NameCensus.

UK surname

Sillifant

In the 1881 census there were 159 people recorded with the Sillifant surname, ranking it #14,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 165, ranked #22,234, down from #14,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bradford, Launceston Borough and Lifton, Bratton Clovelly, Broadwood Widger. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torridge and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sillifant is 255 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.8%.

1881 census count

159

Ranked #14,935

Modern count

165

2016, ranked #22,234

Peak year

1911

255 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sillifant had 159 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 165 in 2016, ranked #22,234.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 255 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sillifant surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sillifant surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sillifant 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 159 #14,935
1891 historical 211 #14,366
1901 historical 219 #14,292
1911 historical 255 #12,719
1997 modern 135 #22,499
1998 modern 150 #21,665
1999 modern 156 #21,290
2000 modern 157 #21,146
2001 modern 154 #21,122
2002 modern 163 #20,767
2003 modern 164 #20,483
2004 modern 155 #21,352
2005 modern 157 #21,128
2006 modern 161 #20,972
2007 modern 167 #20,719
2008 modern 168 #20,828
2009 modern 168 #21,290
2010 modern 164 #22,109
2011 modern 158 #22,473
2012 modern 164 #21,883
2013 modern 169 #21,826
2014 modern 174 #21,561
2015 modern 170 #21,800
2016 modern 165 #22,234

Geography

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Where Sillifants are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bradford, Launceston Borough, Lifton, Bratton Clovelly, Broadwood Widger, Tetcott, Luffincott and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torridge and Cornwall. 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 Bradford Devon
2 Launceston Borough Cornwall
3 Lifton, Bratton Clovelly, Broadwood Widger Devon
4 Tetcott, Luffincott Devon
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torridge 008 Torridge
2 Cornwall 005 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 004 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 001 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 002 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sillifant

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sillifant

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Sillifant is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Sillifant 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

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

1881 census detail

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Sillifant families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sillifant 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 102 Sillifants recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.59x.

County Total Index
Devon 102 31.59x
Cornwall 21 11.96x
Middlesex 13 0.84x
Glamorgan 7 2.59x
Lancashire 7 0.38x
Kent 6 1.13x
Hertfordshire 1 0.94x
Pembrokeshire 1 2.03x
Worcestershire 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holsworthy in Devon leads with 40 Sillifants recorded in 1881 and an index of 4395.60x.

Place Total Index
Holsworthy 40 4395.60x
St Mary Magdalene 18 1395.35x
Bradford 11 5500.00x
Stoke Damerel 10 44.25x
Tetcott 10 7142.86x
Barnstaple 8 157.79x
Islington London 8 5.32x
Hulme 7 18.22x
Cadoxton 6 3750.00x
Great Torrington 6 327.87x
Pancrasweek 6 3529.41x
Ashwater 4 869.57x
Stoke Newington London 4 33.11x
Lewisham 3 10.63x
Margate St John Baptist 3 30.96x
Milton Damerel 2 800.00x
Wear Gifford 2 833.33x
Hertford All Saints 1 166.67x
Honiton 1 55.87x
Kidderminster Borough 1 8.44x
Kingsbridge 1 123.46x
Launcells 1 333.33x
Lidford 1 68.97x
Pembroke St Mary 1 15.75x
Penarth 1 37.88x
St Pancras London 1 0.80x
Stratton 1 105.26x
Whitstone 1 454.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 5
Emily 5
Jane 4
Ann 3
Grace 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Louisa 2
Susannah 2
Ada 1
Adeline 1
Augusta 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Catherin 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Daisy 1
Darkes 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Ella 1
Emmeline 1
Evelyne 1
Harriet 1
Janet 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Kitty 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Maud 1
Norah 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Roseina 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1
Thirza 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 16
Richard 8
Samuel 7
Francis 5
John 5
Thomas 4
Alfred 3
Ernest 3
Frederick 3
Arthur 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Willm. 2
Betsy 1
Charles 1
Ebward 1
Edward 1
Frederic 1
Harry 1
Horalas 1
Hubert 1
James 1
Joshua 1
Josiah 1
Reginald 1
Stanley 1
Sydney 1
Wiliam 1

FAQ

Sillifant surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sillifant surname in 1881?

In 1881, 159 people were recorded with the Sillifant surname. That placed it at #14,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sillifant surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 165 in 2016. That gives Sillifant a modern rank of #22,234.

What does the Sillifant map show?

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