SILLS
The surname Sills is of English origin and is traditionally associated with the British Isles, particularly England. It is recorded within the framework of Christian society of the period.
The name is derived from the Old English word sylle, which means “threshold.” As a result, it was originally a topographic surname applied to those who lived near a sill or threshold, or who worked with such a feature, as a carpenter or doorkeeper.
It has also been shown to be patronymic, stemming from the medieval given name Sill. Sill itself is a shortened form of the Latin names Silvester or Silvanus, each of which is a derivative of the Latin word silva meaning “wood.” This suggests a link either to a person’s ancestry or to an association with woodland.
The earliest documented form of the surname appears as Robert Sille in a 1397 entry of the Guilds Merchant of the Borough of Preston, during the reign of King Richard 11 of Bordeaux 1377-1399.
London church registers from the late 16th and early 17th centuries provide further evidence of the name’s use in England. Records include Tomisin Siles, christened 6 September 1579 at St. Antholin's Budge Row; Thomas Sills, son of Henry, christened 6 December 1590 at St. Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey; Edward Sills, marrying Henry Dowglasie on 17 December 1621 at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster; and Jeffrey Sills, son of Jeffrey, christened 6 October 1651 at St. Margaret Patten's.
In the mid‑19th century, a Richard Silles, aged 20, is recorded as a famine emigrant who sailed from Limerick aboard the Shamrock bound for New York at the end of June 1847.
Although the surname remains relatively uncommon, it is still recognised as an established English family name whose history reflects both a topographical association with thresholds and a patronymic linkage to medieval Christian naming traditions.
Typical given names associated with the Sills surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Angela
- Ann
- Anne
- Brenda
- Eileen
- Emma
- Gillian
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Jennifer
- Margaret
- Maureen
- Rachel
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Salls
- Sails
- Sauls
- Sales
- Sall
- Sallas
- Sallis
- Salis
- Salus
- Salz
- Salas
- Salais
- Sallows
- Cells
- Saell
- Sill
- Silla
- Ceales
- Celes
- Celis
- Celisse
- Celiz
- Celso
- Cielas
- Ciles
- Cillis
- Cyles
- Sail
- Sailes
- Salce
- Salci
- Salece
- Salese
- Salias
- Salice
- Saliss
- Salisse
- Salisu
- Sallaz
- Salles
- Salliss
- Salsa
- Salsi
- Saluzzo
- Salza
- Saoulis
- Saules
- Saulez
- Saulis
- Saulles
- Saulys
- Sawless
- Sayles
- Sayliss
- Sayls
- Scales
- Scall
- Sceales
- Scelsi
- Scelzo
- Scille
- Scyles
- Seales
- Sealise
- Seall
- Seals
- Seels
- Seil
- Seiles
- Seilis
- Seils
- Selassie
- Seles
- Selis
- Sell
- Sellas
- Sellassie
- Selle
- Selles
- Selless
- Selleus
- Sellez
- Sellis
- Sellows
- Sells
- Selosse
- Selous
- Sels
- Siaulys
- Siehl
- Sil
- Silas
- Silasi
- Siles
- Silis
- Silius
- Sillas
- Sille
- Silles
- Sillis
- Silliss
- Silos
- Silous
- Sils
- Skales
- Skeals
- Skeels
- Skeil
- Skeils
- Skell
- Skells
- Skill
- Skills
- Slace
- Slais
- Slass
- Slease
- Sles
- Sless
- Slice
- Slisz
- Sliz
- Sloas
- Sloss
- Slous
- Slows
- Sluce
- Sluice
- Sluis
- Sluys
- Slys
- Slysz
- Solas
- Solazzo
- Soles
- Solesi
- Solis
- Soliz
- Sollas
- Sollazzo
- Solles
- Sollesse
- Sollios
- Sollis
- Solliss
- Sollosi
- Solzi
- Soulas
- Soules
- Soulez
- Soulis
- Souls
- Sowles
- Sowls
- Sules
- Sulis
- Sylas
- Syles
- Szeles
- Szelesi
- Szeless
- Szollosi
- Szolosi
- Szulz
- Xilas
- Xylas
- Zalas
- Zales
- Zalis
- Zalys
- Zelazo
- Zelias
- Zelos
- Zilius
- Zill
- Zilles
- Zilz
- Zolezzi
- Zoulias
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Sills in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 1,441 people named Sills in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,525th most common surname in Britain. Around 22 in a million people in Britain are named Sills.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Sills
- Tim Sills - Football player
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.