NameCensus.

UK surname

Spillman

An occupational surname for a maker or seller of spindles used in spinning wool.

In the 1881 census there were 136 people recorded with the Spillman surname, ranking it #16,433 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 185, ranked #20,652, down from #16,433 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barking, London parishes and St Dunstan Stepney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Wokingham and Barnet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spillman is 253 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.0%.

1881 census count

136

Ranked #16,433

Modern count

185

2016, ranked #20,652

Peak year

1911

253 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spillman had 136 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,433 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016, ranked #20,652.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 253 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Spillman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spillman surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spillman 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 92 #18,050
1861 historical 120 #18,255
1881 historical 136 #16,433
1891 historical 209 #14,459
1901 historical 243 #13,358
1911 historical 253 #12,776
1997 modern 175 #19,161
1998 modern 182 #19,162
1999 modern 191 #18,744
2000 modern 189 #18,860
2001 modern 185 #18,840
2002 modern 180 #19,533
2003 modern 171 #19,953
2004 modern 170 #20,146
2005 modern 162 #20,716
2006 modern 160 #21,066
2007 modern 165 #20,893
2008 modern 158 #21,690
2009 modern 173 #20,869
2010 modern 193 #19,880
2011 modern 182 #20,495
2012 modern 182 #20,440
2013 modern 188 #20,352
2014 modern 188 #20,503
2015 modern 189 #20,345
2016 modern 185 #20,652

Geography

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Where Spillmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barking, London parishes, St Dunstan Stepney, Kidderminster and All Saints Poplar. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Wokingham, Barnet, Purbeck and Southend-on-Sea. 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 Barking Essex
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
4 Kidderminster Worcestershire
5 All Saints Poplar London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 037 Wakefield
2 Wokingham 014 Wokingham
3 Barnet 005 Barnet
4 Purbeck 006 Purbeck
5 Southend-on-Sea 014 Southend-on-Sea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spillman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spillman

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Spillman is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Spillman is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Spillman 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 Spillman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Spillman

The surname Spillman originates from England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "spill" meaning to spill or shed, and "mann" meaning man. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked as a butcher or in a similar trade involving the spilling of blood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Spillman can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1199, which mention a person named Willelmus Spilleman. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname Spillman in various counties across England, such as John Spilleman in Oxfordshire and Roger Spilleman in Cambridgeshire.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appeared in various forms, including Spillman, Spylman, and Spilman, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that era. It is possible that some of these variations were influenced by place names, as there were villages and towns with similar-sounding names, such as Spilsby in Lincolnshire.

One notable individual bearing the surname Spillman was Sir Robert Spillman (c. 1420 - c. 1490), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Norfolk. He served as a Member of Parliament for Norwich in 1472 and was knighted by King Edward IV.

Another prominent figure was John Spillman (c. 1555 - 1626), an English Protestant divine and theologian. He was a fellow of King's College, Cambridge, and served as the Regius Professor of Divinity from 1608 until his death.

In the 17th century, the name appears in records related to the English colonization of America. Thomas Spillman (c. 1630 - 1685) was one of the early settlers of Virginia, arriving in the colony around 1650 and becoming a prominent landowner and planter in Westmoreland County.

Moving into the 18th century, we find mentions of John Spillman (1681 - 1753), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. George the Martyr in Southwark.

Lastly, Sir John Spillman (1812 - 1878) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the 19th century. He achieved the rank of Vice-Admiral and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in recognition of his distinguished service.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spillman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spillman 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 48 Spillmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.62x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 48 3.62x
Surrey 21 3.25x
Worcestershire 9 5.20x
Warwickshire 7 2.09x
Yorkshire 7 0.53x
Gloucestershire 6 2.31x
Lancashire 6 0.38x
Sussex 6 2.68x
Kent 4 0.88x
Norfolk 4 1.96x
Wiltshire 4 3.41x
Devon 3 1.09x
Essex 3 1.15x
Berkshire 2 2.01x
Hertfordshire 2 2.19x
Angus 1 0.81x
Cornwall 1 0.67x
Lincolnshire 1 0.47x
Shropshire 1 0.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town in Middlesex leads with 13 Spillmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 62.08x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town 13 62.08x
Poplar London 10 39.94x
Lambeth 8 6.92x
Edgbaston 7 67.50x
Mayfield 6 454.55x
Camberwell 5 5.90x
Kensington London 5 6.78x
Kidderminster Foreign 5 204.08x
Shadwell London 5 134.77x
Battersea 4 8.20x
Bolton On Dearne 4 869.57x
Clapham 4 24.13x
Swindon 4 43.96x
Willesden 4 31.97x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 3 63.03x
Leyton 3 66.52x
Salford 3 6.48x
Spitalfields London 3 30.06x
Yaxham 3 1363.64x
Greenwich 2 9.47x
Limehouse London 2 13.74x
Liverpool 2 2.09x
Ripon 2 65.57x
Stoke Newington London 2 19.36x
Tiverton 2 42.02x
Watford 2 28.21x
Wokingham 2 88.11x
Antony 1 68.97x
Broughton 1 169.49x
Burnley 1 7.54x
Castlemorton 1 294.12x
Charlton 1 33.22x
Cheltenham 1 4.98x
Deptford St Paul 1 2.86x
Great Malvern 1 27.70x
Guiting Power 1 357.14x
Hammersmith London 1 3.06x
Hinstock 1 256.41x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 16.34x
Leckhampton 1 62.50x
Ledstone 1 1000.00x
Liff Benvie 1 5.36x
Mathon 1 196.08x
Newton Ferrers 1 312.50x
St Clement Danes 1 46.51x
St George Hanover 1 5.77x
St Pancras London 1 0.94x
Upton On Severn 1 88.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charles 7
John 7
Alfred 5
James 4
Robert 4
William 4
George 3
Henry 3
Thomas 3
Fredk. 2
Hyrum 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Arthur 1
Cha. 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Horace 1
Joseph 1
Louis 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Spillman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spillman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 136 people were recorded with the Spillman surname. That placed it at #16,433 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spillman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016. That gives Spillman a modern rank of #20,652.

What does the Spillman surname mean?

An occupational surname for a maker or seller of spindles used in spinning wool.

What does the Spillman map show?

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