NameCensus.

UK surname

Tall

Referring to someone of tall or lofty stature.

In the 1881 census there were 433 people recorded with the Tall surname, ranking it #7,531 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 524, ranked #9,666, down from #7,531 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth, London parishes and Gainsborough, Paddocks. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Hams, East Riding of Yorkshire and Eastleigh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tall is 589 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.0%.

1881 census count

433

Ranked #7,531

Modern count

524

2016, ranked #9,666

Peak year

1911

589 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tall had 433 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,531 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 524 in 2016, ranked #9,666.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 589 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tall surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tall 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 410 #5,916
1861 historical 462 #5,621
1881 historical 433 #7,531
1891 historical 481 #7,664
1901 historical 533 #7,697
1911 historical 589 #6,935
1997 modern 515 #9,110
1998 modern 533 #9,135
1999 modern 530 #9,231
2000 modern 538 #9,103
2001 modern 512 #9,288
2002 modern 508 #9,525
2003 modern 486 #9,688
2004 modern 489 #9,652
2005 modern 461 #10,022
2006 modern 466 #9,977
2007 modern 478 #9,891
2008 modern 493 #9,757
2009 modern 502 #9,818
2010 modern 511 #9,882
2011 modern 509 #9,821
2012 modern 507 #9,761
2013 modern 515 #9,804
2014 modern 531 #9,659
2015 modern 519 #9,753
2016 modern 524 #9,666

Geography

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Where Talls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth, London parishes, Gainsborough, Paddocks, Southampton St Mary and Plympton St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Hams, East Riding of Yorkshire, Eastleigh, Plymouth and Arun. 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 Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth Cambridgeshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gainsborough, Paddocks Lincolnshire
4 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
5 Plympton St Mary Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Hams 008 South Hams
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 026 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Eastleigh 008 Eastleigh
4 Plymouth 021 Plymouth
5 Arun 015 Arun

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tall

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Tall 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

Tall is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tall 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 Tall 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 Tall, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Tall

The surname "TALL" is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages, derived from the Old English word "tall," which means "high" or "lofty." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was notably tall or who lived on a hill or elevated area.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Tallus," referring to a person living in the county of Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 12th century, the name is found in various forms, such as "atte Talle" and "de la Talle," which were common renderings of the name during that period. These variations reflect the Norman-French influence on English surnames after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Richard Tall, a prominent landowner in Somerset, England, who lived in the latter half of the 13th century. Another early record is of John Talle, a merchant from Bristol, who is mentioned in historical documents from the early 14th century.

During the 16th century, the surname began to take on its modern spelling of "TALL." Notable individuals from this time include William Tall, a merchant and alderman of London, born around 1520, and Thomas Tall, a poet and playwright from Norfolk, who lived from 1562 to 1625.

In the 17th century, the name continued to be found across various parts of England, with some families establishing themselves in the American colonies. One such individual was Michael Tall, who was born in Dorset, England, in 1620 and later settled in Massachusetts.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, several noteworthy figures bore the surname "TALL." These include Sir Thomas Tall (1710-1792), a British naval officer and Member of Parliament, and Jedediah Tall (1781-1858), an American politician and judge from Connecticut.

Other prominent individuals with the surname "TALL" include the English cricketer John Tall (1808-1876), who played for Nottinghamshire and was known for his exceptional height, and the British artist and illustrator Benjamin Tall (1846-1925), whose works were widely published in magazines and books of the Victorian era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tall 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. Devon leads with 143 Talls recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.19x.

