NameCensus.

UK surname

Niland

Of English origin, a locational surname derived from a place name meaning "new land."

In the 1881 census there were 91 people recorded with the Niland surname, ranking it #20,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 311, ranked #14,376, up from #20,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Wingfield, North and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Lincolnshire, Trafford and Thurrock.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Niland is 336 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 241.8%.

1881 census count

91

Ranked #20,843

Modern count

311

2016, ranked #14,376

Peak year

2013

336 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Niland had 91 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 311 in 2016, ranked #14,376.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 114 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Niland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Niland surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Niland 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 46 #28,170
1881 historical 91 #20,843
1891 historical 83 #26,376
1901 historical 77 #25,627
1911 historical 114 #21,064
1997 modern 273 #14,417
1998 modern 300 #13,877
1999 modern 308 #13,722
2000 modern 317 #13,439
2001 modern 304 #13,619
2002 modern 323 #13,325
2003 modern 310 #13,522
2004 modern 307 #13,685
2005 modern 300 #13,837
2006 modern 296 #14,030
2007 modern 301 #14,022
2008 modern 303 #14,038
2009 modern 311 #14,069
2010 modern 329 #13,818
2011 modern 326 #13,775
2012 modern 327 #13,654
2013 modern 336 #13,574
2014 modern 323 #14,081
2015 modern 314 #14,275
2016 modern 311 #14,376

Geography

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Where Nilands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Wingfield, North, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and West Ham,Wanstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Lincolnshire, Trafford and Thurrock. 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 Wingfield, North Derbyshire
3 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 West Ham,Wanstead Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Lincolnshire 007 North Lincolnshire
2 Trafford 005 Trafford
3 North Lincolnshire 008 North Lincolnshire
4 Trafford 010 Trafford
5 Thurrock 007 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Niland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Niland

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

Challenged Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Niland is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Niland 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

Niland 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 Niland 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Niland

The surname Niland originates from Ireland and is believed to have its roots in the medieval Gaelic language. It is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic words "Niadh" meaning "warrior" or "champion" and "lann" meaning "blade" or "sword." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a skilled swordsman or fighter.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Niland can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, a man named Niall Ó Nialláin is mentioned as having been slain in the year 1439. This entry provides evidence of the surname's usage in the 15th century.

The Niland name has also been linked to various place names in Ireland, such as Niland in County Galway and Nilantown in County Kildare. These locations may have been named after individuals bearing the Niland surname or may have served as the origins of the name itself.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Niland. One example is John Niland (1799-1865), an Irish-born prelate who served as the first Catholic Bishop of Hartford, Connecticut. Another is James Niland (1825-1904), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.

In the field of literature, Charles Niland (1782-1841) was an Irish-born poet and essayist who published works such as "The Poems of Charles Niland" and "The Life and Poems of Charles Niland." Thomas Niland (1846-1911) was an Irish-born American Catholic priest and author, known for his book "The Niland Poems."

Additionally, the surname Niland has been associated with various military figures. For instance, Robert Niland (1918-1944) was an American soldier who served in World War II and was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions during the Battle of Saipan.

While the surname Niland is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the medieval Irish language and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, politicians, authors, and military personnel.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Niland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Niland 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. Lancashire leads with 37 Nilands recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.51x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 37 3.51x
Yorkshire 13 1.48x
Durham 11 4.17x
Staffordshire 9 3.00x
Warwickshire 9 4.02x
Selkirkshire 3 37.36x
Shropshire 3 3.91x
Middlesex 2 0.23x
Northumberland 2 1.51x
Cumberland 1 1.31x
Derbyshire 1 0.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clitheroe in Lancashire leads with 10 Nilands recorded in 1881 and an index of 322.58x.

Place Total Index
Clitheroe 10 322.58x
Birmingham 9 12.07x
Wolverhampton 9 39.06x
Usworth 8 571.43x
Walton On Hill 6 105.08x
Linthorpe 5 95.24x
Middleton In Oldham 4 126.58x
Over Darwen 4 47.56x
Huddersfield 3 23.42x
Melrose 3 148.51x
Newport 3 322.58x
Newton In Makerfield 3 93.17x
Batley 2 23.92x
Bishop Auckland 2 56.50x
Bold 2 769.23x
Liverpool 2 3.13x
Oldham 2 5.88x
Seghill 2 307.69x
Spotland 2 17.08x
Cockermouth 1 62.11x
Derby St Werburgh 1 12.47x
Golcar 1 42.92x
Kimberworth 1 20.49x
Ratcliffe London 1 20.41x
Salford 1 3.23x
Sheffield 1 3.57x
St Anne Soho London 1 19.72x
Wardleworth 1 16.61x
Witton Gilbert 1 96.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Catherine 8
Margaret 6
Bridget 3
Ann 2
Margret 2
Sarah 2
Anni 1
Annie 1
Cathrin 1
Ellen 1
Julia 1
Magaret 1
Maggie 1
Marcella 1
Margeret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
Patrick 10
James 6
Thomas 6
Dennis 2
Matthew 2
Andrew 1
Luke 1
Martin 1
Michael 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1
William 1

FAQ

Niland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Niland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 91 people were recorded with the Niland surname. That placed it at #20,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Niland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 311 in 2016. That gives Niland a modern rank of #14,376.

What does the Niland surname mean?

Of English origin, a locational surname derived from a place name meaning "new land."

What does the Niland map show?

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