NameCensus.

UK surname

Wilks

Derived from a shortened form of the given name William, or from a place name meaning "willow trees."

In the 1881 census there were 4,707 people recorded with the Wilks surname, ranking it #943 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,586, ranked #1,482, down from #943 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Bradford and Walsall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Wyre Forest and Forest of Dean.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wilks is 5,192 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.6%.

1881 census count

4,707

Ranked #943

Modern count

4,586

2016, ranked #1,482

Peak year

1911

5,192 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wilks had 4,707 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #943 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,586 in 2016, ranked #1,482.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,192 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wilks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wilks surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wilks 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 3,420 #837
1861 historical 3,393 #834
1881 historical 4,707 #943
1891 historical 4,799 #969
1901 historical 5,070 #1,110
1911 historical 5,192 #1,007
1997 modern 4,601 #1,423
1998 modern 4,783 #1,418
1999 modern 4,784 #1,435
2000 modern 4,745 #1,434
2001 modern 4,667 #1,422
2002 modern 4,756 #1,435
2003 modern 4,673 #1,423
2004 modern 4,635 #1,432
2005 modern 4,509 #1,452
2006 modern 4,515 #1,448
2007 modern 4,537 #1,454
2008 modern 4,574 #1,453
2009 modern 4,666 #1,463
2010 modern 4,801 #1,451
2011 modern 4,732 #1,451
2012 modern 4,594 #1,462
2013 modern 4,675 #1,468
2014 modern 4,706 #1,468
2015 modern 4,642 #1,473
2016 modern 4,586 #1,482

Geography

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Where Wilks' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Bradford and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Wyre Forest, Forest of Dean, Stanley and Murthly and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Walsall Staffordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 020 Barnsley
2 Wyre Forest 011 Wyre Forest
3 Forest of Dean 008 Forest of Dean
4 Stanley and Murthly Perth and Kinross
5 Stockton-on-Tees 017 Stockton-on-Tees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wilks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wilks

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Wilks is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wilks is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Wilks

The surname Wilks originates from the Old English language and dates back to the 11th century in England. It is derived from the personal name "Wilcus" or "Wilcume," which means "welcome" or "one who is welcomed."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Wilks can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Wilcus" and "Wilcombe."

During the medieval period, the Wilks family settled primarily in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire in the west of England. The name was also associated with places like Wilkesley in Cheshire and Wilcot in Wiltshire, which may have influenced the evolution of the surname.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Wilks was Sir Thomas Wilks (c. 1545-1598), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1592. Another prominent figure was David Wilkins (1685-1745), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on ancient Greek and Roman history.

In the 18th century, John Wilkins (1714-1790) was an English churchman and naturalist who contributed significantly to the study of ornithology. His work "The Natural History of Birds" was a seminal publication in the field.

The 19th century saw the rise of John Wilks (1795-1865), a British politician and writer who served as a Member of Parliament and authored several books on the history of France and the French Revolution.

Another notable individual with the Wilks surname was Sir Samuel Wilks (1824-1911), a British physician and pathologist who made significant contributions to the study of kidney diseases and is considered a pioneer in the field of nephrology.

Throughout history, the Wilks surname has been associated with various professions, including law, politics, religion, and academia, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have carried this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wilks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wilks 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. Yorkshire leads with 845 Wilks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.86x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 845 1.86x
Middlesex 481 1.05x
Staffordshire 454 2.93x
Warwickshire 445 3.84x
Lancashire 306 0.56x
Gloucestershire 299 3.32x
Worcestershire 287 4.78x
Essex 217 2.39x
Surrey 165 0.74x
Oxfordshire 133 4.69x
Kent 119 0.76x
Monmouthshire 91 2.74x
Herefordshire 90 4.78x
Cheshire 79 0.78x
Shropshire 75 1.89x
Durham 68 0.50x
Hampshire 59 0.63x
Nottinghamshire 49 0.79x
Sussex 47 0.61x
Buckinghamshire 35 1.26x
Derbyshire 35 0.49x
Wiltshire 34 0.84x
Glamorgan 33 0.41x
Northumberland 32 0.47x
Berkshire 30 0.87x
Lincolnshire 26 0.35x
Northamptonshire 23 0.53x
Bedfordshire 19 0.80x
Suffolk 19 0.34x
Leicestershire 17 0.33x
Devon 14 0.15x
Hertfordshire 14 0.44x
Cornwall 13 0.25x
Montgomeryshire 13 1.23x
Somerset 12 0.16x
Cumberland 7 0.18x
Denbighshire 7 0.40x
Lanarkshire 7 0.05x
Dorset 3 0.10x
Royal Navy 2 0.37x
Anglesey 1 0.12x
Angus 1 0.02x
Ayrshire 1 0.03x
Midlothian 1 0.02x
Norfolk 1 0.01x
Wigtownshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 132 Wilks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.14x.

