NameCensus.

UK surname

Tacey

From an Old French surname meaning "quiet" or "peaceful".

In the 1881 census there were 249 people recorded with the Tacey surname, ranking it #11,103 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 286, ranked #15,240, down from #11,103 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Louth, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Gedling. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, North West Leicestershire and East Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tacey is 379 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.9%.

1881 census count

249

Ranked #11,103

Modern count

286

2016, ranked #15,240

Peak year

1911

379 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tacey had 249 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,103 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 286 in 2016, ranked #15,240.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 379 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tacey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tacey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tacey 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 186 #11,024
1861 historical 189 #12,570
1881 historical 249 #11,103
1891 historical 271 #11,992
1901 historical 360 #10,212
1911 historical 379 #9,672
1997 modern 309 #13,268
1998 modern 309 #13,612
1999 modern 301 #13,926
2000 modern 294 #14,105
2001 modern 288 #14,103
2002 modern 298 #14,048
2003 modern 300 #13,823
2004 modern 285 #14,344
2005 modern 277 #14,542
2006 modern 284 #14,396
2007 modern 282 #14,618
2008 modern 277 #14,940
2009 modern 287 #14,877
2010 modern 283 #15,363
2011 modern 282 #15,233
2012 modern 286 #15,012
2013 modern 292 #15,027
2014 modern 295 #15,020
2015 modern 286 #15,270
2016 modern 286 #15,240

Geography

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Where Taceys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Louth, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Gedling, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, North West Leicestershire, East Lindsey, Rugby and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Louth Lincolnshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Gedling Nottinghamshire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 007 Barnsley
2 North West Leicestershire 010 North West Leicestershire
3 East Lindsey 004 East Lindsey
4 Rugby 010 Rugby
5 North East Lincolnshire 004 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tacey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tacey

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Tacey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Tacey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Tacey is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tacey is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tacey falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Tacey

The surname Tacey is believed to have originated in England, likely during the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old English personal name "Tacca" or "Taca," which may have been a nickname or a shortened form of a longer name.

The name Tacey is thought to have been initially concentrated in the counties of Devon and Somerset in the southwest of England. It is possible that some of the earliest recorded instances of the name appeared in local parish records, court rolls, or other documents from these areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Tacey surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Tacey is mentioned. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of Somerset from 1330 list a William Tacy.

Over the centuries, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Tacye, Tacy, Tassie, and Tassey. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during earlier times.

Notable individuals with the surname Tacey throughout history include:

1. John Tacey (fl. 1327), mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire. 2. William Tacy (fl. 1330), listed in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset. 3. Richard Tacey (c. 1560-1628), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Archdeacon of Essex. 4. Henry Tacey (1798-1879), an English architect and surveyor known for his work in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. 5. Thomas Tacey (1803-1879), a British naval officer and explorer who participated in Arctic expeditions and surveyed parts of Australia.

While the Tacey surname may have originated from a specific region in England, it has since spread to various parts of the country and beyond, with descendants bearing this name found in different parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tacey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tacey 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. Lincolnshire leads with 62 Taceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.16x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 62 16.16x
Nottinghamshire 52 16.08x
Yorkshire 34 1.43x
Leicestershire 28 10.52x
Sussex 18 4.45x
Middlesex 11 0.46x
Derbyshire 9 2.40x
Shropshire 8 3.86x
Lanarkshire 7 0.90x
Lancashire 5 0.18x
Staffordshire 4 0.49x
Surrey 3 0.26x
Monmouthshire 2 1.15x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.69x
Gloucestershire 1 0.21x
Northamptonshire 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Snenton in Nottinghamshire leads with 23 Taceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 180.96x.

Place Total Index
Snenton 23 180.96x
Brighton 15 18.38x
North Somercotes 11 1100.00x
Bradford 10 17.37x
Newark Upon Trent 9 77.39x
Ashby 8 666.67x
Barony 7 3.56x
Carlton 7 189.70x
Great Grimsby 7 28.75x
Holy Trinity 7 12.24x
Litchurch 7 46.30x
Louth 7 79.64x
Quorndon 7 469.80x
Boston 6 51.55x
Leicester St Margaret 6 9.25x
Leicester St Mary 6 27.91x
Ollerton 6 895.52x
Barnsley 5 20.38x
Barton 5 2173.91x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 22.11x
Burringham 5 1111.11x
Eston 5 96.53x
Islington London 4 1.72x
Moreton Say 4 754.72x
Wolverhampton 4 6.42x
Barkby 3 576.92x
Clerkenwell London 3 5.30x
Coleby 3 833.33x
Sculcoates 3 7.96x
Sheepshed 3 82.19x
Barnoldby Le Beck 2 1176.47x
Barrow On Humber 2 89.69x
Benniworth 2 645.16x
Cantley 2 434.78x
Derby St Peter 2 16.71x
Eastbourne 2 10.74x
Grainthorpe 2 344.83x
Hungarton 2 555.56x
St Botolph Lincoln 2 72.46x
St Pancras London 2 1.04x
Wimbledon 2 15.23x
Boningale 1 625.00x
Chilwell 1 116.28x
Conisholme 1 909.09x
Croydon 1 1.54x
Duffryn 1 454.55x
Graig 1 128.21x
Hinckley 1 15.85x
Humberstone 1 454.55x
Ightfield 1 357.14x
Kelmarsh 1 588.24x
Lavendon 1 153.85x
Leeds 1 0.74x
Marsh Chapel 1 212.77x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.20x
Prees 1 39.68x
Scamblesby 1 333.33x
Scarborough 1 4.63x
Shoreditch London 1 0.96x
St Luke London 1 2.60x
St Mary Magdalen Lincoln 1 196.08x
Stapleton 1 11.20x
Stoke Upon Tern 1 131.58x
Worth 1 34.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Elizabeth 9
Sarah 8
Ann 6
Eliza 6
Alice 5
Margaret 5
Emma 4
Fanny 4
Jane 4
Annie 3
Catherine 3
Harriett 3
Anne 2
Charlotte 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Jessy 2
Margret 2
Maud 2
A. 1
Arabella 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
Dinah 1
Edith 1
Elizth.Ann 1
Emily 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Heziah 1
Iley 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Oophin 1
Sus. 1
Susan 1
Temperance 1
Therese 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
William 20
Thomas 12
Henry 8
James 8
Arthur 7
George 5
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Edward 3
Francis 3
Green 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Frederick 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Anthony 1
Edwin 1
Fred. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jonah 1
Mary 1
Moses 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Thos.A. 1
Thos.H. 1
Tom 1
Williamson 1

FAQ

Tacey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tacey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 249 people were recorded with the Tacey surname. That placed it at #11,103 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tacey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 286 in 2016. That gives Tacey a modern rank of #15,240.

What does the Tacey surname mean?

From an Old French surname meaning "quiet" or "peaceful".

What does the Tacey map show?

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