NameCensus.

UK surname

Wills

Derived from the personal name Will, a shortened form of William, meaning "resolute protector" or "strong-willed warrior."

In the 1881 census there were 8,934 people recorded with the Wills surname, ranking it #471 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,548, ranked #615, down from #471 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 Cornwall, Teignbridge and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wills is 11,195 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.1%.

1881 census count

8,934

Ranked #471

Modern count

10,548

2016, ranked #615

Peak year

1901

11,195 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wills had 8,934 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #471 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,548 in 2016, ranked #615.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,195 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wills surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wills surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wills 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 6,568 #420
1861 historical 8,809 #310
1881 historical 8,934 #471
1891 historical 10,579 #417
1901 historical 11,195 #468
1911 historical 11,193 #435
1997 modern 10,825 #569
1998 modern 11,129 #576
1999 modern 11,105 #583
2000 modern 11,098 #582
2001 modern 10,800 #583
2002 modern 10,976 #585
2003 modern 10,697 #587
2004 modern 10,675 #590
2005 modern 10,409 #596
2006 modern 10,395 #595
2007 modern 10,460 #599
2008 modern 10,495 #603
2009 modern 10,651 #609
2010 modern 10,894 #608
2011 modern 10,734 #606
2012 modern 10,555 #606
2013 modern 10,734 #607
2014 modern 10,770 #611
2015 modern 10,608 #613
2016 modern 10,548 #615

Geography

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Where Wills' are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Teignbridge and South Somerset. 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 Merriott Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 046 Cornwall
2 Teignbridge 004 Teignbridge
3 Cornwall 052 Cornwall
4 South Somerset 021 South Somerset
5 Cornwall 053 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wills

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wills

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

Wills is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Wills

The surname Wills originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is an occupational name, derived from the old English word 'wille', meaning a desire or wish. The name likely referred to someone who drafted or witnessed wills and other legal documents.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled 'Wille'. This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved to its more modern spelling of 'Wills'. In 1273, a Roger Wills is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. The Hundred Rolls were a census-like survey conducted in England during this period.

Over the following centuries, the Wills name spread across various counties in England, including Wiltshire, Somerset, and Gloucestershire. Some early bearers of the name were likely associated with religious institutions or the legal profession.

One notable figure bearing the Wills name was William Wills (c. 1370-1428), a Chancellor of the University of Oxford in the early 15th century. Another was Thomas Wills (1515-1573), a Church of England clergyman who served as the Bishop of Tenos and Mykonos.

In the 16th century, the Wills name appears in various place names across England, such as Willsborough in Wiltshire and Willsbridge in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Wills surname who resided in or owned land in those areas.

Moving into the 17th century, we find Samuel Wills (1590-1639), an English clergyman and author who published several religious works. A century later, there was William Wills (1700-1776), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Worcestershire.

As the British Empire expanded, the Wills name spread to other parts of the world. One notable example is William John Wills (1834-1861), an English explorer who took part in the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition across Australia.

Throughout its history, the Wills surname has been borne by numerous individuals from various walks of life, reflecting its origins as an occupational name associated with the legal profession and document drafting.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wills families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wills 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. Devon leads with 1,553 Wills' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.54x.

