NameCensus.

UK surname

Willgress

In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Willgress surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 150, ranked #23,724, down from #19,877 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Horstead with Staininghall and Castle Acre. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Broadland, Hartlepool and West Berkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Willgress is 170 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.5%.

1881 census count

99

Ranked #19,877

Modern count

150

2016, ranked #23,724

Peak year

2002

170 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Willgress had 99 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,877 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016, ranked #23,724.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 159 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Willgress surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Willgress surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Willgress 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 #32,890
1861 historical 60 #26,313
1881 historical 99 #19,877
1891 historical 103 #23,558
1901 historical 147 #18,270
1911 historical 159 #17,219
1997 modern 156 #20,593
1998 modern 164 #20,505
1999 modern 167 #20,374
2000 modern 168 #20,252
2001 modern 165 #20,199
2002 modern 170 #20,243
2003 modern 170 #20,023
2004 modern 162 #20,756
2005 modern 167 #20,296
2006 modern 161 #20,972
2007 modern 161 #21,201
2008 modern 157 #21,766
2009 modern 148 #23,141
2010 modern 159 #22,577
2011 modern 153 #22,996
2012 modern 153 #22,963
2013 modern 155 #23,108
2014 modern 152 #23,631
2015 modern 150 #23,718
2016 modern 150 #23,724

Geography

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Where Willgress' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Horstead with Staininghall, Castle Acre, Lambeth and Rougham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Broadland, Hartlepool, West Berkshire and Great Yarmouth. 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 Horstead with Staininghall Norfolk
3 Castle Acre Norfolk
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Rougham Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Broadland 018 Broadland
2 Broadland 014 Broadland
3 Hartlepool 012 Hartlepool
4 West Berkshire 002 West Berkshire
5 Great Yarmouth 009 Great Yarmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Willgress

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Willgress

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Willgress surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Willgress household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Willgress 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

Willgress 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

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

1881 census detail

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Willgress families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Willgress 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. Norfolk leads with 84 Willgress' recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.58x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 84 56.58x
Surrey 12 2.55x
Middlesex 1 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.77x
Sussex 1 0.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Upton With Fishley in Norfolk leads with 63 Willgress' recorded in 1881 and an index of 35000.00x.

Place Total Index
Upton With Fishley 63 35000.00x
Castle Acre 10 2272.73x
Rougham 8 6153.85x
Lambeth 7 8.31x
Putney 5 113.64x
Brighton 1 3.05x
Clerkenwell London 1 4.39x
Great Yarmouth 1 8.13x
Kirkby In Ashfield 1 71.94x
Ludham 1 384.62x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 1 104.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 7
Mary 6
Elizabeth 4
Ann 3
Louisa 3
Edith 2
Emily 2
Maryann 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Annie 1
Christanna 1
Eliza 1
Fanny 1
Happy 1
Harriet 1
Harriette 1
Isabella 1
Julea 1
Lizzie 1
Pamela 1
Sarha 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Willgress surname: questions and answers

How common was the Willgress surname in 1881?

In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Willgress surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Willgress surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016. That gives Willgress a modern rank of #23,724.

What does the Willgress map show?

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