NameCensus.

UK surname

Willsher

In the 1881 census there were 563 people recorded with the Willsher surname, ranking it #6,155 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 910, ranked #6,254, down from #6,155 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Chelmsford, Broomfield, Writtle, Widford, Chignal St James, Chignal Smealy and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chelmsford, West Dorset and North Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Willsher is 1,064 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.6%.

1881 census count

563

Ranked #6,155

Modern count

910

2016, ranked #6,254

Peak year

1999

1,064 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Willsher had 563 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,155 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 910 in 2016, ranked #6,254.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 949 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Willsher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Willsher surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Willsher 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 316 #7,323
1861 historical 352 #7,258
1881 historical 563 #6,155
1891 historical 653 #5,944
1901 historical 832 #5,451
1911 historical 949 #4,747
1997 modern 1,015 #5,427
1998 modern 1,045 #5,464
1999 modern 1,064 #5,417
2000 modern 1,029 #5,561
2001 modern 1,010 #5,536
2002 modern 1,029 #5,574
2003 modern 1,004 #5,573
2004 modern 1,006 #5,569
2005 modern 975 #5,650
2006 modern 986 #5,620
2007 modern 974 #5,727
2008 modern 959 #5,835
2009 modern 971 #5,896
2010 modern 967 #6,038
2011 modern 933 #6,155
2012 modern 906 #6,220
2013 modern 942 #6,125
2014 modern 956 #6,096
2015 modern 938 #6,133
2016 modern 910 #6,254

Geography

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Where Willshers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Chelmsford, Broomfield, Writtle, Widford, Chignal St James, Chignal Smealy and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chelmsford, West Dorset and North Dorset. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Chelmsford, Broomfield, Writtle, Widford, Chignal St James, Chignal Smealy Essex
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chelmsford 006 Chelmsford
2 West Dorset 009 West Dorset
3 Chelmsford 004 Chelmsford
4 North Dorset 007 North Dorset
5 Chelmsford 008 Chelmsford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Willsher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Willsher

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Willsher is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Willsher 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

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

1881 census detail

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Willsher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Willsher 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. Essex leads with 160 Willshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.73x.

County Total Index
Essex 160 14.73x
Middlesex 124 2.25x
Hampshire 47 4.17x
Kent 43 2.29x
Bedfordshire 42 14.74x
Sussex 25 2.70x
Surrey 16 0.60x
Somerset 15 1.69x
Lincolnshire 12 1.36x
Nottinghamshire 11 1.48x
Yorkshire 10 0.18x
Angus 9 1.77x
Dorset 9 2.49x
East Lothian 7 9.61x
Hertfordshire 7 1.85x
Northamptonshire 6 1.16x
Devon 4 0.35x
Leicestershire 4 0.66x
Gloucestershire 3 0.28x
Suffolk 3 0.45x
Huntingdonshire 2 1.83x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.30x
Cornwall 1 0.16x
Derbyshire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 1.53x
Staffordshire 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. Great Tey in Essex leads with 29 Willshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2213.74x.

Place Total Index
Great Tey 29 2213.74x
Southampton St Mary 22 31.03x
St Pancras London 18 4.06x
Mile End Old Town 16 18.42x
Great Coggeshall 15 265.49x
Springfield 15 315.13x
Earls Colne 14 466.67x
Old Warden 13 1397.85x
White Colne 13 1857.14x
Feering 12 839.16x
Chelsea London 11 6.64x
Ashford 10 54.70x
Islington London 10 1.88x
St George Hanover 10 13.93x
Bethnal Green London 9 3.77x
Bromley London 9 7.44x
Felstead 9 241.94x
Walcot 9 19.08x
Bocking 8 122.51x
Chapel 8 1194.03x
Northill 8 300.75x
Titchfield 8 94.12x
Bedford St Paul 7 35.82x
Bedford St Peter 7 94.59x
Haddington 7 65.06x
Lambeth 7 1.46x
Leigh 7 921.05x
Salehurst 7 174.13x
Chipping Barnet 6 90.50x
East Bedfont 6 219.78x
Gainsborough 6 28.93x
Great Baddow 6 155.44x
Kettering 6 28.67x
Nottingham St Mary 6 3.13x
Stanford Rivers 6 326.09x
Tenterden 6 90.63x
Tonbridge 6 8.86x
Woolwich 6 8.65x
Blendworth 5 892.86x
Brant Broughton 5 390.63x
Dundee 5 2.63x
Hackney London 5 1.62x
Leeds 5 1.62x
Paddington London 5 2.47x
Ruddington 5 100.60x
Shoreditch London 5 2.10x
South Stoneham 5 20.44x
St Luke London 5 5.67x
West Ham 5 2.09x
Ashby De La Zouch 4 28.29x
Bedminster 4 4.81x
Chatham 4 7.75x
Dundee St Peter 4 2000.00x
Eversholt 4 275.86x
Hastings St Mary 4 17.33x
Little Tey 4 3076.92x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 4.53x
Portsea 4 1.81x
St Marylebone London 4 1.36x
Tottenham 4 4.57x
Beckley 3 129.31x
Brighton 3 1.60x
Camberwell 3 0.85x
Ewhurst 3 145.63x
Holme In Huddersfield 3 234.38x
Kentford 3 810.81x
Maidstone 3 5.37x
Newington 3 1.48x
Plumstead 3 4.79x
Stonehouse 3 48.94x
Chelmsford 2 10.74x
Eltham 2 18.18x
Hove 2 4.91x
Kensington London 2 0.65x
Melcombe Regis 2 13.37x
Offord Cluny 2 370.37x
Pattiswick 2 312.50x
Sheffield 2 1.15x
Virley 2 1250.00x
Witham 2 35.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 33
George 22
Henry 18
John 17
Thomas 15
Charles 14
James 12
Arthur 10
Frederick 9
Joseph 9
Walter 9
Alfred 8
Herbert 6
Harry 5
Robert 5
Edward 4
Ephraim 4
Frank 4
Samuel 4
Albert 3
David 3
Elijah 3
Francis 3
Benjamin 2
Cecil 2
Ernest 2
Fredk. 2
Wm. 2
Bertie 1
C. 1
Clement 1
Earnest 1
Edwin 1
Elias 1
Ephraine 1
Esau 1
Euphemia 1
Fred 1
Harris 1
Horace 1
Hugh 1
Humphrey 1
Jeremiah 1
Lawrence 1
Lewis 1
Moses 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Richmond 1
Zachariah 1

FAQ

Willsher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Willsher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 563 people were recorded with the Willsher surname. That placed it at #6,155 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Willsher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 910 in 2016. That gives Willsher a modern rank of #6,254.

What does the Willsher map show?

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