NameCensus.

UK surname

Vallis

A topographic surname derived from the Latin word for valley.

In the 1881 census there were 349 people recorded with the Vallis surname, ranking it #8,778 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 725, ranked #7,499, up from #8,778 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Upton with Chalvey and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, New Forest and Mid Argyll.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Vallis is 777 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 107.7%.

1881 census count

349

Ranked #8,778

Modern count

725

2016, ranked #7,499

Peak year

2010

777 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Vallis had 349 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,778 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 725 in 2016, ranked #7,499.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 610 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Vallis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Vallis surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Vallis 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 209 #10,066
1861 historical 226 #10,797
1881 historical 349 #8,778
1891 historical 415 #8,610
1901 historical 489 #8,180
1911 historical 610 #6,749
1997 modern 716 #7,127
1998 modern 753 #7,075
1999 modern 763 #7,047
2000 modern 768 #6,976
2001 modern 756 #6,947
2002 modern 768 #6,990
2003 modern 766 #6,894
2004 modern 748 #7,033
2005 modern 734 #7,074
2006 modern 740 #7,061
2007 modern 754 #7,023
2008 modern 741 #7,166
2009 modern 756 #7,208
2010 modern 777 #7,183
2011 modern 763 #7,209
2012 modern 737 #7,322
2013 modern 753 #7,318
2014 modern 750 #7,378
2015 modern 729 #7,492
2016 modern 725 #7,499

Geography

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Where Vallis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Upton with Chalvey, London parishes and Warminster, Upton Scudamore, Great and Little Corsley, Norton Bavant. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, New Forest, Mid Argyll and Warwick. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Upton with Chalvey Buckinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Warminster, Upton Scudamore, Great and Little Corsley, Norton Bavant Wiltshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 029 Wiltshire
2 New Forest 006 New Forest
3 Mid Argyll Argyll and Bute
4 Wiltshire 024 Wiltshire
5 Warwick 005 Warwick

Forenames

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First names often paired with Vallis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Vallis

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

London Fringe

Within London, Vallis 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

Vallis is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Vallis 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 Vallis 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 Vallis, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Vallis

The surname VALLIS is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "val" meaning "valley" or "vale". It likely originated in the northern regions of France during the medieval period, where many place names incorporated the word "val" to describe their locations in valleys or low-lying areas.

Early records of the VALLIS surname can be traced back to the 13th century in France. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Robert de Vallis, mentioned in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a census-like record of landowners in England, compiled in 1273.

In the 14th century, the surname VALLIS appeared in various spellings such as de Vallis, de Vaus, and de Vaux, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Vaux-sur-Aure and Vaux-sur-Somme in northern France.

Notable individuals with the surname VALLIS include:

1. Thomas de Vallis (c. 1300-1360), an English cleric and Lord Privy Seal during the reign of Edward III. 2. Jean de Vallis (c. 1400-1470), a French nobleman and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War. 3. Marguerite de Vallis (c. 1450-1520), a French noblewoman and patron of the arts, known for her support of Renaissance artists and writers. 4. William Vallis (1556-1625), an English poet and dramatist during the Elizabethan era. 5. Étienne de Vallis (1610-1679), a French philosopher and theologian, known for his writings on natural law and moral philosophy.

The VALLIS surname continued to be prominent throughout Europe, particularly in France, England, and other parts of the British Isles, where it was sometimes anglicized to variations such as Valles, Vales, or Valley.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Vallis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Vallis 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. Somerset leads with 72 Vallis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.14x.

County Total Index
Somerset 72 13.14x
Wiltshire 71 23.58x
Middlesex 46 1.35x
Surrey 35 2.11x
Buckinghamshire 22 10.69x
Oxfordshire 20 9.51x
Warwickshire 17 1.98x
Berkshire 10 3.91x
Gloucestershire 10 1.50x
Worcestershire 10 2.25x
Essex 9 1.34x
Lancashire 7 0.17x
Derbyshire 6 1.13x
Glamorgan 6 1.01x
Kent 4 0.34x
Hampshire 1 0.14x
Hertfordshire 1 0.43x
Monmouthshire 1 0.41x
Norfolk 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shepton Montague in Somerset leads with 18 Vallis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4736.84x.

