NameCensus.

UK surname

Wiliams

In the 1881 census there were 178 people recorded with the Wiliams surname, ranking it #13,840 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 208, ranked #19,062, down from #13,840 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Aberdare. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Hartlepool and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wiliams is 675 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.9%.

1881 census count

178

Ranked #13,840

Modern count

208

2016, ranked #19,062

Peak year

1911

675 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wiliams had 178 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,840 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 208 in 2016, ranked #19,062.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 675 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wiliams surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wiliams surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wiliams 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 50 #24,274
1861 historical 247 #9,977
1881 historical 178 #13,840
1891 historical 322 #10,507
1901 historical 80 #25,251
1911 historical 675 #6,256
1997 modern 244 #15,520
1998 modern 196 #18,342
1999 modern 169 #20,233
2000 modern 143 #22,457
2001 modern 128 #23,665
2002 modern 140 #22,876
2003 modern 144 #22,270
2004 modern 166 #20,441
2005 modern 159 #20,983
2006 modern 155 #21,477
2007 modern 151 #22,120
2008 modern 155 #21,956
2009 modern 169 #21,190
2010 modern 190 #20,087
2011 modern 183 #20,425
2012 modern 173 #21,135
2013 modern 182 #20,795
2014 modern 192 #20,230
2015 modern 204 #19,331
2016 modern 208 #19,062

Geography

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Where Wiliams' are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Hartlepool, Manchester and East Cambridgeshire. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Aberdare Glamorganshire
4 Bedwelty Monmouthshire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 009 Liverpool
2 Liverpool 028 Liverpool
3 Hartlepool 003 Hartlepool
4 Manchester 015 Manchester
5 East Cambridgeshire 008 East Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wiliams

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wiliams

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Wiliams is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Wiliams 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

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

1881 census detail

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Wiliams families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wiliams 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 27 Wiliams' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.93x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 27 8.93x
Flintshire 19 40.71x
Caernarfonshire 14 19.94x
Staffordshire 14 2.39x
Cardiganshire 12 28.34x
Lancashire 10 0.49x
Middlesex 9 0.52x
Denbighshire 8 12.20x
Wiltshire 8 5.21x
Brecknockshire 6 17.28x
Warwickshire 6 1.37x
Kent 5 0.84x
Monmouthshire 5 3.98x
Carmarthenshire 4 5.47x
Cheshire 4 1.04x
Hampshire 4 1.12x
Somerset 4 1.43x
Yorkshire 4 0.23x
Cornwall 2 1.02x
Durham 2 0.39x
Gloucestershire 2 0.59x
Anglesey 1 3.25x
Bedfordshire 1 1.11x
Berkshire 1 0.77x
Dorset 1 0.88x
Herefordshire 1 1.40x
Hertfordshire 1 0.84x
Leicestershire 1 0.52x
Merionethshire 1 3.15x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Halkin in Flintshire leads with 11 Wiliams' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1341.46x.

Place Total Index
Halkin 11 1341.46x
Llangynwyd Higher 10 689.66x
Harborne 9 47.92x
Warminster 8 238.10x
Neath Upper 7 886.08x
Llywel 6 800.00x
Mancetter 6 476.19x
Blaenporth 5 1250.00x
Dyserth 5 877.19x
Aberdare 4 19.28x
Charlton Horethorne 4 1428.57x
Everton 4 6.09x
Middlesbrough 4 17.86x
Upper Penn 4 272.11x
Whippingham 4 148.70x
Bettws Y Coed 3 638.30x
Blaenpenal 3 909.09x
Dover St James 3 115.38x
Liverpool 3 2.40x
Llanelly 3 18.20x
Rhuddlan 3 72.99x
St Marylebone London 3 3.24x
Aberavon 2 71.94x
Chester St Oswald 2 28.82x
Chirk 2 155.04x
Cwmrheidol 2 294.12x
Greenwich 2 7.24x
Gwinear 2 215.05x
Hampstead London 2 7.40x
Kensington London 2 2.07x
Llanarmon 2 512.82x
Llanllechid 2 40.49x
Ruabon 2 22.17x
St Woollos 2 14.28x
Stockton On Tees 2 8.03x
Abererch 1 97.09x
Bedford St Paul 1 16.21x
Bersham 1 35.71x
Bitton Oldland 1 28.74x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 6.11x
Cardiff St George 1 714.29x
Cardiff St John 1 10.13x
Chester St Peter St 1 243.90x
Denbigh 1 38.02x
Elerch 1 666.67x
Festiniog 1 14.93x
Fishguard 1 83.33x
Gillingham 1 51.02x
Holyhead 1 17.42x
Horsley 1 66.23x
Leftwich 1 58.82x
Litherland 1 23.20x
Llanafan 1 270.27x
Llanddeiniolen 1 24.39x
Llandegai 1 46.51x
Llanelidan 1 217.39x
Llangadock 1 49.51x
Llangerniew 1 238.10x
Llanllyfni 1 30.21x
Llanrug 1 54.35x
Llanwenarth Ultra 1 108.70x
Llanwonno 1 9.21x
Michaelchurch Escely 1 526.32x
Mynyddyslwyn 1 20.20x
Mywyddyslwyn 1 333.33x
Nevin 1 84.03x
Paddington London 1 1.57x
Sandhurst 1 39.68x
St Pancras London 1 0.72x
Swansea St Thomas 1 32.89x
Watford 1 10.78x
West Bromwich 1 2.98x
Wiston 1 3333.33x
Worsley 1 7.87x
Ynyscynhaiarn 1 30.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 14
Mary 12
Jane 8
Ann 4
Catherine 4
Margaret 4
Martha 4
Sarah 4
Anne 2
Grace 2
Hannah 2
Laura 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Caterine 1
Celia 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Gwen 1
Gwenllian 1
H.F. 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Jennet 1
Kate 1
Kitty 1
Lillian 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
M. 1
Minnie 1
Miriam 1
R.E. 1
Rachel 1
Rosalie 1
Sabina 1
Susan 1
W.H. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 18
Thomas 13
William 11
Henry 5
Charles 3
George 3
David 2
J. 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
A.E. 1
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
C. 1
Edwd. 1
Evan 1
F.H. 1
Frederick 1
Griffith 1
Harry 1
Henery 1
Isaac 1
Israel 1
James 1
Joan 1
Joseph 1
Noah 1
Rob. 1
Rufus 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Wiliams surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wiliams surname in 1881?

In 1881, 178 people were recorded with the Wiliams surname. That placed it at #13,840 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wiliams surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 208 in 2016. That gives Wiliams a modern rank of #19,062.

What does the Wiliams map show?

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