NameCensus.

UK surname

Ilori

A surname of Yoruba origin meaning "someone from the Ilori community or town".

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newham, Southwark and Northampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ilori is 178 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

169

2016, ranked #21,884

Peak year

2010

178 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016, ranked #21,884.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Ilori surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ilori surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ilori 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
1997 modern 57 #31,917
1998 modern 66 #31,387
1999 modern 66 #31,509
2000 modern 71 #31,082
2001 modern 73 #30,699
2002 modern 89 #29,428
2003 modern 97 #28,217
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 126 #24,287
2006 modern 134 #23,590
2007 modern 157 #21,546
2008 modern 165 #21,056
2009 modern 169 #21,190
2010 modern 178 #20,965
2011 modern 173 #21,172
2012 modern 155 #22,762
2013 modern 172 #21,575
2014 modern 167 #22,180
2015 modern 168 #21,971
2016 modern 169 #21,884

Geography

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Where Iloris are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newham, Southwark and Northampton. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newham 033 Newham
2 Southwark 019 Southwark
3 Northampton 005 Northampton
4 Southwark 007 Southwark
5 Southwark 018 Southwark

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ilori

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ilori

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ilori, 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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Ilori surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Ilori 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Ilori 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

Ilori is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ilori falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ilori is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Black - African

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ilori, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ilori

The surname Ilori is of Yoruba origin from Nigeria. It is believed to have derived from the Yoruba word "Ilo-ri" which means "owner of the house" or "head of the household". This surname is primarily found among the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria.

The earliest recorded instances of the Ilori surname date back to the 17th century in various historical records and documents from the Yoruba kingdoms of Oyo and Ilorin. It is possible that the name was initially used as a descriptive term or title before becoming an inherited surname.

In the 19th century, the Ilori name appears in several accounts and chronicles of the Yoruba Wars, particularly the Kiriji War of 1878-1893. Notable figures with this surname during that period include Chief Ilori Ogunmola, a renowned military leader and warrior from Ilorin, who played a significant role in the conflicts.

Another prominent individual with the Ilori surname was Reverend Samuel Adjai Crowther, a pioneering linguist and the first Anglican bishop of West Africa, born in 1809 in Osogun, Oyo Empire (now in Oyo State, Nigeria). He made substantial contributions to the translation of the Bible and other texts into the Yoruba language.

In the 20th century, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a political leader and statesman, was born in 1909 with the surname Ilori before changing it to Awolowo later in life. He played a pivotal role in Nigerian politics and was a strong advocate for federalism and self-governance.

More recently, Chief Festus Adeyeye Ilori, born in 1940, served as a prominent traditional ruler and the Olubadan of Ibadan, one of the highest-ranking chieftaincy titles in Yorubaland, from 2021 until his passing in 2022.

While the Ilori surname is primarily concentrated in Nigeria, it has also been carried by individuals of Yoruba descent in other parts of West Africa and the diaspora communities around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Ilori surname: questions and answers

How common is the Ilori surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 169 in 2016. That gives Ilori a modern rank of #21,884.

What does the Ilori surname mean?

A surname of Yoruba origin meaning "someone from the Ilori community or town".

What does the Ilori map show?

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