Place Total Index
Shepton Montague 18 4736.84x
Headington 16 490.80x
Warminster 13 196.97x
Battersea 12 9.58x
Birmingham 12 4.19x
Walcot 12 41.12x
Camberwell 11 5.06x
Frome 11 83.91x
Burbage 10 653.59x
Poplar London 9 14.01x
West Ham 9 6.07x
Evesham All Sts 8 386.47x
Orcheston St Mary 8 4210.53x
Stoke Poges 8 318.73x
Eccleston In Prescot 7 34.52x
Maiden Bradley 7 1014.49x
Upton Cum Chalvey 7 85.37x
Wincanton 7 248.23x
Holbrook 6 500.00x
Maddington 6 1276.60x
New Windsor 6 69.85x
Wootton Rivers 6 1333.33x
Bedminster 5 9.71x
Calne 5 80.65x
Esher 5 215.52x
Etchilhampton 5 2631.58x
Horfield 5 74.40x
Nuneaton 5 50.25x
St George Hanover 5 11.25x
Westminster St James 5 14.29x
Chelsea London 4 3.90x
Corsley 4 336.13x
Hammersmith London 4 4.77x
Kensington London 4 2.11x
Newington 4 3.18x
Oxford St Clement 4 75.33x
South Cadbury 4 1818.18x
Thatcham 4 101.52x
Westminster St John 4 9.65x
Wycombe 4 26.08x
Aberdare 3 7.37x
Batheaston 3 159.57x
Hemington 3 441.18x
Radstock 3 83.33x
St Andrew Holborn 3 26.00x
St George Bloomsbury 3 15.36x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 8.98x
Bruton 2 92.59x
Great Wishford 2 476.19x
Greenwich 2 3.69x
Hanwell 2 33.11x
Llandaff 2 10.14x
North Cadbury 2 190.48x
Olney 2 70.18x
Woolwich 2 4.66x
Wotton Under Edge 2 50.76x
Aldershot 1 4.28x
Bradford On Avon 1 10.37x
Bratton Seymour 1 1000.00x
Clifton 1 2.96x
Crewkerne 1 17.18x
Croydon 1 1.09x
East Dereham 1 15.13x
East Knoyle 1 98.04x
Fulham London 1 2.03x
Kings Norton 1 2.51x
Malden 1 232.56x
Mere 1 29.24x
Ramsbury 1 36.63x
Richmond 1 4.30x
Shrewton 1 126.58x
St Ann Blackfriars 1 212.77x
St Marylebone London 1 0.55x
St Woollos 1 3.64x
Watford 1 5.50x
Wendover 1 45.05x
Worcester St Helen 1 70.42x
Ystradyfodwg 1 1.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 14
Sarah 13
Eliza 10
Ellen 10
Annie 9
Jane 8
Ann 6
Emma 6
Emily 5
Louisa 4
Edith 3
Florence 3
Hannah 3
Harriet 3
Isabella 3
Kate 3
Martha 3
Susan 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Charlotte 2
Elsie 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Laura 2
Lydia 2
Matilda 2
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Eda 1
Ethel 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Lavinia 1
Lelouisa 1
Lilian 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Marrie 1
Minnie 1
Miriam 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
John 16
George 15
James 15
Henry 12
Thomas 10
Charles 9
Frederick 6
Arthur 5
Harry 5
Samuel 5
Albert 4
Walter 4
Abraham 3
Alfred 3
Edward 3
Francis 3
Frank 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Stephen 3
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Lewis 2
Sidney 2
Andrew 1
Bertie 1
Charley 1
Edwin 1
Fredrk. 1
Rager 1
Redger 1
Reginald 1
Samul 1
Thos. 1
Victor 1
Willam 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Vallis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Vallis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 349 people were recorded with the Vallis surname. That placed it at #8,778 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Vallis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 725 in 2016. That gives Vallis a modern rank of #7,499.

What does the Vallis surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from the Latin word for valley.

What does the Vallis map show?

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