NameCensus.

UK surname

Spilling

In the 1881 census there were 127 people recorded with the Spilling surname, ranking it #17,166 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 166, ranked #22,140, down from #17,166 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and St Giles Camberwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bedford, Ipswich and Norwich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spilling is 213 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.7%.

1881 census count

127

Ranked #17,166

Modern count

166

2016, ranked #22,140

Peak year

1999

213 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spilling had 127 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,166 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 166 in 2016, ranked #22,140.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 206 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Spilling surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spilling surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spilling 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 122 #14,966
1861 historical 148 #15,452
1881 historical 127 #17,166
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 165 #17,085
1911 historical 206 #14,677
1997 modern 194 #17,978
1998 modern 205 #17,850
1999 modern 213 #17,550
2000 modern 198 #18,330
2001 modern 189 #18,590
2002 modern 173 #20,043
2003 modern 168 #20,171
2004 modern 164 #20,609
2005 modern 168 #20,227
2006 modern 164 #20,715
2007 modern 168 #20,634
2008 modern 166 #20,966
2009 modern 179 #20,418
2010 modern 170 #21,560
2011 modern 168 #21,563
2012 modern 168 #21,516
2013 modern 170 #21,726
2014 modern 167 #22,180
2015 modern 166 #22,159
2016 modern 166 #22,140

Geography

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Where Spillings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, St Giles Camberwell, St Mary Islington and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bedford, Ipswich and Norwich. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Lambeth London (South Districts)
3 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bedford 006 Bedford
2 Ipswich 013 Ipswich
3 Ipswich 008 Ipswich
4 Norwich 004 Norwich
5 Ipswich 016 Ipswich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spilling

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spilling

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Spilling surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Spilling household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Spilling is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Spilling is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Spilling falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Spilling is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Spilling, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Spilling families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spilling 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. Middlesex leads with 41 Spillings recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.31x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 41 3.31x
Suffolk 31 20.55x
Surrey 17 2.82x
Lancashire 14 0.95x
Norfolk 13 6.83x
Yorkshire 4 0.33x
Kent 3 0.71x
Essex 2 0.82x
Hampshire 1 0.39x
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. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 11 Spillings recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.16x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 11 9.16x
Lambeth 11 10.18x
Kensington London 9 13.07x
Newchurch 9 74.88x
Long Melford 8 571.43x
Gorleston 7 182.77x
Ipswich St Nicholas 6 722.89x
Bury St Edmunds St James 5 124.07x
Paddington London 5 10.98x
St George In East 5 59.31x
Norwich St James 4 268.46x
Pendlebury 4 129.03x
Bildeston 3 909.09x
Brightside Bierlow 3 12.46x
Heigham 3 29.35x
Wimbledon 3 44.25x
Broome 2 909.09x
Camberwell 2 2.53x
Great Yarmouth 2 12.67x
St George Bloomsbury 2 28.13x
St Gilesin Fields 2 277.78x
St Pancras London 2 2.01x
West Ham 2 3.71x
Whitechapel London 2 16.38x
Woolwich 2 12.81x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.86x
Birmingham 1 0.96x
Broughton In Salford 1 7.44x
Bungay St Mary 1 133.33x
Carisbrooke 1 28.41x
Ellingham 1 714.29x
Lowestoft 1 14.03x
Mile End Old Town 1 5.12x
Nether Hallam 1 6.02x
Newington 1 2.19x
Norwich St Lawrence 1 384.62x
Plumstead 1 7.10x
St George Hanover 1 6.18x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charles 6
James 6
William 6
Henry 5
John 5
Thomas 3
Daniel 2
Frederick 2
George 2
Harry 2
Jas. 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Bartholomew 1
Benjamin 1
Chales 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fred.W. 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Nathaniel 1
Osso 1
Patrick 1
Philip 1
Robt.T. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Spilling surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spilling surname in 1881?

In 1881, 127 people were recorded with the Spilling surname. That placed it at #17,166 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spilling surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 166 in 2016. That gives Spilling a modern rank of #22,140.

What does the Spilling map show?

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