NameCensus.

UK surname

Taggart

A Scottish surname derived from the Old Norse nickname "Tankarth," meaning "think hard" or "difficult to deal with."

In the 1881 census there were 915 people recorded with the Taggart surname, ranking it #4,192 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,839, ranked #2,367, up from #4,192 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Harrington, St Bees and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Kilsyth East and Croy and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Taggart is 2,940 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 210.3%.

1881 census count

915

Ranked #4,192

Modern count

2,839

2016, ranked #2,367

Peak year

2010

2,940 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Taggart had 915 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,192 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,839 in 2016, ranked #2,367.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,383 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Taggart surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Taggart surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Taggart 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 409 #5,929
1861 historical 418 #6,146
1881 historical 915 #4,192
1891 historical 1,035 #4,033
1901 historical 1,383 #3,638
1911 historical 697 #6,101
1997 modern 2,542 #2,491
1998 modern 2,671 #2,470
1999 modern 2,653 #2,492
2000 modern 2,652 #2,489
2001 modern 2,575 #2,499
2002 modern 2,706 #2,452
2003 modern 2,681 #2,421
2004 modern 2,669 #2,431
2005 modern 2,677 #2,406
2006 modern 2,711 #2,384
2007 modern 2,734 #2,392
2008 modern 2,758 #2,394
2009 modern 2,818 #2,395
2010 modern 2,940 #2,348
2011 modern 2,835 #2,395
2012 modern 2,740 #2,432
2013 modern 2,800 #2,428
2014 modern 2,850 #2,393
2015 modern 2,828 #2,398
2016 modern 2,839 #2,367

Geography

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Where Taggarts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Harrington, St Bees, Govan Combination, Toxteth Park and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Kilsyth East and Croy, Sunderland, Burnley and Kilwinning West and Blacklands. 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 Harrington Cumberland
2 St Bees Cumberland
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 059 Liverpool
2 Kilsyth East and Croy North Lanarkshire
3 Sunderland 023 Sunderland
4 Burnley 010 Burnley
5 Kilwinning West and Blacklands North Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Taggart

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Taggart

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Taggart surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Taggart household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Taggart is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Taggart is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Taggart falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Taggart 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Taggart

The surname Taggart originates from Ireland and likely emerged in the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "tao" meaning territory, district, or land, and "gort" meaning field or fertile land. Together, the name Taggart could be interpreted as "one who came from the fertile land or territory."

The name Taggart was first found in County Derry, Ulster province, Northern Ireland. Historical records show the presence of the Taggart family in this region as early as the 14th century. The name is also found in Scottish records, suggesting that some Taggarts may have migrated from Ireland to Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Taggart appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where a Taggart is mentioned in an entry dated 1367. The name is also found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the 16th century.

Some notable individuals with the surname Taggart include:

1. Sir Thomas Taggart (1856-1929), an American politician and businessman who served as the 34th Mayor of Indianapolis from 1895 to 1901. 2. Samuel Taggart (1804-1884), an American minister and educator who served as the president of Bethany College in West Virginia. 3. Cynthia Taggart (born 1964), an American actress best known for her roles in television series such as "Veronica Mars" and "Big Love." 4. John Taggart (1799-1885), a Scottish-born American businessman and politician who served as the 17th Mayor of Philadelphia from 1838 to 1841. 5. James Taggart (1767-1849), an Irish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

The surname Taggart has also been associated with various place names, including Taghgart in County Derry, Ireland, and Taggart Township in Pennsylvania, United States. The latter was likely named after the family who settled in the area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Taggart families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Taggart 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. Isle of Man leads with 217 Taggarts recorded in 1881 and an index of 105.92x.

County Total Index
Isle of Man 217 105.92x
Lancashire 215 1.64x
Lanarkshire 178 4.99x
Renfrewshire 112 13.10x
Cumberland 65 6.84x
Aberdeenshire 46 4.50x
Angus 41 4.01x
Durham 37 1.13x
Ayrshire 36 4.36x
Northumberland 34 2.07x
Midlothian 19 1.29x
Cheshire 18 0.74x
Yorkshire 18 0.16x
Dunbartonshire 14 4.72x
Middlesex 10 0.09x
Perthshire 9 1.82x
Derbyshire 8 0.46x
Brecknockshire 7 3.17x
Hampshire 5 0.22x
Stirlingshire 5 1.23x
Kent 4 0.11x
Surrey 4 0.07x
Warwickshire 4 0.14x
Hertfordshire 3 0.39x
Inverness-shire 3 0.91x
Radnorshire 3 3.37x
Sutherland 3 3.54x
Banffshire 2 0.87x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.82x
Anglesey 1 0.51x
Devon 1 0.04x
Dorset 1 0.14x
Leicestershire 1 0.08x
Roxburghshire 1 0.50x
Royal Navy 1 0.76x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x
Sussex 1 0.05x
Westmorland 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Malew in Isle of Man leads with 86 Taggarts recorded in 1881 and an index of 480.45x.

