NameCensus.

UK surname

Talbot

An English and French surname derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "valley bolt" or "messenger from the valley."

In the 1881 census there were 7,424 people recorded with the Talbot surname, ranking it #577 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,496, ranked #519, up from #577 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Batley and Blackburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Rossendale and Telford and Wrekin.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Talbot is 13,083 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.3%.

1881 census count

7,424

Ranked #577

Modern count

12,496

2016, ranked #519

Peak year

1999

13,083 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Talbot had 7,424 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #577 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,496 in 2016, ranked #519.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,073 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Talbot surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Talbot surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Talbot 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 3,846 #735
1861 historical 4,037 #690
1881 historical 7,424 #577
1891 historical 8,268 #534
1901 historical 9,979 #525
1911 historical 11,073 #441
1997 modern 12,180 #508
1998 modern 12,973 #490
1999 modern 13,083 #490
2000 modern 12,855 #496
2001 modern 12,509 #497
2002 modern 12,867 #492
2003 modern 12,596 #490
2004 modern 12,565 #492
2005 modern 12,218 #503
2006 modern 12,115 #511
2007 modern 12,162 #514
2008 modern 12,273 #512
2009 modern 12,589 #511
2010 modern 12,753 #512
2011 modern 12,596 #511
2012 modern 12,379 #511
2013 modern 12,678 #513
2014 modern 12,764 #515
2015 modern 12,543 #520
2016 modern 12,496 #519

Geography

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Where Talbots are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Batley and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Rossendale and Telford and Wrekin. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 005 Shropshire
2 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
3 Telford and Wrekin 002 Telford and Wrekin
4 Telford and Wrekin 001 Telford and Wrekin
5 Telford and Wrekin 003 Telford and Wrekin

Forenames

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First names often paired with Talbot

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Talbot

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Talbot, 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 Talbot surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Talbot 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Talbot 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

Talbot is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Talbot falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Talbot 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 Talbot, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Talbot

The surname Talbot originated in Normandy, France, in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norman French words "talu" or "taille," meaning "hewn" or "cut," and "bois," meaning "wood." The name likely referred to an occupation or trade, such as a woodcutter or forester.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Talbot name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript recording landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. The name is mentioned in various spellings, including Talebot, Taleboth, and Talebot.

During the Middle Ages, the Talbot family held significant landholdings and influence in both England and France. The earliest known bearer of the name was Sir Richard Talbot, who lived in the late 12th century and held estates in Shropshire, England.

In the 13th century, Gilbert Talbot (c. 1276-1346) served as a military commander and was granted lands in Ireland by King Edward I. He established the Talbot line in Ireland, which produced several notable figures over the centuries.

John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury (c. 1388-1453), was a renowned English military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He fought in numerous battles and was known as the "English Achilles" for his bravery and skill on the battlefield.

The Talbot name was also associated with the earldom of Shrewsbury, a prestigious title held by several members of the family. George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury (1528-1590), was a prominent figure during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and served as Earl Marshal of England.

In the 16th century, Gilbert Talbot (1552-1616) was an English diplomat and politician who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and played a significant role in the Tudor conquest of Ireland.

