UK surname
A surname derived from old English words meaning "black" and "hill" or "elevated land".
In the 1881 census there were 38 people recorded with the Blackwill surname, ranking it #28,285 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12, ranked #37,385, down from #28,285 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Lewisham and Kirby Moorside. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blackwill is 128 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 68.4%.
1881 census count
38
Ranked #28,285
Modern count
12
2016, ranked #37,385
Peak year
1861
128 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Blackwill surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Blackwill surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 51 | #24,096 |
| 1861 | historical | 128 | #17,375 |
| 1881 | historical | 38 | #28,285 |
| 1891 | historical | 66 | #28,541 |
| 1901 | historical | 42 | #29,487 |
| 1911 | historical | 49 | #27,894 |
| 1997 | modern | 15 | #36,409 |
| 1998 | modern | 17 | #36,240 |
| 1999 | modern | 16 | #36,371 |
| 2000 | modern | 18 | #36,104 |
| 2001 | modern | 18 | #35,961 |
| 2002 | modern | 15 | #36,381 |
| 2003 | modern | 14 | #36,512 |
| 2004 | modern | 18 | #36,245 |
| 2005 | modern | 19 | #36,247 |
| 2006 | modern | 21 | #36,179 |
| 2007 | modern | 18 | #36,537 |
| 2008 | modern | 18 | #36,607 |
| 2009 | modern | 17 | #36,753 |
| 2010 | modern | 20 | #36,599 |
| 2011 | modern | 17 | #36,839 |
| 2012 | modern | 13 | #37,169 |
| 2013 | modern | 11 | #37,435 |
| 2014 | modern | 13 | #37,256 |
| 2015 | modern | 14 | #37,157 |
| 2016 | modern | 12 | #37,385 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Lewisham, Kirby Moorside, Dulverton, Brompton Regis and Goodleigh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prestbury | Cheshire |
| 2 | Lewisham | London (South Districts) |
| 3 | Kirby Moorside | Yorkshire, North Riding |
| 4 | Dulverton, Brompton Regis | Devon |
| 5 | Goodleigh | Devon |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Blackwill surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Blackwill, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Blackwill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Blackwill household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Blackwill is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Blackwill is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Blackwill, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname BLACKWILL has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words 'blæc' meaning 'black' and 'wille' or 'wyll' which referred to a stream or creek. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify someone who lived near a stream or creek with dark, possibly tannin-stained water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BLACKWILL can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as 'Blakewyll'. This document was a survey of landholders and their properties, indicating that someone with this surname held land in the region at that time.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various spellings such as 'Blackwille' and 'Blakwyll' in records from Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. This suggests that the name may have been particularly prevalent in the West Midlands region of England during this period.
One notable individual with the surname BLACKWILL was John Blackwill, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol in the late 16th century. He was born around 1540 and was known for his involvement in the wine trade and his contributions to the city's governance.
Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Blackwill, a Member of Parliament for the borough of Evesham in the 17th century. He was born in 1610 and served in the English Civil War as a Royalist, fighting for King Charles I.
In the 18th century, the BLACKWILL surname can be found in parish records from various counties in England, including Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Oxfordshire. One noteworthy individual from this period was William Blackwill, a clergyman and author born in 1705 in Gloucestershire.
The name BLACKWILL also appears in historical documents from Ireland, suggesting that some bearers of this surname may have migrated from England to Ireland during the plantation period in the 16th and 17th centuries. A notable example is Robert Blackwill, a landowner and magistrate in County Tyrone, Ireland, who lived in the late 17th century.
Throughout its history, the surname BLACKWILL has undergone various spelling variations, including Blackwell, Blackwall, and Blackwill, reflecting regional dialects and scribal conventions of the time. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its connection to its Old English roots and the geographical association with dark-colored streams or creeks.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blackwill surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Somerset leads with 8 Blackwills recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.42x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Somerset | 8 | 13.42x |
| Cheshire | 6 | 7.34x |
| Buckinghamshire | 5 | 22.32x |
| Glamorgan | 4 | 6.20x |
| Lincolnshire | 4 | 6.75x |
| Cornwall | 2 | 4.77x |
| Devon | 2 | 2.59x |
| Middlesex | 2 | 0.54x |
| Derbyshire | 1 | 1.72x |
| Gloucestershire | 1 | 1.38x |
| Midlothian | 1 | 2.02x |
| Northumberland | 1 | 1.81x |
| Staffordshire | 1 | 0.80x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dulverton in Somerset leads with 6 Blackwills recorded in 1881 and an index of 3529.41x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Dulverton | 6 | 3529.41x |
| Macclesfield | 6 | 165.29x |
| Akeley | 5 | 10000.00x |
| Grantham | 4 | 519.48x |
| Cardiff St Mary | 2 | 56.34x |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 2 | 32.26x |
| Walcot | 2 | 62.89x |
| Barnstaple | 1 | 82.64x |
| Bolsover | 1 | 344.83x |
| Clifton | 1 | 27.25x |
| Edinburgh St Cuthberts | 1 | 5.01x |
| Gwennap | 1 | 126.58x |
| Helston | 1 | 227.27x |
| Kensington London | 1 | 4.86x |
| Newcastle On Tyne St | 1 | 34.97x |
| Tavistock | 1 | 113.64x |
| Willesden | 1 | 28.65x |
| Wolverhampton | 1 | 10.41x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Blackwill surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Blackwill surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Blackwill households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 5 |
| ... | 2 |
| Haulier | 2 |
| Painter & Glazier | 2 |
| Butcher | 1 |
| Carpenter | 1 |
| Carpenters Wife | 1 |
| Cook | 1 |
| Domestic Servt House & Parlourmaid | 1 |
| Dressmaker | 1 |
| Farm Servant (Indoor) | 1 |
| French Polisher | 1 |
| Housemaid | 1 |
| Housemaid D S | 1 |
| Labourer | 1 |
| Lacemaker | 1 |
| Ladysmaid | 1 |
| Tailor | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 38 people were recorded with the Blackwill surname. That placed it at #28,285 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 12 in 2016. That gives Blackwill a modern rank of #37,385.
A surname derived from old English words meaning "black" and "hill" or "elevated land".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Blackwill bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.