NameCensus.

UK surname

Twilley

An English surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from Twy, Norfolk.

In the 1881 census there were 63 people recorded with the Twilley surname, ranking it #24,711 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 167, ranked #22,055, up from #24,711 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wandsworth and Kirkdale. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland, North Lincolnshire and Purbeck.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Twilley is 175 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 165.1%.

1881 census count

63

Ranked #24,711

Modern count

167

2016, ranked #22,055

Peak year

2015

175 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Twilley had 63 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,711 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 167 in 2016, ranked #22,055.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 114 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Twilley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Twilley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Twilley 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 41 #25,926
1861 historical 49 #27,768
1881 historical 63 #24,711
1891 historical 63 #28,881
1901 historical 95 #23,462
1911 historical 114 #21,064
1997 modern 151 #21,034
1998 modern 151 #21,578
1999 modern 154 #21,455
2000 modern 158 #21,055
2001 modern 153 #21,197
2002 modern 141 #22,794
2003 modern 126 #24,146
2004 modern 141 #22,689
2005 modern 138 #22,999
2006 modern 138 #23,156
2007 modern 127 #24,748
2008 modern 130 #24,695
2009 modern 136 #24,485
2010 modern 140 #24,569
2011 modern 145 #23,837
2012 modern 159 #22,361
2013 modern 172 #21,575
2014 modern 171 #21,812
2015 modern 175 #21,372
2016 modern 167 #22,055

Geography

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Where Twilleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wandsworth, Kirkdale, St Werburgh and Battersea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland, North Lincolnshire, Purbeck, St Albans and Sutton. 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 Wandsworth London (South Districts)
3 Kirkdale Yorkshire, North Riding
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 Battersea London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 035 Sunderland
2 North Lincolnshire 013 North Lincolnshire
3 Purbeck 006 Purbeck
4 St Albans 019 St Albans
5 Sutton 009 Sutton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Twilley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Twilley

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Twilley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Twilley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Twilley is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Twilley is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Twilley falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Twilley

The surname Twilley is believed to have originated in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place called Twywell or Twywill in Northamptonshire. The name is likely derived from the Old English words "twi" meaning "double" and "well" meaning "spring" or "stream," suggesting a place with two springs or streams.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1195, where it appears as "de Twywell." This indicates that the name was already in use as a locational surname by the late 12th century.

The Domesday Book of 1086 does not explicitly mention the surname Twilley, but it does reference the village of "Towelle" or "Tuewelle," which may be an early spelling of the place name from which the surname originated.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded in various forms, such as "de Twywill" and "de Twywell." This variation in spelling was common during this period, as there was no standardized system for recording names.

One notable bearer of the name was Robert Twywell, a 14th-century English clergyman who served as the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1390 to 1397.

Another early record of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1387, which mentions a "John Twywell."

In the 16th century, the spelling "Twilley" began to appear more frequently. One example is Thomas Twilley, who was born around 1520 and served as the Archdeacon of Richmond from 1564 until his death in 1597.

During the 17th century, the name was associated with several notable individuals, including Richard Twilley (1608-1677), an English Puritan minister and author, and John Twilley (1637-1697), a prominent lawyer and author of legal treatises.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was William Twilley (1742-1819), an English clergyman and author who served as the Vicar of Deptford and published several religious works.

As the surname spread beyond its place of origin, it continued to be recorded in various forms, including Twilly, Twylly, and Twylley, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Twilley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Twilley 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. Leicestershire leads with 12 Twilleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.20x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 12 18.20x
Surrey 12 4.14x
Lincolnshire 9 9.46x
Yorkshire 7 1.19x
Middlesex 5 0.84x
Derbyshire 4 4.30x
Lancashire 4 0.57x
Rutland 3 68.65x
Cheshire 2 1.52x
Warwickshire 2 1.33x
Staffordshire 1 0.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Battersea in Surrey leads with 8 Twilleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.55x.

Place Total Index
Battersea 8 36.55x
Leicester St Margaret 7 43.53x
Manthorpe Cum Little 6 821.92x
Nawton 6 8571.43x
St Pancras London 5 10.44x
Derby St Werburgh 4 74.35x
Rusholme 4 212.77x
Fillingham 3 5000.00x
Ryhall 3 2000.00x
Wandsworth 3 52.36x
Birkenhead 2 19.10x
Salford Priors 2 1176.47x
Syston 2 322.58x
Whetstone 2 833.33x
Croydon 1 6.22x
Handsworth 1 20.20x
Sheffield 1 5.33x
Thorpe Arnold 1 3333.33x

Top female names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Twilley households.

FAQ

Twilley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Twilley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 63 people were recorded with the Twilley surname. That placed it at #24,711 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Twilley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 167 in 2016. That gives Twilley a modern rank of #22,055.

What does the Twilley surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from Twy, Norfolk.

What does the Twilley map show?

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