NameCensus.

UK surname

Lile

An English occupational surname referring to a flax grower or dealer, derived from the Old English word "lilie."

In the 1881 census there were 101 people recorded with the Lile surname, ranking it #19,636 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 96, ranked #31,684, down from #19,636 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, Bideford and Cardiff St John and St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Somerset, Maidstone and Lauder and Area.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lile is 111 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 5.0%.

1881 census count

101

Ranked #19,636

Modern count

96

2016, ranked #31,684

Peak year

2010

111 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 1998

Key insights

  • Lile had 101 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,636 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016, ranked #31,684.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 103 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Lile surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lile surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lile 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 93 #17,946
1861 historical 103 #20,650
1881 historical 101 #19,636
1891 historical 100 #24,045
1901 historical 100 #22,863
1911 historical 98 #22,959
1997 modern 99 #27,039
1998 modern 101 #27,479
1999 modern 98 #28,050
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 94 #28,246
2002 modern 104 #27,303
2003 modern 98 #28,046
2004 modern 96 #28,605
2005 modern 96 #28,671
2006 modern 99 #28,453
2007 modern 105 #27,868
2008 modern 106 #28,016
2009 modern 107 #28,483
2010 modern 111 #28,509
2011 modern 98 #30,384
2012 modern 94 #31,258
2013 modern 96 #31,381
2014 modern 92 #32,132
2015 modern 93 #31,972
2016 modern 96 #31,684

Geography

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Where Liles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, Bideford, Cardiff St John and St Mary, Swansea and Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Somerset, Maidstone, Lauder and Area and Ceredigion. 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 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
2 Bideford Devon
3 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
4 Swansea Glamorganshire
5 Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall Fife

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Somerset 003 West Somerset
2 West Somerset 004 West Somerset
3 Maidstone 004 Maidstone
4 Lauder and Area Scottish Borders
5 Ceredigion 011 Ceredigion

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lile

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lile

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Established Mature Families

Nationally, the Lile surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Mature Families, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Lile household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lile 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

Lile 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

Lile falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lile is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Lile

The surname LILE originates from England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "lil," meaning a small hill or mound. This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify someone who lived near a small hill or elevated land.

During the medieval period, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Lile, Lyle, and Lylle. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where a John Lile is mentioned.

The LILE surname has a strong connection with several notable historical figures. One of the most prominent individuals was Sir John Lile, a renowned English soldier who served during the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. Born around 1420, he fought alongside the House of Lancaster and played a crucial role in several battles, including the Battle of Wakefield in 1460.

Another notable figure was Robert Lile, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Berkshire, England, during the 16th century. He was recorded as a benefactor of St. Mary's Church in Reading, where his family's coat of arms can still be seen today.

In the 17th century, John Lile, a Puritan minister, gained recognition for his religious writings and sermons. Born in 1600, he served as a pastor in several parishes in England before immigrating to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638, where he continued his ministry.

The LILE surname also has connections to various place names in England. For instance, the village of Lyle in Gloucestershire is believed to have derived its name from the surname, suggesting a historical connection between the name and the location.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Willelmus de Lile is listed as holding lands in Oxfordshire.

Throughout history, several other notable individuals have carried the LILE surname, including Sir William Lile (1561-1635), an English politician and member of Parliament, and Thomas Lile (1711-1784), a British naval officer and explorer who played a significant role in the mapping of the Pacific Ocean.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lile families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lile 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. Glamorgan leads with 17 Liles recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.91x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 17 9.91x
Pembrokeshire 17 54.30x
Fife 15 25.72x
Devon 12 5.85x
Yorkshire 10 1.02x
Lanarkshire 8 2.51x
Warwickshire 6 2.42x
Lincolnshire 4 2.54x
Surrey 4 0.83x
Gloucestershire 3 1.55x
Cornwall 2 1.79x
Berwickshire 1 8.38x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 7.01x
Norfolk 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llanstadwell in Pembrokeshire leads with 11 Liles recorded in 1881 and an index of 1078.43x.

Place Total Index
Llanstadwell 11 1078.43x
Swansea Town 11 78.24x
Abbotshall 8 366.97x
Barnstaple 8 248.45x
Barony 8 9.92x
Kirkcaldy 7 242.21x
Aston 6 8.77x
Cardiff St Mary 5 52.91x
St Davids 5 704.23x
Wetwang 5 2380.95x
Farforth Cum Maidenwell 4 8000.00x
Lambeth 4 4.66x
Brightside Bierlow 3 15.67x
Cheltenham 3 20.12x
Bideford 2 90.91x
Madron Penzance 2 49.26x
Ayton 1 144.93x
Cardiff St John 1 17.86x
Fakenham Alethorpe 1 526.32x
Fridaythorpe 1 909.09x
Frithelstock 1 526.32x
Lochrutton 1 476.19x
Milford Haven 1 400.00x
Pilton 1 147.06x
Richmond 1 65.36x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Lile surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lile surname in 1881?

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

How common is the Lile surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016. That gives Lile a modern rank of #31,684.

What does the Lile surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a flax grower or dealer, derived from the Old English word "lilie."

What does the Lile map show?

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