NameCensus.

UK surname

Willis

An English surname derived from the Norman French personal name William, meaning "resolute protector."

In the 1881 census there were 15,886 people recorded with the Willis surname, ranking it #248 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 24,020, ranked #240, up from #248 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, South Hams and Hambleton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Willis is 24,564 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.2%.

1881 census count

15,886

Ranked #248

Modern count

24,020

2016, ranked #240

Peak year

2010

24,564 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Willis had 15,886 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #248 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 24,020 in 2016, ranked #240.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 22,361 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Willis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Willis surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Willis 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 10,021 #255
1861 historical 9,649 #273
1881 historical 15,886 #248
1891 historical 16,736 #246
1901 historical 20,355 #237
1911 historical 22,361 #193
1997 modern 23,509 #239
1998 modern 24,514 #238
1999 modern 24,495 #241
2000 modern 24,377 #240
2001 modern 23,790 #240
2002 modern 24,273 #241
2003 modern 23,612 #242
2004 modern 23,656 #241
2005 modern 23,124 #241
2006 modern 23,093 #243
2007 modern 23,224 #244
2008 modern 23,375 #243
2009 modern 24,012 #244
2010 modern 24,564 #238
2011 modern 24,220 #240
2012 modern 23,903 #239
2013 modern 24,322 #240
2014 modern 24,506 #240
2015 modern 24,203 #240
2016 modern 24,020 #240

Geography

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Where Willis' are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, South Hams and Hambleton. 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 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Gateshead Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 018 County Durham
2 County Durham 017 County Durham
3 South Hams 005 South Hams
4 Hambleton 007 Hambleton
5 County Durham 013 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Willis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Willis

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

Willis is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Willis

The surname Willis has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English personal name "Will," a diminutive form of the name William, which means "resolute protector." The suffix "-is" was added to indicate "son of," forming the patronymic surname Willis, meaning "son of Will."

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Willis can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, which mentions a Nicholas Wyllis. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where a John Wylis is listed. These early spellings, such as "Wyllis" and "Wylis," demonstrate the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.

The Willis surname is closely linked to various place names in England, particularly in counties like Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire. For example, the village of Willis in Buckinghamshire likely derived its name from the Willis family, who were once prominent landowners in the area.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Willis throughout history are:

1. Thomas Willis (1621-1675), an English physician and anatomist known for his pioneering work in neurology and the study of the brain.

2. Nathaniel Parker Willis (1806-1867), an American author, poet, and editor who co-founded the New York Mirror literary journal.

3. Connie Willis (born 1945), an American science fiction writer and multiple Hugo and Nebula award winner, best known for works like "Doomsday Book" and "To Say Nothing of the Dog."

4. Gaye Willis (1911-1972), an Australian politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives.

5. Bruce Willis (born 1955), the renowned American actor known for his roles in films such as "Die Hard," "Pulp Fiction," and "The Sixth Sense."

