NameCensus.

UK surname

Sillars

A Scots surname derived from the occupation of a saddler or harness-maker.

In the 1881 census there were 259 people recorded with the Sillars surname, ranking it #10,808 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 443, ranked #10,921, down from #10,808 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kilbride, Govan Combination and Kilmory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Arran, Saltcoats North East and Drumchapel South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sillars is 443 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 71.0%.

1881 census count

259

Ranked #10,808

Modern count

443

2016, ranked #10,921

Peak year

2016

443 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sillars had 259 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,808 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 443 in 2016, ranked #10,921.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 340 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Sillars surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sillars surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sillars 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 303 #7,590
1861 historical 330 #7,721
1881 historical 259 #10,808
1891 historical 338 #10,113
1901 historical 340 #10,647
1911 historical 60 #26,808
1997 modern 409 #10,818
1998 modern 430 #10,772
1999 modern 435 #10,754
2000 modern 433 #10,750
2001 modern 420 #10,811
2002 modern 424 #10,950
2003 modern 428 #10,709
2004 modern 423 #10,816
2005 modern 422 #10,739
2006 modern 420 #10,816
2007 modern 415 #11,047
2008 modern 426 #10,911
2009 modern 424 #11,179
2010 modern 431 #11,285
2011 modern 432 #11,132
2012 modern 415 #11,403
2013 modern 426 #11,350
2014 modern 433 #11,262
2015 modern 436 #11,099
2016 modern 443 #10,921

Geography

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Where Sillars' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kilbride, Govan Combination, Kilmory, Glasgow and Craigie. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Arran, Saltcoats North East, Drumchapel South, Saltcoats Central and Leeds. 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 Kilbride Bute
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Kilmory Bute
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Craigie Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Arran North Ayrshire
2 Saltcoats North East North Ayrshire
3 Drumchapel South Glasgow City
4 Saltcoats Central North Ayrshire
5 Leeds 034 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sillars

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sillars

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Sillars surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Sillars household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sillars 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

Sillars 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

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

Meaning and origin of Sillars

The surname Sillars originated in Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "syl," meaning "shelter" or "dwelling," combined with the Scottish suffix "-ars," indicating an occupational or locational surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of written declarations of allegiance to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. The Ragman Rolls mention a John de Syllaris, suggesting the name was already established in Scotland by the late 13th century.

The Sillars surname may have originated from a place name or a description of someone's occupation or residence. It could have been associated with individuals who lived or worked in shelters, such as foresters or hunters, or those who resided in areas known for their abundance of shelters or dwellings.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various Scottish records, including John Sillaris, who was mentioned in the Edinburgh Burgh Records in 1455. Another notable figure was Thomas Sillars, a merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, who lived in the mid-16th century.

One of the earliest known Sillars families can be traced back to the Scottish Borders region, where they held lands in the county of Roxburghshire. The family's ancestral seat was located in the parish of Smailholm, near Kelso.

Notable individuals with the Sillars surname include:

1. Sir John Sillars (1684-1760), a Scottish merchant and Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1749 to 1751. 2. Robert Sillars (1805-1876), a Scottish poet and songwriter from Kilmarnock, known for his works celebrating Scottish heritage and culture. 3. James Sillars (1833-1905), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. 4. John Douglas Sillars (1858-1939), a Scottish-born Australian politician and member of the Australian House of Representatives. 5. James Sillars (born 1937), a Scottish politician and former Member of Parliament for South Ayrshire.

The Sillars surname has endured throughout the centuries, with families bearing the name continuing to reside in Scotland, as well as migrating to various parts of the British Empire, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sillars families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sillars 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. Ayrshire leads with 65 Sillars' recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.38x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 65 34.38x
Lanarkshire 64 7.83x
Buteshire 61 398.43x
Argyllshire 19 27.02x
Renfrewshire 18 9.19x
Yorkshire 12 0.48x
Dunbartonshire 8 11.78x
Lancashire 4 0.13x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 8.20x
Somerset 2 0.49x
Lincolnshire 1 0.25x
Middlesex 1 0.04x
Midlothian 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 34 Sillars' recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.83x.

Place Total Index
Govan 34 16.83x
Kilbride 34 1798.94x
Kilmory 23 1031.39x
Campbeltown 17 200.47x
Glasgow 16 11.03x
Barony 13 6.29x
Newton On Ayr 11 194.35x
Kilmarnock 10 44.44x
Riccarton 9 315.79x
Row 8 91.12x
Kirkleatham 7 207.10x
Paisley Low Church 7 112.90x
Ardrossan 6 91.74x
Mauchline 6 276.50x
Renfrew 6 92.74x
Headingley Cum Burley 5 31.02x
Abbey 4 13.39x
Barrow In Furness 4 9.81x
Dundonald 4 57.39x
Rothesay 4 53.98x
Craigie 3 576.92x
Minnigaff 3 218.98x
Monkton Prestwick 3 163.04x
Riccarton Hurlford 3 90.36x
Ardrossan West 2 1176.47x
Dalry 2 22.47x
Irvine 2 38.10x
Long Sutton 2 263.16x
Tarbolton 2 64.31x
Ayr 1 11.21x
Dunoon Kilmun 1 18.25x
East Greenock 1 5.41x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 11.61x
Fishtoft 1 126.58x
Gorbals 1 20.62x
Killean Kilchenzie 1 83.33x
Stevenston 1 20.28x
Westminster St John 1 3.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Agnes 3
Jane 2
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Jessie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
David 2
Andrew 1
Duncan 1
Edward 1
Henry 1
Ralph 1
William 1

Top occupations

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 Sillars households.

FAQ

Sillars surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sillars surname in 1881?

In 1881, 259 people were recorded with the Sillars surname. That placed it at #10,808 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sillars surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 443 in 2016. That gives Sillars a modern rank of #10,921.

What does the Sillars surname mean?

A Scots surname derived from the occupation of a saddler or harness-maker.

What does the Sillars map show?

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