NameCensus.

UK surname

Spilsbury

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Spill's manor" or "Spill's settlement".

In the 1881 census there were 580 people recorded with the Spilsbury surname, ranking it #6,010 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 830, ranked #6,703, down from #6,010 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Stockport and Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spilsbury is 873 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.1%.

1881 census count

580

Ranked #6,010

Modern count

830

2016, ranked #6,703

Peak year

2011

873 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spilsbury had 580 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,010 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 830 in 2016, ranked #6,703.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 765 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Spilsbury surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spilsbury surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spilsbury 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 485 #5,144
1861 historical 435 #5,918
1881 historical 580 #6,010
1891 historical 583 #6,554
1901 historical 660 #6,565
1911 historical 765 #5,661
1997 modern 787 #6,630
1998 modern 854 #6,411
1999 modern 868 #6,380
2000 modern 854 #6,436
2001 modern 846 #6,359
2002 modern 864 #6,390
2003 modern 839 #6,405
2004 modern 835 #6,431
2005 modern 831 #6,416
2006 modern 826 #6,458
2007 modern 812 #6,608
2008 modern 821 #6,596
2009 modern 841 #6,615
2010 modern 863 #6,613
2011 modern 873 #6,479
2012 modern 829 #6,656
2013 modern 835 #6,722
2014 modern 839 #6,730
2015 modern 828 #6,735
2016 modern 830 #6,703

Geography

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Where Spilsburys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Stockport, Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, Leek and Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire and Malvern Hills. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick Worcestershire
4 Leek Staffordshire
5 Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 003 Stoke-on-Trent
2 Wolverhampton 007 Wolverhampton
3 South Staffordshire 001 South Staffordshire
4 Wolverhampton 003 Wolverhampton
5 Malvern Hills 001 Malvern Hills

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spilsbury

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spilsbury

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Spilsbury, 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 Spilsbury surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Spilsbury 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Spilsbury 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

Spilsbury 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

Spilsbury falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Spilsbury

The surname Spilsbury originated in England during the late medieval period, likely in the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "spill," meaning to spill or shed, and "burgh," meaning a fortified town or manor. Thus, the name may have referred to someone who lived near a spill or shed located within a borough or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it is spelled "Spillesbury." This suggests the name was already established in England by the late 13th century. The Spilsbury spelling itself is found in records from the 16th century onwards.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name was John Spilsbury (c. 1520-1591), an English clergyman and one of the founders of the Separatist movement, which advocated for the separation of church and state. He was a significant figure in the early development of Puritan and Congregationalist beliefs.

Another notable Spilsbury was Sir John Spilsbury (1619-1701), an English lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King Charles II. He was known for his impartiality and fairness in legal matters.

In the 18th century, John Spilsbury (1737-1812) was a prominent English cartographer and globemaker. He produced numerous maps and globes, including a highly regarded celestial globe that was used for educational purposes.

Moving into the 19th century, William Spilsbury (1833-1905) was a successful English businessman and founder of the Spilsbury Soap Company, which produced high-quality soaps and toiletries. The company's products were popular and widely distributed throughout Britain and abroad.

Another notable bearer of the name was Francis Spilsbury (1886-1958), a British forensic scientist and one of the pioneers of modern crime scene investigation techniques. He was instrumental in the development of fingerprint analysis and ballistic evidence examination, and his work helped revolutionize the field of forensic science.

