NameCensus.

UK surname

Piller

A German occupational surname derived from the German word "pilger", meaning a pilgrim.

In the 1881 census there were 166 people recorded with the Piller surname, ranking it #14,496 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 238, ranked #17,361, down from #14,496 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841), London parishes and Kenn, Ide, Ashton, Exminster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lewisham, Hackney and Braintree.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Piller is 272 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.4%.

1881 census count

166

Ranked #14,496

Modern count

238

2016, ranked #17,361

Peak year

1911

272 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • • Piller had 166 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,496 surname in that year.
  • • The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016, ranked #17,361.
  • • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 272 in 1911.
  • • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Piller surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Piller surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Piller 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 146 #13,157
1861 historical 183 #12,903
1881 historical 166 #14,496
1891 historical 195 #15,211
1901 historical 219 #14,292
1911 historical 272 #12,205
1997 modern 223 #16,448
1998 modern 227 #16,754
1999 modern 216 #17,364
2000 modern 219 #17,195
2001 modern 222 #16,806
2002 modern 222 #17,147
2003 modern 217 #17,176
2004 modern 226 #16,829
2005 modern 222 #16,983
2006 modern 233 #16,560
2007 modern 222 #17,288
2008 modern 222 #17,442
2009 modern 239 #16,951
2010 modern 226 #17,942
2011 modern 237 #17,235
2012 modern 245 #16,745
2013 modern 249 #16,825
2014 modern 242 #17,285
2015 modern 239 #17,322
2016 modern 238 #17,361

Geography

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Where Pillers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841), London parishes, Kenn, Ide, Ashton, Exminster, Drewsteington, Hittisleigh and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lewisham, Hackney, Braintree, Crawley and Southwark. 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 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon
2 London parishes London 3
3 Kenn, Ide, Ashton, Exminster Devon
4 Drewsteington, Hittisleigh Devon
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lewisham 010 Lewisham
2 Hackney 001 Hackney
3 Braintree 014 Braintree
4 Crawley 012 Crawley
5 Southwark 004 Southwark

Forenames

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First names often paired with Piller

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Piller

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Piller surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Piller household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Piller is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Piller 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

Piller falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Piller 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 Piller, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Piller

The surname Piller has its origins in Germany, emerging around the 12th century. It is derived from the German word "pille," meaning "ball" or "sphere," which could have referred to a maker or seller of balls, or perhaps an occupation related to a rounded shape or object.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Piller can be found in the town records of Augsburg, Germany, from the year 1292, where a person named Heinrich Piller was mentioned. The name also appears in various German church records and tax rolls throughout the late medieval and early modern periods.

In the 16th century, a notable individual bearing the name Piller was Hans Piller, a German artist and woodcarver who was active in the city of Nuremberg between 1520 and 1540. His intricate woodcarvings and religious sculptures can still be found in several churches and museums across Germany.

Another significant figure with the surname Piller was Johann Piller (1647-1722), a German botanist and physician from Saxony. He made important contributions to the study of plant life and published several books on the subject, including "Hortus Gednensis" in 1676.

In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the name was Karl Piller (1835-1888), an Austrian-born architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Vienna, including the Votive Church and the Heinrichshof Palace.

Moving to the 20th century, one can find references to Max Piller (1908-1990), a Swiss-born industrial designer and architect. He is particularly renowned for his innovative designs of household appliances and products for companies like Braun and Leitz.

Another individual worth mentioning is Gertrud Piller (1910-1988), a German author and translator known for her works on philosophy and literature. She contributed to the translation and dissemination of works by prominent philosophers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus.

While the surname Piller is more commonly found in German-speaking regions, it has also spread to other parts of Europe and the world through migration and intermarriage over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Piller families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Piller 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 48 Pillers recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.33x.

County Total Index
Devon 48 14.33x
Middlesex 39 2.42x
Surrey 39 4.97x
Sussex 13 4.79x
Norfolk 11 4.45x
Glamorgan 5 1.78x
Durham 3 0.63x
Berkshire 1 0.83x
Cornwall 1 0.55x
Essex 1 0.31x
Hampshire 1 0.30x
Kent 1 0.18x
Lanarkshire 1 0.19x
Shropshire 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. Newington in Surrey leads with 18 Pillers recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.28x.

Place Total Index
Newington 18 30.28x
Drewsteignton 10 2272.73x
Great Yarmouth 10 48.78x
Chelsea London 7 14.43x
Feltham 7 434.78x
Ide 7 1944.44x
Spitalfields London 7 57.85x
Bermondsey 6 12.52x
Hove 6 50.38x
Southwark St John 6 121.95x
Brighton 5 9.13x
Exeter St Thomas The 5 146.20x
Mile End Old Town 5 19.69x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 19.37x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 15.44x
Hanwell 4 140.35x
Roath 4 31.42x
Wolborough 4 94.56x
Holcombe Burnell 3 2500.00x
Sampford Peverell 3 833.33x
Stranton 3 18.61x
Teddington London 3 82.19x
Tormoham 3 21.17x
Paignton 2 78.43x
St Marylebone London 2 2.33x
Subdeanary 2 273.97x
Whitefriars Precinct 2 769.23x
Aldershot 1 9.05x
Battersea 1 1.69x
Beckenham 1 13.93x
Brixham 1 25.77x
Burlescombe 1 217.39x
Chagford 1 125.00x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.63x
Diss 1 47.17x
Exeter Alphington 1 163.93x
Georgeham 1 238.10x
Govan 1 0.78x
Ham 1 285.71x
Harrow On The Hill 1 31.06x
Kingston On Thames 1 5.31x
Kintbury 1 107.53x
Llandaff 1 10.73x
Ludlow St Lawrence 1 36.10x
Plymouth Charles The 1 6.78x
St Austell 1 16.05x
West Ham 1 1.43x
Woking 1 21.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 12
Sarah 7
Alice 3
Elizth. 3
Hannah 3
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Ameila 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Florry 1
Grace 1
Harriett 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Leah 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Priscilla 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
John 11
George 9
James 9
Henry 5
Alfred 4
Arthur 3
Benjamin 3
Charles 3
Frederick 3
Harry 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Aaron 1
Albert 1
David 1
Edward 1
Herbert 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
Marsel 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Simon 1
Stephen 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1
Willm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Piller surname: questions and answers

How common was the Piller surname in 1881?

In 1881, 166 people were recorded with the Piller surname. That placed it at #14,496 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Piller surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016. That gives Piller a modern rank of #17,361.

What does the Piller surname mean?

A German occupational surname derived from the German word "pilger", meaning a pilgrim.

What does the Piller map show?

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