NameCensus.

UK surname

Pillar

A surname derived from the architectural term for a supporting column or shaft.

In the 1881 census there were 250 people recorded with the Pillar surname, ranking it #11,070 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 327, ranked #13,868, down from #11,070 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin, Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torbay, South Hams and Great Yarmouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pillar is 338 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.8%.

1881 census count

250

Ranked #11,070

Modern count

327

2016, ranked #13,868

Peak year

1901

338 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pillar had 250 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,070 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 327 in 2016, ranked #13,868.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 338 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Pillar surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pillar surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Pillar 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 187 #10,978
1861 historical 218 #11,175
1881 historical 250 #11,070
1891 historical 295 #11,255
1901 historical 338 #10,709
1911 historical 325 #10,783
1997 modern 302 #13,459
1998 modern 301 #13,861
1999 modern 298 #14,026
2000 modern 299 #13,937
2001 modern 300 #13,737
2002 modern 306 #13,835
2003 modern 299 #13,850
2004 modern 290 #14,178
2005 modern 288 #14,189
2006 modern 285 #14,361
2007 modern 294 #14,241
2008 modern 303 #14,038
2009 modern 317 #13,899
2010 modern 332 #13,745
2011 modern 333 #13,577
2012 modern 331 #13,538
2013 modern 337 #13,537
2014 modern 333 #13,770
2015 modern 329 #13,800
2016 modern 327 #13,868

Geography

Back to top

Where Pillars are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin, Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841), London parishes, Gateshead and Plymouth St Charles the Martyr. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torbay, South Hams and Great Yarmouth. 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 Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin Devon
2 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Plymouth St Charles the Martyr Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torbay 017 Torbay
2 South Hams 007 South Hams
3 South Hams 009 South Hams
4 Great Yarmouth 009 Great Yarmouth
5 Great Yarmouth 006 Great Yarmouth

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Pillar

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Pillar

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

Spacious Rural Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Pillar is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pillar is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pillar falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pillar is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Pillar

The surname Pillar has its origins in medieval England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "pil" and "hir," meaning "stone" and "wood" respectively. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a stone or wooden pillar, or perhaps someone who worked with such materials.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pillar can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1198, where a man named William Pillar is mentioned as a landowner. The Pipe Rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer during this period.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records compiled for King Edward I. These rolls mention a John Pillar from Oxfordshire, and a Robert Pillar from Cambridgeshire.

The Domesday Book, a famous survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Pillar. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Pille in Wiltshire and Pillerton in Warwickshire.

One notable bearer of the Pillar surname was Sir William Pillar (c. 1395-1467), a member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the Wars of the Roses. Another was John Pillar (c. 1510-1564), a merchant and explorer from Bristol who is credited with being one of the first Englishmen to visit Russia.

In the 16th century, the name was sometimes spelled as Pyler or Piler, as evidenced by records from the parish of St. Giles, Cripplegate in London, which mention a Thomas Piler in 1587.

Other notable individuals with the surname Pillar include Roger Pillar (c. 1620-1698), a Puritan minister from Massachusetts, and Elizabeth Pillar (c. 1665-1736), a writer and poet from London who published several works under the pseudonym "Ariadne."

By the 18th century, variations of the name such as Pillars and Pillars had emerged, reflecting the pluralization of the surname. One example is William Pillars (c. 1770-1848), a Scottish minister and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Pillar families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pillar 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. Devon leads with 128 Pillars recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.42x.

County Total Index
Devon 128 25.42x
Norfolk 25 6.72x
Northumberland 19 5.28x
Durham 18 2.50x
Middlesex 18 0.74x
Glamorgan 7 1.66x
Dorset 6 3.78x
Lancashire 6 0.21x
Suffolk 5 1.70x
Surrey 5 0.42x
Lanarkshire 4 0.51x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.92x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.68x
Cornwall 1 0.37x
Kent 1 0.12x
Monmouthshire 1 0.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dartmouth St Petrox in Devon leads with 25 Pillars recorded in 1881 and an index of 3424.66x.

Place Total Index
Dartmouth St Petrox 25 3424.66x
Great Yarmouth 24 77.90x
Gateshead 12 22.27x
Dartmouth Townstall 8 390.24x
Dawlish 8 212.77x
Islington London 8 3.41x
Plymouth St Andrew 8 20.62x
Cardiff St John 7 50.87x
Drewsteignton 7 1044.78x
Plymouth Charles The 7 31.56x
Plymstock 7 265.15x
Ancroft 6 472.44x
Brixham 6 102.92x
South Tawton 6 576.92x
Burlescombe 5 735.29x
Kingsteignton 5 357.14x
Kirkdale 5 10.35x
Stranton 5 20.64x
West Teignmouth 5 129.87x
Carham 4 430.11x
Cornhill 4 740.74x
Govan 4 2.07x
Hackney London 4 2.95x
Paignton 4 104.44x
Stoke Damerel 4 11.35x
Tamerton Foliott 4 412.37x
Weymouth 4 132.89x
Ermington 3 163.93x
Highweek 3 166.67x
Leiston 3 148.51x
Nottingham St Mary 3 3.56x
Bermondsey 2 2.78x
Bovey Tracey 2 113.64x
Chatton 2 181.82x
Ickenham 2 606.06x
Southwold 2 114.94x
Spitalfields London 2 10.99x
Tormoham 2 9.39x
Barnes 1 20.04x
Bedwellty 1 3.24x
Berwick Upon Tweed 1 13.11x
Bickleigh 1 204.08x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.62x
Broadhempston 1 212.77x
Camberwell 1 0.65x
Chelsea London 1 1.37x
Dartmouth St Saviour 1 69.44x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.57x
Doddington 1 400.00x
East Stonehouse 1 10.08x
Eton 1 30.12x
Exeter Heavitree 1 26.67x
Exminster 1 55.25x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 8.95x
Kyloe 1 120.48x
Lambeth 1 0.47x
Littleham 1 27.17x
Lyme Regis 1 52.63x
Portland 1 11.71x
St Andrew Holborn 1 12.20x
St Dominick 1 144.93x
Tavistock 1 17.42x
Totnes 1 33.90x
West Derby 1 1.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 12
Jane 8
Mary 8
Sarah 8
Margaret 6
Alice 5
Ann 5
Charlotte 4
Hannah 4
Maria 4
Susan 4
Caroline 3
Ellen 3
Frances 3
Matilda 3
Agnes 2
Anna 2
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Laura 2
Lucy 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Arrabala 1
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Blanche 1
Charlow 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Isabella 1
Janet 1
Kate 1
Mabel 1
Mercy 1
Pheba 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 14
Thomas 13
James 12
Henry 9
George 7
Charles 6
Joseph 4
Alfred 3
David 3
Frederick 3
Langmead 3
Robert 3
Barry 2
Edward 2
Geo. 2
Richard 2
W.T. 2
Alfd. 1
Andw. 1
Bartholomew 1
Chas.B. 1
Emanuel 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.W. 1
Herbert 1
Philip 1
Ralph 1
Walter 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Pillar surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pillar surname in 1881?

In 1881, 250 people were recorded with the Pillar surname. That placed it at #11,070 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pillar surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 327 in 2016. That gives Pillar a modern rank of #13,868.

What does the Pillar surname mean?

A surname derived from the architectural term for a supporting column or shaft.

What does the Pillar map show?

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