NameCensus.

UK surname

Willats

In the 1881 census there were 85 people recorded with the Willats surname, ranking it #21,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 255, ranked #16,576, up from #21,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St John Hackney and All Saints Poplar. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thurrock, Breckland and St Edmundsbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Willats is 266 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 200.0%.

1881 census count

85

Ranked #21,573

Modern count

255

2016, ranked #16,576

Peak year

1999

266 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Willats had 85 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 255 in 2016, ranked #16,576.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 230 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Willats surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Willats surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Willats 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 58 #22,928
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 85 #21,573
1891 historical 182 #15,983
1901 historical 169 #16,824
1911 historical 230 #13,686
1997 modern 240 #15,678
1998 modern 257 #15,401
1999 modern 266 #15,150
2000 modern 266 #15,096
2001 modern 258 #15,194
2002 modern 260 #15,415
2003 modern 253 #15,493
2004 modern 251 #15,655
2005 modern 238 #16,198
2006 modern 240 #16,177
2007 modern 244 #16,186
2008 modern 235 #16,777
2009 modern 246 #16,597
2010 modern 262 #16,252
2011 modern 259 #16,237
2012 modern 247 #16,661
2013 modern 257 #16,466
2014 modern 258 #16,554
2015 modern 263 #16,224
2016 modern 255 #16,576

Geography

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Where Willats' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St John Hackney, All Saints Poplar, St Anne Limehouse and Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early),. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thurrock, Breckland, St Edmundsbury, Portsmouth and Basildon. 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 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
3 All Saints Poplar London (East Districts)
4 St Anne Limehouse London (East Districts)
5 Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early), Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thurrock 001 Thurrock
2 Breckland 017 Breckland
3 St Edmundsbury 010 St Edmundsbury
4 Portsmouth 007 Portsmouth
5 Basildon 008 Basildon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Willats

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Willats

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

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Willats surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Willats 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 are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

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, Willats 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

Willats 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

Willats 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 Willats is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Willats families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Willats 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. Middlesex leads with 44 Willats' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.31x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 44 5.31x
Surrey 13 3.22x
Essex 7 4.28x
Norfolk 7 5.49x
Berkshire 4 6.43x
Oxfordshire 3 5.86x
Devon 2 1.16x
Gloucestershire 1 0.62x
Hampshire 1 0.59x
Sussex 1 0.72x
Wiltshire 1 1.36x
Worcestershire 1 0.92x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 16 Willats' recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.91x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 16 19.91x
Poplar London 9 57.51x
Hornchurch 7 875.00x
Norwich St Peter Hungate 7 6363.64x
Camberwell 5 9.44x
Hackney London 4 8.61x
Kensington London 4 8.68x
Mile End Old Town 4 30.56x
Rotherhithe 4 39.06x
Caversham 3 294.12x
Reading St Giles 3 49.10x
Exeter St Thomas The 2 113.64x
Lambeth 2 2.77x
Mortlake 2 111.11x
Ratcliffe London 2 43.67x
St George Hanover 2 18.48x
Tottenham 2 15.15x
Bray 1 54.64x
Brighton 1 3.55x
Cheltenham 1 7.97x
Kings Norton 1 10.30x
Portsea 1 3.00x
Shoreditch London 1 2.78x
Swindon 1 17.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Emily 3
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Ethel 2
Florence 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Ann 1
Beatrice 1
Catharine 1
Daisy 1
Elizabeth 1
Elsie 1
Ether 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Iona 1
Lilly 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
May 1
Phebe 1
Ruperta 1
Sarah 1
Sevilia 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
Arthur 3
Richard 3
Alfred 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
George 2
Henry 2
James 2
Albert 1
Alec 1
Algernon 1
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Fleetwood 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Howard 1
John 1
Ralph 1
Sidney 1
Thomas 1
W. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Willats surname: questions and answers

How common was the Willats surname in 1881?

In 1881, 85 people were recorded with the Willats surname. That placed it at #21,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Willats surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 255 in 2016. That gives Willats a modern rank of #16,576.

What does the Willats map show?

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