NameCensus.

UK surname

Hilliam

In the 1881 census there were 101 people recorded with the Hilliam surname, ranking it #19,636 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 184, ranked #20,731, down from #19,636 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, London parishes and Fleet. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, South Holland and East Northamptonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hilliam is 216 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 82.2%.

1881 census count

101

Ranked #19,636

Modern count

184

2016, ranked #20,731

Peak year

2010

216 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hilliam had 101 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,636 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016, ranked #20,731.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 166 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hilliam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hilliam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hilliam 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 68 #21,302
1861 historical 49 #27,768
1881 historical 101 #19,636
1891 historical 101 #23,870
1901 historical 166 #17,011
1911 historical 126 #19,831
1997 modern 191 #18,150
1998 modern 198 #18,224
1999 modern 198 #18,343
2000 modern 210 #17,670
2001 modern 209 #17,469
2002 modern 207 #17,911
2003 modern 202 #18,032
2004 modern 187 #18,993
2005 modern 178 #19,535
2006 modern 187 #19,079
2007 modern 194 #18,855
2008 modern 202 #18,528
2009 modern 209 #18,493
2010 modern 216 #18,492
2011 modern 208 #18,783
2012 modern 199 #19,280
2013 modern 198 #19,657
2014 modern 202 #19,575
2015 modern 198 #19,714
2016 modern 184 #20,731

Geography

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Where Hilliams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, London parishes, Fleet, Yaxley and Peterborough St John the Baptist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, South Holland, East Northamptonshire and Harborough. 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 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Fleet Lincolnshire
4 Yaxley Northamptonshire
5 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 006 Fenland
2 South Holland 010 South Holland
3 East Northamptonshire 003 East Northamptonshire
4 Harborough 007 Harborough
5 South Holland 004 South Holland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hilliam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hilliam

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Hilliam is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hilliam is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Hilliam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hilliam 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. Lincolnshire leads with 45 Hilliams recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.15x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 45 29.15x
Cambridgeshire 21 34.34x
Yorkshire 15 1.57x
Northamptonshire 12 13.21x
Middlesex 2 0.21x
Sussex 2 1.23x
Shropshire 1 1.20x
Surrey 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Fleet in Lincolnshire leads with 21 Hilliams recorded in 1881 and an index of 4772.73x.

Place Total Index
Fleet 21 4772.73x
Whittlesey St Mary St 20 934.58x
Pudsey 12 234.83x
Whaplode 9 1698.11x
Stamford St George 7 1014.49x
Peterborough 6 91.32x
Spalding 6 196.08x
Luddington 3 10000.00x
Polebrook 3 2000.00x
Gedney 2 317.46x
Hastings St Mary 2 49.38x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 32.47x
Battersea 1 2.81x
Hammersmith London 1 4.21x
Holbeck 1 15.77x
Old Artillery Ground 1 120.48x
Shrewsbury St Alkmond 1 217.39x
Thorney 1 147.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 4
Frances 4
Ann 3
Ada 2
Catherine 2
Eliza 2
Jane 2
Martha 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Clara 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Ethelred 1
Eunce 1
Eva 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Jessie 1
Josephine 1
Julia 1
Maud 1
Milicent 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
William 7
Charles 5
Samuel 5
Arthur 3
Robert 3
Frederick 2
George 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Thomas 2
Anthony 1
Cecil 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Lewis 1
Lloyd 1
Septimus 1

FAQ

Hilliam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hilliam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 101 people were recorded with the Hilliam surname. That placed it at #19,636 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hilliam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016. That gives Hilliam a modern rank of #20,731.

What does the Hilliam map show?

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