NameCensus.

UK surname

Taber

An English occupational surname for a player of the tabor, a small drum used to accompany a pipe or fife.

In the 1881 census there were 97 people recorded with the Taber surname, ranking it #20,127 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 289, ranked #15,137, up from #20,127 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Chelmsford, Broomfield, Writtle, Widford, Chignal St James, Chignal Smealy. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ipswich, Tamworth and Babergh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Taber is 309 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 197.9%.

1881 census count

97

Ranked #20,127

Modern count

289

2016, ranked #15,137

Peak year

2004

309 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Taber had 97 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,127 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 289 in 2016, ranked #15,137.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 252 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Taber surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Taber surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Taber 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 144 #13,277
1861 historical 126 #17,569
1881 historical 97 #20,127
1891 historical 187 #15,679
1901 historical 206 #14,845
1911 historical 252 #12,834
1997 modern 291 #13,792
1998 modern 290 #14,179
1999 modern 292 #14,204
2000 modern 291 #14,200
2001 modern 283 #14,247
2002 modern 299 #14,017
2003 modern 298 #13,886
2004 modern 309 #13,618
2005 modern 303 #13,757
2006 modern 293 #14,116
2007 modern 290 #14,372
2008 modern 278 #14,901
2009 modern 293 #14,669
2010 modern 294 #14,940
2011 modern 292 #14,863
2012 modern 273 #15,546
2013 modern 291 #15,067
2014 modern 288 #15,285
2015 modern 288 #15,190
2016 modern 289 #15,137

Geography

Back to top

Where Tabers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Chelmsford, Broomfield, Writtle, Widford, Chignal St James, Chignal Smealy. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ipswich, Tamworth and Babergh. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Chelmsford, Broomfield, Writtle, Widford, Chignal St James, Chignal Smealy Essex
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ipswich 016 Ipswich
2 Ipswich 008 Ipswich
3 Tamworth 006 Tamworth
4 Babergh 007 Babergh
5 Ipswich 014 Ipswich

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Taber

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Taber

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Taber, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Taber surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Taber household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Taber 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

Taber is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Taber falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Taber is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Taber

The surname Taber is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word 'tabor', which referred to a small portable drum. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to a drummer or someone who played the tabor.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Taber can be found in various medieval documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as 'le Tabur'. In the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327, the name is listed as 'Thabor'. These variations in spelling were common during that time period.

One notable historical reference to the Taber name is in the renowned Domesday Book, which was commissioned in 1086 by William the Conqueror. The book mentions a place called 'Taber' in Gloucestershire, which may have been named after someone with the surname or possibly derived from the same root word.

In the 14th century, there is a record of a man named John Taber, who was a merchant in Bristol. His sons, William and Richard Taber, were prominent figures in the city during the late 1300s. Another early bearer of the name was Sir Robert Taber, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III in the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

During the 16th century, the Taber family established themselves in the county of Hertfordshire, where they owned land and property. One notable member was Thomas Taber, who was born in 1555 and served as a magistrate in the town of St Albans.

In the 17th century, a family branch of the Tabers migrated to colonial America, with Philip Taber being among the first settlers in New England. He arrived in Massachusetts in 1635 and later played a role in the founding of the town of Yarmouth on Cape Cod.

Over the centuries, several other individuals with the Taber surname have left their mark in various fields. These include John Taber (1615-1675), an early settler of Rhode Island; Benjamin Taber (1673-1715), a Quaker minister and abolitionist; and Henry Taber (1858-1936), an American businessman and co-founder of the Taber Prang Art Company.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Taber families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Taber 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. Essex leads with 31 Tabers recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.43x.

County Total Index
Essex 31 16.43x
Middlesex 15 1.57x
Warwickshire 13 5.39x
Surrey 12 2.58x
Suffolk 6 5.15x
Hampshire 5 2.55x
Midlothian 5 3.90x
Glamorgan 4 2.40x
Buckinghamshire 2 3.46x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.65x
Durham 1 0.35x
Northamptonshire 1 1.11x
Royal Navy 1 8.78x
Somerset 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 11 Tabers recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.69x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 11 13.69x
Chelmsford 11 339.51x
Rivenhall 10 4347.83x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 9.71x
Shoreditch London 5 12.07x
Wanstead 5 151.52x
Ipswich St Helen 4 289.86x
Newcastle Lower 4 1142.86x
St Pancras London 4 5.20x
Tadley 4 1212.12x
Leyton Low 3 78.13x
Newington 3 8.50x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 15.60x
Spitalfields London 3 41.72x
Aston 2 3.01x
Battersea 2 5.69x
Brentwood 2 173.91x
Clapham 2 16.74x
Upton Cum Chalvey 2 86.96x
Abington 1 2500.00x
Bethnal Green London 1 2.41x
Brading 1 38.46x
Bromley London 1 4.76x
Hammersmith London 1 4.25x
Ipswich St Clement 1 33.78x
Lambeth 1 1.20x
Penge 1 16.37x
Royal Navy 1 10.27x
St Marythe Great 1 500.00x
Stockton On Tees 1 7.29x
Sudbury St Peter 1 156.25x
Yeovil 1 31.95x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
Henry 5
John 5
George 4
James 4
Charles 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Walter 2
Dake 1
Frederick 1
Joseph 1
Philip 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Taber surname: questions and answers

How common was the Taber surname in 1881?

In 1881, 97 people were recorded with the Taber surname. That placed it at #20,127 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Taber surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 289 in 2016. That gives Taber a modern rank of #15,137.

What does the Taber surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a player of the tabor, a small drum used to accompany a pipe or fife.

What does the Taber map show?

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