Place Total Index
Aston 132 4.14x
Birmingham 126 3.26x
Leeds 115 4.47x
Walsall Foreign 85 10.61x
Islington London 59 1.32x
West Bromwich 58 6.53x
Wednesbury 46 11.87x
Heaton Norris 42 13.53x
Cheltenham 39 5.61x
Kensington London 36 1.41x
Bradford 35 3.18x
Manchester 33 1.35x
North Bierley 33 13.42x
Sheffield 32 2.21x
St Marylebone London 32 1.30x
Wolverhampton 31 2.60x
Cheadle 30 15.49x
Kidderminster Borough 30 8.54x
Preston 30 2.06x
Mile End Old Town 29 4.00x
Sedgley 29 5.03x
Bromsgrove 26 12.88x
Weston Under Penyard 26 196.82x
Wednesfield 25 10.95x
Cannock 23 8.50x
Hackney London 23 0.89x
Hartlebury 23 64.39x
Brailes 22 123.67x
Lambeth 22 0.55x
Tysoe 22 140.13x
Great Ayton 21 75.32x
Salford 21 1.31x
Christchurch 20 19.46x
Killamarsh 20 44.70x
Shipley 20 8.46x
Stebbing 20 113.83x
West Ham 20 1.00x
Camberwell 19 0.65x
St Woollos 19 5.13x
Bradford 18 7.05x
Bramley In Bramley 18 10.33x
Brighton 18 1.15x
Hornsey 18 3.10x
Lindsell 18 415.70x
Redditch 18 14.80x
Skelton In Guisbrough 18 14.62x
Wycombe 18 8.69x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 17 10.92x
Broughton In Salford 17 3.41x
Chelsea London 17 1.23x
Battersea 16 0.95x
Bilston 16 5.32x
Calverley Cum Farsley 16 12.38x
Dudley 16 2.19x
Hammersmith London 16 1.41x
Harborne 16 3.22x
Horton In Bradford 16 2.25x
Huddersfield 16 2.41x
Inworth 16 159.20x
Mitcham 16 11.31x
Neithrop 16 16.78x
Tottenham 16 2.19x
Bethnal Green London 15 0.75x
Middlesbrough 15 2.53x
Newington 15 0.88x
St Luke London 15 2.04x
Stoke Upon Trent 15 0.91x
Baildon 14 16.33x
Bishops Cleeve 14 61.27x
Gomersal 14 6.59x
Linthorpe 14 5.15x
Newent 14 30.57x
Nottingham St Mary 14 0.87x
Shrewton 14 131.46x
Writtle 14 37.77x
Banbury 13 22.88x
Hanwell 13 15.96x
Horsley 13 32.57x
Poplar London 13 1.50x
Welford 13 87.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 281
Elizabeth 190
Sarah 173
Ann 91
Eliza 89
Annie 84
Jane 78
Ellen 70
Alice 68
Emma 63
Emily 59
Hannah 59
Martha 55
Harriet 45
Maria 38
Louisa 31
Fanny 30
Susan 29
Charlotte 28
Clara 28
Lucy 28
Ada 26
Edith 25
Florence 25
Margaret 25
Agnes 17
Esther 17
Caroline 16
Catherine 15
Frances 15
Rose 15
Kate 14
Eleanor 13
Isabella 13
Anne 12
Amelia 11
Jessie 11
Rebecca 11
Amy 10
Julia 10
Matilda 10
Gertrude 9
Rachel 9
Selina 9
Sophia 9
Harriett 8
Laura 8
Leah 8
Lydia 8
Minnie 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 282
William 254
George 178
Thomas 174
James 137
Joseph 115
Henry 85
Charles 82
Alfred 61
Arthur 60
Edward 57
Samuel 46
Richard 45
Frederick 41
Albert 39
Robert 33
Walter 31
Harry 28
David 23
Ernest 20
Francis 20
Frank 20
Herbert 19
Edwin 18
Fred 13
Daniel 11
Abraham 9
Benjamin 9
Isaac 9
Sidney 9
Wm. 9
Fredk. 8
Jesse 8
Percy 8
Matthew 7
Stephen 7
Tom 7
Geo. 6
Leonard 6
Frederic 5
Fredrick 5
Job 5
Thos. 5
Aaron 4
Alexander 4
Eli 4
Josiah 4
Lewis 4
Mark 4
Philip 4

FAQ

Wilks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wilks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,707 people were recorded with the Wilks surname. That placed it at #943 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wilks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,586 in 2016. That gives Wilks a modern rank of #1,482.

What does the Wilks surname mean?

Derived from a shortened form of the given name William, or from a place name meaning "willow trees."

What does the Wilks map show?

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