NameCensus.

UK surname

Willday

In the 1881 census there were 101 people recorded with the Willday surname, ranking it #19,636 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 121, ranked #27,399, down from #19,636 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barrow-on-Soar, Hampton-in-Arden and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North West Leicestershire, East Staffordshire and Charnwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Willday is 151 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.8%.

1881 census count

101

Ranked #19,636

Modern count

121

2016, ranked #27,399

Peak year

1911

151 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Willday had 101 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,636 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016, ranked #27,399.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 151 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Willday surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Willday surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Willday 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 77 #23,975
1881 historical 101 #19,636
1891 historical 91 #25,239
1901 historical 131 #19,552
1911 historical 151 #17,797
1997 modern 133 #22,705
1998 modern 139 #22,720
1999 modern 138 #22,983
2000 modern 127 #24,121
2001 modern 131 #23,343
2002 modern 126 #24,393
2003 modern 114 #25,664
2004 modern 122 #24,812
2005 modern 118 #25,301
2006 modern 116 #25,813
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 115 #26,635
2009 modern 117 #26,927
2010 modern 123 #26,728
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 124 #26,432
2013 modern 130 #26,074
2014 modern 129 #26,352
2015 modern 122 #27,245
2016 modern 121 #27,399

Geography

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Where Willdays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barrow-on-Soar, Hampton-in-Arden, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Leicester St Martin and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North West Leicestershire, East Staffordshire, Charnwood and South Derbyshire. 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 Barrow-on-Soar Leicestershire
2 Hampton-in-Arden Warwickshire
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Leicester St Martin Leicestershire
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North West Leicestershire 008 North West Leicestershire
2 East Staffordshire 014 East Staffordshire
3 Charnwood 018 Charnwood
4 South Derbyshire 001 South Derbyshire
5 South Derbyshire 008 South Derbyshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Willday

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Willday

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

Willday is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Willday falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Willday 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 Willday, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Willday families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Willday 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. Warwickshire leads with 62 Willdays recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.96x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 62 24.96x
Leicestershire 11 10.07x
Staffordshire 9 2.71x
Derbyshire 6 3.89x
Lancashire 6 0.51x
Middlesex 2 0.20x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.51x
Devon 1 0.49x
Gloucestershire 1 0.52x
Worcestershire 1 0.78x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 25 Willdays recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.19x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 25 30.19x
Hampton In Arden 13 5909.09x
Coventry St Michael 10 125.31x
Walton On Hill 6 94.79x
Derby St Werburgh 5 56.12x
Horninglow 5 318.47x
Leicester St Margaret 5 18.78x
Aston 4 5.85x
Balsall 4 1025.64x
Rushall 4 204.08x
Sibson 4 3076.92x
Bulkington 3 555.56x
Shoreditch London 2 4.68x
Ashby De La Zouch 1 39.53x
Betton 1 1250.00x
Chilvers Coton 1 98.04x
Derby All Sts 1 77.52x
Edgbaston 1 12.99x
Leamington Priors 1 16.37x
Newnham 1 200.00x
Nottingham St Mary 1 2.91x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 6.33x
Radford 1 14.81x
Whistones 1 107.53x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
Henry 4
John 4
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Harry 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Josiah 2
Walter 2
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
George 1
Jonah 1
Mark 1
Noah 1
Richard 1
Roland 1

FAQ

Willday surname: questions and answers

How common was the Willday surname in 1881?

In 1881, 101 people were recorded with the Willday surname. That placed it at #19,636 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Willday surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016. That gives Willday a modern rank of #27,399.

What does the Willday map show?

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