NameCensus.

UK surname

Gwilliam

An anglicized variant of the Welsh patronymic surname "Gwilym," meaning "William's son."

In the 1881 census there were 1,147 people recorded with the Gwilliam surname, ranking it #3,487 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,769, ranked #3,553, down from #3,487 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gwilliam is 1,982 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.2%.

1881 census count

1,147

Ranked #3,487

Modern count

1,769

2016, ranked #3,553

Peak year

1998

1,982 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gwilliam had 1,147 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,487 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,769 in 2016, ranked #3,553.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,619 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gwilliam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gwilliam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gwilliam 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 485 #5,144
1861 historical 502 #5,207
1881 historical 1,147 #3,487
1891 historical 956 #4,327
1901 historical 1,466 #3,483
1911 historical 1,619 #2,999
1997 modern 1,899 #3,178
1998 modern 1,982 #3,178
1999 modern 1,972 #3,212
2000 modern 1,955 #3,223
2001 modern 1,889 #3,256
2002 modern 1,970 #3,211
2003 modern 1,893 #3,249
2004 modern 1,847 #3,324
2005 modern 1,793 #3,379
2006 modern 1,800 #3,374
2007 modern 1,825 #3,361
2008 modern 1,824 #3,396
2009 modern 1,870 #3,398
2010 modern 1,896 #3,426
2011 modern 1,840 #3,463
2012 modern 1,807 #3,467
2013 modern 1,792 #3,543
2014 modern 1,804 #3,546
2015 modern 1,782 #3,550
2016 modern 1,769 #3,553

Geography

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Where Gwilliams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean and Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean and Shropshire. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
4 Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean Monmouthshire
5 Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick Worcestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 007 Forest of Dean
2 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
3 Forest of Dean 006 Forest of Dean
4 Shropshire 036 Shropshire
5 Shropshire 030 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gwilliam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gwilliam

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gwilliam is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Gwilliam 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

Gwilliam falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gwilliam

The surname Gwilliam is of English origin, specifically from the county of Cornwall in the southwestern part of the country. It is thought to have originated sometime in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Cornish personal name "Gwilliam," which is a combination of the elements "gwill" meaning "will" or "desire" and the name William.

One of the earliest known records of the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall from the year 1284, where a person named Gwilliam de Penryn is mentioned. Penryn is a town in Cornwall, indicating that the name was already established in that region by the late 13th century. The Cornish surname Gwilliam is believed to have evolved from this early form, with various spellings such as Gwilliam, Gwyllyam, and Gwylliam appearing in historical records over the centuries.

In the 16th century, the name Gwilliam is found in the records of the parish of St. Columb Major in Cornwall, where a family by that name held land and property. One notable individual from this period was John Gwilliam (c. 1550 - 1618), a successful merchant and landowner who served as Mayor of Truro, the county town of Cornwall, in the early 17th century.

Moving into the 17th and 18th centuries, the Gwilliam surname spread beyond Cornwall, with families of that name appearing in other parts of England, particularly in the neighboring county of Devon. One prominent figure was Sir John Gwillim (1605 - 1668), a lawyer and author from Whitchurch, Shropshire, who published a well-known work on heraldry titled "A Display of Heraldry" in 1610.

Another notable bearer of the name was William Gwillim (1675 - 1720), a Welsh clergyman and author who served as the Vicar of Llanddowror in Carmarthenshire. He is best known for his book "Gomer; or, A Brief Analysis of the Welsh Prosody and Versification" published in 1717, which was an important work on Welsh poetic forms and structures.

In the 19th century, the Gwilliam family continued to be prominent in Cornwall, with individuals such as John Gwilliam (1817 - 1896), a successful businessman and mine owner in the Cornish town of Camborne. He played a significant role in the development of the local mining industry and was an influential figure in the community.

While the Gwilliam surname has its roots in Cornwall, it has since spread to other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond, with descendants of the original Cornish families now found in various parts of the world. However, the name remains closely associated with its Cornish heritage and the rich history of this distinctive English surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gwilliam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gwilliam 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. Gloucestershire leads with 235 Gwilliams recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.77x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 235 10.77x
Shropshire 228 23.73x
Herefordshire 130 28.51x
Worcestershire 80 5.51x
Staffordshire 74 1.97x
Pembrokeshire 65 18.39x
Lancashire 57 0.43x
Monmouthshire 47 5.85x
Warwickshire 41 1.46x
Middlesex 35 0.31x
Glamorgan 23 1.19x
Montgomeryshire 22 8.63x
Somerset 18 1.01x
Brecknockshire 14 6.30x
Surrey 12 0.22x
Essex 11 0.50x
Berkshire 8 0.96x
Cheshire 7 0.29x
Wiltshire 7 0.71x
Yorkshire 7 0.06x
Kent 5 0.13x
Radnorshire 4 4.46x
Denbighshire 3 0.71x
Lincolnshire 2 0.11x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.14x
Devon 1 0.04x
Hertfordshire 1 0.13x
Oxfordshire 1 0.15x
Westmorland 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Dean in Gloucestershire leads with 83 Gwilliams recorded in 1881 and an index of 234.26x.

