NameCensus.

UK surname

Sillito

A surname derived from a location name, possibly referring to someone from Silloth, England.

In the 1881 census there were 70 people recorded with the Sillito surname, ranking it #23,670 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 119, ranked #27,704, down from #23,670 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eccleshall, Wolstanton and Leek. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands, County Durham and East Staffordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sillito is 157 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.0%.

1881 census count

70

Ranked #23,670

Modern count

119

2016, ranked #27,704

Peak year

2000

157 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sillito had 70 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,670 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016, ranked #27,704.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 116 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Sillito surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sillito surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sillito 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 31 #30,058
1881 historical 70 #23,670
1891 historical 87 #25,802
1901 historical 113 #21,296
1911 historical 116 #20,850
1997 modern 123 #23,792
1998 modern 138 #22,814
1999 modern 144 #22,405
2000 modern 157 #21,146
2001 modern 145 #21,951
2002 modern 146 #22,302
2003 modern 144 #22,270
2004 modern 146 #22,202
2005 modern 131 #23,737
2006 modern 134 #23,590
2007 modern 137 #23,590
2008 modern 139 #23,635
2009 modern 138 #24,276
2010 modern 133 #25,379
2011 modern 134 #25,050
2012 modern 128 #25,852
2013 modern 124 #26,842
2014 modern 121 #27,503
2015 modern 118 #27,833
2016 modern 119 #27,704

Geography

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Where Sillitos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eccleshall, Wolstanton, Leek, Ashley and Washington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands, County Durham and East Staffordshire. 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 Eccleshall Staffordshire
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 Leek Staffordshire
4 Ashley Shropshire
5 Washington Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 County Durham 035 County Durham
3 East Staffordshire 004 East Staffordshire
4 County Durham 032 County Durham
5 East Staffordshire 007 East Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sillito

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sillito

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Sillito surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Sillito household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Sillito 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

Sillito is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sillito falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sillito

The surname Sillito is of English origin and derived from a place name in Yorkshire. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "sylla" meaning a former and "ton" meaning a town or village, referring to a person who hailed from a settlement of former inhabitants.

The Sillito name can be traced back to the 13th century in Yorkshire, with early records showing variations in spelling such as Sillitoe, Syllitoe, and Sylletoe. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, which mentions a John de Sillitoe.

During the medieval period, the Sillito family was primarily based in the West Riding of Yorkshire, particularly in the areas around Barnsley and Sheffield. The name is also found in records from the nearby counties of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the Sillito surname was William Sillito (c.1520-1585), a landowner and prominent member of the gentry in Yorkshire. He is mentioned in several historical documents related to land transactions and legal disputes.

The Sillito name gained further recognition in the 18th century with the birth of John Sillito (1730-1797), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Sheffield. He established several charitable foundations and left a significant portion of his wealth to support educational institutions.

Another important figure was Robert Sillito (1789-1867), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a distinguished hydrographer, contributing to the mapping of the coastlines of South America and the Caribbean.

In the 19th century, the Sillito family expanded beyond Yorkshire, with members residing in various parts of England and even venturing to other parts of the British Empire. One notable individual was Sir Ralph Sillito (1818-1892), a prominent industrialist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Hull from 1865 to 1880.

The Sillito surname has also been associated with literary figures, including the poet and author Neville Sillito (1890-1964), who was born in Nottinghamshire and gained recognition for his works exploring rural life and the natural world.

Throughout its history, the Sillito name has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire, where it originated and has deep roots. While the name may have evolved in spelling and spread to different parts of the country and beyond, its origins can be traced back to the small settlements of former inhabitants in the Yorkshire countryside.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sillito families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sillito 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. Staffordshire leads with 36 Sillitos recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.62x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 36 15.62x
Durham 13 6.40x
Essex 6 4.45x
Warwickshire 4 2.32x
Middlesex 3 0.44x
Yorkshire 3 0.44x
Shropshire 2 3.39x
Surrey 2 0.60x
Derbyshire 1 0.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Usworth in Durham leads with 8 Sillitos recorded in 1881 and an index of 740.74x.

Place Total Index
Usworth 8 740.74x
Ashley 7 3684.21x
Eccleshall 6 689.66x
Wolstanton Oldcott 6 722.89x
Cheddleton 5 1041.67x
Chelmsford 5 216.45x
Heworth 5 125.00x
Amington Stonydelph 4 2666.67x
Leek Lowe 4 130.29x
Islington London 3 4.53x
North Duffield 3 3333.33x
Camberwell 2 4.59x
Cheadle 2 180.18x
Newcastle Under Lyme 2 49.02x
Prees 2 277.78x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 8.18x
Ipstones 1 303.03x
Snelston 1 1428.57x
Springfield 1 169.49x
Stone 1 33.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 4
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Ellen 2
...ne 1
Ann 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Cathrine 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Evelyn 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Jane 1
Laura 1
Marther 1
Rebecca 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Sillito surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sillito surname in 1881?

In 1881, 70 people were recorded with the Sillito surname. That placed it at #23,670 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sillito surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016. That gives Sillito a modern rank of #27,704.

What does the Sillito surname mean?

A surname derived from a location name, possibly referring to someone from Silloth, England.

What does the Sillito map show?

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