NameCensus.

UK surname

Theophilus

A surname derived from Greek meaning "lover of God".

In the 1881 census there were 118 people recorded with the Theophilus surname, ranking it #17,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 150, ranked #23,724, down from #17,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Cylycwm and Merthyr Tydfil. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Theophilus is 155 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.1%.

1881 census count

118

Ranked #17,935

Modern count

150

2016, ranked #23,724

Peak year

1891

155 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Theophilus had 118 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016, ranked #23,724.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 155 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Theophilus surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Theophilus surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Theophilus 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 97 #17,484
1861 historical 95 #21,768
1881 historical 118 #17,935
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 151 #17,988
1911 historical 142 #18,487
1997 modern 139 #22,132
1998 modern 147 #21,935
1999 modern 147 #22,110
2000 modern 144 #22,357
2001 modern 148 #21,664
2002 modern 151 #21,809
2003 modern 139 #22,734
2004 modern 136 #23,207
2005 modern 137 #23,110
2006 modern 131 #23,942
2007 modern 139 #23,377
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 136 #24,485
2010 modern 154 #23,082
2011 modern 155 #22,790
2012 modern 151 #23,166
2013 modern 151 #23,529
2014 modern 154 #23,439
2015 modern 147 #24,036
2016 modern 150 #23,724

Geography

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Where Theophilus' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Cylycwm, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Bridgend. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Cylycwm Carmarthenshire
3 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
4 Aberdare Glamorganshire
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 001 Caerphilly
2 Carmarthenshire 002 Carmarthenshire
3 Swansea 030 Swansea
4 Swansea 031 Swansea
5 Bridgend 018 Bridgend

Forenames

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First names often paired with Theophilus

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Theophilus

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Theophilus is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

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Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Theophilus is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Theophilus falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Theophilus

The surname Theophilus originated from the Greek language and is derived from the words "theos," meaning "god," and "philos," meaning "lover." It literally translates to "lover of God" or "friend of God." The name has been in use for centuries, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to ancient Greece and the Byzantine Empire.

The name Theophilus was initially used as a personal name in the early Christian era, particularly among individuals who embraced the Christian faith. It gained popularity as a surname during the Middle Ages, when it was adopted by families with Greek or Byzantine roots, as well as those who embraced the religious connotations of the name.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Theophilus can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this document, a landowner named Theophilus is mentioned as holding property in the county of Suffolk.

During the Byzantine Empire, the name Theophilus was particularly popular among the ruling class and aristocracy. Theophilus, the 20th Byzantine Emperor, ruled from 829 to 842 AD and is known for his efforts to suppress the veneration of icons during the Iconoclastic Controversy.

In the realm of literature, Theophilus was the name of a character in the medieval legend of "Faust," which tells the story of a scholar who makes a pact with the devil. This legend has been adapted by various writers, including Christopher Marlowe and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Theophilus include:

1. Theophilus Eaton (1590-1658), an English Puritan merchant and one of the founders of the Colony of New Haven, now part of the state of Connecticut, United States.

2. Theophilus Lindsey (1723-1808), an English theologian and founder of the Unitarian movement in England.

3. Theophilus Hunter Holmes (1804-1880), an American military officer who served as a general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.

4. Theophilus Shickel Painter (1889-1969), an American painter known for his landscapes and scenes of rural life in the United States.

5. Theophilus Eugene Connor (1897-1973), an American politician who served as Commissioner of Public Safety for the city of Birmingham, Alabama, during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

It is worth noting that while the surname Theophilus has its roots in ancient Greece and the Byzantine Empire, it has been adopted and used by individuals from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds throughout history, reflecting the diverse and far-reaching influence of the name's religious and philosophical connotations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Theophilus families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Theophilus 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. Glamorgan leads with 39 Theophilus' recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.30x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 39 19.30x
Carmarthenshire 36 73.59x
Cardiganshire 13 45.92x
Lanarkshire 6 1.60x
Lancashire 6 0.44x
Brecknockshire 5 21.54x
Middlesex 4 0.34x
Monmouthshire 3 3.58x
Oxfordshire 3 4.19x
Surrey 2 0.35x
Hampshire 1 0.42x
Staffordshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cilycwm in Carmarthenshire leads with 24 Theophilus' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5581.40x.

Place Total Index
Cilycwm 24 5581.40x
Merthyr Tydfil 10 51.49x
Gelligaer 8 173.16x
Aberdare 7 50.47x
Cambusnethan 6 71.94x
Llanfairarybryn 6 1176.47x
Llanilar 6 1818.18x
Llandingat 5 450.45x
Trallong 5 4545.45x
Cardiff St Mary 4 35.94x
Kirkdale 4 17.26x
Swansea Town 4 24.14x
Kidlington 3 545.45x
Llanrhystyd Mefenydd 3 1304.35x
Poplar London 3 13.69x
St John Near Swansea 3 120.00x
Liverpool 2 2.39x
Newington 2 4.66x
Ystradyfodwg 2 11.28x
Aberystwith 1 40.98x
Aberystwyth 1 222.22x
Bedwellty 1 6.75x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.65x
Handsworth 1 10.35x
Llanbadarn Fawr 1 263.16x
Llandaff 1 14.88x
Llanelly 1 9.07x
Mynyddyslwyn 1 30.21x
Newport 1 25.00x
Southampton All Sts 1 24.51x
Vainor Upper 1 714.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Anne 7
Jane 6
Margaret 6
Annie 3
Elizabeth 3
Ann 2
Clara 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Betsie 1
Constanc 1
Elisabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Gwenllian 1
Gwenny 1
Joanna 1
June 1
Martha 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
David 12
William 6
Thomas 5
John 4
Daniel 3
Benjamin 2
Evan 2
Richard 2
Timothy 2
Dan 1
Edward 1
Elisha 1
Ernest 1
George 1
Gilbert 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
James 1
Jno. 1
Llewellyn 1
Nicholas 1
Ritchard 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Varley 1
W.M. 1

FAQ

Theophilus surname: questions and answers

How common was the Theophilus surname in 1881?

In 1881, 118 people were recorded with the Theophilus surname. That placed it at #17,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Theophilus surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016. That gives Theophilus a modern rank of #23,724.

What does the Theophilus surname mean?

A surname derived from Greek meaning "lover of God".

What does the Theophilus map show?

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