NameCensus.

UK surname

Killilea

Of Irish origin, referring to a person from the town of Killilea.

In the 1881 census there were 4 people recorded with the Killilea surname, ranking it #33,288 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 106, ranked #29,927, up from #33,288 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Killilea is 114 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 2550.0%.

1881 census count

4

Ranked #33,288

Modern count

106

2016, ranked #29,927

Peak year

2013

114 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Killilea had 4 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,288 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016, ranked #29,927.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 27 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Killilea surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Killilea surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Killilea 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 13 #30,970
1861 historical 1 #34,435
1881 historical 4 #33,288
1891 historical 7 #33,665
1901 historical 16 #32,260
1911 historical 27 #30,437
1997 modern 104 #26,351
1998 modern 108 #26,417
1999 modern 104 #27,164
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 103 #26,927
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 107 #26,617
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 91 #29,406
2006 modern 98 #28,621
2007 modern 96 #29,339
2008 modern 97 #29,527
2009 modern 100 #29,597
2010 modern 110 #28,666
2011 modern 104 #29,424
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 114 #28,347
2014 modern 111 #29,113
2015 modern 109 #29,327
2016 modern 106 #29,927

Geography

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Where Killileas 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 St. Helens and Manchester. 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 St. Helens 006 St. Helens
2 Manchester 015 Manchester
3 St. Helens 017 St. Helens
4 St. Helens 008 St. Helens
5 St. Helens 015 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Killilea

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Killilea

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

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Killilea surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Killilea household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial 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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Killilea is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Killilea is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Killilea 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 Killilea 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Killilea

The surname KILLILEA is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the Emerald Isle. This name is derived from the Gaelic words "cill" and "liath," which translate to "church" and "grey" respectively, suggesting a connection to a grey church or monastery.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KILLILEA name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a prominent family bearing this surname who hailed from County Galway in the western region of Ireland.

During the 13th century, the KILLILEA surname gained prominence in County Mayo, particularly in the parish of Killeaden. This parish likely lent its name to the family, with "Killeaden" being an anglicized version of the Irish "Cill Liadáin," meaning "the church of Liadán."

Notable individuals bearing the KILLILEA surname include Father Michael KILLILEA (1829-1902), a Catholic priest who served as the first president of St. John's Seminary in Boston, Massachusetts. Another prominent figure was John KILLILEA (1873-1944), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts.

In the literary realm, Marie KILLILEA (1913-1991) was a renowned American author and disability rights advocate, best known for her memoir "Karen," which chronicled the life of her daughter with cerebral palsy. Additionally, William P. KILLILEA (1907-1981) was a respected American journalist and war correspondent who covered World War II and the Korean War.

The KILLILEA name also has ties to the historic town of Ballinrobe in County Mayo, where the KILLILEA family held substantial landholdings in the 17th and 18th centuries. Records from this period, such as the Books of Survey and Distribution, mention members of the KILLILEA clan as prominent landowners in the area.

While the KILLILEA surname may have evolved over time, with variations like Kilillea, Kililea, and Kilelly appearing in historical records, its origins remain deeply rooted in the rich cultural tapestry of Ireland, where it has left an indelible mark on the country's history and heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Killilea families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Killilea 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. Yorkshire leads with 3 Killileas recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.79x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 3 7.79x
Leicestershire 1 23.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 3 Killileas recorded in 1881 and an index of 243.90x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 3 243.90x
Belgrave 1 1000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Ellen 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Killilea households.

FAQ

Killilea surname: questions and answers

How common was the Killilea surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4 people were recorded with the Killilea surname. That placed it at #33,288 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Killilea surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016. That gives Killilea a modern rank of #29,927.

What does the Killilea surname mean?

Of Irish origin, referring to a person from the town of Killilea.

What does the Killilea map show?

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