NameCensus.

UK surname

Willie

Derived from a nickname for William, which comes from the Germanic name Willahelm, meaning "resolute protection."

In the 1881 census there were 245 people recorded with the Willie surname, ranking it #11,232 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 263, ranked #16,210, down from #11,232 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster and Buckland St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Sussex, East Riding of Yorkshire and Havant.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Willie is 435 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.3%.

1881 census count

245

Ranked #11,232

Modern count

263

2016, ranked #16,210

Peak year

1901

435 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Willie had 245 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,232 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 263 in 2016, ranked #16,210.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 435 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Willie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Willie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Willie 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 281 #8,028
1861 historical 261 #9,481
1881 historical 245 #11,232
1891 historical 428 #8,377
1901 historical 435 #8,922
1911 historical 315 #11,050
1997 modern 247 #15,399
1998 modern 254 #15,508
1999 modern 256 #15,557
2000 modern 250 #15,741
2001 modern 241 #15,870
2002 modern 263 #15,277
2003 modern 252 #15,530
2004 modern 253 #15,583
2005 modern 256 #15,407
2006 modern 261 #15,289
2007 modern 252 #15,815
2008 modern 254 #15,903
2009 modern 271 #15,511
2010 modern 267 #16,029
2011 modern 260 #16,188
2012 modern 265 #15,862
2013 modern 267 #16,053
2014 modern 270 #16,020
2015 modern 262 #16,278
2016 modern 263 #16,210

Geography

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Where Willies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster, Buckland St Mary, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Sussex, East Riding of Yorkshire, Havant and Newport. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Bedminster Somerset
3 Buckland St Mary Somerset
4 London parishes London 3
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Sussex 006 Mid Sussex
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 031 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Havant 013 Havant
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 039 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Newport 012 Newport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Willie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Willie

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Willie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Willie 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Willie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Willie 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

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

Meaning and origin of Willie

The surname Willie originates from Scotland and is believed to have derived from the ancient Gaelic personal name Uilleam, which is the Scottish form of the name William. This name is derived from the Germanic elements "wil" meaning "will or desire" and "helm" meaning "helmet or protection."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Willie can be traced back to the 13th century in the Scottish Highlands and Hebrides islands. It is likely that the name was initially used as a patronymic, meaning "son of Willie" or "son of William." The earliest recorded bearer of the surname was Gillecrist Willie, who is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1264.

In the 14th century, the surname Willie appeared in various Scottish records, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name was also found in the Bute Rental of 1505, which recorded landholders on the Isle of Bute.

One notable bearer of the surname Willie was Sir John Willie (c. 1520-1590), a Scottish landowner and member of the Parliament of Scotland. He was granted lands in Renfrewshire and played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.

Another prominent figure with the Willie surname was Reverend Robert Willie (1614-1675), a Scottish minister and poet who served as the minister of Kilmarnock. He is best known for his collection of religious poems titled "Recreations of Pious Men," published in 1663.

In the 18th century, the Willie surname was found in various parts of Scotland, including Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and the Borders region. One notable bearer from this period was John Willie (1721-1801), a Scottish merchant and landowner who owned estates in Ayrshire.

The Willie surname has also been associated with place names in Scotland, such as Williamsburgh, a village in Renfrewshire, and Williemuir, a farm near Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the Willie surname who were landowners or residents in those areas.

Throughout history, the Willie surname has been spelled in various ways, including Willie, Wyllie, and Wylly, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Willie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Willie 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. Somerset leads with 51 Willies recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.26x.

County Total Index
Somerset 51 13.26x
Sussex 31 7.69x
Durham 20 2.81x
Middlesex 20 0.84x
Surrey 17 1.46x
Essex 10 2.12x
Northumberland 10 2.81x
Clackmannanshire 9 45.59x
Gloucestershire 9 1.92x
Devon 8 1.61x
Glamorgan 8 1.92x
Dunbartonshire 7 10.90x
Lancashire 7 0.25x
Cheshire 5 0.95x
Perthshire 5 4.66x
Yorkshire 5 0.21x
Angus 2 0.90x
Cornwall 2 0.74x
Orkney 2 7.61x
Oxfordshire 2 1.36x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.45x
Ayrshire 1 0.56x
Cumberland 1 0.49x
Dorset 1 0.64x
Dumfriesshire 1 1.89x
Herefordshire 1 1.02x
Hertfordshire 1 0.61x
Kent 1 0.12x
Leicestershire 1 0.38x
Lincolnshire 1 0.26x
Midlothian 1 0.31x
Morayshire 1 2.69x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.31x
Roxburghshire 1 2.31x
Wigtownshire 1 3.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lindfield in Sussex leads with 12 Willies recorded in 1881 and an index of 705.88x.

