UK surname
A variant spelling of an occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold mustard.
In the 1881 census there were 85 people recorded with the Mothersill surname, ranking it #21,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 76, ranked #33,304, down from #21,573 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Otterington, North, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mothersill is 119 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 10.6%.
1881 census count
85
Ranked #21,573
Modern count
76
2016, ranked #33,304
Peak year
1911
119 bearers
Map years
2
1891 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Mothersill surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Mothersill surname density by area, 1911 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 60 | #22,584 |
| 1861 | historical | 77 | #23,975 |
| 1881 | historical | 85 | #21,573 |
| 1891 | historical | 108 | #22,828 |
| 1901 | historical | 94 | #23,588 |
| 1911 | historical | 119 | #20,535 |
| 1997 | modern | 86 | #28,876 |
| 1998 | modern | 88 | #29,131 |
| 1999 | modern | 85 | #29,578 |
| 2000 | modern | 84 | #29,706 |
| 2001 | modern | 86 | #29,281 |
| 2002 | modern | 82 | #30,181 |
| 2003 | modern | 88 | #29,506 |
| 2004 | modern | 88 | #29,758 |
| 2005 | modern | 78 | #31,058 |
| 2006 | modern | 77 | #31,510 |
| 2007 | modern | 79 | #31,628 |
| 2008 | modern | 82 | #31,597 |
| 2009 | modern | 87 | #31,489 |
| 2010 | modern | 83 | #32,396 |
| 2011 | modern | 83 | #32,336 |
| 2012 | modern | 75 | #33,263 |
| 2013 | modern | 80 | #33,058 |
| 2014 | modern | 77 | #33,336 |
| 2015 | modern | 78 | #33,210 |
| 2016 | modern | 76 | #33,304 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Otterington, North, Workington (Workington), Clossocks, Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall, Manchester and Guisborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Otterington, North | Yorkshire, North Riding |
| 2 | Workington (Workington), Clossocks | Cumberland |
| 3 | Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 4 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 5 | Guisborough | Yorkshire, North Riding |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Mothersill surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mothersill, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Mothersill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Mothersill household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Mothersill is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mothersill is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Mothersill, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Mothersill is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name where the first bearers of the name lived or came from.
One theory suggests that the name Mothersill may have its roots in the Old English words "moder" meaning mother, and "sill" meaning a shallow pool or stream. This could indicate that the name originally referred to a place near a small body of water associated with or named after a woman.
Another possibility is that the name is a corruption or variation of the place name "Mothershaw" or "Mothersal", both of which were found in Yorkshire, England. Records show that the Mothersill surname appeared in this region as early as the 16th century.
One of the earliest known records of the Mothersill name comes from the parish registers of Arkengarthdale, Yorkshire, where a Robert Mothersill was born in 1594. In the same parish, a John Mothersill was recorded in 1608, and a William Mothersill in 1612.
In the late 17th century, the Mothersill surname made its way to Ireland, where it became associated with County Armagh. A notable bearer of the name was John Mothersill (1698-1768), an Irish Anglican clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Clogher.
In the 18th century, the Mothersill family also had a presence in County Tyrone, Ireland. A prominent member was William Mothersill (1726-1797), a landowner and Justice of the Peace in the area.
Another notable figure was Charles Mothersill (1816-1889), an English architect who designed several buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Primrose Hill.
As the Mothersill surname spread across the British Isles and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Mothersole, Mothersell, and Mothersole. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the preferences of individual record keepers.
While the exact origins of the Mothersill name remain unclear, its history is deeply rooted in the English countryside and the lives of those who bore it throughout the centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mothersill surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 29 Mothersills recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.49x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 29 | 3.49x |
| Durham | 17 | 6.81x |
| Lancashire | 12 | 1.21x |
| Derbyshire | 10 | 7.62x |
| Nottinghamshire | 8 | 7.08x |
| Cheshire | 7 | 3.78x |
| Northumberland | 1 | 0.80x |
| Royal Navy | 1 | 10.01x |
| Warwickshire | 1 | 0.47x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dronfield in Derbyshire leads with 10 Mothersills recorded in 1881 and an index of 595.24x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Dronfield | 10 | 595.24x |
| Stockton On Tees | 9 | 74.81x |
| Nottingham St Mary | 8 | 27.36x |
| Sale | 7 | 308.37x |
| Stretford | 7 | 127.74x |
| Thornton Le Moor | 7 | 7000.00x |
| South Kilvington | 6 | 8571.43x |
| Cockerton | 5 | 625.00x |
| Nunthorpe | 5 | 10000.00x |
| Rastrick | 5 | 216.45x |
| Chorlton On Medlock | 3 | 18.98x |
| Darlington | 2 | 20.77x |
| Lytham | 2 | 131.58x |
| Thimbleby | 2 | 6666.67x |
| Whorlton | 2 | 1000.00x |
| East Thickley | 1 | 196.08x |
| Richmond | 1 | 76.92x |
| Royal Navy | 1 | 11.71x |
| Rugby | 1 | 34.97x |
| Thirsk | 1 | 104.17x |
| Tynemouth | 1 | 14.97x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mothersill surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mothersill surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Mothersill households.
FAQ
In 1881, 85 people were recorded with the Mothersill surname. That placed it at #21,573 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 76 in 2016. That gives Mothersill a modern rank of #33,304.
A variant spelling of an occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold mustard.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mothersill bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.