Sills
Likely a patronymic surname meaning “son of Sill,” with Sill probably a short form of Cecil or a related nickname.
The #5,171 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 45,666 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually explained as a patronymic from the nickname or pet form Sill or Cill, ultimately linked to Cecil. In that sense, Sills means “Sill’s son” or “descendant of Sill,” with the final -s marking the possessive/genitive. Some older sources also treat it as a variant or shortening related to Sells, so the exact path may vary by family line.
History
Bardsley cites medieval forms such as Johannes Cyllson in Yorkshire, showing the name in use by the late 14th century. Later dictionaries repeat the same basic explanation and note that Sills can overlap with related spellings like Sells or Silson. The name remains relatively uncommon but is well established in England and later in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 14th-century Yorkshire record gives an early form of the surname as Cyllson, which points to how old this naming pattern is.
From the historical record
“S1LLIT0(E : V. Slli|lito(e. SILLS I Sill's (Son) : v. Sill. (pec.) 2 a var. of Sells, q.v. SILLSON, Sill's Son: v. Sill. S I LVA NUS(Lat.)BELONGiNGTOA Wood [Lat. Silvanus, god of forests ; f. silva, a wood, forest] ' Silverlock”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Sills
- Beverly Sills (1929–2007)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.