NameCensus.

UK surname

Shill

A derogatory term for someone who deliberately promotes something for pay or reward.

In the 1881 census there were 252 people recorded with the Shill surname, ranking it #11,012 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 217, ranked #18,535, down from #11,012 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stroud, Plymouth and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shill is 356 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.9%.

1881 census count

252

Ranked #11,012

Modern count

217

2016, ranked #18,535

Peak year

1891

356 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shill had 252 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,012 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016, ranked #18,535.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 356 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Shill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shill surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Shill 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 179 #11,346
1861 historical 266 #9,318
1881 historical 252 #11,012
1891 historical 356 #9,697
1901 historical 306 #11,494
1911 historical 330 #10,669
1997 modern 250 #15,281
1998 modern 250 #15,675
1999 modern 241 #16,179
2000 modern 244 #16,004
2001 modern 227 #16,573
2002 modern 220 #17,249
2003 modern 225 #16,808
2004 modern 227 #16,778
2005 modern 219 #17,126
2006 modern 210 #17,718
2007 modern 205 #18,194
2008 modern 208 #18,171
2009 modern 220 #17,911
2010 modern 218 #18,375
2011 modern 214 #18,436
2012 modern 215 #18,304
2013 modern 225 #18,027
2014 modern 228 #17,977
2015 modern 219 #18,406
2016 modern 217 #18,535

Geography

Back to top

Where Shills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes, Portsmouth, Portsea and Eastington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stroud, Plymouth and Swansea. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 Eastington Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stroud 004 Stroud
2 Stroud 003 Stroud
3 Plymouth 012 Plymouth
4 Swansea 003 Swansea
5 Stroud 006 Stroud

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Shill

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Shill

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Shill, 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 Shill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Shill 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Shill is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Shill is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shill falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Shill

The surname "SHILL" originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "scill" or "scyll," meaning "shrill" or "loud." It was likely given as a nickname to someone with a distinctive, piercing voice or a loud manner of speaking.

The earliest recorded mention of the surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, where it appears as "Schille." This suggests the name was already established in the region by the 13th century.

In the early 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, including "Shille" and "Shylle," in tax records and court rolls from counties such as Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Cambridgeshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Shille, a landowner mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

The surname is also found in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, recorded as "Scill" and "Scilla," indicating its ancient roots in England.

Notable individuals with the surname "SHILL" throughout history include:

1. William Shill (c. 1550-1622), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk.

2. Thomas Shill (1679-1744), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Bridgnorth from 1722 to 1727.

3. Elizabeth Shill (1797-1873), an English poet and writer known for her contributions to periodicals and literary magazines in the 19th century.

4. John Shill (1831-1905), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including St. Saviour's Church in Fitzroy Square.

5. William Shill (1870-1942), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.

The surname "SHILL" has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Shillingham in Norfolk and Shillbrook in Oxfordshire, further reflecting its deep-rooted history in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Shill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shill 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. Gloucestershire leads with 136 Shills recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.44x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 136 28.44x
Surrey 31 2.61x
Middlesex 19 0.78x
Hampshire 13 2.60x
Essex 10 2.08x
Somerset 6 1.53x
Glamorgan 5 1.18x
Flintshire 4 6.10x
Kent 4 0.48x
Warwickshire 4 0.65x
Derbyshire 3 0.79x
Orkney 3 11.18x
Hertfordshire 2 1.19x
Leicestershire 2 0.74x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.61x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.26x
Staffordshire 1 0.12x
Sussex 1 0.24x
Wiltshire 1 0.46x
Yorkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eastington in Gloucestershire leads with 31 Shills recorded in 1881 and an index of 1962.03x.

Place Total Index
Eastington 31 1962.03x
Cheltenham 19 51.49x
Daglingworth 18 6428.57x
Stonehouse 11 404.41x
Camberwell 10 6.42x
Great Waltham 10 510.20x
Alverstoke 9 49.75x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 8 91.43x
Guiting Power 7 1346.15x
Limehouse London 7 26.15x
St Pancras London 7 3.57x
Upton St Leonards 7 578.51x
Brookthorpe 6 4615.38x
Clifton 6 24.81x
Farnham 6 64.94x
Croydon 5 7.58x
Leckhampton 5 169.49x
Swansea Town 5 14.36x
Edgbaston 4 20.98x
Rhuddlan 4 69.32x
Stanton 4 1818.18x
Weston Super Mare 4 40.36x
Chertsey 3 39.06x
Cirencester 3 46.37x
Claylane 3 56.50x
Kirkwall St Ola 3 74.63x
Westminster St James 3 11.97x
Beckington 2 259.74x
Bulwell 2 27.97x
Folkestone 2 12.39x
Margate St John Baptist 2 13.13x
Portsea 2 2.04x
Portsmouth 2 17.38x
South Hamlet 2 67.57x
Wandsworth 2 8.52x
Winchcomb 2 84.39x
Battersea 1 1.11x
Bermondsey 1 1.38x
Bishops Cleeve 1 82.64x
Bristol St Augustine 1 12.95x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 2.22x
Brockworth 1 270.27x
Buckminster 1 476.19x
Codsall 1 85.47x
Colsterworth 1 121.95x
East Barnet 1 30.03x
Gloucester St Catherine 1 74.07x
Horfield 1 20.79x
Hove 1 5.54x
Kensington London 1 0.74x
Kingston On Thames 1 3.50x
Sheffield 1 1.30x
St George Hanover 1 3.14x
Swindon 1 5.98x
Thrussington 1 196.08x
Toxteth Park 1 1.02x
Watford 1 7.67x
West Dean 1 12.87x
Wimbledon 1 7.50x
Woking 1 13.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 15
John 14
Charles 10
Thomas 8
James 7
Alfred 6
Edward 5
Richard 5
Henry 4
Albert 3
Daniel 3
Frederick 3
George 3
Joseph 3
Robert 3
David 2
Ernest 2
Alick 1
Arth. 1
Arthur 1
Aurther 1
Benjamin 1
Carl 1
Christopher 1
Edgar 1
Frank 1
Geo.Henry 1
Geoffrey 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jabez 1
Joe 1
Michl. 1
Percy 1
Ralph 1
Rowland 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Tom 1
Valentine 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Shill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 252 people were recorded with the Shill surname. That placed it at #11,012 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016. That gives Shill a modern rank of #18,535.

What does the Shill surname mean?

A derogatory term for someone who deliberately promotes something for pay or reward.

What does the Shill map show?

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