NameCensus.

UK surname

Wilmer

Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements wil, meaning "desire," and meri, meaning "famous."

In the 1881 census there were 291 people recorded with the Wilmer surname, ranking it #9,931 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 371, ranked #12,561, down from #9,931 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chorley, Carrick South and Fenland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wilmer is 444 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.5%.

1881 census count

291

Ranked #9,931

Modern count

371

2016, ranked #12,561

Peak year

2000

444 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wilmer had 291 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,931 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 371 in 2016, ranked #12,561.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 403 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wilmer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wilmer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wilmer 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 232 #9,296
1861 historical 187 #12,690
1881 historical 291 #9,931
1891 historical 347 #9,894
1901 historical 403 #9,442
1911 historical 358 #10,110
1997 modern 396 #11,086
1998 modern 434 #10,694
1999 modern 443 #10,577
2000 modern 444 #10,559
2001 modern 425 #10,716
2002 modern 433 #10,780
2003 modern 416 #10,941
2004 modern 425 #10,779
2005 modern 405 #11,078
2006 modern 390 #11,459
2007 modern 389 #11,604
2008 modern 386 #11,795
2009 modern 382 #12,150
2010 modern 394 #12,131
2011 modern 386 #12,170
2012 modern 362 #12,615
2013 modern 382 #12,337
2014 modern 391 #12,214
2015 modern 381 #12,345
2016 modern 371 #12,561

Geography

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Where Wilmers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Portsmouth, Portsea and Holywell with Needingworth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chorley, Carrick South, Fenland, Peterborough and Cheltenham. 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 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 Holywell with Needingworth Huntingdonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chorley 002 Chorley
2 Carrick South South Ayrshire
3 Fenland 006 Fenland
4 Peterborough 005 Peterborough
5 Cheltenham 012 Cheltenham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wilmer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wilmer

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Wilmer is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wilmer is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wilmer falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wilmer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Wilmer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Wilmer

The surname Wilmer has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "wil" meaning "willow" and "mere" meaning "lake" or "pool." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a willow-fringed lake or pool.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there is a mention of a landowner named "Wlmarus" in Gloucestershire. This is likely one of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wilmer or a variation thereof.

The name Wilmer can also be traced back to the village of Wilmere in Hertfordshire, which was mentioned in records as early as the 13th century. This place name is thought to have influenced the development of the surname in that region.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Wilmer was John Wilmer, born around 1350 in Broughton, Buckinghamshire. Another notable figure was William Wilmer, a 16th-century English clergyman who served as the Dean of Norwich Cathedral from 1608 to 1617.

In the 17th century, James Wilmer (1585-1641), an English politician and landowner, was a member of the House of Commons representing Nottingham. His son, William Wilmer (1621-1686), was a notable Puritan minister who fled to Virginia during the English Civil War.

A prominent figure in American history with the surname Wilmer was William Holland Wilmer (1782-1827), an Episcopal bishop in Virginia and the first President of the House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church in the United States.

