NameCensus.

UK surname

Wretham

In the 1881 census there were 74 people recorded with the Wretham surname, ranking it #23,062 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 118, ranked #27,873, down from #23,062 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willesden, London parishes and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Greenwich, Thanet and Ashford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wretham is 134 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.5%.

1881 census count

74

Ranked #23,062

Modern count

118

2016, ranked #27,873

Peak year

2010

134 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wretham had 74 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,062 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016, ranked #27,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 119 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Wretham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wretham surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wretham 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 46 #28,170
1881 historical 74 #23,062
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 89 #24,154
1911 historical 119 #20,535
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 113 #25,731
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 115 #25,591
2001 modern 116 #25,089
2002 modern 124 #24,616
2003 modern 118 #25,146
2004 modern 113 #25,999
2005 modern 115 #25,702
2006 modern 118 #25,556
2007 modern 123 #25,208
2008 modern 124 #25,371
2009 modern 126 #25,686
2010 modern 134 #25,263
2011 modern 128 #25,793
2012 modern 124 #26,432
2013 modern 125 #26,695
2014 modern 125 #26,896
2015 modern 120 #27,561
2016 modern 118 #27,873

Geography

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Where Wrethams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willesden, London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough, Elmswell and Lakenheath. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Greenwich, Thanet, Ashford and Gravesham. 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 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 Elmswell Suffolk
5 Lakenheath Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Greenwich 001 Greenwich
2 Thanet 008 Thanet
3 Ashford 009 Ashford
4 Greenwich 011 Greenwich
5 Gravesham 001 Gravesham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wretham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wretham

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Wretham, 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 Wretham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Wretham household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Wretham 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.

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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

Wretham 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

Wretham falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Wretham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wretham 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 31 Wrethams recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.27x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 31 35.27x
Kent 21 8.53x
Middlesex 18 2.49x
Sussex 2 1.64x
Essex 1 0.70x
Lancashire 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. Tonbridge in Kent leads with 13 Wrethams recorded in 1881 and an index of 146.40x.

Place Total Index
Tonbridge 13 146.40x
Lakenheath 10 2173.91x
Bromley 8 213.33x
Elmswell 8 4210.53x
Islington London 7 10.01x
Willesden 7 102.94x
St Pancras London 4 6.89x
Westerfield 4 5000.00x
Mildenhall 3 322.58x
Beyton 2 2500.00x
Bury St Edmunds St James 2 85.11x
Eastbourne 2 35.71x
Woolpit 2 769.23x
Hulme 1 5.59x
Langdon Hills 1 1428.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 4
Elizabeth 4
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Mary 2
Sophia 2
Ann 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Harriot 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Kezia 1
Lavena 1
Louisa 1
Martha 1
Rebeca 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
George 5
Thomas 4
James 3
John 3
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Albert 1
Ambrose 1
Charles 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Henry 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Hy.Jno 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 Wretham households.

FAQ

Wretham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wretham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 74 people were recorded with the Wretham surname. That placed it at #23,062 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wretham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016. That gives Wretham a modern rank of #27,873.

What does the Wretham map show?

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