While the Spilsbury surname has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spilsbury families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spilsbury 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 136 Spilsburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.08x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 136 7.08x
Worcestershire 85 11.45x
Warwickshire 73 5.09x
Cheshire 68 5.42x
Lancashire 37 0.55x
Middlesex 24 0.42x
Surrey 21 0.76x
Herefordshire 20 8.58x
Derbyshire 19 2.13x
Shropshire 13 2.65x
Gloucestershire 11 0.99x
Kent 11 0.57x
Yorkshire 11 0.20x
Cambridgeshire 9 2.50x
Sussex 8 0.83x
Bedfordshire 7 2.38x
Dorset 5 1.34x
Cumberland 4 0.82x
Midlothian 4 0.53x
Northamptonshire 4 0.75x
Berkshire 3 0.70x
Channel Islands 3 1.78x
Northumberland 3 0.35x
Devon 2 0.17x
Hampshire 2 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 51 Spilsburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.67x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 51 10.67x
Leek Lowe 23 90.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 21 10.32x
Castle Church 16 138.65x
Wolverhampton 14 9.49x
Knutsford Nether 13 171.28x
Stockport 12 18.57x
Aston 10 2.53x
Leigh 10 110.86x
Manchester 10 3.30x
Stafford St Mary 10 36.81x
St Andrewthe Less 9 21.87x
Burslem 8 14.55x
Clayton 8 58.01x
Collington 8 4000.00x
Ganarew 8 2352.94x
Heaton Norris 8 20.83x
Lambeth 8 1.61x
Mellor 8 330.58x
Bosden 7 181.82x
Churcham 7 707.07x
Deptford St Paul 7 4.68x
Elton In Congleton 7 654.21x
Findern 7 886.08x
Kensington London 7 2.21x
Kidderminster Borough 7 16.10x
Titteworth 7 237.29x
Upper Penn 7 145.53x
Wichenford 7 945.95x
Worcester St Martin 7 69.86x
Ashley 6 800.00x
South Bersted 6 73.62x
Stafford St Chad 6 674.16x
Stoke Prior 6 131.00x
Worcester St John 6 67.64x
Bowdon 5 100.40x
Claines 5 24.53x
Everton 5 2.32x
Hackney London 5 1.57x
Longfleet 5 115.74x
Newton In Northwich 5 130.89x
Southwark St Saviour 5 17.11x
Worcester St Peter 5 35.56x
Biggleswade 4 41.49x
Caverswall 4 40.08x
Chester St Oswald 4 17.60x
Chiswick 4 12.87x
Denton 4 26.76x
Edinburgh St Stephens 4 26.67x
Hanley Child 4 952.38x
Leamington 4 42.11x
Middlewich 4 155.04x
Monkhopton 4 1212.12x
Northampton All Sts 4 22.04x
Rickergate 4 38.61x
Welsh Hampton 4 396.04x
Worcester St Clement 4 84.75x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 2.03x
Bedlington 3 10.62x
Belbroughton 3 77.92x
Bristol St James St Paul 3 8.07x
Camberwell 3 0.83x
High Offley 3 189.87x
Lofthouse 3 35.67x
Luton 3 5.88x
Newton 3 5.77x
Putney 3 11.57x
Reading St Mary 3 8.77x
Ribbesford 3 48.54x
Shrewsbury St Alkmond 3 109.89x
St Helier 3 5.47x
Stourbridge 3 15.70x
Stratford On Avon 3 37.74x
Warwick St Mary 3 24.10x
Welland 3 176.47x
Wolstanton 3 5.15x
Brewood 2 36.17x
Ewell 2 34.19x
Rochester St Margaret 2 9.78x
Wolferlow 2 1052.63x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 43
Sarah 23
Elizabeth 21
Ann 14
Eliza 12
Harriet 9
Jane 9
Lucy 9
Annie 7
Caroline 6
Louisa 6
Martha 6
Emily 5
Emma 5
Florence 5
Hannah 5
Alice 4
Anne 4
Frances 4
Maria 4
Matilda 4
Agnes 3
Ellen 3
Fanny 3
Lizzie 3
Lydia 3
Margaret 3
Susannah 3
Ada 2
Amy 2
Beatrice 2
Catherine 2
Constance 2
Edith 2
Grace 2
Harriett 2
Nellie 2
Olive 2
Phoebe 2
Polly 2
Ruth 2
Selina 2
Susan 2
Tamar 2
Carololine 1
Carry 1
Esther 1
Evelyn 1
Lucinda 1
Vere 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 47
John 37
Thomas 20
George 19
James 18
Henry 16
Charles 11
Joseph 11
Benjamin 6
David 6
Samuel 6
Arthur 5
Ernest 5
Francis 5
Frederick 5
Edwin 4
Peter 4
Harry 3
Wm. 3
Albert 2
Alfd. 2
Alfred 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Percy 2
Richard 2
Saml. 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Willm. 2
Ashton 1
C.L.M. 1
Chas 1
Chas.H. 1
Christopher 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Harold 1
Henery 1
Herbert 1
Joe 1
Jonathan 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
Lorance 1
Robert 1
Roilance 1
Rolph 1

FAQ

Spilsbury surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spilsbury surname in 1881?

In 1881, 580 people were recorded with the Spilsbury surname. That placed it at #6,010 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spilsbury surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 830 in 2016. That gives Spilsbury a modern rank of #6,703.

What does the Spilsbury surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Spill's manor" or "Spill's settlement".

What does the Spilsbury map show?

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