UK surname
A surname derived from the German word "tagger" meaning a laborer or daylaborer.
In the 1881 census there were 7 people recorded with the Tagger surname, ranking it #32,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 71, ranked #33,633, down from #32,765 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Birstall and Compton Abbas. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tagger is 108 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 914.3%.
1881 census count
7
Ranked #32,765
Modern count
71
2016, ranked #33,633
Peak year
1891
108 bearers
Map years
1
1891 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Tagger surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Tagger surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 20 | #29,743 |
| 1861 | historical | 96 | #21,648 |
| 1881 | historical | 7 | #32,765 |
| 1891 | historical | 108 | #22,828 |
| 1901 | historical | 7 | #33,435 |
| 1911 | historical | 20 | #31,288 |
| 1997 | modern | 55 | #32,114 |
| 1998 | modern | 50 | #32,899 |
| 1999 | modern | 54 | #32,660 |
| 2000 | modern | 58 | #32,317 |
| 2001 | modern | 62 | #31,798 |
| 2002 | modern | 63 | #32,113 |
| 2003 | modern | 61 | #32,352 |
| 2004 | modern | 57 | #32,968 |
| 2005 | modern | 58 | #33,094 |
| 2006 | modern | 59 | #33,330 |
| 2007 | modern | 64 | #33,145 |
| 2008 | modern | 66 | #33,217 |
| 2009 | modern | 68 | #33,341 |
| 2010 | modern | 73 | #33,249 |
| 2011 | modern | 73 | #33,230 |
| 2012 | modern | 69 | #33,695 |
| 2013 | modern | 71 | #33,693 |
| 2014 | modern | 76 | #33,423 |
| 2015 | modern | 72 | #33,595 |
| 2016 | modern | 71 | #33,633 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Birstall, Compton Abbas, Wakefield and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Halifax | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 2 | Birstall | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 3 | Compton Abbas | Dorset |
| 4 | Wakefield | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 5 | Bradford | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Tagger surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tagger, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Tagger surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Tagger household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Tagger is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tagger is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Tagger, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Tagger has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "tagger," which referred to a day laborer or a manual worker. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of the town of Augsburg in 1587, where a certain Hans Tagger was mentioned as a resident. Another notable mention is in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of Esslingen am Neckar in 1612, where a Johannes Tagger was listed as a stonemason.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Tagger name appeared in various municipal records across southern Germany, often associated with trades such as masonry, carpentry, and other skilled labor professions. This reinforces the theory that the name originated from the occupation of a day laborer or manual worker.
In the 19th century, the Tagger surname gained more prominence with the birth of notable figures such as Friedrich Tagger (1811-1887), a German philosopher and professor at the University of Heidelberg, and Theodor Tagger (1842-1919), a renowned German architect who designed several public buildings in Munich.
Another prominent individual with the Tagger surname was Johann Tagger (1867-1942), a German artist known for his landscape paintings and etchings. His works were exhibited in several prestigious galleries across Europe during his lifetime.
Moving into the 20th century, one of the most famous bearers of the Tagger name was Hans Tagger (1915-2002), a German-born American physicist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics. He worked at renowned institutions like the University of Chicago and the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Throughout its history, the Tagger surname has been associated with various place names and locations, such as Taggershausen, a small village in Bavaria, and Taggersheim, a town in Baden-Württemberg. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tagger surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 4 Taggers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.95x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 4 | 4.95x |
| Leicestershire | 1 | 13.25x |
| Middlesex | 1 | 1.47x |
| Yorkshire | 1 | 1.48x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 4 Taggers recorded in 1881 and an index of 153.26x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Oldham | 4 | 153.26x |
| Enfield | 1 | 222.22x |
| Glen Parva | 1 | 5000.00x |
| Linthorpe | 1 | 250.00x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Tagger surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Tagger surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Tagger households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Carter | 1 |
| Cotton Piecer (Unemployed) | 1 |
| Cotton Twiner (Unemployed) | 1 |
| Kitchen Maid | 1 |
| Soldier | 1 |
| Wire Drawer In Ironworks | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 7 people were recorded with the Tagger surname. That placed it at #32,765 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 71 in 2016. That gives Tagger a modern rank of #33,633.
A surname derived from the German word "tagger" meaning a laborer or daylaborer.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Tagger bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.