ILLINGWORTH
Ill‑ing‑worth is a locational surname of English provenance, traceable to the West Yorkshire region. It records an occupational nexus with the agrarian landscape in the early Middle Ages, conveying a link between family members and the land upon which they lived. The name arose in documentary sources contemporaneous with the early thirteenth century, when Norman scribes first recorded the family in the ecclesiastical rolls of Yorkshire.
The etymological construction of Ill‑ing‑worth comprises two Old English components. The prefix Ill‑ derives from the Anglo‑Saxon term *iġel*, denoting "evil" or "bad," while the suffix ‑worth originates from *worþ*, meaning a "farm" or an "enclosure." Hence the combined meaning can be rendered as "the farm associated with evil" or, more appropriately in a historical context, "the occupied enclosure of the Ill family." This locative description was customary in early English surnames, serving explicitly to differentiate individuals within communities by their domestic estates.
Documentary evidence of the surname appears in the Records of the "Poll Tax" of 1379, where a Hugo de Ingleworth is listed as a landholder in the parish of Halifax. Subsequent entries in the Assizes of the 14th and early 15th centuries record several individuals bearing the patronymic de Ill‑ing‑worth, such as John de Illyngworth and Agnes de El‑yng‑worth. These entries confirm the persistence of the name through the medieval era, demonstrating the family's continued land tenure and civic involvement.
By the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, the surname can be found in legal contexts referring to the "Pleas of the King’s Bench" (for example, William Ill‑ing‑worth sued for debt recovery in 1704). In ecclesiastical records, a Robert Illyng‑worth is noted as a deacon in the Diocese of York, illustrating the surname’s association with both secular and religious institutions. The modern anglicisation of the name has largely preserved the original spelling, with contemporary bearers adopting the form Ill‑ing‑worth across the United Kingdom.
In summary, the Ill‑ing‑worth surname embodies a rich tapestry of linguistic heritage and socio‑economic history. Its components echo the agrarian reality of early medieval England, while its documented appearances in taxation rolls, legal proceedings and ecclesiastical record confirm a lineage of landowners and community figures. The continued usage of the name into the present era underscores its enduring cultural significance within British society.
Typical given names associated with the Illingworth surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Andrea
- Barbara
- Claire
- Emma
- Helen
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Illingworth in...
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There are approximately 4,138 people named Illingworth in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,254th most common surname in Britain. Around 64 in a million people in Britain are named Illingworth.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Illingworth
- Richard Illingworth - Test and County cricket, umpire
- Ray Illingworth - Cricket player of England.
- Albert Illingworth, 1st Baron Illingworth - Politician (1865 to 1942)
- Jeremy Illingworth - Football player
- Matt Illingworth - Racing cyclist
- Leslie Gilbert Illingworth - Welsh political cartoonist and illustrator (1902 to 1979)
- John Illingworth - Football player (1904 to 1964)
- Edward Illingworth - Cricketer (1896 to 1924)
- Sarah Illingworth - Cricketer
- George Illingworth - Australian politician (1877 to 1950)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.