Place Total Index
Malew 86 480.45x
Onchan 77 130.46x
Govan 67 7.59x
Abbey 55 42.16x
Toxteth Park 52 11.73x
Glasgow 35 5.52x
Barony 31 3.43x
Liverpool 24 3.02x
West Derby 23 6.01x
West Greenock 23 14.99x
Harrington 21 183.09x
Manchester 21 3.57x
Dundee 20 5.24x
Braddan 15 134.05x
Salford 15 3.90x
Stretford 15 20.82x
Liff Benvie 13 8.38x
Whitehaven 13 25.68x
New Kilpatrick 12 42.55x
Barrow In Furness 11 6.18x
Cowpen 10 26.46x
Aberdeen Old Machar 9 4.22x
Hamilton 9 9.04x
Kildrummy 9 361.45x
Kilmaurs 9 64.06x
Paisley Middle Church 9 18.08x
Port Glasgow 9 21.78x
Thornaby 9 22.03x
Workington 9 16.55x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 8 70.42x
Bootle Cum Linacre 8 7.70x
Bothwell 8 8.27x
Dalry 8 20.59x
Halliwell 8 16.79x
Inverurie 8 69.20x
Kilbirnie 8 40.34x
Kincardine O Neil 8 109.59x
Mid Calder 8 125.00x
Rushen 8 57.72x
Sunderland 8 13.80x
Brecknock St John 7 37.63x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 3.37x
Crook Billy Row 7 16.65x
Eastwood 7 13.29x
Old Monkland 7 4.94x
Preston Quarter 7 26.30x
Stockton On Tees 7 4.42x
Westoe 7 3.76x
Windle 7 9.50x
Birkenhead 6 3.09x
Cambusnethan 6 7.57x
Dundonald 6 19.70x
German 6 53.72x
Hensingham 6 77.32x
New Monkland 6 5.69x
Patrick 6 60.06x
Perth West Church 6 25.53x
Ballaugh 5 136.61x
Bedlington 5 9.12x
Blantyre 5 13.46x
Denny 5 23.11x
Longbenton 5 7.19x
Maughold 5 31.63x
Middle Greenock 5 21.43x
Montrose 5 8.07x
Portsea 5 1.13x
St Cuthbert W O 5 10.80x
St Giles 5 24.40x
Stayley 5 17.96x
Stockport 5 3.99x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 4 2.09x
Arbory 4 89.69x
Birmingham 4 0.43x
Cleator 4 10.12x
Little Bolton 4 2.38x
Wallbottle 4 114.61x
Douglas 3 101.35x
Great Bolton 3 1.73x
Heap 3 4.32x
Paisley Low Church 3 11.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 52
Elizabeth 30
Jane 24
Margaret 24
Catherine 20
Ann 17
Sarah 14
Annie 11
Eleanor 11
Emily 11
Ellen 7
Louisa 7
Eliza 6
Frances 6
Emma 4
Hannah 4
Isabella 4
Martha 4
Rebecca 4
Ada 3
Alice 3
E. 3
Florence 3
Janet 3
Lydia 3
Agnes 2
Anna 2
Christian 2
Esther 2
Harriet 2
Janie 2
Matilda 2
Sophia 2
Susannah 2
Bridget 1
C.Elizabeth 1
Catharine 1
Cecelia 1
Charlott 1
Eda 1
Edith 1
Elizbth. 1
Elizth. 1
Harrt 1
Isabel 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Letitia 1
Lilley 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 60
William 46
James 30
Thomas 30
Robert 15
Henry 13
Edward 11
Joseph 11
Richard 7
George 6
David 5
Alexander 4
Arthur 4
Patrick 4
Stanley 4
Caesar 3
Charles 3
Hugh 3
Jno. 3
Michael 3
Dennis 2
Herbert 2
Homer 2
Isaac 2
Louis 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Samuel 2
C. 1
Daniel 1
Edmund 1
Enos 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
J. 1
Ja. 1
Jas. 1
Joshua 1
Lambton 1
Matthias 1
Owen 1
Patric 1
Paul 1
Philip 1
R. 1
Reginald 1
Ritson 1
Robbert 1
Wm.Scott 1

FAQ

Taggart surname: questions and answers

How common was the Taggart surname in 1881?

In 1881, 915 people were recorded with the Taggart surname. That placed it at #4,192 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Taggart surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,839 in 2016. That gives Taggart a modern rank of #2,367.

What does the Taggart surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Old Norse nickname "Tankarth," meaning "think hard" or "difficult to deal with."

What does the Taggart map show?

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