show?

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