NameCensus.

UK surname

Spill

An occupational surname referring to someone who worked with liquids or beverages.

In the 1881 census there were 129 people recorded with the Spill surname, ranking it #17,013 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 121, ranked #27,399, down from #17,013 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Abson with Wick and Charfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Gloucestershire, Stroud and Bristol.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spill is 129 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 6.2%.

1881 census count

129

Ranked #17,013

Modern count

121

2016, ranked #27,399

Peak year

1881

129 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spill had 129 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,013 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016, ranked #27,399.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 129 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Spill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spill surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Spill 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 91 #22,206
1881 historical 129 #17,013
1891 historical 111 #22,421
1901 historical 118 #20,721
1911 historical 128 #19,664
1997 modern 105 #26,188
1998 modern 112 #25,856
1999 modern 110 #26,315
2000 modern 120 #24,950
2001 modern 119 #24,733
2002 modern 122 #24,874
2003 modern 118 #25,146
2004 modern 114 #25,870
2005 modern 104 #27,369
2006 modern 104 #27,646
2007 modern 111 #26,954
2008 modern 108 #27,684
2009 modern 104 #28,982
2010 modern 106 #29,305
2011 modern 105 #29,287
2012 modern 116 #27,550
2013 modern 119 #27,541
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 121 #27,399

Geography

Back to top

Where Spills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Abson with Wick, Charfield, Thornbury, Rockhampton and Cheltenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Gloucestershire, Stroud, Bristol, Swindon and Portsmouth. 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 Abson with Wick Gloucestershire
3 Charfield Gloucestershire
4 Thornbury, Rockhampton Gloucestershire
5 Cheltenham Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Gloucestershire 003 South Gloucestershire
2 Stroud 015 Stroud
3 Bristol 005 Bristol, City of
4 Swindon 025 Swindon
5 Portsmouth 006 Portsmouth

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Spill

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Spill

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Spill, 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 Spill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Spill 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, Spill 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

Spill 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

Spill falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Spill

The surname SPILL is of English origin, believed to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "spillan," meaning "to spill or shed." The name likely referred to an occupation or a distinguishing characteristic of one of the earliest bearers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SPILL can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1230, where it appears as "Spille." This suggests that the name was already established in the northern counties of England by the early 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, the name appears as "Spille," further confirming its presence in various regions of England during the Middle Ages.

The SPILL surname is also linked to several place names in England, such as Spill Hill in Northamptonshire and Spill Farm in Lincolnshire. These locations may have been associated with the earliest bearers of the name or derived from individuals who resided there.

One notable historical figure with the surname SPILL was Sir Henry Spill (c. 1460-1528), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Hampshire during the reign of Henry VIII. Another individual of note was John Spill (c. 1570-1641), a Puritan minister and theologian who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Ipswich, Suffolk.

In the 16th century, the SPILL surname can be found in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1568, where a Thomas Spill is mentioned. The name also appears in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Ipswich, where the baptism of John Spill, son of Robert Spill, is recorded in 1595.

During the 17th century, the SPILL surname continued to be documented in various parts of England. One example is William Spill (1609-1679), a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. Another notable figure was Elizabeth Spill (c. 1640-1720), a Quaker writer and preacher from Cheshire, known for her religious works and advocacy for women's rights.

As the centuries progressed, the SPILL surname spread across different regions of England and beyond, with various spellings emerging, such as Spill, Spille, and Spylle. While the name may have been more concentrated in certain areas initially, it eventually became dispersed throughout the country and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Spill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spill 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 61 Spills recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.72x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 61 24.72x
Middlesex 37 2.94x
Somerset 9 4.44x
Essex 8 3.22x
Yorkshire 8 0.64x
Kent 5 1.16x
Warwickshire 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bow London in Middlesex leads with 16 Spills recorded in 1881 and an index of 99.88x.

Place Total Index
Bow London 16 99.88x
Charfield 10 4166.67x
Thornbury 9 532.54x
Berkeley 8 583.94x
Leyton 8 186.92x
Sheffield 8 20.15x
Bristol St Paul In 7 106.54x
Cheltenham 7 36.76x
Frampton Cotterell 7 804.60x
Shoreditch London 7 12.83x
Frome 6 123.97x
Islington London 6 4.92x
Mile End Old Town 6 30.21x
Awre 5 980.39x
Bedminster 3 15.76x
Clifton 3 24.04x
Deptford St Paul 3 9.06x
Bristol St George 2 17.53x
Goudhurst 2 168.07x
Acton 1 13.55x
Aston 1 1.14x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 1 44.44x
Bromley London 1 3.61x
Rangeworthy 1 909.09x
Wotton Under Edge 1 68.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 5
Jane 5
Sarah 5
Annie 3
Ellen 3
Amy 2
Ann 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Hester 2
Kate 2
Rosina 2
Addelina 1
Alice 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.M. 1
Emma 1
Florry 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Haleina 1
Hannah 1
Hirena 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Marth 1
Minnie 1
Roseina 1
Sophia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 7
John 5
Thomas 4
Samuel 3
William 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Daniel 2
Frank 2
Frederic 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
James 2
Lewis 2
Arthur 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Horatio 1
Joseph 1
Maurice 1
Oliver 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Spill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 129 people were recorded with the Spill surname. That placed it at #17,013 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016. That gives Spill a modern rank of #27,399.

What does the Spill surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who worked with liquids or beverages.

What does the Spill map show?

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