NameCensus.

UK surname

Spilman

A surname derived from the Dutch word for "actor" or "performer."

In the 1881 census there were 229 people recorded with the Spilman surname, ranking it #11,784 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 196, ranked #19,848, down from #11,784 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Aukborough, Newchurch and Winterton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Breckland, Selby and Hambleton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spilman is 260 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.4%.

1881 census count

229

Ranked #11,784

Modern count

196

2016, ranked #19,848

Peak year

1911

260 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spilman had 229 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,784 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 196 in 2016, ranked #19,848.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 260 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Spilman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spilman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spilman 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 147 #13,084
1861 historical 93 #22,009
1881 historical 229 #11,784
1891 historical 194 #15,277
1901 historical 210 #14,677
1911 historical 260 #12,561
1997 modern 212 #16,996
1998 modern 207 #17,749
1999 modern 217 #17,307
2000 modern 213 #17,503
2001 modern 208 #17,513
2002 modern 212 #17,651
2003 modern 217 #17,176
2004 modern 215 #17,384
2005 modern 208 #17,687
2006 modern 200 #18,294
2007 modern 196 #18,737
2008 modern 190 #19,246
2009 modern 191 #19,592
2010 modern 194 #19,819
2011 modern 202 #19,154
2012 modern 185 #20,223
2013 modern 199 #19,584
2014 modern 196 #19,961
2015 modern 201 #19,494
2016 modern 196 #19,848

Geography

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Where Spilmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Aukborough, Newchurch, Winterton, Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict and Snaith. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Breckland, Selby, Hambleton, Manchester and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Aukborough Lincolnshire
2 Newchurch Hampshire
3 Winterton Lincolnshire
4 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire
5 Snaith Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Breckland 008 Breckland
2 Selby 003 Selby
3 Hambleton 011 Hambleton
4 Manchester 049 Manchester
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 040 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spilman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spilman

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Spilman is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Spilman is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Spilman falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Spilman

The surname SPILMAN is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words 'spel' meaning 'narrative' or 'speech' and 'man' meaning 'man'. The name was initially given as an occupational surname to storytellers, minstrels, or jesters who entertained with tales and songs.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, one of the earliest records of English surnames, there is a reference to a Richard le Spilleman from Norfolk. The spelling variations during this period included Spilleman, Spylman, and Spilman.

The Domesday Book of 1086 does not contain any direct references to the SPILMAN surname, but it does mention several place names that may have contributed to its development, such as Spellbrook in Hertfordshire and Spilsby in Lincolnshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SPILMAN surname is that of John Spilman, who was born in Yorkshire around 1380. He was a renowned minstrel and troubadour who performed at the court of King Richard II.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Spilman (1455-1518), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Norfolk. He served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by King Henry VIII.

In the 16th century, a family of SPILMAN artists and engravers emerged in Germany. The most famous among them was Hans Spilman (1530-1588), who was renowned for his intricate woodcuts and engravings.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Captain William Spilman (1620-1677) fought as a Royalist soldier and later wrote a memoir detailing his experiences in the conflict.

Another notable figure was Sir John Spilman (1668-1737), a British naval officer who served as a commander in the Royal Navy and played a crucial role in several battles during the War of the Spanish Succession.

As the SPILMAN surname spread across England and other parts of the British Isles, it continued to be associated with various professions and social standings, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of its bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spilman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spilman 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. Yorkshire leads with 66 Spilmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.99x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 66 2.99x
Lincolnshire 48 13.50x
Norfolk 38 11.11x
Hampshire 28 6.14x
Lancashire 11 0.42x
Kent 10 1.32x
Surrey 10 0.92x
Cambridgeshire 7 4.97x
Middlesex 7 0.31x
Essex 2 0.46x
Devon 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Yaxham in Norfolk leads with 23 Spilmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6216.22x.

Place Total Index
Yaxham 23 6216.22x
Bradford 11 20.62x
Alkborough 9 3000.00x
Markington Cum 9 2571.43x
Manchester 8 6.74x
Hook 7 144.33x
Snaith Cowick 7 530.30x
St Andrewthe Less 7 43.51x
St Pancras London 7 3.91x
Whinburgh 7 4117.65x
Whippingham 7 202.90x
Winterton 7 573.77x
Holy Trinity 6 11.32x
Messingham 6 697.67x
Ramsgate 6 48.43x
Scawby 6 508.47x
Southampton St Mary 6 20.93x
St Mary Extra 6 163.49x
Barton St Mary 5 280.90x
Goole 5 135.50x
Ripon 5 97.85x
Swanton Morley 5 943.40x
Whitton 5 3333.33x
Bagmore Burton By 4 1666.67x
Sutton 4 51.02x
Crosby Gunness West 3 1666.67x
Ellerker 3 1304.35x
Lambeth 3 1.55x
North Ferriby 3 833.33x
Sunk Island 3 937.50x
Battersea 2 2.44x
East Ham 2 24.54x
Hulme 2 3.63x
Lydd 2 123.46x
Roxby Cum Risby 2 625.00x
Ryde 2 20.43x
Scarning 2 392.16x
St Helens 2 60.42x
Alverstoke 1 6.06x
Asselby 1 500.00x
Brantingham 1 476.19x
Bridlington 1 19.80x
Broughton 1 100.00x
Castleton 1 3.79x
Clifton In York 1 21.69x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.71x
Holdenhurst 1 8.36x
Huddersfield 1 3.11x
Kirby In Cleveland 1 526.32x
Newington 1 1.22x
Northwood 1 15.41x
Plumstead 1 3.95x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 2.80x
Sculthorpe 1 222.22x
South Stainley With 1 625.00x
South Stoneham 1 10.11x
West Meon 1 163.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Hannah 6
Jane 6
Sarah 6
Catherine 5
Eliza 5
Ann 4
Elizabeth 4
Emily 4
Alice 3
Clara 3
Ellen 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Bridget 2
Caroline 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Lucy 2
Rebecca 2
Anna 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Betsey 1
Catharine 1
Charlotte 1
Cora 1
Dorthy 1
Eleanor 1
Ellenor 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Hariet 1
Henrietta 1
Hilda 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Louisia 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Margeret 1
Martha 1
Muriel 1
Rachel 1
Rosella 1
Scholastica 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Spilman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spilman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 229 people were recorded with the Spilman surname. That placed it at #11,784 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spilman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 196 in 2016. That gives Spilman a modern rank of #19,848.

What does the Spilman surname mean?

A surname derived from the Dutch word for "actor" or "performer."

What does the Spilman map show?

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