NameCensus.

UK surname

Tailor

An occupational surname for someone whose profession was making clothing.

In the 1881 census there were 536 people recorded with the Tailor surname, ranking it #6,420 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,864, ranked #2,345, up from #6,420 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leicester and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tailor is 2,882 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 434.3%.

1881 census count

536

Ranked #6,420

Modern count

2,864

2016, ranked #2,345

Peak year

2013

2,882 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tailor had 536 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,420 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,864 in 2016, ranked #2,345.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,374 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Tailor surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tailor surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tailor 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 1,374 #2,088
1861 historical 1,189 #2,385
1881 historical 536 #6,420
1891 historical 309 #10,848
1901 historical 276 #12,315
1911 historical 116 #20,850
1997 modern 2,210 #2,807
1998 modern 2,275 #2,834
1999 modern 2,374 #2,751
2000 modern 2,396 #2,709
2001 modern 2,392 #2,667
2002 modern 2,508 #2,607
2003 modern 2,569 #2,500
2004 modern 2,587 #2,495
2005 modern 2,623 #2,444
2006 modern 2,633 #2,440
2007 modern 2,709 #2,409
2008 modern 2,709 #2,425
2009 modern 2,730 #2,446
2010 modern 2,839 #2,422
2011 modern 2,793 #2,427
2012 modern 2,754 #2,425
2013 modern 2,882 #2,363
2014 modern 2,882 #2,376
2015 modern 2,859 #2,368
2016 modern 2,864 #2,345

Geography

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Where Tailors are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Manchester, Lambeth and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leicester and Bolton. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leicester 008 Leicester
2 Bolton 015 Bolton
3 Leicester 006 Leicester
4 Leicester 010 Leicester
5 Leicester 007 Leicester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tailor

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tailor

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Tailor surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Tailor household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Tailor is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tailor is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tailor falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tailor is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Asian - Indian

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

Meaning and origin of Tailor

The surname Tailor is an occupational name that originated in England during the medieval period. It derives from the Old English word "tayliour" or the Anglo-Norman French word "taillour," both of which refer to a person who cuts and sews cloth to make garments. The name is believed to have first emerged in the 12th or 13th century, when the practice of adopting hereditary surnames became more common among the English population.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tailor can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which listed a person named William le Taillour in Oxfordshire. Another early reference is in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which mentioned a John le Taillour in Cambridgeshire. These records suggest that the name was already in use and established by the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

Several notable individuals have borne the surname Tailor throughout history. One of the earliest was John Tailor (c. 1425-1485), an English priest and theologian who served as the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1465 to 1485. Another prominent figure was Robert Tailor (c. 1490-1558), an English Protestant reformer and martyr who was burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions under Queen Mary I.

In the 17th century, a family of Taylors played a significant role in the English Civil War. John Tailor (1594-1653) was a prominent Puritan minister and member of the Westminster Assembly, while his brother Silius Tailor (1619-1675) was a colonel in the Parliamentarian army and fought alongside Oliver Cromwell.

The surname Tailor has also been associated with several notable literary figures, such as the 18th-century English playwright and poet Thomas Tailor (1715-1766), and the 19th-century American novelist and short story writer John Tailor (1819-1892), best known for his works "The Sketch Book" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

In some cases, the surname Tailor has evolved into alternative spellings or variations, such as Taylor, Taylour, and Tailour. These variations can often be traced back to specific regions or local dialects within England, where the name may have been pronounced or recorded differently over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tailor families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tailor 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 72 Tailors recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.41x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 72 1.41x
Yorkshire 39 0.77x
Lancashire 36 0.59x
Leicestershire 29 5.13x
Devon 26 2.45x
Somerset 24 2.92x
Surrey 24 0.97x
Glamorgan 23 2.59x
Lincolnshire 18 2.21x
Cheshire 16 1.42x
Essex 16 1.59x
Warwickshire 15 1.17x
Gloucestershire 12 1.20x
Sussex 12 1.40x
Anglesey 10 11.06x
Durham 10 0.66x
Herefordshire 10 4.78x
Northumberland 9 1.19x
Cornwall 8 1.39x
Lanarkshire 8 0.48x
Orkney 8 14.25x
Shropshire 8 1.82x
Fife 7 2.32x
Northamptonshire 7 1.46x
Renfrewshire 7 1.77x
Aberdeenshire 5 1.06x
Monmouthshire 5 1.36x
Shetland 5 9.60x
Cambridgeshire 4 1.24x
Kent 4 0.23x
Oxfordshire 4 1.27x
Hampshire 3 0.29x
Huntingdonshire 3 2.96x
Perthshire 3 1.31x
Wiltshire 3 0.66x
Ayrshire 2 0.52x
Cardiganshire 2 1.61x
Cumberland 2 0.46x
Dumfriesshire 2 1.77x
Dunbartonshire 2 1.46x
Norfolk 2 0.26x
Stirlingshire 2 1.06x
Worcestershire 2 0.30x
Caithness 1 1.43x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.47x
Denbighshire 1 0.52x
Derbyshire 1 0.13x
East Lothian 1 1.48x
Flintshire 1 0.73x
Midlothian 1 0.15x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.86x
Morayshire 1 1.26x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.15x
Radnorshire 1 2.43x
Roxburghshire 1 1.08x
Staffordshire 1 0.06x
Suffolk 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 12 Tailors recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.22x.

