UK surname
A surname derived from the German word "Pillmann," meaning a toll collector or tax collector.
In the 1881 census there were 79 people recorded with the Pillman surname, ranking it #22,357 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 47, ranked #35,069, down from #22,357 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Axmouth, Roosdown and Exeter City: St Kerrian. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pillman is 111 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 40.5%.
1881 census count
79
Ranked #22,357
Modern count
47
2016, ranked #35,069
Peak year
1891
111 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Pillman surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Pillman surname density by area, 1891 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 | 61 | #22,412 |
| 1861 | historical | 101 | #20,955 |
| 1881 | historical | 79 | #22,357 |
| 1891 | historical | 111 | #22,421 |
| 1901 | historical | 77 | #25,627 |
| 1911 | historical | 78 | #25,013 |
| 1997 | modern | 61 | #31,526 |
| 1998 | modern | 62 | #31,735 |
| 1999 | modern | 60 | #32,078 |
| 2000 | modern | 68 | #31,380 |
| 2001 | modern | 63 | #31,693 |
| 2002 | modern | 59 | #32,468 |
| 2003 | modern | 60 | #32,446 |
| 2004 | modern | 57 | #32,968 |
| 2005 | modern | 58 | #33,094 |
| 2006 | modern | 59 | #33,330 |
| 2007 | modern | 57 | #33,800 |
| 2008 | modern | 57 | #34,015 |
| 2009 | modern | 58 | #34,144 |
| 2010 | modern | 55 | #34,536 |
| 2011 | modern | 52 | #34,688 |
| 2012 | modern | 50 | #34,814 |
| 2013 | modern | 48 | #35,012 |
| 2014 | modern | 49 | #34,991 |
| 2015 | modern | 49 | #34,946 |
| 2016 | modern | 47 | #35,069 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Axmouth, Roosdown, Exeter City: St Kerrian, Edinburgh and Brighton. 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 | Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) | Devon |
| 2 | Axmouth, Roosdown | Devon |
| 3 | Exeter City: St Kerrian | Devon |
| 4 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| 5 | Brighton | Sussex |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Pillman 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 Pillman, 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 Pillman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Pillman 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, Pillman 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 Pillman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Pillman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Pillman is of German origin, originating in the 14th century. It is derived from the German word "pille," meaning "ball" or "sphere," and is believed to have been an occupational surname given to those who made or sold balls for various purposes, such as balls for games or ammunition for early firearms.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval German records from the late 1300s. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Pillman, a ball maker from the town of Nürnberg, who was mentioned in a local registry in 1387.
Throughout the centuries, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Pillmann, Pilman, and Pyllman. It is also believed to be related to the place name Pillnitz, a village near Dresden, which may have contributed to the development of the surname.
In the 16th century, the Pillman surname appeared in the records of the city of Augsburg, where a family of ball makers was documented. One notable member of this family was Johann Pillman, who was recorded as a master ball maker in 1542.
Another significant bearer of the name was Caspar Pillman, a German theologian and philosopher born in 1529. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg.
During the 17th century, the Pillman surname spread across Europe as families migrated to other regions. For instance, in 1678, a man named Georg Pillman was listed as a resident of the town of Bern in Switzerland.
As the name traveled, it also evolved into different variations, such as the Dutch form "Piljman" and the English spelling "Pillman." One notable English bearer of the name was John Pillman, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, who lived from 1635 to 1702.
Another significant figure was Johann Samuel Pillman, a German chemist and physician born in 1735. He made important contributions to the field of chemistry and wrote several influential treatises on the subject.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pillman 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. Devon leads with 42 Pillmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.19x.
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hartland in Devon leads with 12 Pillmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2400.00x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hartland | 12 | 2400.00x |
| Roosdown | 9 | 90000.00x |
| North Tawton | 8 | 1632.65x |
| Bradninch | 6 | 1333.33x |
| Holy Trinity | 5 | 1470.59x |
| Lambeth | 5 | 7.44x |
| Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe | 5 | 140.85x |
| Edinburgh St Cuthberts | 4 | 9.63x |
| Newington | 4 | 14.05x |
| Mile End Old Town | 3 | 24.67x |
| Portsea | 3 | 9.69x |
| Greenwich | 2 | 16.31x |
| Newton | 2 | 28.37x |
| Bath St James | 1 | 77.52x |
| Bideford | 1 | 58.14x |
| Brighton | 1 | 3.82x |
| Hampstead London | 1 | 8.33x |
| Isleworth | 1 | 29.24x |
| Islington London | 1 | 1.34x |
| Langtree | 1 | 526.32x |
| Merton | 1 | 151.52x |
| Spitalfields London | 1 | 17.27x |
| Walthamstow | 1 | 18.28x |
| York St Cuthbert | 1 | 142.86x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pillman 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 Pillman 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 Pillman households.
FAQ
In 1881, 79 people were recorded with the Pillman surname. That placed it at #22,357 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 47 in 2016. That gives Pillman a modern rank of #35,069.
A surname derived from the German word "Pillmann," meaning a toll collector or tax collector.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pillman 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.