NameCensus.

UK surname

Astill

A locational surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from Astill or a similar location.

In the 1881 census there were 465 people recorded with the Astill surname, ranking it #7,144 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 918, ranked #6,215, up from #7,144 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham St Mary and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hinckley and Bosworth, Gedling and Blaby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Astill is 950 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 97.4%.

1881 census count

465

Ranked #7,144

Modern count

918

2016, ranked #6,215

Peak year

1999

950 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Astill had 465 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,144 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 918 in 2016, ranked #6,215.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 673 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Astill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Astill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Astill 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 283 #7,996
1861 historical 219 #11,124
1881 historical 465 #7,144
1891 historical 467 #7,846
1901 historical 664 #6,534
1911 historical 673 #6,272
1997 modern 938 #5,777
1998 modern 944 #5,938
1999 modern 950 #5,947
2000 modern 944 #5,954
2001 modern 930 #5,918
2002 modern 940 #5,986
2003 modern 927 #5,946
2004 modern 904 #6,073
2005 modern 887 #6,088
2006 modern 873 #6,183
2007 modern 884 #6,169
2008 modern 910 #6,083
2009 modern 931 #6,082
2010 modern 936 #6,190
2011 modern 915 #6,251
2012 modern 892 #6,285
2013 modern 914 #6,274
2014 modern 911 #6,316
2015 modern 905 #6,305
2016 modern 918 #6,215

Geography

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Where Astills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham St Mary, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Leamington Priors and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hinckley and Bosworth, Gedling and Blaby. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Leamington Priors Warwickshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hinckley and Bosworth 007 Hinckley and Bosworth
2 Gedling 002 Gedling
3 Hinckley and Bosworth 006 Hinckley and Bosworth
4 Hinckley and Bosworth 003 Hinckley and Bosworth
5 Blaby 006 Blaby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Astill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Astill

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Astill is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Astill 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

Astill falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Astill is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Astill

The surname Astill originated in England during the late medieval period, likely deriving from a place name or occupational term. One theory suggests that it may have stemmed from the Old English word "aestil," meaning a grange or farm outbuilding, indicating that early bearers of the name may have lived near or worked at such a structure.

Another possibility is that Astill emerged as a variant spelling of the more common surname Astell or Astill, which traces back to the Anglo-Saxon personal name Æstell or Æstel. This name was composed of the elements "æst," meaning grace or favor, and "ell" or "el," a diminutive suffix.

The earliest known record of the Astill surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, dated 1273, which mentions a Geoffrey Astyll. Additional early references can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, listing a Robert Astyll, and the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1301, which record a payment made by a John Astyll.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, variants such as Astill, Astyll, and Astell were found scattered across various counties in England, including Yorkshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire. This suggests that the name was well-established in different regions by that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Astill include William Astill (1605-1679), an English merchant and landowner who served as Sheriff of London in 1671. Another prominent figure was John Astill (1677-1743), a wealthy English merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several almshouses in London.