While the Talbot name has its roots in Normandy, it has been widely dispersed throughout England, Ireland, and other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries. The name has also been associated with various place names, such as Talbotville in Ontario, Canada, and Talbot County in Maryland, USA.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Talbot families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Talbot 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. Lancashire leads with 916 Talbots recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.06x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 916 1.06x
Middlesex 821 1.13x
Staffordshire 713 2.90x
Yorkshire 526 0.73x
Warwickshire 395 2.15x
Somerset 359 3.07x
Surrey 321 0.91x
Berkshire 279 5.11x
Nottinghamshire 241 2.46x
Suffolk 239 2.70x
Dorset 225 4.71x
Durham 216 1.00x
Shropshire 144 2.29x
Hampshire 137 0.92x
Essex 134 0.93x
Kent 129 0.52x
Worcestershire 122 1.28x
Derbyshire 118 1.04x
Northamptonshire 117 1.71x
Gloucestershire 115 0.81x
Norfolk 114 1.02x
Sussex 109 0.89x
Glamorgan 86 0.68x
Leicestershire 84 1.04x
Oxfordshire 83 1.85x
Devon 81 0.54x
Cheshire 78 0.49x
Buckinghamshire 62 1.41x
Cambridgeshire 62 1.35x
Monmouthshire 51 0.97x
Wiltshire 47 0.73x
Lincolnshire 43 0.37x
Northumberland 43 0.40x
Lanarkshire 32 0.14x
Cumberland 23 0.37x
Bedfordshire 21 0.56x
Hertfordshire 19 0.38x
Westmorland 18 1.13x
Channel Islands 17 0.79x
Flintshire 11 0.56x
Midlothian 11 0.11x
Royal Navy 10 1.15x
Aberdeenshire 9 0.13x
Perthshire 9 0.28x
Angus 8 0.12x
Cornwall 7 0.09x
Dunbartonshire 7 0.36x
Clackmannanshire 6 1.00x
Huntingdonshire 6 0.42x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.16x
Herefordshire 5 0.17x
Isle of Man 5 0.37x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.24x
Ayrshire 3 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.13x
Buteshire 1 0.23x
Inverness-shire 1 0.05x
Renfrewshire 1 0.02x
Rutland 1 0.19x
West Lothian 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 132 Talbots recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.75x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 132 5.75x
Aston 110 2.18x
Birmingham 99 1.62x
Barrow 75 331.13x
Islington London 72 1.02x
Dewsbury 70 9.47x
Kensington London 70 1.73x
Batley 68 9.93x
St Pancras London 63 1.08x
High Offley 60 296.44x
West Ham 59 1.86x
Harwell 55 272.82x
Stoke Upon Trent 49 1.88x
Rotherhithe 48 5.34x
Camberwell 47 1.01x
St Marylebone London 47 1.21x
Paddington London 45 1.68x
Wolverhampton 45 2.38x
Clifton 44 6.10x
Preston 42 1.82x
Brandon 39 64.90x
Lambeth 38 0.60x
Nottingham St Mary 38 1.50x
Bermondsey 37 1.71x
Harborne 37 4.70x
Weymouth 37 40.92x
Liverpool 36 0.69x
Shoreditch London 36 1.14x
Everton 35 1.27x
Abbots Bromley 33 90.68x
Lowton 33 56.22x
Wyke Regis 33 48.19x
Newington 32 1.19x
Dronfield 31 21.25x
Stourbridge 31 12.69x
Habergham Eaves 30 3.80x
Clerkenwell London 29 1.69x
Isleworth 29 8.97x
Northampton St Giles 29 11.13x
West Bromwich 29 2.06x
Limehouse London 28 3.51x
Midsomer Norton 28 25.39x
St George In East 28 5.66x
Ashby De La Zouch 27 14.45x
Battersea 27 1.01x
Chelsea London 27 1.23x
Portsea 27 0.92x
St George Hanover 27 2.84x
Brightside Bierlow 26 1.84x
Curry Rivell 26 66.39x
Hackney London 26 0.64x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 25 9.55x
Dudley 25 2.17x
Kingswinford 25 2.81x
Sheriff Hales 25 99.52x
Wednesfield 25 6.92x
Sheffield 24 1.05x
Stafford St Mary 24 6.91x
Hammersmith London 23 1.28x
Lilleshall 23 23.95x
Little Bolton 23 2.07x
Radford 22 4.42x
Rishton 22 21.73x
Handsworth 21 3.47x
Kintbury 21 49.80x
Wednesbury 21 3.42x
Bury 20 2.03x
Butleigh 20 103.95x
Ince In Makerfield 20 4.98x
West Derby 20 0.79x
Wigan 20 1.66x
Ashton In Makerfield 19 7.73x
Bedminster 19 1.73x
Eastbourne 19 3.37x
Halifax 19 1.80x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 19 2.03x
Leamington Priors 19 4.21x
Street 19 30.00x
Tottenham 19 1.64x
Westminster St 19 7.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 482
Elizabeth 289
Sarah 258
Ann 136
Eliza 132
Alice 122
Emma 118
Ellen 116
Jane 115
Annie 93
Emily 92
Hannah 83
Martha 75
Margaret 64
Louisa 57
Catherine 51
Edith 49
Ada 48
Fanny 43
Anne 42
Maria 42
Caroline 41
Charlotte 41
Florence 41
Kate 41
Harriet 40
Clara 39
Lucy 36
Susan 35
Agnes 28
Amelia 25
Rose 24
Isabella 21
Frances 19
Rebecca 19
Esther 18
Matilda 18
Jessie 17
Selina 17
Amy 16
Julia 15
Lydia 15
Grace 14
Laura 14
Bessie 13
Elizth. 13
Georgina 13
Gertrude 13
Henrietta 13
Minnie 13

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 425
William 413
George 260
Thomas 243
James 215
Henry 183
Charles 151
Joseph 125
Richard 90
Arthur 88
Alfred 87
Robert 84
Frederick 79
Edward 68
Albert 60
Walter 60
Samuel 52
Harry 49
Benjamin 37
Francis 28
Frank 28
Ernest 26
Herbert 25
Edwin 21
Peter 21
David 16
Fred 11
Michael 11
Percy 11
Wm. 11
Fredrick 10
Geo. 10
Thos. 10
Chas. 9
Hugh 9
Jesse 9
Matthew 9
Ralph 9
Tom 9
Christopher 8
Daniel 8
Jas. 7
Stephen 7
Willie 7
Earnest 6
Gilbert 6
Isaac 6
Leonard 6
Mark 6
Mathew 6

FAQ

Talbot surname: questions and answers

How common was the Talbot surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,424 people were recorded with the Talbot surname. That placed it at #577 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Talbot surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,496 in 2016. That gives Talbot a modern rank of #519.

What does the Talbot surname mean?

An English and French surname derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "valley bolt" or "messenger from the valley."

What does the Talbot map show?

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