NameCensus.

UK surname

Wroth

A surname denoting a bad-tempered or angry person.

In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Wroth surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 77, ranked #33,236, down from #19,877 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston and New Windsor, Clewer. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Bolton and Spelthorne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wroth is 152 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 22.2%.

1881 census count

99

Ranked #19,877

Modern count

77

2016, ranked #33,236

Peak year

1911

152 bearers

Map years

3

1891 to 1911

Key insights

  • Wroth had 99 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,877 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 77 in 2016, ranked #33,236.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 152 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Wroth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wroth surname density by area, 1911 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wroth 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 54 #23,577
1861 historical 39 #29,099
1881 historical 99 #19,877
1891 historical 126 #20,604
1901 historical 137 #19,032
1911 historical 152 #17,712
1997 modern 93 #27,932
1998 modern 95 #28,303
1999 modern 97 #28,187
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 97 #27,823
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 101 #27,561
2004 modern 97 #28,455
2005 modern 90 #29,527
2006 modern 85 #30,556
2007 modern 78 #31,748
2008 modern 76 #32,279
2009 modern 73 #32,923
2010 modern 83 #32,396
2011 modern 82 #32,449
2012 modern 79 #32,966
2013 modern 75 #33,409
2014 modern 78 #33,270
2015 modern 77 #33,272
2016 modern 77 #33,236

Geography

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Where Wroths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston, New Windsor, Clewer, Ipswich St Mary Stoke and St Thomas the Apostle. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Bolton, Spelthorne and Cornwall. 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 Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston Devon
3 New Windsor, Clewer Berkshire
4 Ipswich St Mary Stoke Suffolk
5 St Thomas the Apostle Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 002 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 Bolton 031 Bolton
3 Bolton 035 Bolton
4 Spelthorne 004 Spelthorne
5 Cornwall 004 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wroth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wroth

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Wroth is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Wroth is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wroth falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wroth is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Wroth

The surname Wroth hails primarily from England, with its origins traceable back to the medieval period. The name is believed to be locational, derived from places in England such as Worth in Kent, Worth in Sussex, and Wrath in East Yorkshire. The word "worth" or "wroth" in Old English (Anglo-Saxon) was used to denote an enclosure, homestead, or a settlement which provided the basis for the surname.

Earliest records of the Wroth surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, under variations like Wroete and Wratha. These records confirm the use of the name during the Norman conquest when surnames were becoming a staple for the identification of lineage and property.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname is John Wroth, referenced in documents from the 13th century as a landowner in Essex. His contributions to his local community during the reign of Henry III are well-documented.

Sir Thomas Wroth (1516-1573) is among the more notable figures bearing the surname. As an English politician, Sir Thomas served in the Parliament for a series of terms and was a known Puritan. His work as a member of the Privy Council under Queen Mary I and his alignment with Protestant causes highlighted his influence during the Tudor period.

Poet William Wroth (1576-1641), a cleric in the Anglican Church, was another important historical figure associated with the surname. His poetry often provided moral and religious reflections, and his work played a role in the early Methodist movement in Wales, resulting in his recognition as the founder of Welsh Methodism.

Mary Wroth (1587-1653) stands out as a prominent female figure with the surname. An accomplished poet and writer, Lady Mary Wroth was one of the earliest women to produce a full-length prose romance in English. Her work, "The Countess of Montgomery’s Urania," remains a significant piece of literature from the early 17th century.

Henry Wroth (1605-1671) features in military history as he served as a Royalist officer during the English Civil War. His participation in key battles and his subsequent loyalty to the monarchy earned him lasting recognition in British military annals.

The Wroth surname thus encapsulates a rich and varied history, rooted in medieval English land and society. Emblematic of family heritage and societal roles, individuals with this notable surname have made contributions across a range of fields from politics and religion to literature and military service.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wroth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wroth 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. Devon leads with 45 Wroths recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.39x.

County Total Index
Devon 45 22.39x
Berkshire 14 19.32x
Middlesex 12 1.24x
Suffolk 8 6.80x
Surrey 7 1.49x
Cornwall 6 5.49x
Lancashire 4 0.35x
Kent 2 0.61x
Worcestershire 1 0.79x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bigbury in Devon leads with 14 Wroths recorded in 1881 and an index of 9333.33x.

Place Total Index
Bigbury 14 9333.33x
Clewer 10 336.70x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 58.14x
Fulham London 7 50.00x
Bramford 6 1363.64x
Aveton Gifford 5 1724.14x
Newington 5 14.02x
Stoke Damerel 5 35.54x
Ealing 4 46.35x
Ince In Makerfield 4 75.05x
Ipplepen 4 1481.48x
New Windsor 4 163.93x
St Thomas Apostle 4 1176.47x
Holbeton 3 810.81x
Ugborough 3 612.24x
Canterbury Christchurch 2 2500.00x
St Mary Magdalene 2 250.00x
Coulsdon 1 116.28x
Devonport 1 43.29x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 1 91.74x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 30.30x
Lindridge 1 312.50x
Modbury 1 196.08x
Mortlake 1 47.62x
St Marylebone London 1 1.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Annie 3
Elizabeth 3
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Caroline 2
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Lavinia 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Ethal 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
June 1
Kate 1
Lousia 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Maudlin 1
Minnie 1
R.J.P. 1
Sophia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
William 6
George 4
Thomas 4
Alfred 3
Francis 3
Charles 2
Chas.Hy. 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Henry 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Warwick 2
Arthur 1
Chas.Austin 1
David 1
Frank 1
James 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Wroth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wroth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Wroth surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wroth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 77 in 2016. That gives Wroth a modern rank of #33,236.

What does the Wroth surname mean?

A surname denoting a bad-tempered or angry person.

What does the Wroth map show?

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