Place Total Index
West Dean 83 234.26x
Clun 20 293.26x
Pembroke St Mary 20 43.95x
Droitwich St Nicholas 17 315.99x
Wolverhampton 17 5.89x
Little Dean 16 511.18x
Birmingham 15 1.60x
Cheltenham 15 8.91x
Claines 15 37.63x
Chetton 14 736.84x
St Pancras London 14 1.56x
Bridstow 13 500.00x
Church Stretton 13 201.86x
Pontesbury 13 111.21x
Gloucester St John Baptist 12 85.23x
Hallow 12 168.78x
Llanstadwell 12 103.90x
Salford 12 3.09x
Aberystruth 11 15.52x
Burton 11 308.99x
Everton 11 2.62x
Worthen 11 107.74x
Bettws 10 478.47x
Gloucester Barton St 10 78.25x
Gloucester Longford St 10 338.98x
Gloucester St Mary Crypt 10 298.51x
Newland 10 54.56x
Toxteth Park 10 2.24x
Astley Abbotts 9 379.75x
Bishops Castle In 9 160.71x
Bisley 9 45.55x
Cardiff St Mary 9 8.44x
Edgton 9 1058.82x
Hubberston 9 173.75x
Leamington Priors 9 13.04x
Meole Brace 9 180.72x
Swansea Town 9 5.67x
Aston 8 1.04x
Bedminster 8 4.76x
Berrington 8 212.77x
Bristol St George 8 7.93x
Ewyas Harold 8 384.62x
Much Cowarne 8 421.05x
Powick 8 79.52x
Ratlinghope 8 776.70x
Steynton 8 70.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 2.01x
Walcot 8 8.39x
Wem 8 55.98x
Wrockwardine 8 37.86x
Atherton 7 14.57x
Cradley 7 104.95x
English Bicknor 7 290.46x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 7 17.54x
Gorton 7 5.64x
Handsworth 7 7.57x
Harwich St Nicholas 7 41.30x
Hay 7 84.75x
Holme Lacy 7 578.51x
Leebotwood 7 1029.41x
Lydham 7 1590.91x
Portskewett 7 374.33x
St Woollos 7 7.80x
Stroud 7 16.49x
Westbury On Severn East 7 14.20x
Bilston 6 8.25x
Castleford 6 14.95x
Llangoven 6 1304.35x
Longtown 6 212.77x
Pool 6 31.22x
St George Hanover 6 4.13x
Tettenhall 6 26.14x
Walsall Foreign 6 3.09x
Walton On Hill 6 8.39x
Westport St Mary 6 84.15x
Charlton Kings 5 33.13x
Churchstoke 5 103.95x
Cirencester 5 16.93x
Tupsley 5 129.20x
Wednesbury 5 5.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 72
Thomas 59
William 59
James 49
George 44
Joseph 22
Charles 21
Benjamin 18
Henry 17
Edward 16
Richard 14
Alfred 13
Arthur 12
Frederick 9
Albert 7
Edwin 7
Samuel 7
David 6
Walter 6
Herbert 4
Thos. 4
Wm. 4
Caleb 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Harry 3
Hubert 3
Milson 3
Oliver 3
Robert 3
Sidney 3
Benjn. 2
Daniel 2
Frank 2
Matthew 2
Maynard 2
Reuben 2
Saml. 2
Willm. 2
Austin 1
Benjmn. 1
Edwd. 1
Eidred 1
Eli 1
Emanuel 1
Evan 1
Felix 1
Jno. 1
Leonard 1
Zachariah 1

FAQ

Gwilliam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gwilliam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,147 people were recorded with the Gwilliam surname. That placed it at #3,487 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gwilliam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,769 in 2016. That gives Gwilliam a modern rank of #3,553.

What does the Gwilliam surname mean?

An anglicized variant of the Welsh patronymic surname "Gwilym," meaning "William's son."

What does the Gwilliam map show?

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