Place Total Index
Lindfield 12 705.88x
Alloa 9 94.04x
Norton Fitzwarren 9 1666.67x
Camberwell 8 5.24x
Streatham 8 45.12x
Yeovil 8 102.30x
Cardiff St John 7 51.51x
Hampstead London 7 18.81x
Marston Magna 7 2800.00x
Row 7 84.24x
West Thurrock 7 445.86x
Bedminster 6 16.60x
Liverpool 6 3.48x
Paddington London 6 6.83x
Whitworth 6 115.38x
Brighton 5 6.15x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 5 11.33x
Eltringham 5 1315.79x
Perth West Church 5 98.23x
Chester St Oswald 4 41.88x
Collierley 4 126.18x
East Grinstead 4 70.18x
Eastbourne 4 21.58x
Urpeth 4 289.86x
Westoe 4 9.93x
Wilton 4 400.00x
Buckland St Mary 3 600.00x
Chilton Trinity 3 2142.86x
Exeter St Thomas The 3 59.17x
Hartfield 3 236.22x
Kensington London 3 2.26x
Otterford 3 909.09x
Sheldon 3 2727.27x
Berwick Upon Tweed 2 26.56x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 2 46.84x
Dundee 2 2.42x
Evercreech 2 215.05x
North Shields 2 28.17x
Oxford St Giles 2 28.41x
Penshaw 2 93.46x
Shapinshay 2 250.00x
South Mimms 2 60.98x
South Weald 2 49.51x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 2.41x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 1.61x
Aston Ingham 1 312.50x
Bath St Peter St Paul 1 58.82x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 12.35x
Bristol St James In 1 14.51x
Broadwater 1 10.82x
Chard 1 21.46x
Combe St Nicholas 1 107.53x
Coyty Lower 1 37.04x
Duffus 1 30.58x
Dunlop 1 89.29x
Farnham 1 11.05x
Givendale 1 3333.33x
Illogan 1 13.97x
Leicester St Mary 1 4.67x
Liskeard 1 22.08x
Lochmaben 1 43.29x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 9.93x
Manfield 1 434.78x
Mid Calder 1 71.94x
Millom 1 15.85x
Newbiggin In Morpeth 1 87.72x
North Stainley Cum 1 294.12x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.20x
Preston 1 14.20x
Shoreditch London 1 0.97x
Sorbie 1 71.94x
St George Hanover 1 3.21x
Stapleton 1 11.25x
Swell 1 833.33x
Taunton St Mary 1 14.16x
Well 1 1000.00x
Wilton 1 21.05x
Wilton In Guisbrough 1 94.34x
Woolwich 1 3.32x
Yarcombe 1 175.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 11
Mary 11
Emma 6
Louisa 5
Annie 4
Ellen 4
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Charlotte 3
Clara 3
Harriet 3
Jane 3
Agnes 2
Bessie 2
Catherine 2
Fanny 2
Grace 2
Lilly 2
Margaret 2
Ada 1
Amy 1
Barbara 1
Beth 1
Betty 1
Carolina 1
Christianna 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Elsie 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Eva 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Hanna 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Honer 1
Kurzia 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Minnie 1
Philidelphia 1
Selina 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 18
William 12
Thomas 10
George 8
James 8
Henry 5
Charles 4
Edward 4
Robert 4
Eli 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Harry 2
Tom 2
Abel 1
Adalbert 1
Adam 1
Albert 1
Clement 1
Daniel 1
Durward 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Isaac 1
Leonard 1
Leve 1
Mark 1
Ralph 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Willie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Willie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 245 people were recorded with the Willie surname. That placed it at #11,232 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Willie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 263 in 2016. That gives Willie a modern rank of #16,210.

What does the Willie surname mean?

Derived from a nickname for William, which comes from the Germanic name Willahelm, meaning "resolute protection."

What does the Willie map show?

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