County Total Index
Devon 1,553 8.54x
Middlesex 1,077 1.23x
Cornwall 990 10.01x
Somerset 611 4.35x
Dorset 430 7.50x
Northamptonshire 423 5.15x
Surrey 408 0.96x
Lancashire 387 0.37x
Kent 380 1.28x
Warwickshire 275 1.25x
Gloucestershire 251 1.47x
Hampshire 213 1.19x
Yorkshire 153 0.18x
Durham 143 0.55x
Leicestershire 131 1.35x
Cumberland 121 1.61x
Glamorgan 101 0.66x
Essex 98 0.57x
Staffordshire 96 0.33x
Sussex 85 0.58x
Worcestershire 75 0.66x
Monmouthshire 72 1.14x
Westmorland 62 3.23x
Nottinghamshire 60 0.51x
Northumberland 55 0.42x
Angus 49 0.61x
Ayrshire 49 0.75x
Berkshire 48 0.73x
Lanarkshire 47 0.17x
Huntingdonshire 45 2.60x
Cheshire 42 0.22x
Norfolk 36 0.27x
Wiltshire 36 0.47x
Oxfordshire 35 0.65x
Derbyshire 33 0.24x
Suffolk 32 0.30x
Buckinghamshire 28 0.53x
Midlothian 27 0.23x
Lincolnshire 26 0.19x
Bedfordshire 23 0.51x
Royal Navy 22 2.11x
Channel Islands 19 0.73x
Hertfordshire 18 0.30x
Renfrewshire 16 0.24x
Aberdeenshire 14 0.17x
Shropshire 14 0.19x
Fife 8 0.15x
Herefordshire 8 0.22x
Ross-shire 7 0.29x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.09x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.17x
Kincardineshire 4 0.38x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.11x
Flintshire 2 0.09x
Brecknockshire 1 0.06x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.08x
Orkney 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth St Andrew in Devon leads with 153 Wills' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.93x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth St Andrew 153 10.93x
Lambeth 101 1.33x
Merriott 93 226.06x
Stoke Damerel 90 7.07x
St Pancras London 89 1.27x
Camberwell 84 1.51x
Bethnal Green London 78 2.06x
Islington London 78 0.92x
Tormoham 75 9.75x
Poole St James 65 30.18x
St Agnes 65 46.94x
Aston 63 1.04x
Shoreditch London 59 1.56x
St Marylebone London 59 1.27x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 55 3.41x
Camborne 53 13.01x
Hinckley 53 23.07x
Moreton Hampstead 51 108.51x
Madron Penzance 50 13.91x
Dunsford 49 210.93x
Plymouth Charles The 49 6.12x
Portsea 49 1.40x
Kensington London 47 0.97x
Exeter St Sidwell 46 11.05x
Rainham 45 54.96x
Bridgewater 43 11.27x
Fordington 43 34.83x
Blackawton 42 132.53x
Leicester St Margaret 42 1.78x
Chelsea London 40 1.52x
Exeter St Thomas The 40 21.58x
Bridford 39 299.31x
Hammersmith London 39 1.81x
Redruth 39 13.94x
Birmingham 38 0.52x
Clifton 38 4.39x
West Ham 37 0.97x
Northampton All Sts 36 12.91x
St George Hanover 36 3.16x
Illogan 35 13.37x
Newington 35 1.08x
West Derby 35 1.15x
Wolborough 35 15.23x
Bow London 34 3.06x
Ealing 32 4.10x
Bromley London 31 1.61x
East Stonehouse 31 8.66x
Paul 31 17.26x
Northampton St Sepulchre 30 7.18x
Cheltenham 29 2.19x
Manchester 29 0.62x
Marldon 29 190.16x
Northampton Priory St 29 5.88x
Toxteth Park 29 0.83x
Orton 28 48.81x
Chilham 27 63.65x
Everdon 27 159.86x
Dawlish 26 19.17x
Folkestone 26 4.50x
Holdenhurst 26 5.54x
Kettering 26 7.83x
Tottenham 26 1.87x
Willesden 26 3.16x
Atherstone 25 22.22x
Bermondsey 25 0.96x
Bodmin 25 15.28x
Falmouth 25 7.14x
Paddington London 25 0.78x
Taunton St James 25 12.19x
Bovey Tracey 24 37.74x
Hornsey 24 2.17x
Lustleigh 24 218.78x
St Gluvias 24 43.34x
West Bromwich 24 1.42x
Barony 23 0.32x
Crewkerne 23 15.41x
Dartmouth Townstall 23 31.06x
Everton 23 0.70x
St Woollos 23 3.26x
West Chinnock 23 184.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 605
Elizabeth 381
Sarah 266
Jane 167
Ann 153
Eliza 137
Emma 135
Ellen 127
Emily 118
Annie 112
Alice 105
Louisa 71
Susan 71
Caroline 70
Hannah 59
Kate 56
Edith 53
Florence 53
Margaret 53
Charlotte 52
Maria 51
Martha 50
Ada 48
Frances 45
Fanny 44
Clara 43
Lucy 42
Amelia 40
Bessie 40
Catherine 39
Minnie 33
Harriet 31
Harriett 29
Anna 28
Anne 28
Agnes 26
Matilda 26
Rose 26
Elizth. 24
Gertrude 22
Esther 21
Laura 21
Selina 21
Grace 20
Rebecca 20
Jessie 19
Julia 19
Beatrice 15
Susanna 15
Sophia 14

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 531
John 521
George 299
James 259
Thomas 259
Charles 203
Henry 174
Joseph 132
Edward 106
Robert 103
Alfred 96
Arthur 94
Samuel 90
Richard 85
Walter 85
Frederick 81
Albert 61
Frank 39
Harry 35
Ernest 34
Francis 32
Edwin 31
Thos. 31
Herbert 28
Wm. 24
David 20
Sidney 18
Stephen 16
Benjamin 15
Geo. 13
Christopher 12
Fred 12
Mark 12
Percy 12
Tom 12
Isaac 11
Nicholas 11
Sydney 11
Willm. 11
Daniel 10
Fredk. 10
Alexander 8
Edgar 8
Edmund 8
Jno. 7
Job 7
Martin 7
Reginald 7
Earnest 6
Peter 6

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 Wills households.

FAQ

Wills surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wills surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8,934 people were recorded with the Wills surname. That placed it at #471 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wills surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,548 in 2016. That gives Wills a modern rank of #615.

What does the Wills surname mean?

Derived from the personal name Will, a shortened form of William, meaning "resolute protector" or "strong-willed warrior."

What does the Wills map show?

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