County Total Index
Devon 143 16.19x
Middlesex 45 1.06x
Cambridgeshire 42 15.63x
Hampshire 37 4.25x
Yorkshire 30 0.71x
Kent 29 2.00x
Surrey 19 0.92x
Lincolnshire 17 2.51x
Essex 10 1.19x
Durham 9 0.71x
Gloucestershire 9 1.08x
Somerset 9 1.32x
Norfolk 8 1.23x
Glamorgan 6 0.81x
Huntingdonshire 5 5.93x
Cheshire 4 0.43x
Angus 2 0.51x
Bedfordshire 2 0.91x
Channel Islands 2 1.59x
Cornwall 2 0.42x
Fife 1 0.40x
Hertfordshire 1 0.34x
Lancashire 1 0.02x
Northamptonshire 1 0.25x
Shropshire 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth Charles The in Devon leads with 16 Talls recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.12x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth Charles The 16 41.12x
Gainsborough 14 87.55x
Camberwell 13 4.80x
Gravesend 12 97.88x
Southampton St Mary 12 21.94x
Cornwood 11 650.89x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 11 93.86x
Holbeton 11 679.01x
Portsea 10 5.87x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 13.23x
Plympton St Mary 9 176.13x
Sculcoates 9 13.50x
South Molton 9 185.57x
Tormoham 9 24.08x
Walcot 9 24.74x
Newton Ferrers 8 776.70x
St Giles Cripplegate 8 142.10x
St Marylebone London 8 3.53x
Yealmpton 8 588.24x
Aveton Gifford 7 546.88x
Cottingham 7 77.26x
Downham Market 7 156.25x
Upwell 7 355.33x
Bromley London 6 6.43x
Chatteris 6 87.46x
Plympton Maurice 6 359.28x
Portsmouth 6 29.96x
South Brent 6 315.79x
Bristol St Nicholas 5 333.33x
Collierley 5 88.97x
Dartmouth Townstall 5 138.89x
Ermington 5 155.76x
Penarth 5 69.25x
Stoke Damerel 5 8.09x
Witcham 5 892.86x
Bethnal Green London 4 2.17x
Chertsey 4 29.94x
Deptford St Paul 4 3.58x
East Ham 4 25.74x
East Stonehouse 4 22.99x
Gillingham 4 13.40x
Hackney London 4 1.68x
Highweek 4 126.98x
Holy Trinity 4 3.95x
Milton In Gravesend 4 18.42x
Minchinhampton 4 60.33x
Monks Coppenhall 4 11.32x
Newington 4 34.54x
Ratcliffe London 4 17.07x
St Ives 4 91.53x
Wanstead 4 27.27x
Wimblington 4 253.16x
Witchford 4 625.00x
Alverstoke 3 9.53x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 5.49x
Manea 3 176.47x
Minster In Sheppey 3 12.51x
Shoreditch London 3 1.63x
Holy Rood 2 113.64x
Islington London 2 0.49x
Kimberworth 2 8.57x
Kingston On Thames 2 4.03x
Laira 2 1000.00x
Paddington London 2 1.28x
Sampford Spiney 2 333.33x
Scarborough 2 5.23x
St Helier 2 4.89x
St Vigeans 2 9.43x
Wembury 2 250.00x
Burton Pidsea 1 196.08x
Cottenham 1 28.01x
Epworth 1 31.65x
Hitchin 1 7.58x
Hythe St Leonard 1 19.53x
Maulden 1 52.63x
Mile End New Town 1 17.27x
St George Hanover 1 1.81x
Stranton 1 2.35x
Swavesey 1 58.14x
Warnford 1 178.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Elizabeth 25
Jane 13
Sarah 13
Ann 12
Eliza 9
Emily 9
Louisa 9
Ellen 8
Annie 6
Edith 6
Kate 6
Alice 5
Emma 5
Harriet 5
Lucy 5
Ada 4
Maria 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Louise 2
Mabel 2
Maud 2
Rosa 2
Susan 2
Anna 1
Carrie 1
Clara 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.E. 1
Esther 1
Eth. 1
Eth.Ann 1
Eva 1
F.M. 1
Fanny 1
Jesse 1
Jessie 1
Joyce 1
Katie 1
Kitty 1
Laura 1
Leah 1
Leonie 1
Tizzie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 35
John 23
James 13
George 9
Thomas 8
Edwin 6
Henry 6
Frederick 5
Harry 5
Joseph 5
Arthur 4
Edward 4
Ernest 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Wm. 3
Aaron 2
Edwd. 2
Fred 2
Joel 2
Percy 2
Richard 2
Robt. 2
Willie 2
Archibald 1
Benjamin 1
C.H. 1
Collett 1
Cyrus 1
Earnest 1
Elias 1
Ezekiel 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Horace 1
Isaac 1
Jas.Thos. 1
Jonathon 1
Josiah 1
Luther 1
Matthew 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Silas 1
Stephen 1
Tom 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Tall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 433 people were recorded with the Tall surname. That placed it at #7,531 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 524 in 2016. That gives Tall a modern rank of #9,666.

What does the Tall surname mean?

Referring to someone of tall or lofty stature.

What does the Tall map show?

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