NameCensus.

UK surname

Whillis

In the 1881 census there were 127 people recorded with the Whillis surname, ranking it #17,166 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, down from #17,166 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eyemouth, Newcastle All Saints and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whillis is 182 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.8%.

1881 census count

127

Ranked #17,166

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

1911

182 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whillis had 127 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,166 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 182 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Whillis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whillis surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whillis 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 93 #17,946
1861 historical 100 #21,103
1881 historical 127 #17,166
1891 historical 145 #18,752
1901 historical 159 #17,442
1911 historical 182 #15,859
1997 modern 153 #20,868
1998 modern 152 #21,481
1999 modern 152 #21,636
2000 modern 150 #21,781
2001 modern 144 #22,040
2002 modern 152 #21,723
2003 modern 150 #21,669
2004 modern 140 #22,793
2005 modern 140 #22,774
2006 modern 142 #22,724
2007 modern 133 #24,059
2008 modern 134 #24,249
2009 modern 128 #25,427
2010 modern 129 #25,900
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 132 #25,789
2014 modern 137 #25,345
2015 modern 137 #25,226
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Whillis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eyemouth, Newcastle All Saints, Gateshead, Berwick-on-Tweed and Newcastle St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland and Newcastle upon Tyne. 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 Eyemouth Berwick
2 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Berwick-on-Tweed Northumberland
5 Newcastle St John Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 005 Northumberland
3 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
4 Northumberland 007 Northumberland
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 008 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whillis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whillis

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Whillis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Whillis household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Whillis is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Whillis is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whillis 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 Whillis is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Whillis, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Whillis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whillis 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. Northumberland leads with 85 Whillis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.12x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 85 46.12x
Berwickshire 14 93.33x
Perthshire 10 17.99x
Angus 8 6.97x
Midlothian 4 2.41x
Kent 2 0.47x
Sussex 2 0.96x
Roxburghshire 1 4.46x
Surrey 1 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. Chatton in Northumberland leads with 18 Whillis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3157.89x.

Place Total Index
Chatton 18 3157.89x
Berwick Upon Tweed 15 383.63x
Eyemouth 13 1040.00x
Byker 10 109.77x
Eassie Nevay 8 3333.33x
Elswick 8 54.38x
Moulin 6 681.82x
New Bewick 6 6000.00x
Heaton 5 819.67x
Chillingham 4 6666.67x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 5.99x
Fowlis Wester 4 851.06x
Harehope 4 20000.00x
Cornhill 3 1071.43x
Kyloe 3 714.29x
Lowick 3 468.75x
Westgate 3 26.29x
Hove 2 21.83x
Margate St John Baptist 2 25.84x
Alnwick 1 31.55x
Ayton 1 114.94x
Lambeth 1 0.93x
Melrose 1 51.55x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 9.08x
Tynemouth 1 10.13x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Margaret 7
Jane 5
Ann 3
Elizabeth 3
Isabella 3
Annie 2
Christina 2
Ellen 2
Alexanderia 1
Alice 1
Eleanor 1
Fredrica 1
Hannah 1
Isaballa 1
Jemina 1
Jessie 1
Katie 1
Maggie 1
Margret 1
Margt 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 8
Robert 6
George 5
William 4
Alexander 3
Charles 2
John 2
Marcus 2
Frederick 1
Joseph 1
Ralph 1
Richd. 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Whillis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whillis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 127 people were recorded with the Whillis surname. That placed it at #17,166 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whillis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Whillis a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Whillis map show?

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