Place Total Index
Everton 12 6.22x
Rothwell 11 107.74x
Llanfair Yn Ghornwy 10 2040.82x
Plymouth Charles The 9 19.24x
Bethnal Green London 8 3.61x
Bromyard 8 289.86x
Gainsborough 8 41.60x
Holm 8 425.53x
Marston 8 467.84x
Westminster St John 8 12.88x
Weston Super Mare 8 38.57x
Blackfordby 7 386.74x
Ealing 7 15.35x
Liverpool 7 1.90x
Llanrhidian Higher 7 124.11x
St Giles In Fields 7 39.77x
Stranton 7 13.70x
Aston 6 1.69x
Billinghay 6 239.04x
Finchley 6 30.67x
Leicester St Margaret 6 4.35x
Newington 6 3.18x
St John Near Swansea 6 54.64x
Stoke Damerel 6 8.07x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 5 5.66x
Almondbury 5 20.46x
Belgrave 5 39.15x
Birmingham 5 1.17x
Broadwater 5 25.34x
Chelsea London 5 3.25x
Dovercourt 5 141.24x
Easton In Gordano 5 151.06x
Elswick 5 8.25x
Glasgow 5 1.71x
Lambeth 5 1.12x
Manchester 5 1.84x
Oldham 5 2.56x
Paddington London 5 2.67x
St George Hanover 5 7.51x
Wolborough 5 37.26x
Camberwell 4 1.23x
Dunfermline 4 8.61x
Great Leighs 4 305.34x
Leeds 4 1.40x
Llanwonno 4 12.53x
Oxford St Thomas 4 27.21x
Paisley Low Church 4 31.95x
Shrewsbury St Chad 4 25.86x
St Stephen Coleman 4 294.12x
Sutton Stoneferry 4 27.66x
Thringstone 4 185.19x
Bedwellty 3 4.61x
Belford 3 185.19x
Bredbury 3 46.01x
Duxford 3 222.22x
Egham 3 19.66x
Hinckley 3 22.35x
Horton In Bradford 3 3.80x
Islington London 3 0.61x
Kippax 3 67.42x
Landkey 3 288.46x
Macclesfield 3 5.99x
Newent 3 58.94x
Northampton St Giles 3 16.41x
Portsea 3 1.46x
Sandsting Aitsting 3 63.56x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 2.92x
St Marylebone London 3 1.10x
Stilton 3 263.16x
West Greenock 3 4.23x
Alford 2 39.53x
Brighton 2 1.15x
Cheltenham 2 2.59x
Dedham 2 65.57x
Great Bedwin 2 62.50x
Hugglescote 2 24.04x
Lerwick Gulberwick 2 24.81x
Perth Middle Church 2 23.23x
Radstock 2 37.04x
Swansea Town 2 2.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 50
John 34
George 20
Henry 18
James 15
Joseph 13
Thomas 11
Edward 8
Alfred 6
Arthur 5
Charles 5
Frederick 5
Robert 5
Richard 4
David 3
Frank 3
Samuel 3
Ernest 2
Harry 2
Walter 2
A. 1
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Archibald 1
Arther 1
Benjamin 1
Benjm. 1
Chas. 1
Claude 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwin 1
Eliza 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fredk.M. 1
Isac 1
Josiah 1
Mary 1
Mathew 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Robrt. 1
Stephen 1
Washington 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Tailor surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tailor surname in 1881?

In 1881, 536 people were recorded with the Tailor surname. That placed it at #6,420 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tailor surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,864 in 2016. That gives Tailor a modern rank of #2,345.

What does the Tailor surname mean?

An occupational surname for someone whose profession was making clothing.

What does the Tailor map show?

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