NameCensus.

UK surname

Fill

A surname derived from the English word "fill," possibly referring to an occupation or location.

In the 1881 census there were 112 people recorded with the Fill surname, ranking it #18,501 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 136, ranked #25,377, down from #18,501 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Thornbury, Rockhampton and Dalton-in-Furness. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Medway, Telford and Wrekin and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fill is 414 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.4%.

1881 census count

112

Ranked #18,501

Modern count

136

2016, ranked #25,377

Peak year

1861

414 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fill had 112 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,501 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016, ranked #25,377.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 414 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Fill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fill 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 191 #10,808
1861 historical 414 #6,200
1881 historical 112 #18,501
1891 historical 398 #8,910
1901 historical 178 #16,284
1911 historical 200 #14,960
1997 modern 138 #22,227
1998 modern 138 #22,814
1999 modern 140 #22,789
2000 modern 131 #23,672
2001 modern 129 #23,557
2002 modern 133 #23,585
2003 modern 135 #23,155
2004 modern 134 #23,425
2005 modern 131 #23,737
2006 modern 138 #23,156
2007 modern 138 #23,478
2008 modern 143 #23,160
2009 modern 142 #23,791
2010 modern 147 #23,809
2011 modern 147 #23,627
2012 modern 137 #24,731
2013 modern 139 #24,912
2014 modern 144 #24,504
2015 modern 140 #24,836
2016 modern 136 #25,377

Geography

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Where Fills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Thornbury, Rockhampton, Dalton-in-Furness and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Medway, Telford and Wrekin, Kirklees, East Riding of Yorkshire and Thurrock. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Thornbury, Rockhampton Gloucestershire
4 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Medway 018 Medway
2 Telford and Wrekin 018 Telford and Wrekin
3 Kirklees 025 Kirklees
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 032 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Thurrock 004 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fill

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fill, 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 Fill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Fill 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Fill is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fill is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fill falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fill

The surname FILL is of English origin and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "fylle," which means "to fill" or "to fulfill." This suggests that the name may have been originally given as an occupational surname to someone whose job involved filling containers or fulfilling orders.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname FILL can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mention a Thomas le Fille, while the Subsidy Rolls of 1332 reference a John Fylle from Gloucestershire.

In the 15th century, the name appears in the form of "Fyll" in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from a wealthy Norfolk family. One of the letters, dated 1472, is addressed to a certain John Fyll, though little else is known about this individual.

Over the centuries, the surname FILL has been subject to various spelling variations, including Fyll, Fylle, Fille, and Fylle. Some of these variations may have been influenced by different regional dialects or scribal errors in record-keeping.

One notable bearer of the surname FILL was William Fill (c. 1495-1562), a prominent English merchant and Member of Parliament during the Tudor period. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1555 and was known for his involvement in the Muscovy Company, which facilitated trade with Russia.

Another individual of historical significance was John Fill (1608-1688), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Archdeacon of Nottingham. He authored several religious works, including "A Defence of the Rights and Privileges of the University of Oxford" (1668).

In the 18th century, James Fill (1738-1817) was a notable English engraver and sculptor. He is known for his engravings of portraits and landscapes, as well as his sculptures adorning various churches and public buildings in London.

Moving into the 19th century, George Frederick Fill (1811-1875) was a British civil engineer and architect who designed several notable structures, including the Alexandra Palace in London.

Finally, in the early 20th century, Edith Mary Fill (1890-1968) was a British author and poet. She published several collections of poetry, including "Poems" (1920) and "More Poems" (1924), and was recognized for her contributions to children's literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fill 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. Kent leads with 25 Fills recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.89x.

County Total Index
Kent 25 6.89x
Norfolk 20 12.24x
Surrey 13 2.51x
Middlesex 12 1.13x
Gloucestershire 9 4.32x
Yorkshire 9 0.85x
Lancashire 6 0.48x
Durham 5 1.58x
Channel Islands 2 6.35x
Essex 2 0.95x
Bedfordshire 1 1.82x
Cheshire 1 0.43x
Devon 1 0.45x
Hampshire 1 0.46x
Somerset 1 0.58x
Suffolk 1 0.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Yarmouth in Norfolk leads with 13 Fills recorded in 1881 and an index of 96.01x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 13 96.01x
Thornbury 9 629.37x
Lenham 6 833.33x
Bishopwearmouth 5 18.42x
Newington 5 12.73x
Sporle With Palgrave 5 1851.85x
Tottenham 5 29.53x
Charing 4 816.33x
Sculcoates 4 23.95x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 10.88x
Canterbury St Dunstan 3 476.19x
Canterbury St George 3 681.82x
Hernhill 3 1111.11x
Kensington London 3 5.08x
Richmond 3 41.32x
Bermondsey 2 6.32x
Bethnal Green London 2 4.33x
Canterbury St Peter 2 487.80x
Holy Trinity 2 7.89x
Kelvedon 2 357.14x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 2 243.90x
St Pancras London 2 2.34x
St Peter Port 2 34.31x
West Derby 2 5.42x
Batheaston 1 169.49x
Beverley St Martin 1 56.82x
Buckland In Dover 1 83.33x
Canterbury St Mary 1 41.15x
Croydon 1 3.48x
Great Torrington 1 80.00x
Harrietsham 1 400.00x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 27.55x
Kingston On Thames 1 8.04x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 119.05x
Linthorpe 1 15.90x
Reigate Foreign 1 17.83x
Sandbach 1 50.00x
Seasalter 1 217.39x
Sidmonton 1 1428.57x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 1 27.55x
Wootton 1 208.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 11
John 5
Thomas 5
George 4
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Joseph 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Caspar 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edward 1
Folgers 1
Frederic 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Levi 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Fill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 112 people were recorded with the Fill surname. That placed it at #18,501 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016. That gives Fill a modern rank of #25,377.

What does the Fill surname mean?

A surname derived from the English word "fill," possibly referring to an occupation or location.

What does the Fill map show?

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