NameCensus.

UK surname

Gwilliams

In the 1881 census there were 73 people recorded with the Gwilliams surname, ranking it #23,220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 233, ranked #17,625, up from #23,220 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dudley, Kings Norton and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley, Shropshire and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gwilliams is 255 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 219.2%.

1881 census count

73

Ranked #23,220

Modern count

233

2016, ranked #17,625

Peak year

2000

255 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gwilliams had 73 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,220 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 233 in 2016, ranked #17,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 156 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Gwilliams surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gwilliams surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gwilliams 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 74 #20,443
1861 historical 63 #25,901
1881 historical 73 #23,220
1891 historical 109 #22,701
1901 historical 137 #19,032
1911 historical 156 #17,421
1997 modern 253 #15,152
1998 modern 251 #15,631
1999 modern 240 #16,226
2000 modern 255 #15,538
2001 modern 247 #15,637
2002 modern 250 #15,819
2003 modern 248 #15,695
2004 modern 238 #16,242
2005 modern 235 #16,335
2006 modern 231 #16,636
2007 modern 234 #16,706
2008 modern 237 #16,688
2009 modern 242 #16,789
2010 modern 245 #17,013
2011 modern 239 #17,138
2012 modern 243 #16,839
2013 modern 238 #17,354
2014 modern 242 #17,285
2015 modern 241 #17,235
2016 modern 233 #17,625

Geography

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Where Gwilliams' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dudley, Kings Norton, Toxteth Park, West Derby and Much Wenlock, Harley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley, Shropshire, Leeds and Knowsley. 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 Dudley Staffordshire
2 Kings Norton Worcestershire
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 Much Wenlock, Harley Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 017 Dudley
2 Shropshire 015 Shropshire
3 Dudley 006 Dudley
4 Leeds 010 Leeds
5 Knowsley 020 Knowsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gwilliams

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gwilliams

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gwilliams, 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 Gwilliams surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Gwilliams household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Gwilliams is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

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Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gwilliams is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gwilliams 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 Gwilliams 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 Gwilliams, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Gwilliams families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gwilliams 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. Shropshire leads with 19 Gwilliams' recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.89x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 19 30.89x
Lancashire 11 1.30x
Herefordshire 10 34.26x
Worcestershire 8 8.60x
Staffordshire 7 2.91x
Cambridgeshire 6 13.31x
Leicestershire 4 5.07x
Middlesex 4 0.56x
Gloucestershire 2 1.43x
Pembrokeshire 2 8.84x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 11 Gwilliams' recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.45x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 11 38.45x
Cleobury Mortimer 7 1794.87x
Rushall 7 496.45x
Kings Norton 6 71.94x
Wroxeter 6 5000.00x
Brampton Bryan 4 4000.00x
Hackney London 4 10.02x
Haslingfield 4 2222.22x
Leicester St Margaret 4 20.78x
Goodrich 3 1666.67x
Little Hereford 3 3000.00x
Much Wenlock 3 526.32x
Gloucester Barton St 2 243.90x
Harston 2 1052.63x
Lower Mitton 2 243.90x
Pembroke St Mary 2 68.73x
Bettws 1 769.23x
Madeley 1 44.25x
Shipton 1 2000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 4
Ann 2
Emma 2
Gertrude 2
Anne 1
Clara 1
Ellen 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Lizzie 1
Margaret 1
Marianna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 8
John 6
Charles 4
Richard 4
Arthur 3
William 3
Henry 2
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Charle 1
Charley 1
Edwd.Peavely 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
George 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Samuel 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gwilliams surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gwilliams surname in 1881?

In 1881, 73 people were recorded with the Gwilliams surname. That placed it at #23,220 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gwilliams surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 233 in 2016. That gives Gwilliams a modern rank of #17,625.

What does the Gwilliams map show?

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