NameCensus.

UK surname

Tack

A nickname based on the Dutch word for branch or twig.

In the 1881 census there were 161 people recorded with the Tack surname, ranking it #14,801 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 331, ranked #13,735, up from #14,801 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Northfield, Willesden and Milton or Middleton Malzor. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Powys and Central Bedfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tack is 376 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 105.6%.

1881 census count

161

Ranked #14,801

Modern count

331

2016, ranked #13,735

Peak year

2009

376 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tack had 161 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,801 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 331 in 2016, ranked #13,735.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 283 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Tack surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tack surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tack 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 116 #15,545
1861 historical 76 #24,114
1881 historical 161 #14,801
1891 historical 190 #15,486
1901 historical 280 #12,193
1911 historical 283 #11,883
1997 modern 350 #12,172
1998 modern 369 #12,077
1999 modern 372 #12,076
2000 modern 368 #12,130
2001 modern 358 #12,181
2002 modern 375 #12,018
2003 modern 358 #12,208
2004 modern 365 #12,077
2005 modern 347 #12,436
2006 modern 346 #12,539
2007 modern 354 #12,489
2008 modern 363 #12,359
2009 modern 376 #12,290
2010 modern 374 #12,597
2011 modern 367 #12,647
2012 modern 361 #12,647
2013 modern 353 #13,104
2014 modern 350 #13,263
2015 modern 338 #13,527
2016 modern 331 #13,735

Geography

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Where Tacks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Northfield, Willesden, Milton or Middleton Malzor, Ealing, Chiswick and Toseland. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Powys, Central Bedfordshire, Wycombe and Slough. 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 Northfield Worcestershire
2 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 Milton or Middleton Malzor Northamptonshire
4 Ealing, Chiswick Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 Toseland Huntingdonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 017 Wealden
2 Powys 004 Powys
3 Central Bedfordshire 032 Central Bedfordshire
4 Wycombe 003 Wycombe
5 Slough 007 Slough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tack

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tack

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Tack is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tack is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tack 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 Tack is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Tack

The surname Tack has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "tæcca," which referred to a maker or seller of tacks, which were small nails used in various crafts and trades.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Tack can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a person named Robert Tac is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Tac," was common in those times and eventually evolved into the more modern form of "Tack."

In the 13th century, the surname Tack appeared in several historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which listed a William Tak, and the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, which mentioned a John Takke.

During the 14th century, the surname Tack gained prominence in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire. In the famous Domesday Book of 1086, there are no direct mentions of the surname Tack, but the place name "Tackley" in Oxfordshire is recorded, potentially indicating an early connection to the name's origins.

One notable individual with the surname Tack was John Tack, a merchant and Member of Parliament for the city of Bristol in the late 15th century (born circa 1450, died circa 1520). Another prominent figure was Sir John Tack, a knight and landowner in Buckinghamshire during the 16th century (born circa 1510, died circa 1580).

In the 17th century, the surname Tack continued to be present in various parts of England. William Tack (born circa 1620, died circa 1690) was a successful farmer and landowner in Lincolnshire, while Thomas Tack (born circa 1650, died circa 1715) was a renowned clockmaker based in London.

As the centuries passed, the surname Tack spread to other parts of the world, carried by English settlers and immigrants. John Tack (born circa 1790, died circa 1860) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist in New York City, while Mary Tack (born circa 1820, died circa 1890) was a renowned educator and advocate for women's rights in Canada.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tack families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tack 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. Middlesex leads with 33 Tacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.13x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 33 2.13x
Yorkshire 19 1.24x
Northamptonshire 17 11.65x
Huntingdonshire 16 51.95x
Warwickshire 13 3.32x
Buckinghamshire 12 12.80x
Surrey 10 1.32x
Berkshire 8 6.87x
Staffordshire 7 1.34x
Oxfordshire 6 6.26x
Durham 5 1.08x
Derbyshire 2 0.82x
Hampshire 2 0.63x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.96x
Somerset 2 0.80x
Suffolk 2 1.06x
Devon 1 0.31x
Lancashire 1 0.05x
Norfolk 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Milton in Northamptonshire leads with 15 Tacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 3846.15x.

Place Total Index
Milton 15 3846.15x
Whitechapel London 9 58.86x
Little Driffield 8 6666.67x
New Windsor 8 204.60x
Birmingham 7 5.37x
Hayes 7 443.04x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 22.43x
Steeple Claydon 7 1555.56x
West Bromwich 7 23.36x
Aston 6 5.57x
Yelling 6 3529.41x
Clerkenwell London 5 13.66x
Henley On Thames 5 255.10x
Monk Hesleden 5 387.60x
Hilton 4 2105.26x
Sculcoates 4 16.41x
St Anne Soho London 4 45.15x
Thorne 4 209.42x
Aylesbury 3 72.29x
Offord D Arcy 3 1666.67x
Camberwell 2 2.02x
Castle Cary 2 183.49x
Christchurch 2 29.03x
Hucknall Torkard 2 37.74x
Huntingdon St Mary 2 259.74x
Ipswich St Margaret 2 31.20x
Kensington London 2 2.32x
Ashendon 1 769.23x
Devonport 1 26.95x
Ealing 1 7.22x
Emswell Cum Kellythorpe 1 1111.11x
Eston 1 29.85x
Eydon 1 416.67x
Hackney London 1 1.15x
Harpsden 1 769.23x
Huntingdon St John 1 112.36x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 13.97x
Lambeth 1 0.74x
Leeds 1 1.15x
Liverpool 1 0.89x
Newton Solney 1 400.00x
Paddington London 1 1.75x
Soulbury 1 400.00x
St Luke London 1 4.02x
Stapenhill 1 27.70x
Warkworth 1 76.34x
Westminster St 1 17.48x
Willesden 1 6.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 7
Jane 4
Sarah 4
Caroline 3
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Helen 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Ruth 2
Susannah 2
William 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Anne 1
Carlotte 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Elizabt. 1
Ellen 1
Frances 1
H. 1
Kate 1
Kitty 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Minnie 1
Rachael 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Tack surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tack surname in 1881?

In 1881, 161 people were recorded with the Tack surname. That placed it at #14,801 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tack surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 331 in 2016. That gives Tack a modern rank of #13,735.

What does the Tack surname mean?

A nickname based on the Dutch word for branch or twig.

What does the Tack map show?

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