Throughout the centuries, the Willis surname has been well-established in various regions of England, particularly in the southern and central counties. It has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and has become a recognizable surname in countries like the United States, Australia, and Canada.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Willis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Willis 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 2,348 Willis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.51x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2,348 1.51x
Surrey 1,057 1.40x
Durham 883 1.91x
Yorkshire 867 0.56x
Lancashire 845 0.46x
Kent 804 1.52x
Essex 782 2.55x
Hampshire 706 2.22x
Devon 602 1.86x
Gloucestershire 512 1.68x
Somerset 498 1.99x
Worcestershire 484 2.39x
Berkshire 453 3.89x
Wiltshire 412 3.00x
Northumberland 411 1.78x
Warwickshire 411 1.05x
Staffordshire 369 0.70x
Northamptonshire 335 2.29x
Oxfordshire 282 2.94x
Cheshire 241 0.70x
Dorset 222 2.18x
Suffolk 219 1.16x
Sussex 199 0.76x
Buckinghamshire 189 2.01x
Glamorgan 188 0.70x
Nottinghamshire 177 0.85x
Derbyshire 138 0.57x
Hertfordshire 135 1.26x
Lincolnshire 122 0.49x
Norfolk 119 0.50x
Bedfordshire 107 1.33x
Cambridgeshire 101 1.03x
Leicestershire 88 0.51x
Cumberland 77 0.58x
Monmouthshire 75 0.67x
Herefordshire 52 0.82x
Lanarkshire 48 0.10x
Midlothian 47 0.23x
Cornwall 46 0.26x
Shropshire 43 0.32x
Perthshire 22 0.32x
Carmarthenshire 19 0.29x
Channel Islands 19 0.41x
Royal Navy 18 0.97x
Brecknockshire 17 0.55x
Denbighshire 17 0.29x
Huntingdonshire 15 0.49x
Renfrewshire 12 0.10x
Ayrshire 11 0.09x
Rutland 11 0.96x
Angus 8 0.06x
Isle of Man 8 0.28x
Morayshire 8 0.33x
Flintshire 6 0.14x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.12x
Stirlingshire 5 0.09x
Berwickshire 3 0.16x
West Lothian 3 0.13x
Anglesey 2 0.07x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.03x
Cardiganshire 2 0.05x
Fife 2 0.02x
Radnorshire 2 0.16x
Roxburghshire 2 0.07x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.01x
Argyllshire 1 0.02x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.03x
East Lothian 1 0.05x
Peeblesshire 1 0.14x
Westmorland 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 238 Willis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.90x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 238 1.90x
Islington London 229 1.52x
Lambeth 177 1.31x
Kensington London 162 1.88x
Birmingham 142 1.09x
St Marylebone London 135 1.63x
Camberwell 131 1.32x
Shoreditch London 114 1.69x
Paddington London 109 1.91x
Battersea 106 1.85x
Hammersmith London 102 2.67x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 98 3.42x
Aston 96 0.89x
West Ham 94 1.39x
Croydon 85 2.02x
Bishopwearmouth 84 2.12x
Portsea 83 1.33x
Newington 82 1.43x
Mile End Old Town 81 3.30x
Hackney London 77 0.88x
Cheltenham 76 3.23x
Clerkenwell London 65 1.77x
Deptford St Paul 63 1.54x
Gateshead 63 1.82x
Newbury 63 16.87x
Nottingham St Mary 62 1.14x
Liverpool 61 0.54x
West Derby 60 1.11x
Barking 59 6.58x
Rothwell 59 40.20x
Bethnal Green London 58 0.86x
Sherborne 58 19.32x
Southampton St Mary 58 2.90x
Bow London 56 2.83x
Stoke Damerel 56 2.47x
Brighton 55 1.04x
Southwark St George Martyr 55 1.76x
St George Hanover 54 2.66x
Kidderminster Borough 53 4.46x
Plymouth Charles The 53 3.72x
Hampstead London 52 2.15x
Tipton 52 3.24x
Byker 51 4.46x
Manchester 51 0.62x
Trowbridge 51 8.40x
Toxteth Park 49 0.79x
Dudley 47 1.91x
Lyncombe Widcombe 47 7.18x
Plumstead 46 2.60x
West Bromwich 46 1.53x
Folkestone 44 4.28x
Odiham 44 31.49x
Bromley London 43 1.26x
Reading St Mary 43 4.60x
Hadleigh 42 22.88x
Hartley Wintney 42 43.89x
Hetton Le Hole 42 7.17x
Hornsey 42 2.14x
Kettering 42 7.11x
Bridgewater 41 6.04x
Great Faringdon 41 24.47x
St George In East 41 3.88x
Great Lumley 40 50.56x
Holy Trinity 40 1.08x
Plymouth St Andrew 40 1.61x
Harborne 39 2.32x
St Luke London 38 1.53x
Hempstead 37 110.28x
Bermondsey 36 0.78x
Glossop Dale 36 3.16x
Greenwich 36 1.46x
Reading St Giles 36 3.15x
Spitalfields London 36 3.08x
Swindon 36 3.38x
Basingstoke 35 9.56x
Leighton Buzzard 35 10.12x
Bitton Oldland 34 10.92x
Cocken 34 117.77x
Steeple Bumpstead 34 60.55x
Tottenham 34 1.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,006
Elizabeth 644
Sarah 530
Jane 341
Ann 318
Eliza 299
Emma 261
Ellen 242
Annie 221
Emily 206
Alice 204
Margaret 144
Hannah 128
Martha 124
Louisa 118
Harriet 108
Caroline 102
Ada 98
Charlotte 98
Florence 94
Fanny 93
Kate 90
Maria 88
Edith 86
Susan 77
Catherine 76
Anne 70
Isabella 68
Clara 61
Lucy 54
Frances 50
Agnes 48
Esther 48
Amelia 46
Rose 44
Harriett 43
Rebecca 43
Sophia 40
Matilda 38
Susannah 38
Amy 35
Elizth. 34
Minnie 33
Jessie 31
Gertrude 30
Julia 29
Lydia 29
Eleanor 26
Laura 25
Lizzie 24

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 983
John 862
George 629
Thomas 553
James 442
Henry 390
Charles 341
Joseph 263
Robert 197
Alfred 189
Arthur 187
Edward 178
Frederick 170
Walter 139
Samuel 119
Richard 118
Harry 104
Albert 102
Frank 84
Herbert 60
Ernest 58
Edwin 51
David 45
Francis 39
Thos. 37
Benjamin 34
Stephen 34
Wm. 33
Geo. 30
Daniel 28
Fred 25
Percy 24
Edmund 22
Sidney 20
Isaac 17
Andrew 16
Fredk. 16
Fredrick 16
Michael 16
Chas. 15
Christopher 15
Tom 15
Mark 14
Ambrose 13
Edgar 13
Ralph 13
Jas. 12
Peter 12
Philip 12
Jesse 11

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Willis households.

FAQ

Willis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Willis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15,886 people were recorded with the Willis surname. That placed it at #248 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Willis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 24,020 in 2016. That gives Willis a modern rank of #240.

What does the Willis surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Norman French personal name William, meaning "resolute protector."

What does the Willis map show?

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