In the 18th century, Samuel Astill (1737-1813) was a successful English architect responsible for designing numerous churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas. Later, in the 19th century, Robert Astill (1822-1901) was a renowned English landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Astill surname in the United States dates back to 1635, when Thomas Astill arrived in Virginia as an indentured servant. Over time, the name spread to other parts of the country, with Astill families establishing roots in various states.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Astill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Astill 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. Leicestershire leads with 167 Astills recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.06x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 167 33.06x
Nottinghamshire 166 27.04x
Warwickshire 54 4.70x
Yorkshire 21 0.47x
Lancashire 20 0.37x
Middlesex 9 0.20x
Lincolnshire 6 0.82x
Staffordshire 6 0.39x
Berkshire 5 1.46x
Wiltshire 4 0.99x
Derbyshire 2 0.28x
Dorset 2 0.67x
Bedfordshire 1 0.42x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.35x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.11x
Isle of Man 1 1.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 83 Astills recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.26x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 83 52.26x
Leicester St Margaret 69 56.02x
Plumtree 31 4769.23x
Nottingham St Nicholas 18 215.31x
Leicester St Mary 17 41.66x
Wolvey 17 1393.44x
Ratby 13 513.83x
Newark Upon Trent 11 49.84x
Leamington Priors 10 35.37x
Loughborough 10 43.63x
Aston 9 2.85x
Belgrave 9 78.95x
Cossington 9 1428.57x
Leicester All Sts 9 90.73x
Birmingham 8 2.09x
Leeds 8 3.14x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 5.93x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 6 14.27x
Chadderton 6 22.70x
Great Claybrooke 6 895.52x
Barrow In Furness 5 6.80x
Cookham 5 46.90x
Dunton Bassett 5 781.25x
Keyworth 5 357.14x
Radford 5 16.03x
Anstey 4 200.00x
Hackney London 4 1.57x
Horninglow 4 55.25x
Kirkheaton 4 54.64x
Normanton On Wolds 4 3636.36x
Quorndon 4 141.34x
Shackerstone 4 888.89x
St Martin Lincoln 4 59.17x
Swindon 4 12.80x
Gonalstone 2 1052.63x
Ilkeston 2 10.01x
Long Itchington 2 111.11x
Nottingham St Peter 2 29.20x
Portland 2 12.44x
Shilton 2 307.69x
Snenton 2 8.29x
Tottenham 2 2.76x
Tutbury 2 53.33x
All Hallows Lombard 1 384.62x
Ashby Parva 1 434.78x
Bingham 1 38.31x
Bowling 1 2.24x
Braddan 1 21.65x
Burton Joyce 1 95.24x
Churchover 1 200.00x
Coleshill 1 27.17x
Conington 1 217.39x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 2.92x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 1.09x
Fulbourn 1 36.23x
Hartley Wintney 1 35.59x
Humberstone 1 24.10x
Islington London 1 0.23x
Leicester St Martin 1 29.50x
Leicester St Nicholas 1 34.97x
Ludford Magna 1 161.29x
Moss Side 1 3.52x
New Sleaford 1 21.41x
Poplar London 1 1.16x
Rawmarsh 1 6.27x
Rugby 1 6.44x
Sileby 1 31.35x
Standard Hill 1 68.49x
Stoke 1 44.25x
Stoney Stanton 1 64.52x
Thurlaston 1 120.48x
Tilbrook 1 163.93x
Todmorden Walsden 1 6.91x
Wigston Magna 1 14.93x
Withybrook 1 217.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 23
Sarah 23
Mary 21
Emma 16
Ann 15
Eliza 11
Jane 10
Ellen 9
Ada 8
Kate 6
Alice 5
Annie 5
Clara 5
Fanny 5
Edith 4
Emily 4
Maria 4
Martha 4
Hannah 3
Helen 3
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Elizth. 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Infant 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Margarette 2
Rebecca 2
Sophia 2
Beatrice 1
Diana 1
Eleanor 1
Eveline 1
Florance 1
Florry 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Harriott 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Katie 1
Lillian 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Milicent 1
Minnie 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 44
William 34
George 15
Thomas 15
James 13
Charles 9
Joseph 9
Robert 8
Samuel 7
Walter 7
Arthur 5
Edwin 5
Henry 5
Edward 4
Harry 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
David 3
Ernest 3
Philip 3
Wm. 3
Francis 2
Frank 2
Percy 2
Richard 2
Thos. 2
Aquila 1
Clement 1
Earnest 1
Edwd. 1
Ephraim 1
Ezra 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Hayton 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Jno. 1
Jonathon 1
Larry 1
Mathew 1
Nathan 1
Noah 1
Peter 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Astill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Astill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 465 people were recorded with the Astill surname. That placed it at #7,144 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Astill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 918 in 2016. That gives Astill a modern rank of #6,215.

What does the Astill surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from Astill or a similar location.

What does the Astill map show?

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