Throughout its history, the Wilmer surname has seen various spellings, including Willmere, Wilmere, and Wylmere, reflecting the regional variations and changes in language over time. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its connection to its English roots and the geographic features that inspired its origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wilmer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wilmer 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 53 Wilmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.86x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 53 1.86x
Buckinghamshire 27 15.68x
Sussex 26 5.41x
Northamptonshire 23 8.59x
Surrey 18 1.30x
Yorkshire 17 0.60x
Lancashire 16 0.47x
Huntingdonshire 15 26.52x
Staffordshire 15 1.56x
Essex 13 2.31x
Bedfordshire 10 6.78x
Warwickshire 10 1.39x
Cheshire 8 1.27x
Gloucestershire 7 1.25x
Hertfordshire 6 3.06x
Kent 5 0.51x
Cambridgeshire 4 2.22x
Suffolk 4 1.15x
Berkshire 3 1.40x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.78x
Durham 2 0.24x
Hampshire 2 0.34x
Lincolnshire 2 0.44x
Channel Islands 1 1.18x
Cornwall 1 0.31x
Fife 1 0.59x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 14 Wilmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.73x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 14 13.73x
Duston 13 534.98x
Birmingham 10 4.18x
St Pancras London 10 4.36x
Barrow In Furness 9 19.58x
Bradford 9 13.17x
Carshalton 8 150.66x
Little Raveley 8 16000.00x
Sherington 8 1355.93x
Bethnal Green London 7 5.66x
Birkenhead 7 13.97x
Lambeth 7 2.82x
Stony Stratford West 7 588.24x
Huntingdon St Mary 6 425.53x
Kensington London 6 3.79x
Newport Pagnell 6 166.67x
Salford 6 6.04x
Hackney London 5 3.13x
Hampnett 5 3125.00x
Hornsey 5 13.88x
Leyton Low 5 43.74x
Maulden 5 390.63x
Paddington London 5 4.77x
Soothill 5 49.02x
Woodford 5 78.62x
Caxton 4 727.27x
Clerkenwell London 4 5.95x
Higham Ferrers 4 273.97x
Kirdford 4 239.52x
Yoxford 4 388.35x
Gillingham 3 14.97x
Hampstead London 3 6.76x
Hitchin 3 33.86x
Kempston 3 89.55x
Lancing 3 227.27x
Leeds 3 1.88x
Limehouse London 3 9.59x
Northampton St Sepulchre 3 22.01x
Northchurch 3 142.86x
Nottingham St Mary 3 3.02x
Steyning 3 184.05x
Wellingborough 3 22.27x
Bray 2 31.85x
East Preston 2 487.80x
Felpham 2 363.64x
Gayhurst 2 2222.22x
Newhaven 2 51.28x
Northill 2 144.93x
St Marylebone London 2 1.32x
Stoke Newington London 2 9.01x
Stopham 2 1333.33x
West Ham 2 1.61x
Wotton Ville 2 377.36x
Aldershot 1 5.11x
Alverstoke 1 4.73x
Aylesbury 1 13.11x
Boughton Under Blean 1 61.35x
Bradwell 1 41.32x
Brighton 1 1.03x
Broadwater 1 9.07x
Buxted 1 53.19x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 9.86x
Eastbourne 1 4.52x
Epsom 1 14.79x
Falmouth 1 8.76x
Great Grimsby 1 3.46x
Great Horwood 1 144.93x
Hammersmith London 1 1.43x
Lewes All Sts 1 52.36x
Leyton 1 10.33x
Norton 1 32.05x
Pulborough 1 56.82x
Ramsey 1 22.08x
St Andrews 1 13.04x
St Saviour 1 21.41x
Stockton On Tees 1 2.45x
Stone 1 8.13x
Toxteth Park 1 0.87x
Wantage 1 29.33x
Yeardsley Cum Whaley 1 80.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Ann 9
Alice 8
Elizabeth 6
Jane 6
Sarah 6
Eliza 5
Fanny 5
Emily 4
Harriet 4
Susan 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Caroline 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Hannah 3
Isabella 3
Margaret 3
Clara 2
Florence 2
Harriett 2
Kate 2
Matilda 2
Selina 2
Amy 1
Annie 1
Antoinette 1
Augusta 1
B. 1
Bessie 1
Blanche 1
Charlotte 1
Delilah 1
Dinah 1
Doris 1
E. 1
Elenor 1
Elisabeth 1
Gertrude 1
Ivey 1
Jemima 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Marabella 1
Martha 1
Zilfer 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 15
John 13
George 12
Thomas 11
Charles 10
James 6
Joseph 6
Henry 5
Alfred 4
Arthur 3
Ernest 3
Richard 3
Chas. 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Horace 2
Isaac 2
Louis 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Altham 1
Augusta 1
Benjamin 1
Benjemin 1
Bradford 1
C. 1
Cecil 1
Dennest 1
Edward 1
Ekin 1
Francis 1
Fred.Jas. 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geoffrey 1
Geoig 1
Guillaume 1
Herbert 1
Horatio 1
Jesse 1
Jos. 1
Lenard 1
Luke 1
Moses 1
Oliver 1
Samuel 1
Wifred 1

FAQ

Wilmer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wilmer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 291 people were recorded with the Wilmer surname. That placed it at #9,931 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wilmer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 371 in 2016. That gives Wilmer a modern rank of #12,561.

What does the Wilmer surname mean?

Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements wil, meaning "desire," and meri, meaning "famous."

What does the Wilmer map show?

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