NameCensus.

UK surname

Quilliam

A variant of the Welsh surname Gwilliam, derived from the personal name William.

In the 1881 census there were 137 people recorded with the Quilliam surname, ranking it #16,358 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 314, ranked #14,291, up from #16,358 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Bees, Toxteth Park and West Derby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Knowsley, Wigan and St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Quilliam is 350 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 129.2%.

1881 census count

137

Ranked #16,358

Modern count

314

2016, ranked #14,291

Peak year

2002

350 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Quilliam had 137 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,358 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 314 in 2016, ranked #14,291.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 258 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Quilliam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Quilliam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Quilliam 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 10 #31,497
1861 historical 55 #27,007
1881 historical 137 #16,358
1891 historical 167 #17,006
1901 historical 208 #14,760
1911 historical 258 #12,614
1997 modern 333 #12,615
1998 modern 343 #12,707
1999 modern 347 #12,696
2000 modern 347 #12,642
2001 modern 341 #12,588
2002 modern 350 #12,620
2003 modern 335 #12,815
2004 modern 339 #12,744
2005 modern 341 #12,605
2006 modern 333 #12,941
2007 modern 342 #12,809
2008 modern 332 #13,207
2009 modern 343 #13,168
2010 modern 338 #13,550
2011 modern 334 #13,556
2012 modern 310 #14,210
2013 modern 318 #14,160
2014 modern 317 #14,269
2015 modern 312 #14,347
2016 modern 314 #14,291

Geography

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Where Quilliams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Bees, Toxteth Park, West Derby, Liverpool and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Knowsley, Wigan and St. Helens. 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 St Bees Cumberland
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 West Derby Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Knowsley 001 Knowsley
2 Wigan 020 Wigan
3 Wigan 013 Wigan
4 St. Helens 001 St. Helens
5 St. Helens 022 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Quilliam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Quilliam

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Quilliam surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Quilliam household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Quilliam is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Quilliam is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Quilliam 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 Quilliam 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 Quilliam, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Quilliam

The surname Quilliam originates from the Isle of Man, a small island located between Great Britain and Ireland. It is believed to have derived from the ancient Manx language, a Gaelic dialect once spoken on the island. The name is thought to come from the Manx word "cuilliagh," meaning "willow tree" or "willow grove."

Historically, the Quilliam family can be traced back to the late 16th century on the Isle of Man. One of the earliest records is found in the Manx Book of Families, which mentions a John Quilliam born around 1580. This suggests that the name was well-established on the island by that time.

In the 17th century, the Quilliam family gained prominence in the Manx community. Thomas Quilliam (1624-1692) was a respected landowner and served as a member of the House of Keys, the island's governing body. His son, John Quilliam (1658-1736), was a successful merchant and owned several properties in the capital, Castletown.

The name Quilliam also appears in some historical documents from the 18th and 19th centuries, such as parish records and land registries. One notable individual was Robert Quilliam (1745-1824), a prominent politician who served as Speaker of the House of Keys and played a key role in the island's transition to a more democratic system of government.

In the 19th century, the Quilliam family began to spread beyond the Isle of Man due to economic and social factors. James Quilliam (1818-1892), for instance, was a successful businessman who emigrated to Australia and established a successful trading company in Melbourne.

Another prominent figure was William Quilliam (1856-1932), a lawyer and religious scholar from Liverpool who converted to Islam and became a prominent advocate for the faith in Britain. He established the Liverpool Muslim Institute and played a significant role in introducing Islam to the British public.

Throughout history, the surname Quilliam has been associated with various professions and achievements, from landowners and politicians to merchants and religious leaders. While the name originated on the Isle of Man, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carrying with it the rich heritage and history of the Manx people.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Quilliam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Quilliam 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. Isle of Man leads with 254 Quilliams recorded in 1881 and an index of 373.91x.

County Total Index
Isle of Man 254 373.91x
Lancashire 67 1.54x
Cheshire 34 4.21x
Cumberland 11 3.49x
Derbyshire 5 0.87x
Gloucestershire 1 0.14x
Herefordshire 1 0.67x
Middlesex 1 0.03x
Northumberland 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Onchan in Isle of Man leads with 76 Quilliams recorded in 1881 and an index of 388.35x.

Place Total Index
Onchan 76 388.35x
German Peel 53 1355.50x
Patrick 33 996.98x
Malew 30 505.90x
German 28 756.76x
Everton 18 13.01x
Liverpool 17 6.45x
West Kirby 12 851.06x
Preston Quarter 11 124.72x
Braddan 10 269.54x
Toxteth Park 9 6.12x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 8 86.11x
Arbory 7 472.97x
West Derby 7 5.51x
Dalton In Furness 6 35.82x
Heswall Cum Oldfield 6 540.54x
Maughold 6 114.50x
Matlock 4 52.02x
Monks Coppenhall 4 13.13x
Jurby 3 365.85x
North Meols 3 7.06x
Walton On Hill 3 12.76x
Ballaugh 2 165.29x
Douglas 2 204.08x
Liscard 2 13.75x
Rushen 2 43.57x
Barrow In Furness 1 1.69x
Birkenhead 1 1.55x
Cheltenham 1 1.81x
Chester St Oswald 1 6.84x
Garston 1 7.81x
Goodrich 1 106.38x
Hornsey 1 2.16x
Kirkdale 1 1.37x
Lezayre 1 32.79x
Longbenton 1 4.34x
Longeaton 1 416.67x
Manchester 1 0.51x
Marown 1 80.65x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 35
Thomas 30
William 25
James 21
Robert 10
George 7
Joseph 7
Charles 4
Henry 4
Samuel 4
Walter 4
Thos. 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Jno. 2
Lawrence 2
Philip 2
Radcliffe 2
Alf. 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Arthur 1
Caesar 1
Cyrus 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Eliax 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
J.William 1
Jabez 1
Jno.Thos. 1
Lancelot 1
Louis 1
Mitchiner 1
Peter 1
R. 1
Sydney 1
Sylvester 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Quilliam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Quilliam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 137 people were recorded with the Quilliam surname. That placed it at #16,358 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Quilliam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 314 in 2016. That gives Quilliam a modern rank of #14,291.

What does the Quilliam surname mean?

A variant of the Welsh surname Gwilliam, derived from the personal name William.

What does the Quilliam map show?

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