NameCensus.

UK surname

Newill

A variant spelling of the surname "Newell" meaning "new town" or "newcomer".

In the 1881 census there were 257 people recorded with the Newill surname, ranking it #10,861 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 134, ranked #25,636, down from #10,861 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Rochdale and Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Scarborough and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Newill is 322 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 47.9%.

1881 census count

257

Ranked #10,861

Modern count

134

2016, ranked #25,636

Peak year

1891

322 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Newill had 257 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,861 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016, ranked #25,636.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 322 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Newill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Newill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Newill 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 191 #10,808
1861 historical 300 #8,432
1881 historical 257 #10,861
1891 historical 322 #10,507
1901 historical 282 #12,145
1911 historical 264 #12,449
1997 modern 129 #23,143
1998 modern 140 #22,615
1999 modern 137 #23,083
2000 modern 141 #22,648
2001 modern 135 #22,945
2002 modern 133 #23,585
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 137 #23,098
2005 modern 143 #22,473
2006 modern 145 #22,420
2007 modern 143 #22,924
2008 modern 142 #23,270
2009 modern 139 #24,161
2010 modern 137 #24,907
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 124 #26,432
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 134 #25,711
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 134 #25,636

Geography

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Where Newills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Rochdale, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, London parishes and Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Scarborough, Leeds, Tamworth 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Rochdale Lancashire
3 Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors Shropshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 058 Bradford
2 Scarborough 005 Scarborough
3 Leeds 027 Leeds
4 Tamworth 002 Tamworth
5 Ceredigion 007 Ceredigion

Forenames

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First names often paired with Newill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Newill

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Newill, 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 Newill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Newill 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Newill 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

Newill 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

Newill falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Newill is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Newill

The surname Newill originates from England and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the Old English words "neowe" meaning new and "hyll" meaning hill, suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a newly formed or newly discovered hill.

Newill is a locational surname, meaning it was originally taken from a place name. There are several villages and hamlets in England that could have given rise to the name, such as Newhill in Hertfordshire and Newhall in Derbyshire. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was Newhyll, found in the Parish Registers of Leicestershire in 1587.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, an early medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to villages like "Newehalla" and "Nigehille," which could be related to the origin of the Newill surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Newill was John Newill, born in 1602 in Wiltshire, England. Another notable figure was William Newill (1659-1721), a prominent merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire.

In the 18th century, Thomas Newill (1718-1792) was a renowned clockmaker from Nottinghamshire, known for his intricate and ornate timepieces. Sarah Newill (1785-1856), born in Yorkshire, was a notable author and poet during the Romantic era.

Moving into the 19th century, James Newill (1823-1897) was a prominent figure in the British Army, serving as a colonel during the Crimean War and being awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in battle.

Throughout its history, the Newill surname has been associated with various locations across England, particularly in the Midlands and Northern regions, where it has maintained a consistent presence since its emergence in the 16th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Newill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Newill 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 63 Newills recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.53x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 63 2.53x
Shropshire 47 21.62x
Staffordshire 44 5.18x
Lancashire 17 0.57x
Cambridgeshire 16 10.04x
Surrey 14 1.14x
Middlesex 11 0.44x
Kent 9 1.05x
Buckinghamshire 8 5.26x
Montgomeryshire 8 13.87x
Leicestershire 5 1.79x
Hampshire 3 0.58x
Warwickshire 3 0.47x
Stirlingshire 2 2.15x
Cumberland 1 0.46x
Devon 1 0.19x
Gloucestershire 1 0.20x
Huntingdonshire 1 2.00x
Northamptonshire 1 0.42x
Northumberland 1 0.27x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.29x
Sussex 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bushbury in Staffordshire leads with 17 Newills recorded in 1881 and an index of 1111.11x.

Place Total Index
Bushbury 17 1111.11x
Litlington 16 2758.62x
Potter Newton 16 363.64x
Wellington 15 122.75x
Leeds 14 9.94x
Shifnal 14 237.29x
Wardleworth 12 70.30x
Lambeth 10 4.56x
Stoke Upon Trent 10 11.10x
West Wycombe 8 388.35x
Bishops Castle In 7 551.18x
Teynham 6 387.10x
Headingley Cum Burley 5 31.15x
Illston On The Hill 5 1851.85x
Kippax 5 228.31x
Pool 5 114.94x
Stansfield 5 54.47x
Wath On Dearne 5 100.40x
N Lydbury 4 470.59x
Sheffield 4 5.04x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 7.90x
Tottenham 4 9.98x
Walsall Foreign 4 9.12x
Wolverhampton 4 6.12x
Astley 3 1500.00x
Bethnal Green London 3 2.74x
Birmingham 3 1.42x
Portsea 3 2.97x
Spotland 3 9.04x
Wolstanton Chesterton 3 69.12x
Brewood 2 81.63x
Chapel Allerton 2 53.62x
Charlton Next Woolwich 2 22.32x
Huddersfield 2 5.51x
Kensington London 2 1.43x
Stirling 2 17.09x
Wuerdle Wardle 2 22.05x
Adel Cum Eccup 1 97.09x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 11.72x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 1 40.49x
Brighton 1 1.17x
Chatham 1 4.23x
Cheltenham 1 2.63x
Church Eaton 1 175.44x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.68x
Croxall 1 555.56x
East Stonehouse 1 9.69x
Great Gidding 1 238.10x
Guilsfield 1 47.62x
Heeley 1 13.19x
Hensingham 1 56.50x
Holbeck 1 6.05x
Hunslet 1 2.57x
Islington London 1 0.41x
Kerry 1 57.80x
Meifod 1 72.99x
Meole Brace 1 88.50x
Newcastle Under Lyme 1 6.65x
Northampton All Sts 1 12.45x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.14x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 1 41.67x
Shrewsbury St Chad 1 13.11x
Wallsend 1 8.42x
Willenhall 1 6.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Elizabeth 16
Sarah 10
Ann 8
Emma 6
Edith 5
Ellen 5
Hannah 4
Minnie 3
Susan 3
Alice 2
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Ethel 2
Fanny 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Maud 2
Rhoda 2
A. 1
Ada 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Dina 1
E. 1
Elizth 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Helene 1
Isabell 1
Isabella 1
Josephine 1
Julia 1
Luce 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Marian 1
Matilda 1
Mirian 1
Rosa 1
Sophia 1
Thurser 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 17
John 14
Thomas 14
James 11
Joseph 7
George 6
Benjamin 5
Edward 5
Samuel 5
Robert 4
Alfred 3
Frank 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Fred 2
Henry 2
Percy 2
Richard 2
Wm. 2
A. 1
Amos 1
Barker 1
Benjn. 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Emanuel 1
Enoch 1
Ezra 1
Fred.William 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
Howerd 1
Sampson 1
Sidney 1
Wm.A. 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Newill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Newill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 257 people were recorded with the Newill surname. That placed it at #10,861 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Newill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016. That gives Newill a modern rank of #25,636.

What does the Newill surname mean?

A variant spelling of the surname "Newell" meaning "new town" or "newcomer".

What does the Newill map show?

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