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Sills History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Sills History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Sills

What does the name Sills mean?

The name Sills is from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of the Britain and comes from the baptismal name Silvester or Silvanus. During the middle Ages this personal name was quite popular, as it was borne by three popes. In the religious naming tradition surnames were bestowed in honor of religious figures or church officials. In Europe, the Christian Church was one of the most powerful influences on the formation of given names. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures and missionaries are widespread in most European countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world. They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint.

Early Origins of the Sills family

The surname Sills was first found in Northamptonshire where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Sills family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sills research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1637 is included under the topic Early Sills History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sills Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Sills has been spelled many different ways, including Sill, Sille, Sills, Silles, Sell, Selle, Sells and many more.

Early Notables of the Sills family

More information is included under the topic Early Sills Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sills Ranking

In the United States, the name Sills is the 4,637^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Sills migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Sillss to arrive in North America:

Sills Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ann Sills, who landed in Virginia in 1663 2

Sills Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Sills, who arrived in New York, NY in 1778 2

Sills Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Annie Sills, aged 26, who landed in America from Nottingham, in 1892
Mrs. J. R. Sills, aged 35, who settled in America, in 1892

Sills Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Milton G. G. Sills, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States, in 1903
Mrs. A. M. Sills, aged 58, who landed in America from Glasgow, in 1906
Kath Sills, aged 21, who immigrated to America from Glasgow, in 1906
Fanny Sills, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, in 1906
Harry Sills, aged 59, who immigrated to the United States from Birmingham, England, in 1907
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sills migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sills Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Rev. George Sills U.E. (b. 1773) born in New York, USA who settled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1784 he served in the King's Royal Regiment of New York, son of John Conrad Sills, married to Margaret Bell having 1 child, he died in 1860 3
Mr. John Sills U.E. (b. 1771) who settled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1784 married to Isabella Bell 3
Mr. John Conrad Sills Sr., U.E., (Johannes Konrad, Conradt, Von Selsenberg) (b. 1738) born in Germany from Dutchess County, New York, USA who settled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1784 he served in the Royal Regiment of New York, married three times having 14 children, he died in 1816 3
Mr. Lawrence Sills U.E. (b. 1767) who settled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1784 he served in the King's Royal Regiment of New York, married to Monykey Scouten in 1792 3

Sills migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Sills Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Matthew Sills, British Convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dunvegan Castle" on 13th March 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Sills migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Sills Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Sills, (b. 1825), aged 35, English farm labourer from Leicester travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 5
Mrs. Jane Sills, (b. 1835), aged 25, English settler from Leicester travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 5
Mr. Sills, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Roman Emperor" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 30th March 1863 5
Miss Sills, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Roman Emperor" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 30th March 1863 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Sills (post 1700) +

Beverley Sills (1929-2007), World famous American coloratura soprano and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Kenneth Charles Morton Sills (1879-1954), Canadian-born, American educator, the eighth president of Bowdoin College
Thomas Sills (1914-2000), American painter and collagist
Steven Sills, American screenwriter and film producer
Douglas Sills (b. 1960), American actor
Timothy "Tim" Sills (b. 1979), English footballer

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dunvegan-castle
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html