NameCensus.

UK surname

Willoughby

From a place name meaning "willow town" in Old English, referring to a settlement near a willow tree.

In the 1881 census there were 2,600 people recorded with the Willoughby surname, ranking it #1,714 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,148, ranked #1,636, up from #1,714 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Illogan and Redruth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Barnsley and East Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Willoughby is 4,406 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.5%.

1881 census count

2,600

Ranked #1,714

Modern count

4,148

2016, ranked #1,636

Peak year

2000

4,406 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Willoughby had 2,600 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,714 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,148 in 2016, ranked #1,636.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,354 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Willoughby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Willoughby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Willoughby 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 1,730 #1,669
1861 historical 1,665 #1,720
1881 historical 2,600 #1,714
1891 historical 2,878 #1,648
1901 historical 3,354 #1,660
1911 historical 3,265 #1,599
1997 modern 4,130 #1,568
1998 modern 4,363 #1,543
1999 modern 4,398 #1,543
2000 modern 4,406 #1,535
2001 modern 4,321 #1,531
2002 modern 4,401 #1,537
2003 modern 4,249 #1,552
2004 modern 4,242 #1,560
2005 modern 4,108 #1,586
2006 modern 4,068 #1,599
2007 modern 4,134 #1,592
2008 modern 4,122 #1,607
2009 modern 4,271 #1,593
2010 modern 4,331 #1,602
2011 modern 4,266 #1,607
2012 modern 4,179 #1,606
2013 modern 4,179 #1,640
2014 modern 4,191 #1,643
2015 modern 4,154 #1,638
2016 modern 4,148 #1,636

Geography

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Where Willoughbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Illogan, Redruth and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Barnsley, East Lindsey and Cherwell. 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 1
2 Illogan Cornwall
3 Redruth Cornwall
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 051 Cornwall
2 Barnsley 025 Barnsley
3 East Lindsey 008 East Lindsey
4 Cherwell 017 Cherwell
5 Cornwall 055 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Willoughby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Willoughby

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Willoughby is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Willoughby 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

Willoughby falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Willoughby

The surname Willoughby originates from England and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "wilga," meaning willow, and "by," meaning a farm or settlement, thus referring to a farmstead near willow trees. The name is believed to have originated in Lincolnshire, where several villages bear the name Willoughby.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Willoughby is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Wilugebi." This ancient record indicates that the name was well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 12th century, Walter de Willoughby was a prominent Norman nobleman who held lands in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. His descendants would become the Lords Willoughby, a titled family that played a significant role in English history for several centuries.

Sir Richard Willoughby (c. 1385-1411) was a celebrated English soldier who fought in the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War. He was knighted by King Henry V for his bravery on the battlefield.

Peregrine Bertie, Lord Willoughby de Eresby (1555-1601), was a courtier and military commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He was renowned for his exploits in the Netherlands during the Eighty Years' War.

Francis Willughby (1635-1672) was a renowned English naturalist and one of the founders of the study of ornithology. His work "Ornithologiae Libri Tres" (Three Books on Birds) was a pioneering work in the field of bird study.

William Willoughby, 6th Baron Willoughby de Parham (1776-1865), was a British peer and Member of Parliament who was known for his support of the abolition of the slave trade and his philanthropic endeavors.

Throughout its history, the surname Willoughby has been associated with various place names in England, such as Willoughby on the Wolds, Willoughby Waterless, and Willoughby in the Marsh, reflecting the widespread distribution of the name across the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Willoughby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Willoughby 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. Yorkshire leads with 377 Willoughbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.50x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 377 1.50x
Middlesex 338 1.33x
Surrey 283 2.29x
Cornwall 133 4.62x
Berkshire 129 6.76x
Lancashire 121 0.40x
Nottinghamshire 103 3.01x
Durham 91 1.20x
Kent 87 1.00x
Wiltshire 87 3.87x
Lincolnshire 84 2.07x
Oxfordshire 68 4.33x
Warwickshire 67 1.05x
Devon 62 1.17x
Derbyshire 48 1.21x
Hampshire 43 0.83x
Staffordshire 40 0.47x
Worcestershire 40 1.21x
Northumberland 38 1.01x
Northamptonshire 37 1.55x
Buckinghamshire 35 2.28x
Gloucestershire 35 0.70x
Essex 30 0.60x
Sussex 30 0.70x
Norfolk 24 0.61x
Suffolk 23 0.74x
Cheshire 22 0.39x
Leicestershire 21 0.75x
Hertfordshire 19 1.08x
Lanarkshire 19 0.23x
Monmouthshire 10 0.54x
Somerset 9 0.22x
Dorset 7 0.42x
Rutland 7 3.75x
Wigtownshire 7 2.07x
Cumberland 6 0.27x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.25x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.59x
Ayrshire 3 0.16x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.37x
Royal Navy 3 0.99x
Herefordshire 2 0.19x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.10x
Channel Islands 1 0.13x
Flintshire 1 0.15x
Glamorgan 1 0.02x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.20x
Renfrewshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rotherhithe in Surrey leads with 51 Willoughbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.24x.

Place Total Index
Rotherhithe 51 16.24x
Illogan 46 60.39x
Sculcoates 44 11.02x
Islington London 37 1.50x
Plymouth St Andrew 32 7.85x
St Pancras London 30 1.47x
Nottingham St Mary 29 3.27x
Highworth 28 97.46x
Camberwell 25 1.54x
Lambeth 25 1.13x
Barlborough 23 156.36x
Leamington Priors 23 14.59x
Newington 23 2.45x
Northallerton 23 71.56x
St George Hanover 23 6.93x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 22 9.38x
Poplar London 21 4.38x
Redruth 21 25.80x
St Agnes 21 52.12x
Bermondsey 20 2.64x
Bradford 20 3.28x
West Ham 20 1.81x
Kensington London 19 1.34x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 18 19.68x
Bramcote 18 275.23x
Hackney London 18 1.26x
Kidlington 18 148.27x
Battersea 17 1.82x
Lewisham 17 3.68x
Southwark St George Martyr 16 3.13x
West Shefford 16 379.15x
St Luke London 15 3.68x
Wandsworth 15 6.13x
West Bromwich 15 3.05x
Barony 14 0.67x
Croydon 14 2.04x
Daventry 14 41.41x
Deptford St Paul 14 2.09x
Eastbourne 14 7.10x
Shipley 14 10.71x
Shipton Under Wychwood 14 138.61x
St Marylebone London 14 1.03x
Batley 13 5.43x
Birkenhead 13 2.91x
Ferryhill 13 49.19x
Gateshead 13 2.30x
Heeley 13 16.99x
Hunstanton 13 98.48x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 13 5.76x
Newington 13 18.75x
Peterborough 13 7.51x
Twickenham 13 11.93x
Chelsea London 12 1.57x
Fawley 12 603.02x
Leamington 12 28.26x
Southampton St Mary 12 3.66x
Westminster St 12 12.81x
Cropwell Butler 11 234.04x
Gwennap 11 20.27x
Hulme 11 1.75x
Kimberworth 11 7.87x
Mile End Old Town 11 2.74x
Paddington London 11 1.18x
Salford 11 1.24x
Southwark Christchurch 11 9.24x
St Mary Cray 11 66.35x
Swindon 11 6.31x
Wantage 11 36.17x
Aston 10 0.57x
Bishop Norton 10 322.58x
Bishopwearmouth 10 1.54x
Cheltenham 10 2.60x
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 1.95x
Godalming 10 12.83x
Isleworth 10 8.85x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 10 8.55x
Stockton On Tees 10 2.74x
Truro St Mary 10 41.37x
Whistones 10 41.61x
Wolverhampton 10 1.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 135
William 135
George 94
Thomas 92
James 73
Henry 66
Charles 62
Joseph 39
Alfred 31
Edward 31
Robert 30
Arthur 29
Harry 24
Walter 24
Frederick 23
Richard 20
Albert 16
Herbert 16
Ernest 13
David 12
Samuel 11
Frank 10
Wm. 9
Daniel 7
Harold 6
Fred 5
Hugh 5
Mark 5
Percy 5
Tom 5
Chas. 4
Edwin 4
Francis 4
Fredk. 4
Isaac 4
Leonard 4
Ralph 4
Stephen 4
Edgar 3
Fredrick 3
Josiah 3
Lewis 3
Percival 3
Peter 3
Phillip 3
Sydney 3
Willie 3
Cecil 2
Moses 2
Nathaniel 2

FAQ

Willoughby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Willoughby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,600 people were recorded with the Willoughby surname. That placed it at #1,714 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Willoughby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,148 in 2016. That gives Willoughby a modern rank of #1,636.

What does the Willoughby surname mean?

From a place name meaning "willow town" in Old English, referring to a settlement near a willow tree.

What does the Willoughby map show?

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